Honeypaw's Moonstone Journey

The sunrises passed in a slow and hazy manner. Mistlepaw filled them with her duties of sorting herbs, tending to the ill, and her more frequent honey hoarding patrols, so they tended to pass her giving them much thought. There was the occasional Moonstone, but they weren't that interesting either. After all, Riverclan was growing steadily, which meant visiting the stone more frequently. The first few times she was mesmerized by the crystal's beauty, but after visiting it so many times, the awe caused by it slowly faded. Now, the gray and white tuxedo she-cat dreaded practically sleeping all day just to manage the long journey.

She stretched, shaking away the moss that clung to her pelt, and padded over to the two herb bundles she prepared earlier that day. After eating hers, she stepped out into the setting sun and gazed up at the sky. The moon rose in its place, and as darkness fell upon the territories, so did the cold night air. She breathed it in deeply, relishing the scent of Greenleaf and soon to-be Leaffall. A purr rumbled from her chest as she moved towards the apprentices' den. Stealthily, she made her way to Honeypaw's nest, where she promptly nudged the young she-cat awake. "Honeypaw, wake up," she meowed in her ear, nudging her flank again. 

Honeypaw was curled up tightly into a ball, her nose tucked underneath her tail. The soft rising and fall of her chest hiccuped a bit in surprise when she was suddenly nudged away, the memories of her dream fading as her eyes blinked open. "Hmm?" she trilled, raising her head as she blinked in surprise as she recognized the heavy scent of herbs that Mistlepaw carried with her. For a second she was confused, wondering why the medicine cat would need her...Until she remembered - the time-honored tradition,the Moonstone trip! "Oh, yes!" she meowed quietly as she got to her paws, stretching out carefully, her tiredness evaporating in the wake of this monumental occasion in her apprenticeship. "I'm ready!"

Honeypaw sheepishly glanced at the other apprentices, relieved that it seemed she hadn't awoken them as she ducked her head and padded after the medicine cat apprentice. Her came to a stop as she saw the herbs, ears perking in curiosity as she gave them a sniff. Honey, huh? She had never had any of her namesake and she couldn't help but give into the curiosity even with the warning of the foul taste, eating the herbs rather quickly. She suddenly gave her head a shake as she reared back, sticking her tongue out at the bitter taste. The sweetness of the honey was welcoming, even if it didn't do much to halt the taste of the herbs themselves. "Well, that was...Something," she mumbled as she smacked her lips, wishing that the taste would rid itself before she gave her head a soft shake.

"Anyways, I am ready! I'm so excited to finally see the Moonstone," she sighed happily as she got to her paws, giving a glance toward Mistlepaw. "I've heard that its beautiful, it must be nice to get to visit it so often." There was also some other things that caused Honeypaw to be excited - the chance to see another Clan's territory, having heard about the odd open area that WindClan called home and knew that they would have to pass by it. Perhaps they would even see a Thunderpath! She had heard the dangers and was relieved that there were none on their territory...But Honeypaw was a curious cat and couldn't help but wonder if they were anything like how she had imagined them from stories.

"I suppose you are right," Honeypaw meowed as she trotted after the medicine cat, ear twitching. She suppose the wonder truly only held for the first few times of seeing it, after a while it would grow as common as the sunset...But, then again, the sunset was always breathtaking to watch, surely there was some wonder that still remained in seeing the Moonstone, even for a seasoned medicine cat. She dutifully padded out of the camp, gaze focusing on the stars above. She was rarely out at this time and rarely got the chance to admire Silverpelt in all of its glory.  Her tail swished, before her felt prickled at an odd feeling, the feeling of being watched, and glanced back down at Mistlepaw to see the medicine cat suddenly glancing away from her. Suddenly, she frowned as something registered in her mind and she softly cleared her throat. "...How are you holding up?" she asked as she quickened her pace to fall in line with the grey and white she-cat, feeling a bit nervous as she went on. "I've imagined that things haven't been easy with you with all of...With all of the deaths," she finished, ears slicking back.

It hadn't been easy for Honeypaw and she wasn't the one that was suppose to be the one preventing it...She couldn't imagine the weight on Mistlepaw's shoulder, being a lone medicine cat in what seemed like the hardest times, cats dying and disappearing. It even dawned on her that Hailsong, her old mentor, had been Mistlepaw's mother. "...I-I know it isn't quite my job but if you ever want somebody to talk to...I'm here for you, or if you need somebody to help you just find herbs or...Just hang out?" she finished, seeming a bit unsure on the final one. Small things. She had to start with the small things. She wanted to be there for Mistlepaw and the smallest things would help, right? Just...Being there, she supposed. But she also knew that she couldn't expect everybody to accept her - Wasppaw was a clear sign of that with how she often brushed off whenever Honeypaw tried to approach...

Mistlepaw hesitated for a moment, soaking in Honeypaw's words. It sounded like something she would say to a patient, or someone drowning in their own grief. Fur bristling, she nodded, slowly padding beside the warrior apprentice once again. Her words had her taken aback..countless had seen her suffering in silence for so long, yet refused to say anything about it. Why was Honeypaw different? Or was it just because Mistlepaw had allowed herself to become vulnerable? She shed her facade enough just for the brownish-yellow tabby to see how much pain she was in.

"Aha.." she chuckled nervously, ears drooping, "I..I appreciate the concern, Honeypaw. Maybe we can talk more about it later.." she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to confront her feelings. She wasn't ready to face the storm of emotions swirling deep inside her. So she locked them up, and she would continue to for as long as she could. It was all she had ever known. It was all she could do...all she understand how to, anyway. She fell silent again, refusing to meet Honeypaw's gaze anymore. It was too much for her to bear. She felt herself spacing out, and while she wanted to resist it, she didn't. She let herself get lost in her thoughts, so lost that she didn't even register that they arrived at the gorge. Mistlepaw blinked at the sound of water hitting stone. She blinked again and found herself standing just before the twoleg contraption that allowed passage over the gorge. She briefly glanced back to make sure Honeypaw was following her, and then carefully made her way across the bridge.

Honeypaw's smile faltered as Mistlepaw gentle brushed it her concern, giving a short nod to the medicine cat apprentice. "Of course," she meowed, although she desperately wished they could talk about it now...She knew it wouldn't be smart to push. Talking on Mistlepaw's time was important, letting her gather her thoughts before they talked about such a...Heavy topic. "Prod me at any time, I'm more than happy to lend an ear," she pressed softly, before dropping the topic all together. Her gaze shifted up as her ears pricked at a somewhat familiar sound of rushing water, but there was no denying how much more intense it was...

Then she saw it, the sheer drop that was the gorge. Her tail swished in silent excitement, having never really the gorge so up close...And that meant that they would soon enter WindClan territory. Her eyes met Mistlepaw's as the gray she-cat glanced back at her, giving a soft nod of acknowledgement as she hurried after her and onto the strange wooden path that stretched across the terrifying drop. She stayed near the middle of the bridge, feeling safer there despite the curiosity of getting a glimpse into the gorge that ate away at her...

Instead, her eyes remained fixed ahead, taking in the endless expanse of the moor that she could now see. "So that is what the moor looks like," she whispered in awe, more to herself than anything. Part of her wonder if they would travel close enough to get a glimpse at the marsh that ShadowClan called home...This was perhaps her one real chance to easily get a look at it as they failed to share a border.

No trees, huh? Honeypaw's eyes stared across the endless horizon of the moor, taking in the scattered bushes and gently rise and fall of the hills in the moonlight. It was...Beautiful, even if she did find the openness to be empty and foreboding. She was used to the gentle rustling of the reeds in the air, the faint smell of the river being detectable anywhere she stepped. But here...The air certainly felt clean as she took in a deep breath, but it missed what she loved about the RiverClan territory but as she padded after Mistlepaw in relative silence, she got a pretty good idea of why the WindClan cats loved the moor so.

The rest of the trek was quiet and peaceful, gathering that Mistlepaw was done chatting and she didn't want to bother to the medicine cat. However, every once in a while her curious nature would get the better of her and she would ask a question about something that caught her interest - what the strange hopping brown thing she just barely made out was, what the WindClan cats that Mistlepaw knew was like, and other simple questions that often got a small, simple response...But it was enough to satisfy her.

Finally, something she had noticed that had loomed on the horizon grew larger and larger...Her eyes widened as she realized they were fast approaching the mountains. She could barely see the peaks from the RiverClan territory and now she was quickly realizing their towering heights, taller than the trees that ThunderClan and RiverClan called home. Her tail twitched as she tilted her head, craning her neck as she wondered in awe what the view was like at the top...But she had no desire to trek up there - she was happy to be on the flat ground of the moor. She almost jumped when Mistlepaw came to a stop and spoke - the first time in a long while of speaking without having been asked a question.

They were here? Her gaze shifted down from the peaks to the dark cavern entrance that laid before them, whiskers twitching as she realized that Mistlepaw was correct...It was very dark, barely seeing a couple tail-lengths into the tunnel before it gave away to complete darkness. "O-Okay," she meowed as she met the grey apprentice's gaze, took a deep breath and followed into into the tunnel. She wasn't ready for how narrow it quickly came, her tail brushing against the walls as she tried to keep it from lashing in nervousness. The blackness was overwhelming, nearly suffocating but her ears remained perked as she focused on the sound of Mistlepaw's paws on the rough stone and followed her scent.

In the end, she was only spooked a pawful of times when Mistlepaw would suddenly stop, causing Honeypaw to nearly run into her and jump in surprise...Before she put together that the medicine cat was simply making sure she wasn't getting lost and was still behind her. Finally, there was a glimmer - a light as color returned to the world as they stepped into a cavern. She sighed, relief overtaking her as she could stretch again... She opened her mouth to say something, but her jaw simply hung open at the sight of the Moonstone as the moon bathed it in silver. "That's...Wow," she murmured as she took a couple steps forward, just barely catching Mistlepaw's words. She blinked, giving a soft nod at the instructions.

“Of course,” she meowed as she glanced at the medicine cat with a soft smile. “Anything worth sharing, I’ll be sure to tell you about.” With that, she turned her head back to the rock as she slowly approached the rock in complete awe, lowering herself to a crouch as she focused her eyes on the smooth surface. Just...Touch her nose and she would fall asleep? It seemed weird, but she had faith in both Mistlepaw and StarClan...And so she closed her eyes, pushing her face forward until she hit the cold surface.

A chill ran down her spine, fur spiking in surprise but it quickly relaxed as she felt a wave of calm overtake her. Her breathing gently slowed as darkness overtook her, and she was faintly surprised as she drifted off to sleep…


Her eyes opened, the familiar smell of water and fish filling her mouth as she took in a deep breath. The air was warm, surprising her as she could recall the cold air of the night and chilly temperature of the cavern but it seemed all so far away. Instead, she was sitting on the banks of a river - seeing the trees of ThunderClan on the other side. She was home as she tilted her head up at the stars that glimmered and danced above her.

This had to be StarClan - she was here! Her ears perked as she suddenly glanced around, recalling Mistlepaw’s words. A StarClan cat was going to take to her, tell her something...She couldn’t believe it. Her heart thumped in her chest as her whiskers twitched, feeling nervous but exciting. She knew this technically wasn’t anything special - every cat goes through this and yet...She never expected it to happen to her.

A pale grey spotted tabby stepped lightly through the reeds, her clear, mint eyes bright and welcoming. "Honeypaw," She greeted the apprentice with a small smile.
"Welcome to Starclan. My name is Flowerpetal, former warrior of Riverclan. Do you mind if I sit down?"
Flowerpetal waited for Honeypaw to nod before she sat down beside her. There was a moment of silence as she peered into the river with fascination, watching as colorful fish swam gracefully past.
"Every apprentice comes to Starclan for a reason," She began, glancing at the golden she-cat with a small smile. "They're usually looking for advice, an answer to a question, an explanation.
"Honeypaw, is there something bothering you, an answer you're looking for? Although I don't know everything, I promise you that I'll try to help you in any way I can."

Honeypaw's ears perked at the sound of shifting reeds, twisting to glance behind her in surprise. An unfamiliar scent met her nose as a gray spotted she-cat stepped from the reeds but underneath it all was the welcoming scent of RiverClan that put her to ease as the StarClan cat introduced herself. Her tail curled at her side, a bit self conscious as Flowerpetal spoke. She gave a soft, startled nod at the she-cat's simple request if she could take a seat and quietly watched the graceful she-cat.

She wasn't sure what she had been expecting from StarClan, but yet Flowerpetal fulfilled it all. Sweet, graceful and kind, she put Honeypaw's nervous heart as ease as the apprentice took in a deep breath as glanced out across the river - keeping the StarClan warrior's face in the corner of her vision however. The moment of silence of sitting side by side was nice, Honeypaw soaking it in before the she-cat broke the silence and drew the yellow tabby's attention. Her ears perked as her eyes widen, mouth opening as she tried to think of a response.

Honeypaw had been expecting StarClan to simply tell her something - what they had planned for her, what she was meant to do. They were all powerful after all, a guiding force to be sure but she was taken aback by how...Approachable Flowerpetal was being as she closed her mouth and tried to think about what she wanted to ask. What was bothering her? To be fair, there was a lot that was - the distance that had formed between her and her family for one. She missed her siblings and her father so greatly but she wasn't sure how to find to time to talk to them, Torrentstar in particular.

"I...I'm not sure how to best help my Clan," she admitted with a sigh, head hanging slightly as she stared at her reflection. "RiverClan - and the whole forest it seems - is going through so many rough situations and...It hurts. It hurts to see my Clanmates ache and mourn but I am not sure if the path I think is meant for me is the right one. I want to be the one to support them, to make them feel better but...I'm guess I am just terrified that it isn't truly the calling I am meant to have or if I should just be a...Traditional warrior, I suppose."

Flowerpetal nodded as the golden apprentice spoke. "I know it's difficult to see past these dark times," She mewed softly. "When I was a warrior, Riverclan was struggling to combat the Mist- it was a frightening time, the whole forest was scared to leave their camps." She paused for a moment, her mint eyes bright, before continuing. "I know I was scared. But the one thing that got Riverclan through such a scary event was humor."
The small gray molly turned to Honeypaw with a smile. "And I know it doesn't sound like it could change anything, but a little bit of positivity could alter Riverclan's course. Being a warrior isn't just about hunting or fighting- it's about being a clanmate, supporting your family through the darkest of times. And I think you have the power to do that- to be a beacon of light, to support someone who needs it the most."
Flowerpetal returned her gaze to the river, watching as the river flowed past. "You don't have to be positive all the time- just know that a little bit of light can brighten up even the darkest situation, and that you have the power to do bring forth that light."

The...Mist? Honeypaw's ears flickered as she titled her head, unfamiliar with what the Mist was - not recalling any stories involving it. Part of her wanted to say that it certainly didn't sound dangerous but she knew things could be more than it appeared and made a mental note to perhaps ask some of the older warriors about it - maybe her father would know? She shook her head from that train of thought as she continued to listen to Flowerpetal.

Her expression lighted as the starry she-cat went on, tail swishing as it hit her that Flowerpetal was telling her that she was on the right path, that she could fulfill her duty to her Clan by being there for them. Cheer them up in the darkest of times. To be their light. "Of course," she meowed softly in response. This was it, this was what she had wanted to be her entire apprenticeship. The she-cat's words reminded her of what Mudpaw had said about starting small and she was certain she could do that. She glanced down at the river, watching both of their reflections. The river was made out of countless tiny drops, wasn't it? Enough little drops of happiness - of light in the darkness could create something as mighty as a river, she was certain of that.

She could be their light.

"Thank you," she murmured as she closed her eyes, feeling a weight off of her shoulder. "I was just...I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to make a change, that my focus was better off hunting and patrolling but...You are right, there are so many ways to be a warrior - being there for my Clanmates is a fine duty to focus on." She swung her head up as her eyes flickered open, only to pull back in surprise as the she-cat was gone...Petals scattering in the breeze past her face from where Flowerpetal had once sat. "...Flowerpetal?" she meowed as she jumped to her paws, turning to watch the petals dance away on the breeze.

She frowned for a second, something else catching her eye. It was as if a second sun was rising over the horizons despite the fact that the sky was already a bright, crystal blue. She wanted to glance up, to double-check that she hadn't somehow gotten so lost in time but she couldn't turn her gaze away as the sun slowly rose and blinding light filled her vision.

Then she woke up.

Honeypaw jolted, tail fluffing up from the sudden awareness of the freezing cavern air as she came back to her senses. Slowly she pried her nose away from the Moonstone, sparing a glance up to see that it was still night...How long had she been asleep? She glanced over her shoulder to where she had last seen Mistlepaw, standing up at the sight of the medicine cat. "Mistlepaw! I-I spoke to StarClan," she meowed before she paused, whiskers twitching as she recalled the conversation before she had fallen asleep. "No threats against RiverClan to tell you about so we can head back now," she meowed as she stretched out her limbs, frowning at how cold the air felt compared to the warm breeze that had ruffled her pelt in her dream.