Cheetahpaw's Moonstone Journey

The journey from ShadowClan camp to Highstones was a more comfortable one, now that Murkystrike had made the journey with several apprentices already. She still wasn't used to waking up during the day, but she blinked the sleep from her eyes as she gathered the herbs that Rookfire had prepared for her and the apprentice for today. Her tail swept behind her as she recalled that the apprentice joining her today would be none other than her own apprentice, Cheetahpaw. She really had come so far in her training already, although she was concerned about her interactions with her sister, Pantherpaw. It seemed to go farther than sibling rivalry.... She blinked as she realized she was standing in front of the apprentice den, and shook herself out of her own thoughts. They would address that should it ever become a full concern. Setting the herbs down outside the entrance, she made her way into the den, finding her apprentice's nest quickly. "Wake up, Cheetahpaw. Please meet me at the entrance to camp. We journey to the Moonstone today." She mewed softly, waiting until she saw movement from the apprentice before backing carefully out of the den to wait by the camp's entrance with the herbs.

The night before, Cheetahpaw had purposely made sure she wouldn't dream. Of anything at all.

She'd induced a kind-of lucid dreaming thing, so that her mind would be empty the entire time she was asleep. To her disappointment, it hadn't worked.

It was strange, almost unnerving. In her dreams, er, rather her "nightmares...." she could see fully again; both eyes functioned just as they had most of her life up until now. But the actual contents of the nightmares were what disturbed her. Every night since the incident, the one especially after she had been brought to Rookfire, all of her dreams were just relivings of the training. Of claws slashing deep into her cornea, puncturing her vision and then just as quickly eliminating it all together. Blood, there was so much of it, and while that would normally have fascinated Cheetahpaw, this time it made her feel weak. It was all her own blood, spilling into the earth because of that wretched "sister" of hers. She'd put so much trust into Pantherpaw.... And because of all that trust she was now a cripple. The left side of her face had been slashed away, leaving in its place a ravaged spot of soft pink flesh. Her eyeball was entirely absent.

She'd been awake the entire night, her eyelids drooping by the time Murkystrike arrived. She spoke for the first time since her trip to the medicine den. "Moonstone...." she rasped, throat still sour from swallowing blood. She heaved herself to her paws, legs wobbly as she struggled to pad out of the apprentices den with now only half the vision. She tried again. "Kay. Let's... go." With as much effort as she muster, she made her way to the entrance of camp to meet with Murkystrike.

The exhaustion her apprentice was experiencing was clear, and Murkystrike shifted on her paws. She had the feeling that Cheetahpaw, at least the old one, wouldn't have wanted pity... She would want to overcome the injury, stronger than ever before. The deputy was admittedly worried about the possibility of anger festering within her apprentice, a thirst for revenge creating a pit that would eventually swallow Cheetahpaw. She would have to keep a careful eye on her, and offer her the support she would need to hopefully avoid a situation like that. For now, though... "Here, Cheetahpaw, these are for you. They'll give you strength and curb your hunger for our journey. It's a long one, so focus on keeping your strength." She bowed her head to eat the herbs alongside her apprentice, and once they were gone she stood, leading the way out of camp.

~~TIME SKIP~~

They had reached the cavern of the Moonstone. The moon light filtered through a hole above their heads, hitting the rock and making it sparkle brightly. The journey was long, but the deputy had to admit - the experience was worth it. She had explained what was expected before they entered the tunnels, how Cheetahpaw was to remain quiet through the tunnels and when they reached the Moonstone she would have to lay down and touch her nose to the Moonstone. Murkystrike hoped that her apprentice would get the information and guidance she deserved. Giving the younger she-cat a small nod, she stepped to the side to wait, settling against the cold stone wall.