Brookpaw's Moonstone Journey

It was early in the afternoon and the deputy was yet again getting ready to take an apprentice to the Moonstone. Young Brookpaw would be speaking with Starclan this time. The brown tom had a bundle of traveling herbs by his paws. Swiftstep had already consumed his as he waited for the she-cat to arrive. He had called her a few moments ago so the younger cat should be heading his way now.

Brookpaw padded towards the deputy with light pawfalls. Her delicate cantor led her straight to Swiftstep without little pause. Once she had heard that they were to travel to the moonstone, her excitement had grown. If she was to accompany him there, that was the sign of only one thing: her impending warriorship. The thought spurred on her excitement and left her stomach churning in expectation. Although seeing Starclan was less than thrilling, it was her duty as a Windclan cat to visit the starry ancestors. She wondered if it would be improper to question them for condemning the forest, and by extension her clan. Brindlestar had declared Windclan to be for the living, so why did they still visit the dead? Maybe it was simply because some traditions were not easily forgotten.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Swiftstep. It's an honor to be going to the moonstone." Her words carried across the breeze, light, and yet with a confidence. Brookpaw dipped her head to the deputy in a respectful manner. Like a proper warrior, she would be expected to follow the clan's leadership without question. Given the wisdom of the older cats, that would not be a problem in the slightest. Behind the russet she-cat, her tail flickered eagerly in wait for a response.

The brown tom looked over to Brookpaw when she arrived. He gave her a smile and a nod as a return greeting. "It is quite honorable to be speaking to the wise cats in the sky. However, we are quite not ready to leave until you eat these." Swiftstep pushed the bundle of herbs in the direction of the apprentice before speaking once again, "These are traveling herbs. They can be very bitter but they're important in keeping your energy up and your hunger down. Tell me when you've finished." The older cat then began to wait for the she-cat to finish.

His comment about Starclan caused the tip of her tail to twitch uncomfortably but she showed no change in her expression and dipped her head to him. The herbs presented did not have a pleasant scent to them. As she bent her head to flick her tongue across them, the sour and unpleasant taste caused her whiskers to twitch and stomach to churn. All cats had to do this, Brindlestar once had to do this. After a few moments, Brookpaw managed to get herself to hold down the disgusting dried leaves. Once settled, she rejoined Swiftstep and gave him a nod, signifying that she was ready to begin the journey. Thankfully, they were the closest to Highstones in comparison to the other clans, a supposedly honorable place. This would not take so long.

Swiftstep nodded with a smile and beckoned the younger cat to follow his lead. The two cats then set off on an exciting journey to the Moonstone!

~Time Skip~

The deputy and apprentice duo had made it to their destination as Silverpelt began to blanket the night sky. Swiftstep, the whole way there, pointed out interesting facts about each landmark as they passed them. The tom hoped it was all interesting to Brookpaw. The sprint across the Thunderpath seemed to give them both the much needed adrenaline. They then continued walking up to the tunnel's opening.

Swiftstep smiled and began to step into the dark entrance. "Stay close to me Brookpaw. I don't want you stumbling in the dark." he instructed as they began to walk. Soon the two reached a cavern where the glowing Moonstone sat. "Touch your nose to the Moonstone and a Starclan cat will speak with you." the tom said as he made himself comfortable by the exit.

Their journey was thrilling and much more interesting than she had expected. Brookpaw's ears were perked attentively as the deputy told her stories and filled her in on the things they passed. It was surprisingly pleasant. Her muscles enjoyed the feeling of being pushed to her full as they trudged on towards the stone slopes that that were illuminated by dying sunlight. Once they reached the Thunderpath, her nose twitched and her ears flattened with disdain. Darting across took only mere moments and she was thankful when it was quickly forgotten.

Her delicate paws caused her to wince slightly at the sharp stones that dug into her pads as they scaled the side of highstones and towards mothermouth. Teeth clenched but she gave no outward acknowledgment of the pain. Brookpaw's hazel eyes peered curiously into the unending darkness. A chill caused her fir to rise slightly but from the cold for the stone and breeze instead of the apprehension that some apprentices felt. As Swiftstep lead the way, she followed closely, using her whiskers to have a sense of the walls. Until they reached the center. Even in her dislike for the warrior ancestors, she could not deny the beauty of the dazzling light ahead.

With a slight turn of her head, the apprentice acknowledged her deputy's words and stepped forward and pressed her nose against the cold stone as instructed, prepared to challenge whatever long-dead cat showed up. When she opened her eyes, Brookpaw drank in the sight of the star-laden plains. Immediately she leaped onto her paws and stood solidly facing the grey and white she-cat whose green eyes were more piercing than the faded stars. Although her fur bristled angrily, Brookpaw held her tongue and merely stared at the other cat, awaiting what they could have to say to the living.

"Brookpaw of Windclan. Welcome to Starclan." The former medicine cat stood, gaze matching the apprentices. Sageleaf was no stranger to the reckless nature of young warriors. But that wasn't quite Brookpaw, no, the she-cat before her was like looking into a mirror of the time before Starclan had ripped her off the path of her dreams and glued her paws to the medicine den. The feelings that ripped through her chest made facing the young cat only that much more difficult. After only a momentary pause, the Starclan cat added, "You've got spirit, I'll give you that. It'd be sad to see such a thing to go waste. You know, I had my own doubts when I was forced into the medicine cat role. But sometimes there is only so much we can do to control our own destinies. Sometimes... things are out of our paws."

"What?" Brookpaw hissed, unsheathing her claws into the dirt, "You're meaning to tell me that the same wonderous ancestors who managed to bless the forest with a monster like Lichenmask were unable to do anything as the clans suffered below? You all sent him in the first place. To tear down our kin, our clans, to make them into what all you dead, rotted fools decided was the best for us." Behind her, the Windclan cat's tail lashed with pent-up frustrations, she stalked towards the Starclan until their noses were almost touching.

It was all Sageleaf could do not to lash out at the cat before her in response, it was not the first time she had faced irrational warrior-types. Specklefang, Slatethroat... her throat tightened at the thought and she took a breath before meowing slowly, "Not all of Starclan supported him."

A soft snort of disgust was the only response. Brookpaw whipped around as the dream world began to fade. She woke with a start, fur still bristling as she rose to her paws next to the moonstone. With one last scornful look at the moonstone, the russet-coated apprentice turned back to the deputy. It was time to return home. And never come to this place again.