::The Annals I: Part II of Rapieratce::

Disclaimer: Nyaaaaaaaaaaaah!

A/N: Liked the last chappie? Hope you did.

*

Rapieratce sighed as he and Glamoren took their time pushing their way through inner Mossflower. Greenery was everywhere, and the carpeted forest floor muffled their pawsteps. Glamoren prowled up front while Rapieratce lingered back, intent on covering every detail. Ears pricked, the newly appointed captain kept his senses on alert and looked out for any minute sign whatsoever of trouble. Peace though there had been in Mossflower for seasons by then uncounted, there were reports over the seasons of small groups of vermin, most of them less than ten, lingering around the inner reaches of Mossflower, where spotting them would be relatively difficult, and ambush was clearly an easy thing to accomplish against those untrained and careless in their travels in the area. Rapieratce was not intent on playing the fool and messing up his first patrol as a captain through the dereliction of his duty. As was de rigueur whenever he and Glamoren were on patrol together, he kept to the back while the sergeant roved ahead. Rapieratce caught the sound of a breaking twig, and with impulsive reflex, Rapieratce let out a shrill whistle, dropping to the ground just as Glamoren did, while two arrows flew overhead, cutting the air with alarming speed and accuracy. In a fraction of a second, the two friends were up and charged towards the area from which the arrows had come. Pushing back various forms of vegetation, Rapieratce fought desperately to reach his unknown adversary, finally reaching a clearing. What he saw made him laugh, causing Glamoren behind him to bowl into him in shock. Hopelessly laughing by then, Rapieratce made no attempt to answer his partner's furious questions, only yanking Glamoren's lance away from him. After awhile, Rapieratce finally got a grip of himself.

'I say, father, next time you want to say a bally hello, kindly do so without trying to murder your son first, wot.'

Rapieratce's father put down his bow and smiled.

'Rapieratce. What on Mossflower are you doing here? You scared me and your bally mater half to death. We thought you and your friend, were some flippin searats that have been prowling hereabouts.'

Rapieratce smiled and embraced his father, his mother coming out of the underbrush, holding her rapier in front of her until she saw him. Smiling, she walked forward and tapped him on the shoulder with the blade. Rapieratce turned around and hugged his mother, nearly smothering her. His mother laughed.

'To think I nearly killed you. You have an awful knack for getting into trouble, 'Atce.'

Glamoren whacked Rapieratce upside the head with his paw, yanking his lance back in the process.

'Perfect boy? Get into trouble? Surely you jest, marm!'

Rapieratce rolled his eyes at his irrepressible partner. His father grinned.

'Takes after his mother. So, what rank be you now? Galde should have worked you half to death by now, seeing I'm not around.'

Rapieratce shook his head.

'Barely. Don't feel as if he has at any rate. Problem is he keeps on promoting me. Already a captain and it's barely been seven bally seasons.'

'So late? I'm surprised Galde didn't promote you on your third season.'

All three hares laughed at the shocked look of disbelief on Rapieratce's face.

*

Rapieratce sat in his dorm, scripting out the report of which he was to pass to Galde that week in a steady, neat script. It was Monday. Glamoren stood at his door, looking in frustration at his partner. It was the first day of the winter season, and Rapieratce had only just returned from a long solo patrol that had taken him two weeks, and already he was intent on finishing the considerably lengthy report that afternoon. Unfortunately for the captain, his friend had already planned out something. There was a friendly fencing match about to take place that noon, and Glamoren was intent on dragging Rapieratce to it, regardless if the captain was going to agree.

'Come on, 'Atce. That report isn't due in four days!'

'Still. No bally excuse for tardiness.'

'Rapieratce, stop being so bally stubborn. There's a fencing match on. I know you want to participate.'

'I want to finish the report first.'

'That's a flippin two week long report! It'd take you the whole bally day!'

'Still.'

Glamoren threw his paws up in the air. It was time for desperate measures. Sneaking to the captain's bed, the sergeant took Rapieratce's blade off its wallpeg. Zipping back to the door, he called out in a singsong voice.

'Atce! Look what I discovered on the wall! A nice, sharp rapier!'

Rapieratce's head immediately shot up from his desk, and the cried out in protest when he saw his most prized possession had been moved from its customary place on the wall. Glamoren immediately took off, running madly to get away from his furious partner whom had run out of his study, slamming the door behind him in the process. The two whirled past a bemused colonel who was on his way to the event, nearly crashing down the staircase while Rapieratce shouted at his partner to give back his blade. Glamoren knew only too well that if he did, Rapieratce would probably behead him with it on the spot, thus ran desperately over to the training grounds where the matches were to take place, not wanted to be overtaken for the sake of his life. Finally, the grounds came into view, and Glamoren stopped. Rapieratce sprinted angrily over to him, snatching the rapier out of his partner's hands with almost unbridled anger.

'Do not touch my rapier.'

Glamoren only chuckled, pushing Rapieratce forward, knowing that Rapieratce could not back down from his position then. His plan had worked. Only then did the captain realize what he had got himself into, and immediately tried to back out. To his dismay, he found the colonel had by then appeared at the scene and was looking pointedly at him. He knew that Galde expected him to prove himself on the occasion, thus resignedly joined the ranks of the hares who were all waiting for their turns. Glamoren was going to pay a hefty sum when Rapieratce got out of the mess. His turn, in his opinion, came all too soon for his liking. Swallowing anxiously, he met his opponent. Rapieratce nearly groaned aloud: Captain Paragorn, the resident expert on blades of most sort. Paragorn was notoriously well known for his capability with a blade throughout the mountain's population, and Rapieratce felt a sense of dreadful unease. The whistle was blown, and the two stepped forward and began. Rapieratce waited for Paragorn to make the first move, of which he easily repelled with a smooth stroke of his blade to the left, quickly swerving his blade away upwards, parrying and twisting, making his actions as curt and short as possible, so as not to give Paragorn any openings to catch him off guard. Rapieratce could practically feel Galde watching his every move, so intense was the colonel's glare. Focussing his every action to attacking, Rapieratce put everything he had learnt to practise. The two hares battled back and forth, both waiting for an opening to attack. Rapieratce decided he had to take a risk, Paragorn was far too careful to be easily fooled. Pushing his attacks harder, he made as if to disarm the opposing captain, who immediately took the opening chance to attack. Rapieratce had long anticipated such, thus lifting his blade completely away from the fray, startling his opponent with the sudden moving, causing Paragorn to bring his blade upwards and leaving his guard completely off. With a quick twist of his paw, Rapieratce flicked Paragorn's blade away, winning his match. The crowd of patrollers burst into cheers. Not often was such skill put to test at such extent in Salamandastron. Paragorn smiled shrewdly at Rapieratce, commenting as he picked up his blade.

'Well, I'll just go have a bally word with 'ol Galde about you, no? The colonel's goin' to get it from me for training you so bally well. I have a flippin contender for the position of blade-master now, don't I? Ach, competition is better than the lack of it. Keep it up, captain, good show!'

Rapieratce smiled and gave a quick bow to his gracious opponent before filtering out of the event grounds to make way for the next competitor. Galde smiled in satisfaction. His student was finally letting his ability push him forward. Rapieratce smiled when he saw his mentor send a nod of approval in his direction. Maybe he would let Glamoren off this once. Maybe.

*

*Back to the future*

'Paragorn, now? I remember him, fast chap. Had trouble with him, crafty old hare.'

'Ah, stuff it Dale. You had more practice than me when you came to Salamandastron.'

'Oh, trying to say you're better than me, now, are you?'

'I already proved it.'

'Dare you prove it again, sah?'

'We're in Redwall, Dale, and I need to get on with the tale.'

'Coward.'

'Captain...'

*