Wasppaw's Moonstone Journey II

The day had come for Wasppaw's Moonstone Journey. Scorchclaw had notified his apprentice ahead of time, and all that remained now was to pick up the herb bundles and seek her out. Crossing the clearing, the RiverClan deputy came to a stop before the Medicine Den. He hesitated for a second, before he stepped in. The interior of the Medicine Den was just as it always was―cool, dimly-lit, and smelling strongly of herbs. With a soft mew, he alerted Mistlepaw to his presence. Having done so, he allowed his gaze to drift toward the many empty nests. They had been fortunate thus far; few RiverClan cats were in need of medicinal care. Still―he noted, as his gaze darkened slightly, the place seemed too large for a single medicine cat apprentice. Fallowlight's death had struck the clan an unexpected blow. The only bright aspect about the situation was that StarClan had had the sense to wait until she had appointed a successor.

It seemed like just yesterday that Wasppaw's apprentice ceremony had concluded. Scorchclaw could still see that moment when he closed his eyes. She had been a spunky little thing, barely out of the Nursery. No other apprentice had ever given him so much trouble, not even Blackpaw or Otterpaw. Neither of those two had publicly insulted a clan leader, after all. He almost regretted having chosen to mentor her―almost. He did not. As much as he had taught her, she had also given him some important lessons to remember.

Surely time flew a little too quickly... Now that Wasppaw was about to undertake her Moonstone Journey, she would be a warrior soon. In contrast to what others might have expected, the thought caused Scorchclaw to feel strangely lost. Of course he was proud of her for having made it this far. As strict as he could be, he would give praise where it was due. But his apprentice had changed. The she-cat he was going to face today was no longer the innocent, carefree tortoiseshell he had met those moons ago. Tragedy had taken its toll on her; she understood the meaning of loss now.

Scorchclaw swallowed his herbs in one gulp. As usual, they left a bitter aftertaste on his tongue, one he did not pause to savor. He had gone through this procedure enough times now; he knew what to do, and his mind had already moved on to his next objective. Swallowing once in a futile effort to rid himself of the horrid taste, he picked up the other herb bundle and left the Medicine Den. As he padded through the exit, he waved a swift goodbye to Mistlepaw with his tail.

"Wasppaw!" Scorchclaw called, his voice muffled through the herb package. His green gaze had already settled on the small she-cat. He would know her bicolour pelt anywhere; she was far from the only tortoiseshell he had ever known, yet the pattern in her fur stood out to him somehow. He set the herb package gingerly on the ground and took a seat, knowing she had heard him. "It is time." He declared, once she had approached. "Try not to leave even a scrap of the herbs behind. You need every bit for the journey we have ahead. As I am sure you have heard, they do not taste particularly delectable. Please bear with it."

Few things ever remained the same with the passing of time. Life was uncertain, in that manner; one only closed his eyes to that uncertainty most of the time. Wasppaw had merely grown up. She had tasted the harshness of reality, worse than any kind of herb in existence―just as he had. It was that simple. Yet that simplicity was something Scorchclaw struggled to accept. "Why does it have to be this way?" Such questions were better off unasked. The answers were seldom satisfactory, after all. Even so, the large tabby was stubborn. He had been unable to protect her from that bitterness, and a part of himself loathed his own inability.

One did not have to be as observant as Scorchclaw was to notice the change that had come over Wasppaw. Her former cheer had faded. She seemed prickly and sullen, almost as if there was an enemy she was facing within their very own camp. When she looked to her clanmates, mild hostility flickered within her gaze. Her body language told of defensiveness. The RiverClan deputy believed he knew the reason for her change, but he had not known what to say to her about it. "I am sorry for your loss. Get over it." He would have clawed any cat who dared to say such insensitive words. It probably had not helped, either, that he had been so busy recently the two had not spent much time together. With that thought, his worrying about her seemed almost hypocritical. They desperately needed to talk; he knew that much. They would have that chance today...

Wasppaw promptly spat the contents of the herb package all over the ground.

Scorchclaw twitched one non-existent eyebrow. "Wasppaw...!" He snarled in exasperation. His anger mounted swiftly. RiverClan territory still bore many scars from the flood. Cats had spent an untold number of hours diligently combing the wet plains for those herbs, and his apprentice had practically wasted them all now. Did she even know what she had just done? For a brief second, he was tempted to raise his voice. But then he took another look at Wasppaw, and his anger slowly fizzled away. The herbs could still be salvaged. Most importantly, his intention was not to clash with the apprentice. He sighed roughly. "Did I not warn you about their taste? Travelling herbs are low in supply; I cannot have you waste them like this." Lowering his head, he began to pick up the various herbs that lay scattered on the sand. He did his best to shake the sand grains off each, before he put the plants back in a clumsy pile. He tasted grit on his tongue and grimaced lightly―not exactly a pleasant sensation. "Eat, Wasppaw." He growled firmly, pointing with the tip of his feathery tail. "You will not be allowed on this Moonstone Journey otherwise. You will not have the strength."

Scorchclaw stared after Wasppaw's retreating profile, disbelief bubbling within him. He considered retorting for a brief moment, but he ended up settling for silence. It was not as if she was even around to hear him. His maw twisted in a grimace. The journey had barely even begun, and his patience was already being tested. He could tell that it would be tested many, many more times before this journey finally drew to a close. Heaving another sigh, he got to his paws. This trouble was just another one that he had taken on when he had assigned her as his apprentice. She was his responsibility, and he would bear it... well, as best as he could.

With his long legs, it did not take long for Scorchclaw to catch up with the little tortoiseshell. "You need to stay close to me, Wasppaw." He growled, as soon as he had reached her side. "We have a long journey ahead of us, and neither of us want you to get lost. Have you already thought of what you want to ask StarClan?"

"....."

Once again, Wasppaw stormed off, leaving him behind.

"Wonderful." Scorchclaw muttered under his breath. Had he made a mistake? He had just determined not to aggravate Wasppaw, too. What had he said wrong? Perhaps it was a mistake to have spoken so callously. After all, his words could be taken in that manner, could they not? While the apprentice's grief was as raw as a fresh wound, he seemed unaffected, carrying out business as usual. If that was how it had looked to Wasppaw, he understood part of why she was upset. Unless something was done about that wound, it would be too much for her to even answer such mundane questions. The pain had caused her to lash out. Unfortunately, he had already come to the realization that there was little he could do to heal his apprentice.

Speaking had never truly been Scorchclaw's strong point... He could manage in formal settings, but when it came to a personal level, the large tabby often found himself struggling. It was clear that Wasppaw did not want him to pry; thus, he had avoided asking any direct questions. But it seemed behaving as he usually did was doing no good either. What was he to do? What was he to say? The comfort a grieving cat needed was not something he knew how to provide. After all, if he had known, Flurryshine would not have rotted away alongside Dewshine's and Gingerstripe's corpses. He gritted his teeth now, his features contorting briefly into an expression of utmost frustration and helplessness.

Scorchclaw had to lengthen his strides to catch up with Wasppaw. By now, they were approaching the edge of RiverClan territory. Because Wasppaw had taken the lead, however, the two of them did not end up taking the usual path to the river. Instead, the Gorge loomed ahead. At this portion of the territory, the reeds and streams of the wetlands died away, transitioning to rough gravel and patches of heather. The distant roaring of water reached up from far below. Just across the great rift was WindClan territory. "Wasppaw." Scorchclaw called for his apprentice as he came to a stop. "We take a turn here. We will cross at the stepping stones down river."

The cat that greeted Wasppaw was instantly recognizable, even if she looked far younger than Wasppaw would remember her being. Yes, so it was that Wasppaw stood face to face with her mother.

For her part, Swanpetal had spoken to several living cats since her death. While some StarClan cats didn't bother paying too much attention, she made a point of keeping a close eye on the happenings of the Clans - in particular, the Clans and cats she was close to. Tonight, though, was more than that.

Wasppaw. Her daughter. So many things were left unsaid between them.

She stood with uncharacteristic calm patience, waiting. Intending to let her daughter say her piece before she spoke at all.

Suddenly, Swanpetal felt a pang of sympathy for her own mother when she had made the journey to the Moonstone. She'd spent nearly the entire time shouting at her mother, resenting her for things over which she had no control.

Still, she stood quietly, letting Wasppaw's words wash over her. Why was she here, indeed...

There was a reason, as for most things, but it wasn't one she thought Wasppaw was ready to hear just yet.

Something about being addressed by her name, while it hurt just a little, also brought a small smile to her face.

"Why are you here, if it upsets you so much?" she asked instead of explaining.