Nightstar's Crown

Chapter 2

|| Chapter 2 ||
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A few days later, Nightpaw was training once more alongside Lostpaw, their mentors having been begged for the billionth time about training together. Fortunately, the two didn't have much opposition to this idea, seeing as the tom and she-cat were picking up the fighting techniques quite quickly. On top of it all, they both lacked in their hunting abilities. It was after their training came to a close for the day, that they were once again pleading with their mentors to let them practice on their own some more in the territory. "Just be back by the time the sun starts to set," Spottedwhisker directed after considering it with Geckospring.

"And don't get into any trouble," the tom added, peering back at the duo. "That means stay away from the borders and the briarpatch."

"Got it!" Lostpaw nodded, calling back to them before nudging Nightpaw. "Let's go before they change their minds," he urged, bumping her side with his and then taking off. Growing slightly suspicious, Nightpaw scampered after him with her tail raised high behind her, chasing the dark tom through the trees and shadows. She heard the distinct thumping of wings up above and a crow cawing out.

Coming to a slower walk, the two padded through the thick of the woods and finally pushed out into the open along the lakeshore. "What're we doing here?" She mewed curiously and sniffed at the air, eyeing the water as the conversation with Redmoon bobbed up to surface in her mind again. He seemed pretty nice...maybe he was right? She'd asked around briefly amongst a few of the mentors if they had heard of him, and mentioned some positive things. Respectable, valiant, level. They added he was known to be quite soft toward apprentices and kits, which eased some of her tension prior. Though, when she'd asked Geckospring, he was quite vague. Even so, he ultimately kept getting brushed off as a RiverClan cat. Before she could think more into it, Lostpaw interrupted her train of thought.

"I found something the other day I thought you might like," he told her excitedly and loped along the rocky shore. Bounding after him, she watched him as one second he was there, and then the next he disappeared behind a random, waterlogged...well, log. Hurrying over before she could lose him, Nightpaw leapt over it and into a small sandpit that dipped down within the pebbles and had collected a puddle. She quickly drew in a quiet gasp and sprang away, scrambling. A quiet laugh nearby caught her attention and she glared over at Lostpaw who quickly stifled himself and grinned sheepishly.

"Hey, at least we can say this proves you're hardly any bit of RiverClan, right?" Sighing, Nightpaw rolled her eyes and lightly thunked him on the head.

"Okay, mister positivity," she jeered. Flicking her hind paw a bit, she felt the water clinging to her fur quickly growing colder. Though this was a discomforting sensation, she couldn't help but recognize now that being in a little water didn't feel so strange as she thought it would. She'd just been surprised by the splash and the fact there was water there in the first place. "Anyway, what'd you want to show me?"

"Oh, yeah," he quickly turned and padded towards the lake's water. He paused, leaning back as it reached towards him and then he quickly trotted after it as it receded. Nightpaw saw him pawing into the waters a bit and then duck down to use his teeth to grab something before he began scrambling and taking off as the waters came rushing back in and splashed at his hind legs, making him spazz a bit.

Nightpaw snorted and giggled. "If that's what you wanted to show me...then, again, again!"

"Har, har, har, har, har," he scoffed after settling the object down and shaking himself out. "Always happy to amuse you."

Purring humoredly, Nightpaw padded over closer and noticed an interesting flash in the corner of her eye. She looked down to the object he'd set down moments before. "Woah..." Ears pricking up, the ebony tabby nosed at the smooth stone. It was an interesting, opaque, creamy color with a pearlescent striking band of a blue-green hue, entrapped by two lines of gold on either side. The middle color reminded her quite a bit of the glowing cavern about a moon ago. "When'd you find this?"