Ferretpaw's Moonstone Journey

Scorchfang sat by the entrance of ShadowClan camp with a bundle of herbs wrapped in a leaf prepared by Silentpaw in front of his paws. There were two bundles, but one of them had already been consumed by the large deputy, and his tongue was still grazing along his lips as he tried to rid himself of the awfully bitter taste. Today he would lead yet another apprentice up to Highstones for the rite of passage into warriorhood: dreaming with StarClan by the Moonstone.

Ferretpaw had spent the entire night shifting in her moss nest, restless with excitement. It was such a big day for her today, something she had been waiting for for ages. There was worry gnawing at her underbelly as she slipped out of the apprentices' den, greeting the deputy with a nod before moving to grab a bite before heading out. She needed all the strength she could get.

After having finished, the russet tabby joined Scorchfang at the exit, grimacing as she eyed the herbs at his paws. "Well, I guess it's time." the she-cat sighed and licked up the infamous herbs, trying to ignore the bitter taste that lingered in her mouth.

(OOC: I’m gonna time skip because your journey is late, and I don’t wanna hold you up. :3)

”Great. We’ve got a long way to travel, so we’d might as well leave now,” Scorchfang meowed to the apprentice, leading him out of the camp.

—————

~ TIME SKIP ~

—————

After crossing the large Thunderpath, Scorchfang and Ferretpaw climbed up the stony path along Highstones, stopping when they reached the entrance of Mothermouth. The sun was already falling behind the trees and mountains, but it was still a little too early to go inside, so the large deputy turned to the young she-cat. ”We still have some time before we go in. I want to ask you, though, are you satisfied with your training? Has your mentor taught you all you need to know to become a warrior?”

ooc;; danke boiii

Ferretpaw cast a lingering, terrified glanced at the Thunderpath after she was done crossing it, pads hurting from the rough surface. Afterwards, the two cats reached Mothermouth rather uneventfully, and the ShadowClan apprentice was glad for it. She was about to duck and slip inside the dark, twisting caverns, when Scorchfang's words made her pause.

"Lizardtail was... an interesting mentor. She's shy, but her training wasn't affected." Ferretpaw spoke kindly of the older she-cat

The deputy purred warmly. "I'm glad to hear she was a good match for you. And I hope this experience has helped pull her a bit out of her comfort zone so she can be an even better mentor to another young cat. Thank you very much for your input, Ferretpaw." He looked up at the sky, which was quickly beginning to darken, and he stood back up. "Looks like it's time to enter Mothermouth. Stay very close to me, okay?"

Scorchfang made sure Ferretpaw's nose kept contact with the tip of his tail the entire time he led the way into the dark cave, able to navigate through it with ease thanks to countless trips he had taken with other apprentices before the she-cat behind him. They reached the large, dark room where the Moonstone stood, and just as soon as they entered the bright moon above shone through the hole in the ceiling, and the Moonstone burst to life with a cold, radiant light.

After adjusting his eyes to the sudden brightness, Scorchfang turned to Ferretpaw, the harsh light turning his black coat a beautiful silver. "It is time for you to speak with StarClan now. Touch your nose to the Moonstone, and you will be whisked away to their hunting grounds in your dreams. Remember, everything that they discuss with you must remain confidential, unless for some reason they choose to share with you a prophecy intended for Littlestar to hear." He smiled warmly and gestured with his bushy tail to the Moonstone, inviting Ferretpaw to begin dreaming with StarClan.

Ferretpaw nodded before she dove into Mothermouth behind the ShadowClan deputy, following his scent and soon his fluffy outline as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the twisting tunnels. When they finally emerged inside the cramped cavern, she took in a deep breath, and looked up at Scorchfang with a moment's hesitation before she settled down. Laying in a small, comfortable crevice, she pressed her dark-brown nose to the cold stone, shivering as she touched it before she was whisked away into the territory of StarClan.

A small, lithe, slender she-cat padded quietly through the tall grass, her small, webbed paws guiding her smoothly over the uneven terrain. Although she walked with purpose, something about the way the she-cat held herself promised a much less distant and mysterious personality concealed behind a somber expression. The black-and-white Starclanner's tail twitched as she emerged into a small clearing that was free of grass, her amber eyes bright.
"Ferretpaw," Her voice was light, melodic, and bright. Since the former Shadowclanner's arrival in Starclan, she had quickly regained the health and joy she had possessed in her youth. "My beautiful daughter."
The warrior looked at the apprentice with a small, sad smile. "Welcome to Starclan. I'm Willowheart- your mother." Willowheart sat down, wrapping her white-tipped tail around her paws, her smile growing happier.

The russet tabby whipped around at the slightest sound of a voice coming from behind. Her blood was pumping into her ears, her eyes wide and unblinking as she watched the beautiful yet oddly familiar StarClanner pad towards her. Her scent...

'Mother?!'

Parting her jaws and ready to gasp, Ferretpaw watched wordlessly as Willowheart settled down in front of her, so serene and graceful. This was his caretaker, or at least, who was supposed to be her caretaker. But death had forced them to part so early, and she couldn't recall anything. Except one, dark night on the Thunderpath, yowling and wailing and mewling, strewn together awfully by the putrid smell of black, rough stone. Trembling, the ShadowClan she-cat took a step forward, paw shaky, then tumbled forward, burying her head into her mother's shoulder and sobbing loudly.

OOC: scREE
Willowheart shut her eyes, pulling Ferretpaw closer to her chest and resting her snow-white chin on her head. "Shh..." She murmured, burying her nose in her daughter's fur. "I'm here now..." She had dreamed of this moment for many moons. Although Motherhood was a path Willowheart had never sought to travel, she had yearned to spend real time with her family instead of watching her children grow from the stars. Given her family's history, she should've known better than to choose to bear kits. But sitting in Starclan, her daughter finally by her side, Willowheart had to admit it had been worth it. The pain of seeing Ryeheart decline, of watching her kits grow up motherless...
"Our time together is short." Once Ferretpaw's breathing had grown steadier, the young she-cat finally pulled back. Meeting Ferretpaw's gaze with her piercing amber eyes, Willowheart couldn't stop a small smile from spreading on her face. "I wish we could spend more time together, but you mustn't spend too much time here."

She wished she could say she understood, but she couldn't, she really couldn't. If Ferretpaw could stand by her mother's side like this for all eternity, she would choose to. For the first time since she could recall, she felt afraid to leave. There was a crushing loneliness without both of her parents by her side.

But still, she let go, pulling back and nodding her head curtly, maybe even a little bit coldly. Resigned, she took a deep breath. "A-alright... I see." she stuttered nervously, looking at her paws. A warm, fuzzy feeling began to envelop her. She looked back up towards her mother, but she was already beginning to fade out as Ferretpaw woke up back on the cold cave floor, shivering.