Briarpaw's Moonstone Journey

❒ Gentle, green eyes fluttered open at the sound of Fawnshine's voice. "Time?" she whispered as she sat up groggily in her nest. She forced herself to awaken fully. She offered a polite nod and a quiet "Good morning" before she began to consume the carefully prepared herb bundle.

❒ Briarpaw was quite excited about her trip to the Moonstone, just like every other apprentice before her. It was a time to reflect and improve with the guidance of one of their ancestors. She wondered who she'd have the honor of speaking with. Despite her excitement, she was still a little hesitant. It wasn't about anything in particular. She was just a bit shy and worried about if her conversation with the Starclan cat would go smoothly—nothing wrong with that, really. She felt better knowing that it was a natural way to feel before taking the trip.

❒ It hadn't been the most enjoyable experience but she managed to eat every last bitter herb. She shook off her fur and gave herself a quick groom before padding over to where the medicine cat was waiting. "Fawnshine? I have finished. We can go now," she said as she stretched out her limbs. It was going to be a longer walk than the usual patrol so she needed to loosen up her joints if she didn't want to be extra sore later.

❒ The young cat nodded her head and followed diligently behind the medicine cat. She was secretly excited to travel past the clan's territory. It would be like a breath of fresh air seeing the new sights. She wondered if Fawnshine ever got tired of leading trips to the Moonstone? After a while, one could only assume that things got repetitive. Do all those trips blur together after a certain number? Would this one be no exception?

❒ The walk to the Thunderpath border was quite familiar to her—she'd been on a few patrols that surveyed said area. However, she'd never tried to cross the bitter-smelling strip of dark ground. They'd be forced to if they wanted to make it to their destination. She glanced at Fawnshine and then at the Thunderpath. She gave a firm bob of her head then followed the older she-cat's lead cautiously.

❒ She brushed away the thoughts that had wanted to overtake her mind when Fawnshine spoke up. She tilted her head and faintly wrinkled her nose—it was a delicate tic that only showed its presence when she thought hard about something. Was she looking for something specific? Did she even have anything to gain advice for? Was she required to have something in mind? The apprentice pursed her mouth and furrowed her brow. She didn't think any of this through beforehand. It must've slipped her mind with all that had been going on.

❒ She lifted her head and tilted it toward the medicine cat's direction. "Honestly, I have no specific inquiries for Starclan. I had not given it much thought before now. It had slipped my mind," she paused for a moment then spoke again, "However, now that it is fresh in my mind, I am quite interested in knowing how good of an apprentice they think me as. I know that I have grown over the past moons—my newfound skills and sharper senses are proof of that. However, sometimes, I feel like I fall short. I see my family getting injured or ill and I start to think of ways I could have helped better to prevent such misfortunes from befalling my family. I know that overthinking like this does not lead to anything good. I just cannot help it. I just need to know how much more I need to improve to be enough."

❒ She relaxed her tense shoulders and took in a deep breath. "I- Forgive me, Fawnshine, for my ramblings. I... I had a lot on my mind lately. Plenty of new worries stress me and I need to take time to sort them out. Perhaps whoever I have the pleasure of speaking to in Starclan will guide me in the right direction."

❒ A pensive expression was clear on her face—her traitorous ears had angled themselves toward the medicine cat without her realizing. "At the end, how you see yourself doesn't depend on the stars, nor does it have to do with StarClan. It's up for you to decide your worth. And I believe you'll figure it out, eventually." It will be difficult for her to set aside her insecurities and self-critical demeanor but she was willing to give herself the chance. Fawnshine was right. She couldn't get held up in fretting over what her ancestors thought of her and her current path in life. That didn't mean she would disregard their advice or disrespect their viewpoints. She would take it all into consideration and make the best choice to benefit herself.

❒ She needed to step back and reevaluate all that she thought of herself and what made her so anxious in the first place. She needed to improve on her own terms. She was putting all these expectations upon her own shoulders and they were getting too hard to carry. She was essentially sabotaging herself and that needed to change... but where to start?

❒ Surprising herself she offered the older cat a clear smile. "I will keep all this in mind. You... You have alleviated some of my more prominent worries. I- Thank you, Fawnshine. I greatly appreciate it and everything else that you do for us."

❒ Briarpaw diligently followed behind the medicine cat, sage-colored eyes cataloguing the path they were taking with guarded interest. After their exchange, they had fallen into a comfortable silence, content with just walking to their destination.

❒ Highstones was just up ahead and Briarpaw felt a rush of anticipation mixed with a hint of nervousness. She stopped when the older molly stopped and took in her advice. She nodded in understanding and kept a closer distance between them as they stepped into the tunnel. She certainly didn't want to trip or get lost.

❒ Blinking her eyes to adjust to the sudden light, the apprentice took in the sight of the mystical Moonstone. Her eyes widened for a fraction before she turned her head to give the other her attention. After being instructed on what to do, the tortie faced the stone again and proceeded to close the gap between it and herself. She settled down at the base and eyed the illuminated stone. She hesitantly pressed her nose to it, refraining from jolting back due to the unexpected cold. She sighed and closed her eyes. This was it. Hopefully, all went well.