Jayhaven Chronicles

The next day Rapid went to class with what felt like a giant moth trying to escape his stomach. If I don’t get Battler, I don’t know what I’ll do!

As they got to their classroom, Rapid and Peak found a large crowd of students blocking the way, all first moons. One orange tom piped up, “Crisp isn’t here!”

“Uh oh.” Peak muttered.

Rapid turned towards the academy exit. “Should we check outside?”

“Worth a try.” Peak mewed.

The pair bolted outside, Rapid acting once again as a support system for Peak.

As the two broke out to fresh air, Rapid glanced around for their tan colored teacher. “Why wouldn’t she be in class?” Rapid murmured. First a missing student, now a missing teacher?

Suddenly, Rapid heard a triumphant mew from Peak. “There she is!”

Rapid whipped around, only to see Crip smiling at them, and did he see-smugness in her eyes?

“I see students are too busy chattering to notice their own teacher standing right outside.” Crisp said with a chuckle. “One of you go get the other students.”

Peak started to run off, and Rapid stayed still. “Why in the world are we outside? I mean, the weather’s nice but,”

Crisp interrupted him. “You’ll see.” She mewed slyly.

When the other students arrived, Crisp waved her tail in greeting. “Hello there. Do you want the good news, or the bad news first.”

Most of the students yelled, “Good!” So Crisp continued. “You all did amazing on your leaf test. I can’t tell you too much, but I will say you all probably passed.”

A chorus of happy howls rang from the students. “Yes!” Peak hissed.

Rapid smiled, then he felt face fell. That’s great! But what’s the bad news?

Crisp dipped her head. “Now, for the bad news. While you all did great on your leaf test, now it’s time for your execution exam.”

Rapid tipped his head to one side. “What?”

Crisp gave a chuckle. “No one knows? Okay. This half of the test is where you actually do the battle moves. Really identify the herbs. I will come around to each group and examine you individually.”

Excited murmurs broke out amongst the students. “Aw, great.” Hawk muttered. “I can’t remember a badger alarm from a prey rich area alert.”

Peak turned to Rapid. “Hawk wants to be a Scout.”

Rapid nodded. “Hmm. He doesn’t talk about it much.”

Peak nodded. “All his friends are older than him by a moon, and already Battlers. He’s sorta embarrassed about it.”

Crisp mewed for the students to get into groups corresponding to their guild. Rapid joined the Battler group, and was surprised to see that Sedge was there, her lips moving as if she was reciting moves.

“I didn’t think you were the fighting type.” Rapid mewed as he approached her.

Sedge looked up. “Huh? Oh, yeah.”

Rapid felt a pang of hurt. Don’t you remember I saved your life? “I thought you had warmed up.”

Sedge licked her paw and drew it over her ear. “You might have saved me from the marsh, but you’re still a rock-brain.”

Rapid felt his neck fur begin to rise in annoyance. Did you make up an expression just to insult me? Then he felt ashamed for making himself so vulnerable. “Well, alright then.”

Rapid stalked off and began to recite his own battle moves. His personal favorite was what he called a Shock Touch, where you aimed for your opponent’s nerves to stun them.

It was about an hour before Crisp got around to the battle group. As she passed Rapid, she whispered in his ear, “You’ll do great. I haven’t seen many students so naturally talented.”

Rapid felt his heart swell with pride. If Crisp thinks I’ll do great, I must be capable!

She went through each cat one by one. Rapid watched as student after student performed their technique, until Crisp came to Sedge. “Show me what you got, marsh girl.”

Sedge smirked and crouched down. “I’m ready.”

Crisp checked her clipboard that was hanging from her neck by a string. “Aerial Offense!” She called out.

Sedge then executed a flurry of moves, jumping and flipping as if she was attacking a giant, flying bird. For once her expression looked focused and determined, instead of sarcastic and rude. Now that’s how you do Aerial Offense! Rapid thought, thoroughly impressed.

Sedge finally dropped to the ground in a graceful landing, panting heavily. “I’m done now, aren’t I?”

Crisp nodded. “I think that’s all anyone needs to see. Aerial attacks are definitely your strength.”

Sedge smiled, the smug look back on her face.

Crisp then turned to Rapid. “Now, your turn.” She mewed smoothly. “Brute Strike!”

Rapid rose up on his hind legs and unsheathed his claws. Careful not to hit his teacher, he swiped as hard as he could at the air, only to bring it backwards to slice his imaginary enemies‘ ears.

“Triple kick!”

Rapid dropped to the ground and lashed out with his hind legs, hitting the invisible foe three times.

“Fake defeat!”

Rapid suddenly let himself go limp. He imagined a cat much bigger than him, leaning above his head for a killing bite-

Rapid leaped up and slashed with his right paw battering as hard as he could. Despite how silly he felt, he kept going, until he heard Crisp’s mew. “Alright, that’s enough.”

Rapid spun around to face her, and saw that she

looked satisfied. “Well done. You truly have shown your skill.”

As Crisp padded off to the next group, Rapid felt a surge of pride. Well, I hope that seals it. I should compliment Sedge, but she was being a bit rude-

“You did pretty well.” Sedge mewed from behind him.

And of course, I ran out of time. After you!

“I’ve never seen someone execute fake defeat like that. I could almost imagine you were fighting a real enemy.

Rapid spun around to face her. “You did okay too. Nice Aerial Offence.”

Sedge chuckled. “I’m only so good at it because It’s my favorite move of all time.”Rapid felt a bit strange having a real conversation with her. I used to hate her so much. And she’s still insulting me at the drop of a whisker. Could we actually be friends? Rapid didn’t know if was worth a try or not.

“What guild does your brother want to get into?”

“Storm?”

“Yeah.”

Sedge pointed towards the Provider group. “He’s over there. Even though he likes hunting best, I think his skill is medicine.”

Rapid was very surprised that the huge tom would be talented at the most delicate of the guilds. “Huh. I would have thought Battler for him.” Guess it doesn’t matter what you look like.

Before the conversation could continue, Crisp yowled for their attention. “Once again, you all did incredible.” She mewed. “But I need to remind you that you can never let greatness go to your head. Trust me, it will only doom you.” All of a sudden, it seemed as if ice had stretched over Crisp’s eyes. They were full of bitterness and regret, and Rapid wondered what horrors she had seen to fill that sorrowful gaze.

“But enough of that. Tomorrow-and I promise, tomorrow- you will be put into your guild. No more surprises. Alright?”

Every student went home with anxiety floating about in their stomach. While Rapid was more confident than most, he still had to force himself not to shudder at the thought of not getting put into the guild he wanted.

Originally, Rapid was just going to go home and try to sleep, but he realized that wasn’t going to happen. Instead he decided to visit Peak and try to keep him occupied.

Padding from his den to the one next door, Rapid tripped on a rock and fell flat on his face into a mud puddle. “Ow.” He muttered as he tried to pull himself up. But despite his efforts, the mud was slick and Rapid kept finding himself spread flat on the ground. His mind flashed back to the panic of the marsh, the slick hill, the struggle to climb-

Rapid suddenly felt a mouth on his scruff tug him upwards, and he could finally get a grip on the solid ground. “Thanks.” Rapid mewed as he turned around, feeling ashamed. I have enough to worry about without hallucinating!

Hawk and Peak were standing behind him, and Hawk nodded. “You’re welcome.”

They all went into Peak and Hawk’s den, where Dusk greeted them all with a lick on the ear. “How did it go?”

Hawk crept into a cotton nest and stretched luxuriously. “We learned that Crisp is the ultimate prankster.”

When Dusk frowned in puzzlement, Peak said, “She sprang a “physical exam” on us. We had to actually execute everything, and it was really hard.”

Peak’s father, Spider, entered the room and gave a chuckle. “Your mother could go on for days about all the trouble Crisp got her into because of ‘surprises’”

Rapid’s mouth dropped with shock. “You knew Crisp?”

Dusk shook her head. “It’s true. Her and I were friends in our youth. She was smart, but she lacked the gentleness of your mother, Rapid.”

Rapid winced. He knew that Dusk and his mother had been close, but she didn’t have to bring it up.

Peak clearly noticed his discomfort, and took Rapid to his room, telling Hawk to stay out of it.

Once they had climbed the stairs and arrived on the second floor, Peak lead him down the hall and into a small, circular room.

“I see you’ve updated things.” Rapid pointed to a mirror garnished with white stones at the corner of the room. “That certainly wasn’t there before.”

Peak laughed. “Father insisted I got that for mother for her birthday. She hated it, so she put it in my room as a joke.”

Rapid sat down and began to fiddle with a yarn ball. “Did you get this from Trader Pad?”

Peak nodded and shifted a Jayhaven forever! poster on the wall. “Along with a couple other knick-knacks. I traded my old sapphire shard for this clam. It opens and closes with a real pearl inside.”

“Cool.” Rapid shifted so a miniature Jayhaven model wasn’t poking him in the ribs. “Sorry to pry, but, since we’re alone, what did Hawk do for his detention? Oh great, I sound like Birch and Lily.”

Peak gave him a sly glance. “Not Sedge, huh.”

Rapid fixed him in a hard stare. “Where are you going with this?”

Peak innocently bat around a bundle of leaves. “Oh, nothing. You just seem awfully interested in her now since you rescued her.”

Rapid took the ball of yarn and flung it teasingly at his friend. “Where did that idea come from?”

Peak batted the yarn away and purred. “Sorry. Just saying, we’re best friends. If there ever was anything between you two, I can keep a secret. Even though I’d think you’d lost your mind.”