Birchpaw's Moonstone Journey

Another apprentice, another duty, another moonstone journey to pull her away from her duties... another chance to encounter Shade. Goldeneye had trained with Jaystar while he was still Jaystream, learning defence tactics, and with an apprentice at the end of their training and fully grown? Shade didn't stand a chance, not now. Goldeneye leered down at the bundle with hidden irritation but nonetheless left it alone, waiting for Birchpaw.

Birchpaw slipped out of the apprentice's den, his blue eyes gleaming brightly against the darkness of night. He glanced around him for a few moments, eyes narrowed as he searched for the medicine cat. Soon enough, he spotted her, and padded towards her, his tail tip twitching lazily as he padded along. It truly was a beautiful night; too bad it was tainted with Shade's threat. The terror he had caused Riverclan was still heavy in the air, and it left the creme and black tom irritated. He could see it in the way Goldeneye presented herself; her entire body appeared rigid and if he tried hard enough, anger swam within her irises. Deciding not to comment, the tom bent down and ate the herbs, trying his best to ignore the brackish taste as he swallowed, and turned towards the golden she-cat once more.

ooc; Fallow is taking over Moonstone Journies, so it'll just be as if Fallow was the one doing it the whole time;;

Nodding gently as the apprentice wolfed down the revolting herbs, she swallowed her own down in one large gulp. Fallowpaw was quite horrified at the realization that there was a chance that Shade would make an appearance on the long trip to Highstones, but she tried her best to shake it off. If she appeared nervous, she knew it would only increase any existing anxiety that the blue-eyed tom already felt. Pointing her ears in the direction of the camp exit. As soon as Birchpaw was behind her, she began the long trek towards Highstones. It wasn't long before the rushing sounds of the River filled the Medicine Cat Apprentice's ears, a beautiful sound that she felt she'd never get tired of. The current wasn't too bad, but that didn't make it any less dangerous for the pair. "It's not too rough today, so you should be okay. Just try to use the rocks, if you can." With that, the she-cat bounded across the rocks, making one large leap to the other side. Despite her lack of training in the warrior ways, the she-cat didn't lack the grace that most RiverClan cats were known for. She quickly turned around to watch Birchpaw make her way across, ready if she needed to leap into action.

Birchpaw nodded silently as he followed after the medicine cat apprentice, his eyes glimmering as they began the long journey. He couldn't help but occasionally send glances at shadows and noises, but they were usually just animals. Shade had gotten the best of everyone, even him. Flicking his tail dismissively, he picked up the pace, to where he was padding alongside the medicine cat. He waited as she crossed stepping stones, surprisingly with ease. He didn't expect a cat like her, one that he would describe as a hermit that stays inside all day, tending to herbs, to leap across with such grace and beauty. He was momentarily captivated by it, but shook it from his thoughts as his turn came next. 

The creme and black tom crouched, his body tense and legs poised for action. He leaped forward, claws scraping against the rock and allowing him to keep steady. He barely acknowledged the gurgle of the river as it lapped at the stone beneath his paws. He leaped again, and again, repeating what he had done before as he slowly made his way across. The fourth time wasn't as easy, though; his grip wasn't as strong and he began to slip off. Fear momentarily gripped at his heart as he scrambled to get back on, his eyes widening as the water made contact with his hind paws. 

Eventually, his legs sunk into the water as he clutched the rock with all his might, his ears pinning back as he stared at Fallowpaw helplessly. He struggled to climb back to the top, but his grip continued to falter, now that he was wet. The current wasn't as strong, but it would still be difficult to make his way across without being swept away. Swallowing his pride, he said, voice edged with growing panic, "I-I can't get back on...please help-"

It only took the swift Medicine Cat Apprentice a few seconds to reach Birchpaw's side when she saw his paws falter and slide at the jagged edge of the wet rocks, but it wasn't enough to keep him from slipping beneath the water's surface. She had several rocks to bound across before making it to Birchpaw, and she hoped he had the strength and endurance to hold on a bit longer while she quickly made her way across. When she finally made it to the rock the tom had slipped on, she made an improvised decision to grab him by the scruff, like an angry mother carrying her recently scolded kit. Water was splashing over her paws relentlessly from the ever-moving current, making it just that much harder for the small she-cat to pull the larger, bulkier apprentice from the water.

After a short struggle, she'd managed to drag him up onto the jagged stone that she now stood on. They were both in a dangerous position, with her standing over the now soaked tom, who was laying at her feet. The rock was only so big, and there was no way that either of them would be able to jump without pushing the other off in the process. While Birchpaw recovered his balance, the she-cat pondered her options. There was only one clear solution that she was nearly positive would work... And it involved her getting completely drenched. Of course, she'd be happy to do it... As long as it helped her Clanmate. She crouched down in front of Birchpaw, blue eyes making contact with the charming tom's. "I'm going to jump into the water. I want you to jump to the next rock, and the next, until you reach the shore. I'll swim right here beside you, in case you slip again, alright?" When the apprentice nodded, she jumped into the water, leaving little to no splash in the water when she hit. She looked up at Birchpaw, and signaled for him to move along.

Birchpaw was shaking, both from fear and his recent swim in the water, but he managed to understand what Fallowpaw had said. A part of him was concerned for her; he didn't want to be the cause of death for a clanmate. If it was his choice, he'd swim instead. "A-All right, but if you need any help at all, I'll be there," His eyes, unguarded and swirling with emotion, locked with hers. They continued to follow her as she leaped into the water with the same grace she had used before. It sent something weird to his stomach, but he said nothing of it, pushing it aside for later. Gulping, he jumped across, just nearly slipping off, but he managed to keep his balance. He eventually made it to the other side, and rushed to where Fallowpaw would be, so he could help her out as quickly as possible. Oddly enough, he didn't want anything to happen to her. He had newfound gratitude and respect for the medicine cat apprentice.

Fallowpaw made her way across the river with great ease, the water underneath her fur not bothering her in the slightest. She made sure that she was right next to Birchpaw as he hopped along, more for moral support as she knew the tom would be able to do it. She grinned when he eventually reached the other end. Her paws touched the bottom and she padded out of the water, tossing her thick ginger fur to free it of any water that might have been clinging to her pelt. "I knew you could do it!" Her genuine happiness for the tom showed through in her smile, even if his expression was... More sullen. Something else had caught her eye, though.

There was a cut on Birchpaw's shoulder, likely from the rocks. She doubted he'd even noticed it, what with the stress of the events passed, but her keen eyes had picked it out and it wasn't something she was ready to ignore. "Sit tight for a second, 'kay?" With that, she padded away to the closest tree she could find. Her blue eyes scanned over the roots, looking for a small nook that a spider might have spun her nest in. Eventually, her gaze fell over a small root that stuck out slightly from the ground. A large cobweb was spun between it and the trunk of the birch tree in front of her, and she quickly used her paw to scoop it up. With the small bundle between her maw, she padded back over to where Birchpaw stood. "This won't hurt." She pressed the cobweb into the new wound gently, staunching the flow of blood from the small cut. When she removed her paw, it remained fastened to his fur, which she was thankful for. Turning around, she faced the direction they'd be walking in next. "Do you need a moment to rest before we continue?"