Falconpaw's Moonstone Journey

Another morning, another journey- and they certainly wouldn't be getting any less mouse-brained. He had the traveling herbs memorized by heart now, methodically shuffling the pungent plant leaves into tiny bundles of bitterness, mirroring his thoughts toward the whole situation. With a sigh, Pricklepaw waited for the next apprentice he had to take out. Was this his life now? StarClan forced him into taking the position, bombarded him with big shows of power, and then confined him to miserable tasks like traveling back and forth endlessly with stupid apprentices younger than him? An "honor"... yeah, right, Leopardstar. When would Falconpaw show up?! He'd woken him up, like, five minutes ago.

Falconpaw bounded out of the apprentices' den, fur sleek and freshly cleaned. "Sorry, Pricklepaw. I was grooming. I'm ready to go now though!" She hopped around him, spirits high. Perhaps today I'll meet Beepaw again! She sniffed at the leaves. "Are those travelling herbs? They smell odd." The brown tabby molly wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Pricklepaw sighed in annoyance at the young she-cat's rambunctiousness. As a warrior apprentice, that might have amused him... but now it was just obnoxious. "That's just because you aren't used to them," he replied shortly, his tone clipped. "Just eat them, then we can leave." He swallowed his own bundle without comment, used to them by now. Their pungent flavors were nowhere near as bad as the constant bitterness in his throat from this position he was forced to hold.

(Sorry for delay!)

Falconpaw bent down obediently, eating the herbs. She gagged a few times, but managed to get them down. "Can we go now? I'm eager to talk to Be-I mean StarClan." She shifted her paws impatiently, beginning to pace.

Ooc: Yay Prickle is perfect

Falcon is incredibly annoying when happy

Pricklepaw nodded shortly, then turned around and began to walk away. "I hope you can hold in your eagerness for a little while- this journey takes some time." When he wasn't facing the she-cat, he rolled his eyes. Another rambunctious apprentice to deal with. With his luck, this journey would take extra long... or she'd run onto the Thunderpath and get him framed for murder. Either way, this was beginning to be insufferable.

Falconpaw ran after him, sometimes running ahead, sometimes tracing circles around him as he walked. "Why so grumpy? Everything's great! Lichenmask gone, the sun is back, AND you get a special position that most cats don't!" She laughed, batting at him with a paw. "The world is a great place!"

(Bump)

OOC: Aaaah, whoops! Try pming me next time please :)

IC: Pricklepaw's shoulders hunched at the apprentice's obvious enthusiasm, and he sighed in disgust. He was just ready for this to be over with, and it had barely begun. "StarClan finally solved a problem that they created," he muttered bitterly, glaring at nothing in particular. "And I wish anyone but me had this job... you seem like you'd be well suited for it, cheerful enough to listen to complaints all day and foolish enough to believe everything StarClan tells you. Why didn't those starry morons pick you instead of me?... They have a horrible sense of humor." His levels of annoyance were high as he followed the path he was used to through the territories, from ThunderClan to Fourtrees to WindClan.

Falconpaw bounced along, oblivious to the insults, as Pricklepaw spoke. "Well, ya know, I never really wanted to ever be a medicine cat 'cause I really liked your bro..." She paused for a moment, uncertainty creeping into her step. "I loved Beepaw." The lithe brown tabby muttered quickly. "And I could've sworn he loved me back. Sure, he might have been a bit cruel to others, but, to me, he was the sweetest, kindest tom ever. The day.. The day he drowned was the worst day of my life." She slowed, her tail sagging for a moment, before perking up again. "But I don't have to be sad anymore, 'cause I might get to talk to him, or at least find out where he is tonight!" The apprentice picked up her pace once again. "C'mon! I can't wait!"

Pricklepaw stopped abruptly at the mention of his dead brother, then started off walking again, shaking his head violently to clear the fog out of it. That was a whole rotten pile of crowfood best left buried. Even more angry with the she-cat now that she'd brought up Beepaw, the tom avoided talking to Falconpaw anymore and just kept pressing forward. The sooner this was over with... the happier he'd be.

**TIME SKIP**

The spiky-furred tom sighed with relief when they finally made it to the Moonstone, looking with a flat lack of wonder at the tall, sparkling crystal. He'd seen it so many times before that it failed to evoke any reaction from him, except annoyance at StarClan. But that was an almost constant emotion now... annoyance. At their "benevolent" ancestors. Remembering where he was, Pricklepaw heaved a sigh again then spoke. "Touch your nose to the stone and StarClan will speak to you. Then when you wake up, we'll go back."

With an excited hop in her step, Falconpaw practically crashed into the Moonstone, and fell quickly asleep.

When the lithe brown tabby opened her eyes, she was in a starlit forest. A grey she-cat approached her, and she rushed towards her, paws beating quickly against the ground. "Is Beepaw among you?" The first question flew to her head, and, as she waited for an answer, she realized there were probably a slew of other things she should have said first. Dipping her head, she continued more slowly. Beepaw's status would be revealed in due time, hopefully. "Ah, I'm sorry. My name is Falconpaw. Who are you?"

A small statured, grey tabby appeared before Falconpaw. She didn't hesitate in revealing herself. Some of the Starclan cats were far too dramatic upon their grand entrances before the forest youth. Wolffang couldn't have cared less. In her final days below, the she-cat had grown drastically in wisdom and experience as she finally found peace. But her sharp, no-nonsense attitude had not faded underneath a luscious and star-studded coat. The former Shadowclan cat's coat was covered with the many scars that marred her fur, which too dazzled with the light of the warrior ancestors. Her yellow eyes were narrowed as she stared down the bridge of her nose at the apprentice. When she spoke, the first question that left her maw almost demanded a snort. But Wolffang managed to hold it in. What a delusional kit.

Had she ever been such fool with her mates? There was no way. Her mind had never been filled with the down of the usual love-struck kits. After a stretched silence, her ear flicked, "Falconpaw, hm? My name is Wolffang. Born Shadowclan." The words were clipped and short. Wolffang wouldn't show this Thunderclanner the soft time most of them expected. Falconpaw was here to learn something and she would get that, "Beepaw, you say? Do you think Starclan are fools enough to let in a tom like him?" This time the twitch of her whiskers wasn't suppressed. She laughed aloud. This would certainly be an interesting meeting. Perhaps as interesting as her one with the Windclan warrior. It constantly appalled the former warrior but here she was. Apprentices were amusing to say the least.

"Do you think Starclan are fools enough to let in a tom like him?" FOOLS? Falconpaw stood for a moment, utterly confused. When she spoke, she did so hesitantly at first. "You mean.. Beepaw is not in StarClan?" She felt her muzzle begin to curl. It probably wasn't appropriate to yell at a StarClan cat, but how could Beepaw not be in StarClan? He was the sweetest, friendliest, most humorous tom she had ever known! Albeit he could be a bit rude to others at times.. but.. Her voice sounded again, this time heavier, with a slight angry note, as she stared the she-cat in the eye, caution forgotten. "Beepaw is not in STARCLAN?" Yowling the last word, she checked herself and turned for a moment swiping the grass and tearing out a pawful with her claws. The love of her life.. Stuck in the Mist or Dark Forest somewhere... How could she bear it? Spitting at the ground and taking a breath, she slowly turned towards the StarClan cat. Her gaze softened and she dropped it, the wave of shock and anger passed. Was.. Was he really that bad?" She mewed, her voice soft and quiet.