private SOME BROKEN RADIO ☆ CRABPAW

[CICADAFLIGHT]

Dawn seeps over the land when he rouses @CRABPAW , beckoning the ginger tom to join him in the stream of mentors and apprentices that flow out of the camp's entrance. They take the stepping stones today, but he expects that, soon, his young charge will join him in the water—but not quite yet. The river can be dangerous to those who don't tread carefully, and untrained paws are the most careless of all. That he is permitted to mentor Iciclefang's son at all is a gift that sits awkwardly between his paws, and he can not—will not—squander it.

" Not much further, now, " he mrrows hoarsely as he moves through the quiet of sunrise with lumbering steps that crush sweet - smelling grass, heavy shoulders shifting in a gunslinger's walk. He feels a measure of sympathy for the young tom that pads at his side, unused to early rising on an empty stomach, but he does not permit it to weaken him, only flicks his tail for Crabpaw to keep up as they arrive at their destination. The beech copse rises up before the pair of them, sprawling and empty at this pink - sky hour, perfect for the lesson he has planned.

" You have seen kits practice their sparring around the nursery, I'm sure, " he says, and does not make mention of Graypaw's accident, though it flashes through his mind as a trout beneath dark water. Turning to face Crabpaw in the clearing's center, his split - hued gaze levels with the boy's, set strong and serious as the line of his shoulders. There is no easier way to die than at the claws of an enemy or a friend, a dog or a fox, and one of his first orders of business is to prepare his apprentice to learn how to raise his own. " Have you learned anything from watching them? "

He hardly waits for Crabpaw's answer to begin before he lunges forward, aiming to deal a hard blow to the apprentice's chest and send him sprawling. He pulls some of his punch at the last second, lest he leave more than a sore spot—but it is a strike without precedent, without warning, without explanation.

OOC : —

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[CRABPAW]

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 He shouldn't be awake this early, Crabpaw thinks. A big yawn splits his maw and his pale paws drag against the dirt, exhaustion weighing down his weary form. Cicadaflight seems… completely normal, like he does this every single day. Oh no, he thinks. Does this mean he'll expect Crabpaw to do this every day, too? That's awful, if that's what he expects. He thought Cicadaflight was cool, and strong, but maybe he's just strong.

They take the stepping stones to get out of camp, and the ginger-patched boy is grateful for it, as his eyes won't seem to stay propped open. There's a lot of other mentors and apprentices walking alongside them. Maybe he could just… slip in between some of them, and then the black-patched warrior would lose sight of him. Then he'd get to sneak back into camp and sleep. But he doesn't move from his mentor's side, and then Cicadaflight starts talking, saying it isn't much further. "How much further…" he whines, his lack of energy—and breakfast—beginning to catch up with him. He's so tired already, how is he going to make it through whatever training Cicadaflight has planned for today?

They come to a stop at a group of trees with a clearing in the middle, and Crabpaw watches his mentor carefully as he starts to speak again. He asks if Crabpaw has watched other kits sparring, and the boy tips his head to the side, slight confusion clouding his gaze. "Uhh, yeah. I practiced, too-" He's cut off by the slam of a paw into his chest, knocking him easily off balance. He's sent sprawling onto his back with the force of it, and for a moment he simply lies there, entirely still. Stunned. It takes a few heartbeats before he begins to stand, brightly-furred ears flattened against his head. As soon as he rights himself, the boy shrieks without thinking, "Hey—OW!" Fucker! His expression sours instantly as he tips his head up to look at his mentor once again, waiting for some kind of explanation. It never comes, though, leaving the boy to simply stare at the much-taller tom, his mossy eyes wide and flashing with distrust. He raises a paw to rub at the spot where Cicadaflight's paw had connected with his chest, trying to ease the sting. At least the older tom didn't use his claws, but it doesn't really matter when he hit him so hard anyway. "What was that for?!"

i will sail ˚𓆛˚｡ reach the other side

• ooc: —
• 
• CRABPAW 𓆝 he/him, apprentice of riverclan
  𓆟 ginger and cream tabby with rippling white spotting and mossy green eyes. highly emotional and difficult to keep focused on one subject.
  𓆟 mentored by cicadaflight
  𓆟 son of iciclefang ; brother to cragpaw & pinepaw
  𓆟 peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  𓆟 penned by foxlore

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