Over the next several hours, Eula's outlook on the new situation changed dramatically - several times. At the moment, after an afternoon at the springs with the older hares, she felt completely prepared to march off to war with her friends.

She was staring off into space when Del's voice shook her from her reverie. "Y'know, you had the funniest look on your face when you came up, wot."

Eula flicked her gaze to Del, then shrugged indifferently. She hadn't told Del the news. She hadn't told anyone. Somehow, she felt Jamie didn't want the news spilled from her own lips. It was for anybeast of prominence to announce to the fighters.

"Was nothin'," Eula replied flippantly. "Mayhap I swallowed a gnat." She grinned good-naturedly as she balled up the hem of her tunic in her paws and wrung out a bit of water.

Del was immediately aware of the casual pitch Eula's voice adopted when she was lying. She was never one to pry, and followed that custom now, not pursuing the matter. If Eula wanted to tell her, she would in time.

Eula turned to Del after a few silent moments, and Del thought some admission was coming at this point, but she then noticed the mischievous smile on her young friend's features.

"I'll race you back to the gate," she announced challengingly.

Del smirked. Eula always won. She humored the younger haremaid anyway. "Right then.... go!"

Both young haremaids tore across the grassy dunes. The outcome was nothing out of the ordinary. Eula always won.

-----

Eula hadn't seen Jamie at lunch that day, and was confused on the matter until she'd heard the officers had taken their meal at the council. Irked by losing her chance to snatch a conversation with him, she now made her way up a set of stairs and down a dim hallway.

Stopping at a door, she knocked a couple times, then waited for an answer.

"Come in," it came.

Eula let herself in and saw Jamie already standing, just a few feet there before the door. She paused, her paw remaining on the door's handle. The expression on Jamie's face made her feel awkward to come in any closer.

He stood, poised, paws behind his back and his eyes fixed sternly on her. Eula blinked, then quirked a smile. "Did I do somethin' wrong?"

Instead of answering, Jamie went along on his own, speaking unusually firmly to her. "I've already informed you that the Long Patrol will be going off to battle. I can only hope you've enough sense to have kept that to yourself. I'm forbidden to tell you anything more until the officers announce it to their patrol's tomorrow morning."

Eula still stood there in the doorway, nonplussed. She wasn't sure what to say, so she stood there, staring blankly at Jamie. She'd never heard him sound so serious before.

Jamie slipped his paw into his cloak and fished a familiar looking slip of paper out. He handed it to Eula, not a trace of emotion giving himself away. Eula took the paper, but stared at Jamie rather than read it.

"The officers at the council felt you'd be of better use as a scout on the patrol," he told her flatly. "Of course, you realize this means you won't be marching with my-"

"What!?" Eula shouted furiously. "Jamie, that's not f-"

"Lieutenant Sersea," he cut her off, correcting her rigidly. Eula stood there, staring in disbelief at 'Lieutenant Sersea.' She searched his face, as if hoping to find some inkling that this was a joke; or at the least, milk some sympathy from him. When neither was forthcoming, she narrowed her eyes.

"I want to fight," she hissed bluntly.

"Being a scout doesn't refrain from you fighting in the battle," Jamie replied calmly.

"No," Eula agreed coldly. "But it means I have to run back and forth reporting between officers like some... like some... runner!" She finished rather unimpressively, too incensed to think of something more appropriate.

Jamie raised his brows imperiously at the young haremaid, replying with the same calm, monotonous tone. "You'd do well not to raise your voice to your commanding officer."

"Ja-" she paused. "Lieutenant Sersea. Why was I demoted into a flippin' runner?"

"It isn't a demotion."

"That's not what I asked."

"I told you, the officers feel you'll be more suitable as a runner."

"You mean they think I'll be safer and more out of the way as a runner."

"I really have to be going. I'll be seeing you bright 'n' early tomorrow morning," and before Eula could reply, he walked around her, out the door, leaving her alone.

For a few minutes, Eula just stood there, staring down at the paper in her paws. She then walked across the room, balling up the paper as she did so. The balled up slip was thrown into the dying flames of Jamie's fireplace.

"Scout, my eye," she muttered angrily.

-----

A/N- Yup, my traditional excuses for tardiness on my part. Um, vacation... then school... then Hurricane Charley... is that good enough? Please review!