Viperpaw's Moonstone Journey

The cloudy sky couldn't hide the brightness of the moon shining over the Riverclan camp where a lonely cat was waiting patiently with two pack of herbs between his paws. He shivered when a cold breeze passed through. This Leafbare was colder than the last one he remembered but thanks to the multiple hunting patrols, Riverclan wasn't having big problems with the amount of prey they needed. And thanks to Starclan, the clan was getting stronger with every apprentice that was one step closer to becoming a warrior with these important journeys. Today it was Viperpaw's turn, the last kit of his dead clanmate, Thistleblaze. Maybe she was going to be the cat that would talk to the young she-cat in Starclan but it wasn't one hundred percent sure.

Viperpaw padded up to the deputy, ready to make the long trip to the Moonstone. She didn't understand why this was needed to be a warrior but she wasn't going to question it too much. The gray apprentice looked up at her deputy, making note of the herbs at his paws. "Am I supposed to eat those?" The apprentice asked.

The deputy greeted the young she-cat with a silent nod and pushed her pack of herbs to her. "Exactly. You need strength for this long trip and these herbs that Goldenpaw and Cloudstone prepared are made for that. We'll leave when you finish them." After saying those words, the deputy grabbed his own herbs and ate them with one bite. As always, they weren't the tastiest meal in the world but he was so used to them that he didn't mind it too much. After gulping them, his green eyes looked at the apprentice, waiting for her to finish.

Viperpaw looked back down at the herbs for a moment. She couldn't bring herself to eat them right away. She knew they tasted bad, but she had to do this. She scooped up the herbs in her mouth and quickly ate them. After they were all gone she stuck out her tongue. "Gross.." But at least she was ready now.

The deputy finally stood up and started the journey, leaving the camp behind with the she-cat. Walking together, Jaystream crossed his territory covered in snow already knowing the quickest path to arrive at the Twoleg Bridge. Soon, the strange building was in front of them but the warrior didn't walk toward it. Instead, he approached the rocks in the river. With one strong leap, he landed on one of the stones and then looked at Viperpaw before continuing. "Be careful when you jump. The ice makes the rocks more slippery than usual." The tall and lean tom jumped from rock to rock and finally arrived at the other side, where he waited for Viperpaw.

Slippery Rocks? Even if she did slip she could swim, but she didn't mind. The small apprentice jumped onto the first rock, and when she felt she could handle the rest she crossed them quickly landing on the other side with Jaystream. Blue eyes looked up at him as she waited for him to lead the way.

Continuing the travel, he led Viperpaw through the Fourtrees and then to the Thunderpath. He crouched down waiting for any monster to appear and then he started the usual warnings he gave to every apprentice. "I don't know if you have visited it but here's the Thunderpath: a place where big monster ran without stopping. If you're careless when you try to cross, they might kill you under their weight. That's why you must always be sure that no one is coming before running through." Jaytream waited, listening to the sounds of the night and trying to sense any trembling under his paws. When he was sure, he started the race toward the Windclan territory. "Run!" He mewed to the she-cat telling her to follow him. The tom arrived safely the other side and he glanced back at Viperpaw so he can be sure she was okay.

Viperpaw crouched low a little bit behind Jaystream unsure of what was happening. Even if she was a hot head she still knew when to listen. She kept her ears perked listening to what he was telling her. Once he said to run she took a split second before bolting after him. Her little legs hurt a little bit, she never knew she could run so fast. It was almost like she was a windclan cat. Her chest was heaving as she looked up at Jaystream. Just how much longer was this trip?

"We're halfway. Let's continue." The deputy said before walking again but this time, through Windclan's lonely moors painted with white by the snow.

After a while travelling, the landscape change to a rocky one and soon the two cats were in front of the cave they were looking for. "Stay close to me and follow my voice. Inside is quite dark so is easy to get lost if you don't know the right path." The tom entered the tunnel crossing the Mothermouth and he walked into the dark following the way he knew because of the dozen of times he used it.

In no time the two cats left the darkness just to enter the main cave where the Moonstone was. Jaystream approached with a smile and then he laid down, ready to rest for a while. "Now is your turn to continue this journey alone. Lay down, close your eyes and touch the Moonstone. Starclan is waiting for you."

Viperpaw nodded, and followed close behind Jaystream. She might have been small but she had a lot of Stamina. Once they were entering mother mouth, the apprentice followed the deputy's scent, and voice staying close. There were a couple of times she got scared because she could feel the walls closing in a bit but soon they arrived at the shiny bright moonstone.. So this is where she would talk to her ancestors?

The apprentice did as she was told and laid down next to the stone before pressing her nose to it and letting sleep take her.

Hopefully she would see something.. and not nothing. She didn't particularly believe but she didn't think there wasn't anything..

Soon Viperpaw woke up in a starry territory. She looked up to see a gray tabby before her. The small apprentice instantly let out a hiss backing up believing this cat was an enemy, even as the cat approached in a calm manner.

Thistleblaze was so happy to be the one to talk to her daughter. Though this wasn't the reaction she was expecting. Did she not believe? Well.. Thistleblaze didn't believe either until her mother showed up right as she was dying. "It's okay Viperpaw.." The Queen said. "I am your mother Thistleblaze.. Your father must have told you about me.."

Viperpaw seemed to relax a little bit. She was still suspicious of these starry cats, but if this really was her mother. "You don't have a twisted foot like he said, but other than that... you look the same.." The apprentice said. Her ears tilted back slightly in an aggressive manner.

Thistleblaze let out a small sigh. "That is because Starclan healed me. I can run free up here now without the hindrance of the twisted paw. But there is one thing I can prove that I'm who I say I am. Your father Sootwhisper has two different eye colors. Your blue ones take after his."

The apprentice was still unsure about this whole thing, but it seemed she was right after all. "So this is Starclan? And you really died giving birth to me?" The apprentice asked.

Thistleblaze nodded. "My body was to worn from age.. and you came earlier than expected.. But I wouldn't change anything.. If I died so you could live then so be it.." The queen said.

"But.." Viperpaw's words died in her throat. "You were famous in Riverclan! I.. I don't think I could.. ever live up to that!" The apprentice shouted. "The broken riverclan warrior who can move mountains! You functioned and survived against odds!"

At this point the Queen managed to wrap herself around the small apprentice. "It's okay little one. Starclan said it was my time, and with that came the start of yours. You don't have to match with me, follow your own path okay? You will do some great things, and prove yourself to everyone. Trust me." Thistleblaze touched noses to her daughter and sent her back to the waking world.

Viperpaw woke up with a gasp. Her blue eyes looking around for that familiar gray pelt and scent she remembered a trace of when she was a kit but nothing but cold stone, and the deputy. She quickly collected herself and stood up. "I'm ready to go back now Jaystream." She told the deputy. She wanted to get out of here.