Rainpaw's Moonstone Journey

The early Newleaf sun hung heavily in the sky, illuminating the fragile greenery in heavy, honey-colored beams of light. Though the brisk chill of the previously frigid weather still tainted the air, a damp warmth was just barely tangible. Striding through the dew-heavy grasses that fringed the camp, Brindlewhisker swallowed down a wince as her fur became unpleasantly heavy with the chilly dampness that previously weighed down the freshly-sprouted grasses. Giving herself a vigorous shake, the brindled she-cat drew to a halt alongside the prickly Gorse barrier, the sharp thorns pricking her fur.

Due to the generosity of ThunderClan, Mottleheart and Featherlight had been able to replenish their herb stores to a certain extent- although traveling herbs were still quite scare. The thought of guiding another apprentice to the Moonstone without herbs still made her mood quite sour, but the unbridled rage that had previously kindled in her belly had lessened over time. Curling her tail neatly around her miserably wet paws, Brindlewhisker's gaze narrowed slightly as she searched for the somewhat familiar blue-grey pelt of Rainpaw.

Rainpaw scrambled to Brindlewhisker’s side. He glanced up at the deputy, excited for his trip.

OOC: shooort

The heavy sound of eager pawsteps snipped away the lingering tendrils of listless thoughts, causing Brindlewhisker's attention to return to the matter at paw. Shaking herself in hopes of clearing away her restless premonitions, the brindled she-cat turned her gaze onto the clearly eager grey tabby before her. Straightening up, the Deputy gave the young tom a mildly amused simper. "Morning Rainpaw. Judging by your behavior, I presume that you know what we're doing today?" Brindlewhisker questioned, tilting her head slightly as she spoke.

”We are going to to the m-m-m-m-moonstone!” Rainpaw replied. He was right.. right? Was there something else going on? Why would there be? No, he was going to the moonstones today. He wasn’t told anything else.

Letting out an amused hum of agreement, Brindlewhisker nodded at Rainpaw's words. Straightening up to her full height and rising to her paws, the brindled she-cat gave the tabby a gentle prod with a narrow forepaw. "That's correct. Ashstar and Hollowbranch have both agreed that you're more than capable of handling this journey. Now, unfortunately we still don't have enough herbs to spare any for something as simple as a Moonstone journey, but I'm certain you'll be able to keep up just as well as anycat. Are you ready to leave?" She questioned, head tilting slightly as she gazed at the tom before her.

Rainpaw nodded at the deputy’s words. What would StarClan be like? What would they say? How long would the journey be? Was it dangerous? He had so many questions. ”I’m-m r-ready.”
The tabby tom’s paws tingled with excitement and nervousness. He had never traveled outside of WindClan territory. But Brindlewhisker was with him, it was gonna be alright. Plus, he was going to see StarClan!

"That's good to hear. Now, remember to stay close and follow all of the instructions I give throughout the journey." Brindlewhisker mewed, a slightly stern tone overtaking her soft voice. Although she often trusted the apprentices that she guided, she found herself always preferring to be safe rather than sorry. Flicking her tail as a gesture for the young tom to follow suit, the Deputy began to head towards the camp's well-protected entrance, "Remember to pace yourself as we travel- this journey ahead of us is a long one."


- time skip -

The damp warmth of the day was slowly bleeding away with the rapidly dying sunlight, leaving behind only the familiar chilliness of early evening. Brindlewhisker and Rainpaw had made respectable time on their journey, although they had stopped briefly due to an unusually busy Thunderpath that had obscured their path. Now that the moon was slowly rising from its usual hiding place behind the Highstones, it was finally time for the pair of WindClanners to stop lounging around and get down to business. Gently prodding Rainpaw in the side, Brindlewhisker shook away her lingering drowsiness as she gazed down at the young tom before her. "Now Rainpaw, are you ready to meet your ancestors?"

As the sky darkened and the air grew colder, Rainpaw found himself sticking closer to Brindlewhisker than before. His eyes brightened up as he could see what looked like the description of Highstones that everyone told him about.
As he grew more excited, he also grew more nervous. What if he was too excited and nervous to where he never fell asleep? Or did the moonstone give you the ability to fall asleep quickly? It always took Rainpaw a while to fall asleep at night, hopefully it’d be different this time.
The blue-gray apprentice straightened up when replying to the older she-cat. ”Y-Yes, I’m r-r-r-ready.”

Nodding at Rainpaw's confirmation, Brindlewhisker turned around and began to instinctively follow the familiar trail before them, pupils dilating in the rapidly dwindling light of dusk. Feeling several small pebbles clatter and slip around underpaw, the yawning wound in the earth that marked the traditional opening to the tunnels became more and more prominent with each step taken. Halting in front of the jagged, sloping tunnel before her, the Deputy turned to gaze at the slightly apprehensive young tom behind her. "These are the tunnels that lead us to the Moonstone. Always keep in mind, that even though they might seem quite dark and frightening, so long as you stay close behind, it's highly unlikely that you'll get lost." She offered, voice soft as she turned and plunged into the suffocatingly dark tunnels that laid before them.

Rainpaw frowned as he saw the opening to the dark tunnel. How in the name of StarClan was he gonna get to the stone in there? But at Brindlewhisker’s words, the tom relaxed and followed her inside, sticking close, following her scent and avoiding obstacles as much as possible by using his whiskers.

No longer bothered by the pressing weight of the tunnels, Brindlewhisker easily guided the pair deeper and deeper into the belly of the mountains, lungs aching from the mouthfuls of chilly air. The damp, frigid stone sloped gradually beneath their paws, winding and weaving in a terribly confusing jumble of turns and twists. Despite the suffocating darkness, a faint silvery light began to bleed into the tunnels, illuminating the jagged walls in a eerie light. With every step taken in the direction of the rapidly strengthening light, the tunnel began to steadily widen until it became a surprisingly spacious cavern.

Surrounded by a plethora of jagged teeth, the smooth Moonstone stood in the center of the cavern, appearing as sleek and unperturbed as a pool of water. The moonlight thrown off of the sacred stone bleached the entire spacious hollow, rendering it near colorless. Blinking several times to adjust to the sudden light, Brindlewhisker padded forwards several paces to make room for Rainpaw before speaking, "This is the Moonstone, the sacred heart of all the Clans. It's served as our connection to our Warrior ancestors for countless generations, and will continue to do so long after we're both gone. To speak with our fallen Clanmates, simply press your nose against the stone and wait until you fall asleep. I hope that StarClan answers all of your questions."

As expected, Rainpaw managed to trip in fall in the dark tunnel. He staggered to his feet Andy shook his pelt with embarrassment. ”I-Im fine! I’m f-f-fine,” He mewed quickly.

As they entered the cavern where the moonstone sat, Rainpaw almost fell again when the moonlight hit the crystal. He slowly padded up to the glowing rock and touched his nose to it, surprised at how cold it was.
He curled up by Brindlewhisker, finding it very easy to drift off to sleep this time.

He opened his eyes to find himself in a starry meadow, looking around. His eyes widened as he saw a cat appear in front of him.

The tom didn't appear old- in fact, he looked nearly apprentice aged -but there was an air about him that seemed to hint at a much older, sadder cat that was concealed inside the bright-eyed Starclanner. But it was difficult to focus on something hidden when everything else about the tom was so much larger than life- despite a scar running across his chest, the strange Starclan cat could've been considered handsome. His soft white fur was messy but the look suited him, and he wore it with a confident air. His large ears and his striped tail were a vivid shade of red, and his eyes were two different colors; one was a soft olive green, but the other was a brilliant shade of blue.
He was peculiar, to say the least.
The youthful tom padded forward, a small, sincere smile on his maw. "Rainpaw!" The fluffy tom's light, clear voice was easy to hear despite the rippling wind that stirred the golden grass around them. "Welcome to Starclan."
The former Windclanner sat down beside Rainpaw and allowed himself a small grin, his large red ears twitching as fireflies floated past. After a small pause, he spoke again. "Some call me Ginger; the name I took as a rouge. Others know me as Gingerpaw, a former apprentice of Windclan. Many of my fellow Starclanners call me Gingerheart, the name I was given when I joined Starclan's ranks. Feel free to call me whichever you'd like."
He turned to face Rainpaw, his merry expression becoming a more solemn one. They had limited time here, although the tom would've loved to spend much more time with the living. "But let's not get off topic." He mewed, catching the blue-gray tom's gaze and holding it easily. "Tell me, Rainpaw. Why are you here?"

Rainpaw smiled lightly. He didn’t realize he had to tell them why he was here! ”Hey Ginger... Umm... well.. I f-f-feel like everyone t-th-th-thinks I’m w-weird because of my st-stutter. And well.. I even think that a l-l-little. I t-tend to b-b-be quiet, and don’t tal-lk to anyone a lot bec-c-cause I’m w-worried ab-about what they will th-th-th-think of m-me,” he admitted. ”But I know I shouldn’t think like that, I just do.”
He felt kind of awkward saying so much, but this was a StarClan cat, he would understand.

Ginger blinked as Rainpaw spoke, giving the young tom a friendly look. "You think I didn't worry about what others thought of me?" He gave a small laugh, winking his blue eye with a merry expression. "I was so afraid, Rainpaw. Scared to leave my nest in the morning. Scared to speak to any cat other than my own mother. I grew distant while everyone else got to grow up." The tom's red tail twitched as he spoke, and his whiskers trembled slightly. "But one day, a cat said something to me that I've never forgotten: I couldn't sit and watch my life go by. I had to take it for myself. I've taken that cat's advice to heart and accepted my appearance. That day, I learned to love myself before seeking the love of others. If they're any sort of forest cat, they'll focus on your appearance and not things you can't help. Your stutter is a part of you, Rainpaw. Just like my appearance is a part of me. It's up to you if you accept it or not."
The tom's fur was beginning to fade, stars shining through his pelt. "Oh- and if any cat gives you trouble, don't focus on them. They're probably hurting more than you can imagine, Rainpaw. They don't truly mean to hurt you, they're just looking for a way to deflect some of their own pain."
With that, Ginger faded away. All that was left of the tom was the faint smell of ginger and the memory of a smile.