Ravenpaw's Moonstone Journey

Things were going back to normal. Well, as normal as they could be. The brown tom was back as the deputy and all forest life was picking up. The flood had really impacted everyone's lives. Swiftstep had arrived back to camp exhausted and injured. Emotional heartbreak was also in the mix. His mother, his sweet mother, had heroically died during the battle of the dogs and Sharptooth. He hadn't felt this drained for so long. He took two days off, regaining his energy and strength. The tom was up on his paws at the break of dawn on the third day. He felt that his mother, kits, and mates would've not wanted him to continue on moping for them. During his two days of rest, he made sure he healed as best as he could, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He was the deputy for Starclan's sake! His clan needed him! He wasn't going to let them down.

"Ravenpaw! Time for us to head out!" called Swiftstep from the camp's entrance. Today, he was to take young Ravenpaw to the Moonstone so he may speak with the starry cats above. Next to his paws lay a neat bundle of traveling herbs, prepared by Briarpaw. Swiftstep had already consumed his. These were for the apprentice. The deputy looked up at the sky, face relaxed and mind buzzing with thoughts. He remembered his Moonstone trip as an apprentice. He had been ecstatic! The brown tom chuckled at the memories as he waited for the apprentice to make his appearance.

Everyone had lost something to the flood and the events that had followed. For some, it was a loved one; others, their physical health; even the cats who hadn’t been directly harmed were affected. No single cat’s suffering was more important than another’s, and yet—two days wasn’t nearly enough for Ravenpaw to recover from the blow he’d been dealt. He had Brookclover (how long had she known), but she was his mentor more than anything. How much could he confide in her about something like this? So he’d kept his mouth shut and, for the first time since his days on the shore, put his strength toward his Clanmates instead of his constant wanderings. Helping meant keeping his paws busy, which meant keeping his mind busy, which was worth it even when it involved work.

Ravenpaw’s eyes were only somewhat bleary as he made his way to Swiftstep, squinting past him at the brightening sky. He might not have been as enthusiastic for this journey as he would have been a moon prior, but he wasn't about to miss out on his first intentional trip outside the moor. If he had anything to lean on, it was his ability to find a bright spot. Today's was that, StarClan willing, there wouldn't be any dogs on this trip. ”Present and accounted for,” he said, cracking a slight grin. Then his gaze fell on the bundle. Were those...plants? ”What’re those for?”

Swiftstep was torn from his thoughts by Ravenpaw's voice. The deputy let out a small snort and flashed a small grin of his own as he faced the apprentice. He then proceeded to push the bundle in Ravenpaw's direction before beginning to answer his question. This question was not foreign to him. He used to hear it a lot when he used to take apprentices on Moonstone trips quite a few moons ago.

"These here are traveling herbs. They're bitter tasting plants that'll keep your strength up and hunger down. Without 'em, we'd be absolutely exhausted and starving by the time we arrive at Mothermouth. I ate mine not too long ago, in case you were wondering." The tom's voice held a small playful tone. He enjoyed these types of interactions. He was allowed to stray away from his usual serious demeanor.

The bundle of herbs slid toward him, drawing his curious gaze. He knew every apprentice had to make a trip to the nearer mountains (though he personally thought his trek from the lake to the forest was enough journeying for a lifetime), but this hadn’t been part of the conversations he’d overheard. Then again, he wasn’t much for eavesdropping. Ravenpaw looked from the herbs to the deputy to the herbs, then shrugged. ”Well, they can’t be that bad.”

Moments after he started chewing, his smile morphed into a startled sort of grimace as he discovered Swiftstep had been telling the truth. Still, he ate the rest of the herbs without complaint. He knew how it felt to make a long trip on an empty stomach too well to be stubborn about gross plants. Once he’d finished the last of the bundle, the apprentice shook out his fur as if he could shake the bitter taste out of his mouth. ”Maybe you had a point,” he meowed, wrinkling his nose. ”I don’t have to eat anything else before we go, right?” Honestly, part of him was glad, if not exactly excited, to be away from WindClan lands for a while; though he could only guess how much walking waited in his near future, the idea made his paws restless.

Swiftstep softly chuckled at the apprentice's sudden change in expression. He had warned him. However, he didn't blame him for taking the caution lightly. How bad could the taste of a bunch of plants be? Apparently quite bad. Swiftstep certainly didn't like it. He was glad that they only had to eat it once before a Moonstone trip.

"Thankfully not. This is the only thing we need to eat." The deputy got up from his sitting position and proceeded to walk out of the camp. He looked behind him as he did, giving the apprentice a pleasant grin before fully stepping into the territory. He had mixed feelings about returning back to the Moonstone but he was willing to put everything aside to make this trip as comfortable as he could.

The pair was halfway across the territory by early noon. This meant that they'd arrive at their destination a little before Silverpelt fully took over the sky. This seemed to be his fastest Moonstone trip ever and to be honest, he was quite proud.

"Are you excited for warrior-hood?" the brown tom asked. He decided he should break the silence. Most apprentices liked talking about that topic. The deputy wasn't sure how enthusiastic Ravenpaw was about earning his full name so he decided to ask. Swiftstep was a bit curious about the younger tom's thoughts and feelings.

To Ravenpaw’s surprise, the herbs served their purpose. Though it felt as if he’d been walking for an eternity and the sun now shone down on them unobstructed, his stomach had yet to start complaining. Enough time had passed since eating the them that he decided they weren’t too bad after all. They would’ve been handy back by the lake. Lost in the low, steady sounds of wind and soft pawsteps, thoughts of what waited ahead, and some residual sleepiness, he had sunk into a daze as he padded along beside WindClan’s deputy. Swiftstep’s voice gently pulled him out of it.

”Are you excited for warriorhood?”

Ravenpaw opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. ”I dunno.” On its own, that wasn’t much of an answer; he thought for another moment, then elaborated. ”I’m excited to get to…do what I want, I think, and see the moor whenever I feel like it. And I want to know what my name’s gonna be." That question had been lurking in his head since his nursery days. While other kits squabbled over who got to play -star for a day, he was attaching different suffixes to his own name in search of the best-sounding one, the one that would follow him for the rest of his life. "The rest of it, though…” Again, the apprentice hesitated. Names aside, warriorhood had seemed so far away he’d never bothered thinking about it; he was saying whatever came to mind, whatever seemed to click. ”It just seems like a lot of work. Serious work.” He gave his tail a flick for emphasis, looking aside at Swiftstep. "Being deputy's a lot of serious work too, isn't it?"

"It definitely is a lot of work for all but don't let it discourage you Ravenpaw. Everything pays off. I'm sure you'll be a fantastic warrior the clan will be proud of." Swiftstep said with a slight warm tone in his voice. Before he could continue to speak, he noticed that they were both right in front of the Thunderpath. Swiftsep had subconsciously stopped them before they would unknowingly step on it. After looking down both ways of the Thunderpath, he turned to address the apprentice, "Alright, Ravenpaw, when I tell you to run, run as fast as you can to the other side. I'll be right behind you."

The two watched as a large monster rushed past them followed by a slightly smaller one. Once they both passed, it was deemed safe to cross. "Run Ravenpaw!" urged the brown tom. Once Ravenpaw began rushing to the other side, Swiftstep started to follow a a few steps behind. He was glad when they both made it across safely. He gave the younger tom a small grin before leading the way to Mothermouth. The opening wasn't too much farther and once they got there, they'd have a bit of spare time to waste.

The pair arrived at Mothermouth not long after leaving the Thunderpath behind. As Swiftstep had suspected, they had a bit before they would have to go inside. This seemed like a good time to converse a bit more.

"What do you do in your spare time?" The deputy was curious about what the youngsters do these days to pass the time. He had spent his youth racing against his den-mates and making as well as breaking records. When he was alone, he'd practice any battle or hunting techniques that had been taught to him. If possible, he'd try to make his own moves. He also enjoyed to relax while lazing in the territory.

If the lake’s mud had stunk, it was nothing compared to the stench wafting from the smooth, dark path before them—and that was nothing compared to what came from the monsters that thundered down it. It really put the taste of those herbs into perspective. Mentally storing Swiftstep’s words (mostly the last part) away to consider later, Ravenpaw stepped back as the first monster rushed by; even so, he could feel the earth tremble beneath his paws. No wonder this was called the Thunderpath…

For once, Ravenpaw had no questions. Those monsters were bigger and faster than the dogs had been; he wasn’t taking any chances. When Swiftstep gave the command, he ran—the blacktop was smooth and warm beneath his paws—he was on the other side, blood pumping loudly in his ears. Blinking dazedly, he turned to watch Swiftstep finish his own crossing. The smile he gave in return was a little shaky, but as they resumed the journey, it wasn’t long before his heart settled.

---

Ravenpaw couldn’t explain why, but something inside him was insistent they were nearing the end of their walk. Maybe it was the arc of stone looming before them. Slowing to a halt, he marveled at the cave’s opening. It wasn’t often he felt small, but he certainly did as he leaned forward to peer into the darkness.

His ears twitched at Swiftstep’s question. Confessing how he spent most of his time so soon after what Swiftstep had told him felt wrong, somehow. With a playful grin, Ravenpaw meowed, ”Oh, you know—fight hawks, catch rabbits.” Truthfully, he had yet to do either of those things; for the former, the opportunity hadn’t arisen; for the latter, well, he was trying to save that for his outing with Murkpaw. ”Really, though, I just…check out the territory. Outlook Rock, mostly. It’s a lot bigger than the lake, and I didn’t get to see any of it before.” That was a decent way to phrase it, he decided. It beat "slacking off," anyway. ”So, uh…where are we?”

Swiftstep listened intently at Ravenpaw's answer. Both of them did very similar things to pass the time. He couldn't help but smile a little.

"We're right in front of Mothermouth, the entrance to a tunnel that leads to the Moonstone's cavern." The deputy responded to the question followed after the youngster spoke of his recreational occupations. He then looked up at the sky when he remembered to check what time it was and how much was left for them to wait. Luckily for them, Silverpelt was now adorning above but the moon was just beginning to gain it's stronger glow. It was time to head inside.

"Alright, it's time to head in. Follow close behind me as we go down the tunnel. It gets quite dark and I don't want you to hurt yourself." The deputy began his descend after supplying those instructions.

Both of them had made it into the cavern just when the stone started to glow brightly. It was as bright as the moon hence its name. The tom sat down by the entrance and nodded to Ravenpaw. "Touch your nose to the Moonstone and a Starclan cat will speak with you. I will be right here when you awaken so inform me when you are done." The brown tom-cat gave the apprentice a reassuring smile as he waited for the younger to proceed.

Stifling his relief before it could show on his face (Swiftstep didn’t seem to be judging him, thank the stars), Ravenpaw looked upward when Swiftstep did. Above him stood the same old sky, same old Silverpelt. Still, Swiftstep started moving again, stepping forward into Mothermouth, and Ravenpaw followed before he could be left behind. The dark had never bothered him—his pelt made him well-suited to it—but tunnels were another matter. He kept his mouth shut as he padded on, putting his mind firmly on what waited ahead, never straying more than a tail-length behind Swiftstep.

When they came to the Moonstone itself, the small apprentice stumbled over his paws. He’d been expecting a rock; this looked more like a piece of the moon itself had fallen. Maybe that was why they’d waited to enter until sundown...unless it always glowed? He would ask Swiftstep when he woke up. Taking a deep, slightly shaky breath, he lay near the stone and felt the chill against his nose…

---

Ravenpaw had never denied StarClan’s existence. How could he, when he was WindClan by birth, blood, and heart; when he slept what felt like mere tree-lengths below Silverpelt every night? StarClan was one of the more stubborn cornerstones of Clan life, had the final word on more issues than Ravenpaw was comfortable with, and was hopelessly out-of-date with the world as it was—but it was also real, for better or for worse. Still, when Ravenpaw opened his eyes, his breath caught in his throat. It was as if he’d tripped and fallen into Silverpelt itself. The grass, the trees, everything glowed faintly with the pale light of stars.

So, too, did the gray she-cat before him.

The dark gray cat that stood before Ravenpaw indeed did shimmer like the stars all around them. Her voice was kind as she greeted him with a soft green gaze. "Hello, small apprentice. My name is Lilacfall. Do you know what brought me here to speak with you, Ravenpaw?"

Soft as it was, the light, combined with Lilacfall’s voice, was overwhelming; Ravenpaw maintained his stunned silence for a moment longer, yellow gaze shifting about the clearing. As curious as he’d been about the Moonstone in general, he’d never thought about what he’d do when he got there. And now…here he was. What did one say to a StarClan cat? Was it like a ceremony, with a set of words everyone seemed to know?

Ravenpaw stopped that worry before it could start. Since when had he paid attention to things like that? If he could speak to Finchstar as a friend, he could certainly do something similar here. ”Swiftstep did." His smile was more than a little hesitant, and it faded between phrases. "Actually, I...I don't know.”

Though she didn't laugh, Lilacfall did offer a small smile and a slight twitch of her whiskers at Ravenpaw's joke. "It's alright to not know things, dear. You're just an apprentice; learning is what you're supposed to be doing. There is no one way to do anything, and this experience is no exception. We're here to advise, to teach, to guide you in what seems to be the right direction... Any number of things. Every cat needs different guidance."

She gave the apprentice a few moments to let her words sink in before finishing her thoughts. "Despite all that... I did want to speak to you for a reason, Ravenpaw."

The few impressions Ravenpaw had gotten of StarClan had led him to believe they knew everything, or pretended to know everything. It was somehow reassuring to know this StarClanner didn’t hold him to the same standard. At least she’d sort of appreciated his joke. He listened quietly to Lilacfall’s words, ears twitching.

Her next statement caught him by surprise: Lilacfall was meeting him for a reason. He hadn’t been a particularly reliable apprentice until the last two days (and, privately, planned on resuming his exploring once he found his energy again), but he was a fast learner. That combined with Brookclover’s thorough training covered for his lack of practice. Any apprentice who’d held their own against a dog (with plenty of help, sure) couldn’t be too far off the mark, right? Ravenpaw mentally checked “scolding” off the list of possibilities. What else could there be?

Well. He could think of one reason. It was just as quickly discarded, with mingled hurt and relief. If his parents had thought of something worth telling him, they would have met him themselves. Drawing himself up to his full height, the apprentice met Lilacfall’s eyes; there was nothing unsure about his smile now. ”Well, I'm ready when you are.”

"Ravenpaw..." Lilacfall said softly, trying to make her words as gentle as she could. "Rules are more than just guidelines. They are the very structure our way of life as Clan cats is based on. The warrior code is there to be followed, and every rule in it is there for a reason; something happened that made the cats that came before us realize it was important. There are individual exceptions, but overall they're rather rare... You'll learn with time, I'm sure, that you can't just choose the ones you like and ignore the rest."

Her voice grew softer still as she added, "We all make mistakes, Ravenpaw. What's important is that we learn from them."