CrystalStorm : Crystallised Envy

Chapter 9

For the apprentices, the morning was one of the best times for them to catch up with each other and to share their mentors techniques, however this morning, the apprentices decided that sleeping would have been the better option allowing Quartzstar to have a word with Swiftstorm
"So, Reedpaw?" Quartzstar prompted the white warrior
"He's progressing well, there's certainly areas for improvement"
"That's what they all say, give me something more precise Swiftstorm" Quartzstar replied, stopping Swiftstorm from jabbering on anymore
"In truth, I believe he is ready"
"Now that sounds better Swiftstorm, if you believe Reedpaw is ready then take Crystaldawn, Falconsun and Icepaw out for Reedpaw's assessment, the others can also have theirs if their mentors believe they are ready. I suggest taking Fjordpaw too: Icepaw and Reedpaw are close to that cat," Quartzstar said, seeing Ravenclaw return from the dawn patrol with a group of warriors.
"Swiftstorm, you will be leading a hunting patrol later" Ravenclaw told the warrior as they passed
"Actually Ravenclaw, Swiftstorm shall be taking his apprentice on a training session later to assess him" Quartzstar said, managing to get Swiftstorm out of another patrol
"Thanks" Swiftstorm murmured to the leader who chuckled
"Now go speak with Onefur, I'm sure he will have some advice for you" Quartzstar said noticing Swiftstorm's former mentor had just wandered out of the elders den.

Crystaldawn emerged from the warrior den, crossing paths with Seaspirit, a grouchy senior warrior, formerly known as his mentor.
"Crystaldawn," he meowed. "You clearly aren't doing well for yourself. Look at those eye bags! And the tattered ears and fur- Gah! You should've paid attention in training!"
"I'm getting on just fine, Seaspirit," he managed, through gritted teeth.
"Surely not!" Came his reply. "You look like an undead badger!!"
"That's a lot coming from you," he hissed in return.
"You were always a rebellious one, have some respect next time."
"Yes, Sorry Seaspirit," he spat.
"You should be! It's very rude to speak back to the mature of the clan!"
"How's TawnyQuill?" Crystaldawn mewed, Changing the topic.
"TawnyQuill, my mate, yes. She's just fine, a little sad on her former apprentice's death, but so what. She'll get over it," he observed, furrowing his brow in resentment.
Then Crystaldawn evoked. TawnyQuill: Bramblebush's mentor. How else would they have met?

[Cool Flashback time 😵😵]

Crystalpaw hovered above the Riverclan terrain, nerved to fall. His claws latched onto the wood of the large Elm tree, high above the secluded area in the territory. Seaspirit yowled after him, insisting for his descend, but he couldn't move. Wouldn't move.
"Bramblepaw, follow me. We shall assist Seaspirit," he heard in the close distance.
TawnyQuill, a Calico warrior, and her apprentice, hurried to their aid, noticing the difficulty. Once he laid eyes on Bramblepaw his stomach was suffused with a light feeling, as if floating. He admired her beauty and her delicate, russet pelt, which swayed in the bare-leaf morning. She had the most alluring eyes, which were like labradorite gems, brimming with concern at his situation. Crystalpaw delayed on the branch, SeaSpirit and TawnyQuill's calls becoming inaudible and muted. All the attention he had was fixated on Bramblepaw, who was the only one not looking at him. Instead she studied the coarse texture of the elm tree, as if considering if it was too endangering to climb up it.
"We could try to hike up the tree and get him down," She offered, her grey eyes leaning against the two warriors.
It was the first time he'd heard her voice. It was angelic, as if a starclan cat itself were speaking before him.
"It's a fair idea," Seaspirit acknowledged. "Shall we give it a go?"
"Depends," TawnyQuill snorted. "He might do it again. Shall we stall until tomorrow and see if he's grown wings and built a nest?"
Bramblepaw and Seaspirit flashed the shecat an unamused glimpse, as she stifled a laugh.
"But we shall. Who volunteers? I don't," She continued.
"Not me, I've been running all over the place for this damn kit," Seaspirit groused.
"Then I will," Bramblepaw grumbled.
Her claws were flexed, grazing the bark of the tree. She scrambled up, meeting eye to eye with a pendent Crystalpaw. He had been too invested with Bramblepaw's climbing that he had left the rest of the world unnoticed. He spotted a side smirk emerge from Bramblepaw and that was when he retreated to the stable area of the branch, embarrassed.
"Right, can you reach my paw?" She questioned, our stretching her arm as far as she could. It might've been in grasping distance.
"I think," Crystalpaw answered, a rasp in his voice. He was avid to get back to the ground, but more importantly to forget the fact that the first cat he had adored so dearly was met as he whimpered and whined in fear over an elm tree, refusing to get down.
He imitated Bramblepaw's outstretched claw. His paw skimmed hers, just about touching by the strands of their fur. He leaned forward on the branch, determined to clutch onto her paw and get back down, but soon his earnest actions were a regret.
His claws laid marks against the wood as he drifted. Bramblepaw parted her mouth to alert him, but he was over the edge by the time her message left her mouth. Seaspirit jolted into a stand, conscious, while Tawnyquill mimicked his sudden spring up. Then, a splash of water greeted Them. It soaked them into the roots of their fur, and only then did they acknowledge the marshy pond beneath the elm tree. Crystalpaw surfaced, gasping for breath in his shocked state. Hauling himself up, Bramblepaw burst out into laughter from above.
"How did we not notice that?" Tawnyquill breathed.
"No. Idea," Seaspirit answered simply, seeming drained of all his faith.

Ever since that day, Crystalpaw had adored Bramblepaw. TawnyQuill and Seaspirit got to know each other as well, meaning they spent a lot of time beside one another. They began to grow on each other, too.
He soon noticed that Bramblepaw was a motherly cat, and he learnt about her origination and just how much like him she was, on some aspects. Unlike her warrior ability.
She was agile and admirable, some kittens in the nursery taunting one another on who would be most like her once an apprentince too. She was too comical, cracking up even the most surely of the elders. Meanwhile, Crystalpaw had only one kitten who aspired to be as him, Fjordkit, his nephew and current apprentice. He was only born when he was 11 moons, but that kit clung onto him for dear life. He was clumsy, often named a klutz, and fickle. He doubted anyone, excluding his kin, had even liked him in his clan, until he met Bramblepaw. She was like the sun in a tempest, a relief and blessing in the most hard of times. If only she were here when he needed her the most.

[Back to epic normal time]
"As am I," he returned, after a short moment of silence.
"Ah, yes yes. She had saved you when you were being you, a mouse brain," Seaspirit tutted. "Now I must be off. I've been called to Ravenclaw for a patrol."
"Farewell, Seaspirit." he bid an adieu as his former mentor padded away, half ignoring his goodbye.
"What a grumpy warrior," came an apprentice's comment.
He turned, recognising the voice with ease. Fjordpaw.
"There you are," he grinned.
The Bengal strutted until he was beside him and from there, he sat. "Yes it's me, the great Fjordpaw!"
"I heard Quartzstar speaking about sharing a training session earlier," Crystaldawn informed him. "I think it was for Reedpaw."
"Isn't Reedpaw having his warrior assessment?" Fjordpaw asked. His ears soon perked, his face morphed into a wide grin. "That means Quartzstar is FINALLY allowing us to share a session! I can watch Reedpaw do his warrior assessment!"
"Lucky one, little guy," His mentor smirked, ruffling his tuft like a rowdy big brother. "Better go see Reedpaw and Icepaw then."