Yarrowpaw's Moonstone Journey

Dennis stretched and yawned, the latter causing a short coughing fit that the greying tom hoped didn't wake anyone. There was only one cat he needed to wake tonight- coincidentally the only cat in camp who wouldn't be woken by his coughing. He ate his bundle of travelling herbs- prepared with Cloverpaw's help, he remembered as a little blossom of pride bloomed in his chest- and grabbed the other to give to Yarrowpaw. Dropping the herbs by the fluffy apprentice's nose, he gently nudged him. When he was sure Yarrowpaw was awake, he smiled and left the den to wait for the younger cat.

Yarrowpaw woke with a start, looking upwards with tired, droopy eyes to see RiverClan's medicine cat, Dennis, standing over him. Gazing back down to the herb bundle, Yarrowpaw watched as Dennis ate his, gesturing to follow suite. The white tom craned his neck to eat the bundle, gagging at the bitter taste but managing to keep the herbs down.

It's time. Yarrowpaw can hardly believe that his Moonstone is finally here- after all his hardships, all he had been through, he could finally almost taste his warrior ceremony. Grinning, the apprentice jumped up onto his feet to follow Dennis out of the apprentice den.

Dennis smiled at the young cat, making sure he was following, before setting off past the reed border of camp. The weather was, for lack of a better word, gentle; there were no clouds in sight and the air was completely still. Residual heat from the cloudless day meant that the two would be spending the arduous journey in relative comfort, at least where climate was concerned. Walking slowly to save his strength, Dennis walked on.

The old medicine cat huffed out a breath, finally stepping up onto the rocky platform where Mothermouth was. He turned around, making sure his travelling companion was still close behind. With a gentle smile and an indication to stay close, he entered the tunnel and lead the apprentice to the small illuminated cavern. He gestured at the stone with a paw, laying down. He was probably going to be waiting for a while.

Yarrowpaw walked behind Dennis through the thick, muggy silence, eyes constantly vigilant of his surroundings and of the medicine cat. Though Yarrowpaw could not remember ever having a true conversation with the other tom, the apprentice found an odd comfort being with him; they both had overcome so much, Dennis having lost a leg and Yarrowpaw... Yarrowpaw felt like someone finally understood, at least to some degree.





Yarrowpaw followed the medicine cat's wordless instructions, touching the stone with his nose and laying down on the cool cavern ground. He thought it would have been hard, falling asleep, but a slumber overcame him only moments afterwards.

He was in StarClan territory now. Yarrowpaw couldn't believe it.

In the dark recesses of StarClan territory, or as dark as the place could get anyway, a black-and-white she-cat watched with signature narrowed eyes as Yarrowpaw materialised. Her tail twitched with mild annoyance, that she not only had to talk to this cat but... what, impart her knowledge? She'd died young. By falling out of a tree. Nevertheless, this was her cross to bear for ending up here, and bear it she would.

Stars glimmered throughout her pelt- which was full again, no more half-pelt, thank-you-very-much- as she approached Yarrowpaw from his left with as little irritation as she could muster. She was in front of him in just a few strides, where she promptly sat down and fixed him a judgemental gaze. "Welcome to StarClan. Take it in, try not to faint." If there had been any tone to her raspy words it would have been dryer than freshkill left out in the Greenleaf sun. She could speak now, all her injuries having been healed, but she preferred things this way. Her voice sounded weird, in her opinion.

Tail swishing from left to right, she looked Yarrowpaw in the eyes. "Do you have questions? You must. That's why you're here. I will not be vague with you, I will not sugar coat. You get... Two questions." And then I can rest, she thought. As if she didn't get enough rest up here. But apprentices were annoying, RiverClanners doubly so, and she did not want to spend more time here than she had to.

Yarrowpaw gaped in abject horror- or was it excitment?- at the StarClan cat's words. Not what was said, no, but the fact that Yarrowpaw had heard him. The young tom felt tears well up in the corners of his odd eyes, suddenly overcome with an affliction to say something, anything, just to see if he could. Yarrowpaw opened his mouth, took a deep intake of breath, and spoke his first words.

"Only two? But I have so many!”

Yarrowpaw gasped as his own words echoed in his head- he could hear! He could speak! Everything overtook him at once; the soft, ambient sounds of the StarClan forest- a sound that must surround him at all times but one he had never heard- and the quiet, gasping breaths of Yarrowpaw's own breath rattling in his ribcage. Tears finally spilled over his cheeks, making soft pitter patters on the dark ground. This poor StarClan cat must think him mad, truly, looking at him like that, but Yarrowpaw was too caught up in his own brewing emotions to truly care.

"Thank you for visiting me. I'm Yarrowpaw, and I can hear you- sorry, this must sound strange, but I've never heard something before. What's your name? I'm sorry- i'm a bit excited right now." Yarrowpaw choked out, bouncing from one paw to another, eyes dancing around Adderflare’s frame. "Are you here to tell me how to be a warrior? What advice do you have? Were you a warrior too? Or a medicine cat? Or a leader?"

Yarrowpaw's interrogation ends just as suddenly as it had begun- a small cry coming from the apprentice as more tears streamed down his face. He really, truly, could not believe this.

Adderflare looked down at the apprentice with slight annoyance. So emotional. Though she supposed that was to be expected- she'd freaked out too when she spoke up here for the first time. Clearly the two had different definitions of 'freaking out', however. Her tail twitched impatiently as she watched him have some kind of a crisis- his question was clearly only filler, he didn't wait for an answer. So Adderflare had to pick out his questions from the barrage of words that flew from his mouth. She huffed. She had not been this annoying as an apprentice.

"My name is Adderflare. After the fire. A cruel name, I think. Neither the fire or the name ever did any good." She frowned for a moment (more than usual, anyway) and continued. "I was a warrior- like you will be. I enjoyed it. It's a free life. Rather that than looking after a Clan, or picking flowers all day." Her brow smoothed a little bit, frown lessening now that Yarrowpaw wasn't talking as much.

"That's two. I can rest now." She turned away from the tom, intending to leave- but then she looked back. He was still crying, which she could do without, but maybe... She sighed. Maybe she should give him some kind of advice. Don't climb tall trees? Don't fall for fox-pelted buffoons? Fire bad? She didn't have any ideas for a motivational speech, but even so, she turned back and got a few paces closer.

"Fine. I'll advise you, even with both questions wasted." She furrowed her brow, trying to think of something. Anything, really. "Here's some advice: live. Live as if there is no death waiting. Do not seek to cheat death, it is inevitable and the more you try to avoid it the faster it approaches. I lived to spite death. I died young. Don't be like me. Do what brings you joy. Or don't, I don't care. But don't be the idiot who died half-pelted and bitter. Be someone the Clans can remember."

Wow. So many words, and she hadn't meant a single one of them. Adderflare had pulled that out of thin air, and frankly it had exhausted her. Talking like her Clanmates was so draining, how did they manage? "Are you satisfied?" Ah, a three-word sentence. Much more her speed.

Despite the overt lies from Adderflare’s end, Yarrowpaw was content with her answers- after all, he didn’t know what a lie sounded like. ”Yes, I’m satisfied. Thank you, Adderflare. Thank you for seeing me- oh! Thank you for giving me advice!” Yarrowpaw didn’t want to go- he didn’t want to lose his hearing again, after gaining it. Tears continued to stream down his cheeks- Be someone the Clans remember. He’ll do anything in his power to be that someone; he promised Adderflare.

Be someone the Clans remember. This line will now forever rattle inside Yarrowpaw’s head.