Crystal Rivers's Story

"Forgive me." The words were nothing more than a whisper as Jake stared at the cold gravestone before him. Only one sentence was read in its surface, he figured only Crys would have picked it out. It read: "Daniela Rivers - Finally at rest." To an outsider that might have come off as inappropriate, but it was an inside joke anyway. Any time Crys would tell her mother to relax or take a rest she would answer with. "I'll have plenty of time to do that when I'm dead." Jake let his eyes rest on the words and he let out a small chuckle.

Jake hadn't been in that camp in over a year. The clan as a whole saw his return as suspicious. Understandable. To them he had already committed treason once. He had been there for almost a week now, trying to do his share and avoiding Crys at all costs. He barely caught a glimpse of her or two as she passed by. Her mother's death was getting to her, he knew that. He also knew he couldn't possibly be as close to her as he would like. Not right now.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head respectfully. The last conversation he had with the leader of the Wolfpack was quick, and slightly unfriendly. Although he remembered the concern in her voice as he accepted his task, when she proceeded to list all the reasons why he shouldn't accept. Dani was never an emotional person, but that was her way of showing that she cared for his safety. Tears escaped the man's blue eyes as he recalled the day of her death. Seeing his leader fall to the ground from behind a black helm was something he would never forget. As the pain brought him to his knees, his fingers sunk into the dirt before the grave. "Forgive me." He repeated.

"What are you doing?" The familiar voice sounded in his ears and he opened his eyes. "Stand up, you idiot." Crys added.
Jake didn't move, he didn't think he would stand to turn around and face her right now. Suddenly a hand grabbed his shoulder, she had knelt down next to him before he could even notice. "Jake, what are you doing?" She repeated the question.
Jake nodded, trying to get his voice to come out. Finally he answered. "I'm paying my respects, Crystal. Is there a problem with that?"
Crys sighed beside him and and he felt her skin against his as she ran her fingertips along the side of his face, he hadn't been this close to her in a very long time, under the circumstances it made him slightly uncomfortable. "You look different." She stated, her fingers stopping on the scar above his left eye.
Jake opened a half-smile. "You still look the same."
"You're not looking at me, silly." She laughed.
Jake sighed. "I don't have to. You'll always be the same stubborn child."
"Don't take me for a child, Knight. I can still give you a nice beating." She stated, in a playful tone, poking the scar. "Or have you forgotten?"
Jake finally looked at her. Crys did look exactly the same, the same familiar smirk crossing her face as she bragged about being able to beat him... Nothing had changed. He smiled. "No I haven't forgotten that." He wiped his hands on the front of his shirt before touching the gravestone with his right hand and standing up. "Don't ever call me that again." He told her. A hint of coldness crossed his voice for a second. Before she could answer a man's voice echoed across the camp.
"CRYSTAL!"

-------------

Allison had been busy scouting. She had very little time to mourn Dani's death, she had been working non-stop to keep the camp as secure as possible under the circumstances. In the week and a half she had been there she barely got any sleep. She wasn't complaining though. Anything that she could do for the clan, she would do it. Tending to recruits was the worse though. Not that she didn't enjoy being an instructor, but... The questions were inevitable. They wanted to know about the Shadow's attack on her and expected her to brag about killing a White Knight. She had no idea how people even knew about those details. In the Pack though, once the word is out... It spreads quicker than a forest fire.

Crossing the main entrance and heading to the center of the camp she heard talking amongst some actives. The same talk had been going on over and over. She stopped, not looking at group of men talking, not even to register their faces. She leaned against a tree and listened. A slight frown crossing her expression.
"She hasn't given us any word on what our plan are! Someone needs to confront her at some point!"
"The question is: How rational can she still be? She's not talking to anyone and leaving us in the dark. We're the ones who are dying because of whatever they did in Newhaven. Why must we pay for her mistakes?"
"She is Dani daughter."
"She is not Dani. She is more Bastian's daughter, if you ask me. I never once trusted that outsider to begin with."
"Lionel... That's too much."
"No, I'm done. This ends now." The active by name of Lionel stated. Then he walked a few step and shouted. "CRYSTAL! SHOW YOURSELF!"

Ali raised her head and her blue eyes darted at the man. He couldn't possibly be that stupid. Crys came walking, slowly from the memorial and she immediately stopped a few steps before the man who had called for her. "Show yourself?" She repeated his words. "I was unaware that I was hiding, Lionel."
"I am done with this." He stated. Walking a step closer and pointing his finger at her disrespectfully. Ali let her hand slide towards her quiver. Then she heard Crys chuckle. Coldness in her voice as she answered the man. "Stop yourself before it's too late." She warned him.
"No. I challenge you!" He shouted.
The whole camp stopped as he said those words. As if time had suddenly stopped, or slowed considerably. Crys sighed. "I'll give you five seconds to leave my presence before I'm forced to kill you. Five..."
The man didn't move so she kept counting slowly:

"Four..."

"Three..."

As she spoke the word "Two." Ali heard one of the recruits scream. She had missed the split second when Crys pulled out her Sai and stabbed the man. The metallic sound of a knife was the only sound in the clearing as the dagger Lionel had pulled fell to the ground. Crys let the active fall to the ground at her feet before getting on one knee beside him and slitting his throat in one clean move. Then she rested his dagger over his chest, closed his eyes and whispered. "Rest in peace, my brother."
She stood up and sheathed the bloody Sai before finally speaking. "There is enough people killing our members already. Once this is over you can all turn on me. Right now, we should be fighting them and not each other." Her voice was calm and void of emotion as she spoke. Ali knew Crys a little better though... Killing one of her own men was a painful thing for her. Ali nodded as Crys turned her back, speaking as she walked away from the center of the camp. "Give this fool a proper burial, then return to your assignments."

Ali wanted to chase Crys down and talk to her, but she had her assignment to fulfill. There was just no time for friendship right now.