Tawnypaw's Moonstone Journey

It was time for Tawynypaw's Moonstone journey, as she was told by Nightstar. The sun was warming the camp now, and the apprentice and Burdockroot should leave shortly. Lumbering her form over to the apprentice's den, she spotted the apprentice for today's trip. Not really caring if she woke anyone else, she only merely avoided stepping on paws and tails before standing above the sleeping form. Nudging her with her paw, the medicine cat flicked her tail. "Come. Moonstone." Burdockroot said flatly before retracing her steps back to the medicine cat den. A pile of herbs lay there for the apprentice.

When she was finally joined by the soon-to-be warrior, she nudged the small pile forward with her paws. "Eat. Yes, it's gross. You don't need to tell me." She flicked her tail and glanced towards the sun.

Tawnypaw was too excited to sleep, so as soon as Burdockroot nudged her she hopped to her paws and followed the medicine cat outside of the den. She swallowed the pile of herbs as instructed, wincing at the bitter taste but not complaining. This was it. After all these moons training to be a warrior, she was finally going to find out if Starclan had accepted her.

"Let's go." Burdockroot said, eyeing the apprentice before turning and stalking out of camp. Her badger pelt was left behind, so her mottled fur was left to bounce with every step. The trip was much like the others, uneventful and quiet. Burdockroot didn't speak unless spoken to, and if she was, it was quick replies with no context. The journey would eventually end, and the apprentice and medicine cat found themselves at the entrance of the cave.

"Follow my tail. It's dark." Plunging into the darkness, Burdockroot didn't hesitate and followed her paws through the winding cave. At this point, it was sheer habit. Eventually, they emerged into the large cave, where the Moonstone had just started to shine.

"Lay down and touch your nose to it. Wake me when you wake up." With another yawn, the mottled cat walked to her usual spot and plopped down, curling into a ball with her tail over her nose. She kept her mismatched eyes open to make sure Tawnypaw did as she was told.

Tawnypaw followed Burdockroot's instructions and padded down the tunnel. Her paws slid soundlessly over the smooth stone, her paws falling into the small dents in the ground, molded by seasons of warriors before her. Many had passed through this tunnel, and now it was her turn. Just as she felt sure that the tunnel would never end, and that she would have to wonder in the darkness forever, she realized she could see the faint outline of the medicine cat in front of her.

They stepped into a large cavern, but the only thing Tawnypaw could see was the huge stone in the center. Glowing with moonlight, the stone seemed to have been a fallen star. She crouched down in front of the moonstone, closing her eyes and letting sleep drag her away.

Having been sharing-tongues under a large oak tree near the top of a hill alongside her friends and family, Tulipfang noticed a shape begin to appear not too far away from them, and assumed it was an apprentice here for their moonstone, or at least she hoped that was why they were here. The young she-cat's pelt didn't shimmer with sparkling stars like those of deceased cats, which meant she was probably just visiting. Standing up, the warrior gave her fluffy pelt a shake, sending specks of stardust falling back onto the misty ground. Giving a purr, she bounded off towards the stranger, seeing as though she enjoyed getting a chance to speak with the living.

"Hello there!" Tulipfang called out as she ran gracefully through the grass, her white and ginger pelt shimmering among the surrounding stars. "Here for your Moonstone journey?" she asked, slowing her pace and stopping in front of the she-cat. She assumed that was what the younger cat was there for, but it didn't hurt to ask.

Tawnypaw gaped at the graceful she-cat that had bounded up to her. All around her, starlight glimmered in the grass and trees; even the ginger-and-white she-cat's whiskers and fur were laced with stars. It really was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The silver tortoiseshell nodded to Tulipfang's question.

"I'm Tawypaw," she mewed, her heart aching at the sight before her. Starclan truly did accept her. She craned her neck to look around. Was her mother and littermates here? Would they come to greet her?

"Nice to meet you, I'm Tulipfang," the molly mewed with a smile. Well, she assumed that she'd better get started in sharing some wisdom before the young cat woke up. "It may seem obvious, but stay loyal to your clanmates. I've seen countless cats make decisions based on their gut and not the warrior code... and more often than not their choices ended up being nothing more than mistakes," Tulipfang shared, thinking back to the events that she'd watched transpire from up in the stars. If those cats had just stayed true to on their path to warriorhood, life surely would've been much easier for everyone.

Tawnypaw nodded along at Tulipfang's words. Exactly what she always said! "If every cat stuck to the Warrior Code, we wouldn't have to deal with traitors and meaningless battles," she agreed, her eyes bright with joy at the confirmation. I will always, always remain loyal to my Clan and the Warrior Code!

"Exactly," Tulipfang purred, glad that the young she-cat understood what she had said. "Well, good luck out there. You'll be a great warrior, I just know it," the StarClan cat mewed with a soft smile. With a dip of her head, she turned around and left Tawnypaw to return to the world of the living. Hopefully, even in the future, she would always remember what they had talked about.