Finchpaw's Moonstone Journey

It was early in the afternoon and the deputy was yet again getting ready to take an apprentice to the Moonstone. Lucky Finchpaw would be speaking with Starclan this time. The tom had a bundle of traveling herbs by his paws. Swiftstep had already consumed his as he waited for the young tom to arrive. He had called him a few moments ago so the younger cat should be heading his way now. Swiftstep was eager to begin heading out.

The cold wind of leaf-fall cut through Finchpaw's pelt as he made his way over to the deputy. The apprentice had been thrilled after receiving the news of a moonstone journey. It was a thought that had simmered in his mind for the past moon, and now he was finally able to go.
Speaking with Starclan...
Finchpaw had never found his warrior ancestors to be a significant part of his life. Of course, he fully believed in their existence, and understood why his other clanmates viewed them with such reverence. But the orange tabby liked his independence, and didn't want to rely on star-cats to guide his paws.
But even through all of this, Finchpaw was still very curious to press his nose against the stone he had heard so many stories about, and to speak with a Starclan warrior himself. He wondered what stories they had to tell. Tales of romance and pride, hate and anger, forgiveness and joy. The thought excited him, the fact that even cats from long ago lived a life of wonder. Exhilarating...

Finchpaw mewed a greeting to Swiftstep as he neared the brown warrior. He remembered first meeting the deputy when he was just a kit, small and ignorant. The tom stifled a laugh, thinking of the gorse that clung to his tabby pelt when Swiftstep came along. Finchpaw, or back then Finchkit, knew nothing of the cat, and was unfazed by him. But now, he knew the significance of the position the warrior held, and the skill required to do it. A respect for the deputy had found its way into Finchpaw's heart during his moons as an apprentice, and standing next to Swiftstep now, matching his height, gave Finchpaw a funny feeling. I have gotten taller, haven't I? The apprentice thought to himself, wincing as he gulped down the traveling herbs. It was symbolic almost, his growth. Finchpaw felt that it made everything more... obtainable. He felt more capable and more mature, like the whole moor was at his paws. And even speaking to the deputy now was easy. It seemed that nothing could faze him, the apprentice was excited for everything, and the thought heightened his excitement for the moonstone journey even more. What adventures does Starclan hold?

"I'm ready." Finchpaw mewed, licking his lips after finishing off the rest of the herbs. He kneaded at the soil with antsy paws, casting urgent glances toward the moor.

With a quick nod and his signature grin, the tom began to lead Finchpaw out of the camp. The duo were now heading off to the Moonstone!
~Time Skip~

The deputy and apprentice pair had finally made it to their destination as Silverpelt was adorning the heavens above them. Swiftstep, as they were treading, pointed out fascinating facts about each of the key landmarks as they passed them. The deputy really hoped Finchpaw would soak all of this information in. The quick sprint across the dangerous Thunderpath gave them both the much needed energy so they could continue walking up to the tunnel entrance.

Swiftstep looked back before stepping into the dark tunnel. "Stay close to me. I don't want you tripping and getting hurt in the dark." he instructed as they began to enter. Soon the two toms reached a cavern where the glowing Moonstone was located, glowing magnificently. "Touch your nose to the Moonstone Finchpaw and a Starclan cat will speak with you." the tom said as he made himself comfortable by the cavern exit.

Finchpaw's pads were sore by the time the two cats reached Highstones. Walking across the moor had been the easy part. The orange and white tabby was well used to the rolling hills that made up Windclan territory. Blood roared through his ears when he followed Swiftstep over the Thunderpath, running as fast as his paws could carry him. It was a different experience from when Ryecloud first showed him the path, black and beaten in the sun.
But now, as the two stood in front of the looming rocks, Finchpaw felt nothing but exhilaration. The peaks of Highstones cut through the sunset like fierce claws, a sight that fueled his soul and gave him energy. The red splash of the horizon turned Finchpaw's tabby pelt a flaming gold. As the apprentice and deputy neared the mountain, he noticed the subtle crack in its surface, dark and looming. That must be where the moonstone is... Finchpaw told himself, feeling a shiver slide down his spine.

It was ice cold when they entered the cave, colder than the wind that ran through the moors. Finchpaw stayed near Swiftstep as he traversed the tunnel, his tail occasionally brushing against the apprentice's whiskers. Time turned to liquid as they walked. Are we going fast? Slow? Will we miss the stone? Or are we early?

The orange tabby gasped when the moon lit the stone before him. A strong beacon of light, like nothing he had ever seen before. The very sight of it brought more wonder to the apprentice then when the sun came back into the sky. I have to tell Brookpaw about this... Finchpaw thought, subconsciously walking toward the strange artifact of Starclan. Swiftstep's words only echoed through his ears when Finchpaw sat down before the moonstone, yellow eyes wide with wonder. Any doubts he had about the importance of Starclan were now washed away and replaced with a hard curiosity, one stronger than anything he had ever felt before. Tail trembling, Finchpaw took a deep breath, and pressed his nose against the stone, eyes squeezed shut and claws digging into the earth.

"Finchpaw."

A tall, peculiar-looking tom stood before the orange tabby apprentice, his thick tail brushing the tall grass that surrounded the pair. Welcome to Starclan."
Although the Starclanner looked threatening at first, his bedraggled appearance suited him well. He had thick white fur that had been haphazardly groomed. The tom's ears were almost comically large, and both were nearly crimson in color. Several large patches on his back were similar shades of red, and his thick, bottlebrush tail was ginger and ringed. When he moved, his pelt shimmered slightly. The warrior was nearly iridescent in the starlight, although that was barely noticeable, especially when there were many other peculiar things about the tom. One of his large, clear eyes was a deep olive shade, and the other was pale blue. He had the build of an apprentice, but somehow he seemed much, much older. His voice was both old and young, wise and light. He seemed relaxed, nonchalant in both his mannerisms and his way of speaking.
"What do you think of the place? This is only one area of it- I've forgotten what it's called though... Ah, well... it's not like that matters anyway." He shot the ginger apprentice a lopsided grin, sitting down lightly.
"Now, Finchpaw, before we begin, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

It was a new feeling, one foreign to Finchpaw, pulling against everything he held true. Usually, the orange and white tabby would be eager to explore, but seeing the Starclan cat in front of him rooted the apprentice to the spot. The ginger-and-white cat was impossible to ignore, and that's what bothered Finchpaw.
He had half-hoped that "Starclan" would be just a dream, just a fable that queens told kits. Maybe it was because Finchpaw liked his independence so much. I don't need the stars to guide my paws... Or maybe it was because he didn't want to acknowledge the existence of a stronger force, but seeing the starry warrior before him, the apprentice felt compelled to respect him. The moonstone had fulfilled his curiosities in ways Finchpaw couldn't've possibly imagined. The starry grasses, the surreal feeling... Perhaps these all-powerful ancestors weren't so bad after all.

"I'm Finchp-" The apprentice stopped himself. He already knows my name... Every new realization caused the orange tabby's heart to beat faster. "Well, you already know my name." The apprentice let out a breathy chuckle, the only thing he could muster. "I'm an apprentice of Windclan, although I hope they'll make me a warrior soon. I... Sometimes feel limited. Like Windclan is too small for me..." Finchpaw winced. He was preaching his life story to this starry cat. But there was something about the warrior that made it...easy. "I don't want to leave Windclan though...no. There's cats here that need me. I'm quite fond of them... Ryecloud, Barleytuft… And Brookpaw. I'd never leave her. She's special..." Finchpaw trailed off. It was so unlike him. His ears were hot with embarrassment, but still, he managed to meet eyes with the ginger-and-white cat. Hoping for advice maybe, or something to relate to.

Gingerheart flicked his bushy tail, nodding as Finchpaw spoke. "I used to feel that way too." His voice was softer now, his expression serious. "My mentor, Pantherlily, passed away shortly after I became an apprentice. I had no parents, no siblings, no family to speak of. Nothing tied me to Windclan except the fact that I was living there, and there was so much that I wanted to see... I grew up hearing stories of great adventures, heroic battles, feats of strength and bravery. Being a hero seemed much more desirable than having a family- besides, why would I miss something that I'd never really experienced? I felt limited, stuck with something that I couldn't even relate to.
So, late one night, I woke up, grabbed a piece of fresh-kill, and left."

The tom shook his head slowly, his peculiar gaze moving slowly towards the earth beneath his white paws. "At first, I loved it. The open air, seeing something new every day, the starry sky stretched out above me. It was endless and exciting, but after a while..." He trailed off, lost in thought. I met her. After a moment of silence, he glanced back up at Finchpaw, grinning casually. "I guess I didn't realize just how good I had it in Windclan until I left it all behind."

Gingerheart stood, beckoning to the apprentice. "These fields are nearly endless. Walk with me."

---

As the pair wove their way through the tall grass, Gingerheart spoke again. "You have potential, Finchpaw. You're strong, young... you've got your whole life ahead of you. I think you should focus on training, on becoming the best version of you that you could be. After that... who knows? You might find yourself holding the power of the stars in your paws."
The two cats came to a path, worn by thousands of pawprints over time. "I'm not saying that you need to be ordinary, or even stay in Windclan. I just think that, whatever you end up doing, you should put all your effort into doing it the best you can. You have the power to be extraordinary."
Gingerheart flashed another lopsided grin.

"I'm just saying that, at the end of the day, you can choose to follow the same path that everyone else has. It doesn't matter, because we're all going to end up at the same place. In my opinion, it's what you do on your journey, how you decide to act, and what you end up using your potential for that really matters."