A Drokar pulled carriage circles around in front of the steps of the Temple of Rephidim. A well dressed attendant hops off and shortly walks around to the carriage door facing the steps, opening the door and offering a hand to the woman inside. A blue chitin armored poodle – a noblewoman from the looks of her clothing – takes the offered hand and departs the vehicle before gazing out across the vast and impressive form of Rephidim Temple.

The Temple steps are quiet at this time of day, just a few pedestrians lounging or slouching across the square, and one vendor selling meat pies on the far side, at a respectful distance. The poodle glances at an unfolded sheet of parchment in her right hand, surveying the terse missive, instructing her to report to Captain Granistar, at 1:30PM, on Level 2 of the west wing of Rephidim Temple.

After bidding the carriage to depart, Elise wastes no more time and begins her walk up the stairs. She finds herself thankful chitin is fairly light when compared to the new off-world armors made purely of metal, for she knows a trek up these stairs in anything heavier might delay her arrival indefinitely. It has been some time since she directly served in the Guard, and though she tries to keep in shape she considers that she has not tried hard enough. Still, she continues with only a minor feeling of fatigue.

The journey from the Temple entrance to the correct wing proves more arduous than the daunting steps, as the corridors wind and intersect like a maze, or a web to catch the unwary. At least she reaches a receptionist's desk, placed in a large open area where two corridors meet, in what the poodle hopes is the right spot. A grandfather clock against one wall dongs once, indicating the half-hour.

Elise approaches the desk, stopping close to it. She takes a moment to unfold the sheet of parchment she had been carrying. "Is this indeed the office of Captain Granistar?" she inquires, eyes looking past the paper for a moment before returning to it.

Behind the desk, a young poodle in a cadet's uniform is attending to some filing. At Elise's words, he glances to her, a harried, irritable expression on his face. He answers in a controlled, level voice at odds with his looks. "Captain Granistar has an office just down the hall, yes. May I ask if you are here to see him?"

"I am Lieutenant Elise de Bellefeuille, yes, I am here to see him," answers Elise coolly. She promptly folds the parchment again before tucking it away to watch the younger poodle.

The other poodle nods. "Please wait here. I will inform him of your arrival." He starts down the hall, then stops, setting the bundle of parchments currently in his arms onto the desktop with a heavy sigh, then resumes a brisk walk towards a door three down.

Meanwhile, the blue dressed poodle woman takes a moment to make certain she is presentable – when no one is looking, of course. She brushes her cape to the side and adjusts her gauntlets while waiting.

A few moments later, the cadet re-emerges, bowing to an unseen figure through the door before closing it. He strides to the desk and the waiting poodle. "Lieutenant, the captain asks that you wait here. He will see you presently."

The snow-white poodle nods her head slightly. "Very well then," she says. In preparation for the man's arrival she adopts a more formal, though not quite at attention, stance. Her hands are folded neatly behind her back and she lifts her head slightly with an air of confidence.

The cadet nods to Elise, and resumes his filing. Minutes tick past on the great clock, the sound of its swinging pendulum and the receptionist's shuffling papers as he files are the only noises breaking the stillness in this section of the Temple. At a quarter to two by the clock, there's still no sign of motion by the captain's door.

Rather than show impatience by pestering the younger poodle with questions as to why the captain appears delayed, Elise remains as she is. If anything this also allows her achance to rest, though the posture of her stance is not perfectly comfortable. Still she would not wish to break it lest she appear undisciplined.

As more minutes trickle by, the cadet looks towards Elise occasionally, but does not speak, instead remaining intent on his work. The clock's hands near two when at last the captain's door opens. "Cadet Grie!" a voice barks, and the receptionist jumps up. "Yes sir!" he responds, hastening to that door.

The white poodle's ears perk in response to the exclamation from the captain. She turns her head enough so that she can catch sight of the door without actually appearing as to be over interested in the captain's shouting.

"Take this to Major Joy." A short, stocky Rottweiler in a captain's uniform hands a bundle to the cadet, who accepts it and salutes before quickly departing. The Rottweiler gives a satisfied grunt as he watches the cadet scurry away, then turns to look down the hall at Elise. His gray eyes appraise her without hint of emotion, and he says, "You must be Lieutenant Bellefeuille."

Once the Rottweiler appears done with the boy and facing Elise the woman snaps a salute to the man. "You are correct sir," she tells him.

The other canine returns her salute after the briefest of pauses. "Come in to my office, Lieutenant," he tells her, still standing beside the door to it.

The armored poodle drops the salute and nods. As she begins walking she brushes her cape back behind herself so that it flows more freely, and she strides into the office of the captain.

"Have a seat." Captain Granistar seats himself behind an imposing oak desk and leans back in his chair while he waits for Elise to do the same. "What information have you been given on this assignment, Lieutenant?"

The noblewoman again nods before walking around to seat herself. She adjusts her cloak so that it will not wrinkle upon seating and her robes to protect from the same. Once seated she folds her hands together and places them in her lap. "I know only that I am assigned to an Ambassador's honor guard. The Ambassador is assigned to Caroban," replies Elise.

The Rottweiler nods as Elise speaks. "Yes. I am in command of the honor guard for Ambassador Heather du Viel. I'mtold that this journey to Caroban will be a lengthy one; apparently Rephidim and Caroban have drifted on opposite currents and are something like a third of the world apart now. I trust you will have the affairs of your estate in order for a long absence. Lieutenant Jaskar will be the other lieutenant on this mission, and he is presently readying the supplies for the trip. See him to find out what you'll have and make any additional requests." The captain pauses for breath before continuing.

"Understood sir. I will make arrangements with my sister as soon as I may," says the poodle. She tilts her to the side a little curiously. "That is quite a journey. Half the world away. Well, I have stayed in Rephidim too long. I look forward to a chance to serve Rephidim abroad once again."

A frown flickers over his face at Elise's comments, then he continues. "You and Lt. Jaskar will each be in command of a squad of twenty soldiers. You'll have little time to meet your squadron before we leave; the airship sails in two days. Do you have any questions?"

"None, sir," replies Elise.

Another nod from the captain. "You are dismissed, Lieutenant. Make arrangements to meet Lt. Jaskar and discuss your needs with him, and report to the docks at 0600 hours in two days' time. You may have until then to settle any affairs you have outstanding in Rephidim."

The lieutenant stands from her chair and snaps off another salute. "Understood sir. I will see you again in two days. Good day, Captain."

Granistar stands to return her salute, then drops back to his seat and turns to his paperwork as the poodle makes her way out.