Dacepaw's Moonstone Journey

Dacepaw made a soft hum of approval to hear that Houndheart didn't seem to like the top of the Great Rock much, aside from having gotten hurt on the way down. She was glad to know that he agreed with her, and at her prompting Mossbloom revealed that she suspected she wouldn't like it much, either. All for the same reason: it was too far away. They desired to be closer to others. Dacepaw was delighted to love, and be loved, by these like-minded cats and to be surrounded by them. Some days it made her miss her mother, and her father, and her aunts and uncles and kin and Clanmates in RiverClan, but many of their memories had begun to fade, becoming more transparent than the fresh memories of ThunderClan.

Mossbloom suggested that Dacepaw ask the leaders what they each felt about being on the Great Rock, and the tortoiseshell apprentice tilted her head thoughtfully at Mossbloom's words. Thornstar would tell me, for sure, and so would Oakstar! But... I don't know about pawpaw. The medicine cat spoke again, and Dacepaw looked back alertly. She nodded. "Alright! Thank you for letting me look around, Mossbloom; I hope I get to see Fourtrees like this again some time soon." Her shining green-hazel eyes skimmed over the clearing once more, taking it in with a peaceful sigh. At last, she turned, quickly prancing with her tail high to join Mossbloom's side again.

The moor was rather unremarkable, as were the forested marshes that eventually led to ShadowClan's camp. Dacepaw wondered what her mother thought of the grassy flatlands, but eventually her thoughts were distracted by the effort of following Mossbloom's path through the growing darkness towards Highstones. She was feeling a bit tired, though she was surprised by how little appetite she still had and how her paws kept going with only a little effort. The herbs must have done everything they were supposed to. Dacepaw didn't know how long they had been walking when at last Mossbloom slowed to a halt before a dark opening in the rocky cliff face. "This is Mothermouth?" Dacepaw asked, and the medicine cat quickly confirmed.

Dacepaw gazed down into the darkness, listening intently to her companion's words. She nodded and she mewed, "I'm ready, Mossbloom." They descended into the darkness, and Dacepaw was surprised at how truly, really dark it was. She had expected to be afraid, but perhaps all her time going on adventures with Houndheart and Duskpaw and listening to the latter's stories about beasts had helped her to become more brave. She found her footing as best she could in the darkness, keeping close to Mossbloom's tail so that the tufts of fur could brush her whiskers. After some time there was a soft glow illuminating the tunnel ahead, gently silhouetting Mossbloom. They continued to walk until it was bright as day, and when they emerged into the tunnel it was brighter still - like all the stars had clustered on the stone's surface. "Oh, my," Dacepaw breathed, mesmerized.

Then she remembered herself and Mossbloom's words. She looked towards Mossbloom, pelt diluted in the piercing light, and nodded once. Then Dacepaw padded forth to lay beside the Moonstone, tucking her paws neatly underneath herself. The stone radiated a cool, pleasant feeling. The apprentice took a deep breath, letting it out in a soft whoosh of air before gently stretching her nose forth. Like a minnow in the shallows, her consciousness was swept from her, and sleep carried her on gentle, dark waves.

It felt like sometime since her paws had guided her to a moonstone for one of Thunderclan's apprentices. But there was something special about this visit, and the star-studded she-cat knew it. She would have not had this any other way. If Dacepaw was to be visiting the ancestors, Grasswhisker would be the one to meet her. There was a matter of misplaced blood here, something that several Starclan cats regarded with distaste. But Thunderclan had grown different from the other clans and in a similar matter to their Windclan allies. Blood only mattered so much when fighting for the cats you loved. Many moons ago she had to smack that concept into Leopardstar, her apprentice, who had then helped to bring about the era that now opened Thunderclan to new opportunities. She had nodded her head in agreement as Oakstar had been named deputy. And, of course, there was no hesitation when Sparkfrost's daughter was to be accepted into the clan.

Padding forward now, the former warrior offered Dacepaw a smile. They both boasted a similar stature and had she still been among the living, Grasswhisker would not have hesitated to claim the she-cat as her own. Although, Thunderclan had already done a great job making sure she felt welcomed, unlike Torrentstar. Having watched the words exchanged at the gathering, she was grateful this apprentice had not returned to her birth clan. Finally, she decided to break the silence, "Welcome to Starclan, Dacepaw. I've been looking forward to meeting you. My name is Grasswhisker, a former warrior and queen of Thunderclan. Leopardstar is my son. I'm glad to see that your paws have finally journeyed here. Your warriorhood is just over the horizon. Tell me, young one, how do you feel about becoming a warrior of Thunderclan?" As she settled down before the she-cat, Grasswhisker met her eyes. The tone of her voice, while possessing a soft rasp, was warm and inviting. Every part of her displayed how clearly she cared for the cats of Thunderclan in a motherly way, particularly the youth.

Though she had fallen asleep crouched neatly before the great glowing stone, Dacepaw was somewhat puzzled to awaken already standing on her own four paws. As her green-hazel eyes blinked open to the glistening world before her they rounded wide, and she took in a deep, awestruck gasp. So many stars! They were all around her, not simply above her like they were in Silverpelt at night. Immediately the tortoiseshell she-cat was filled with a sense of peace and warmth. This is StarClan, she thought with wonder, and as her gaze fell back to the ground from the canopy of trees in the prismatic sky it landed onto a stunning starry shape. Dacepaw's jaw dropped as she took in the sight: a beautiful, glittering she-cat with a soft, smiling face and piercing eyes.

Speechless, Dacepaw's tail raised in a silent and awed greeting, and like a moth mesmerized by a light the ThunderClan apprentice edged forward with small, wanting steps, her wide eyes glimmering excitement. When the she-cat spoke, Dacepaw wanted to do nothing but listen to the sonorous tone of her voice. Did every StarClan cat sound so beautiful? Had Grasswhisker always sounded so beautiful? Dacepaw would believe that she had; she radiated the aura of a mother and a kind cat, and the tortoiseshell apprentice was immediately comfortable. Grasswhisker asked, settling down in the grass, "How do you feel about becoming a warrior of ThunderClan?"

"I love ThunderClan," Dacepaw stated immediately, surprised by the fervence and huskiness in her voice. She felt so emotional. Why? She added, "I want to do everything I can for my Clan and my Clanmates. I want to be just like Dawngaze, and Dustcloud, and Beartooth - and Emberheart! I want to hunt and be useful and take care of them, like... like they've always taken care of me. I know my daddy would want that, too. They helped me find my happiness just like he said." She gasped, excitement suddenly sparkling in her green gaze as she asked, "You're StarClan! That means you know why my daddy left the forest, right? Do you know about his quest to help save the forest? Do you know where he is?" She gazed deep into Grasswhisker's eyes, searching for any answer about the tom she loved and missed so dearly.

Without hesitation, the apprentice declared her love for Thunderclan. Grasswhisker was filled with immeasurable amounts of pride and love. Those cats, her clan and kin, were some of the best in the forest and she was honored that Dacepaw would want to be among them. A purr rumbled in the she-cat's chest. There was a smile across her eternally youthful maw as she listened to the enthusiastic words. In her own apprenticeship, warriorhood had been such a sweet and beautiful prize. Most cats, as they grew, learned that it meant far more than just a title. However, even when fighting the challenges that came along with the name change and learning to navigate motherhood as Dacepaw would someday. But the pride and honor had never left her and she wished the same fate to this young she-cat. Her eyes met Dacepaw's as she spoke of Sparkfrost and the warrior dipped her head in a slow nod. While she had meant to address her place among the clan first, of course there were other questions that plagued the apprentice.

"He had completed his quest, Dacepaw. Starclan is grateful for his efforts and he rests among us now." Grasswhisker's voice was gentle and motherly. Underneath the guise of youthful ignorance, she knew there would be some understanding of what this meant. Regardless, she hoped that Dacepaw would find herself the joy of rest that had befallen her late father. They would be reunited again someday, there was no doubt about it. Grasswhisker knew that he watched her daily from the stars. With that question answered, she paused to allow a moment of peace for Dacepaw before continuing, "I'm glad to see you've found your place in the clan. They are just as lucky to have you, as you are to have them. That's the wonderful thing of clan life, the whole clan has each other. No cat is on their own." She stopped again, remembering Darkstar, Blizzardshine, and all of the other many cats who had stood at her side. Even though the pelts had changed, not much else had changed. She would be more than willing to leave behind her starry haven to rejoin Thunderclan below.

What Dacepaw found in the StarClan cat's face wasn't what she had expected, though she wasn't certain now what she had been expecting. There was a hint of a sadness, a glint of some sorrowful emotion - or perhaps simply some calculation of thought - that she couldn't quite recognize. When Grasswhisker spoke in a motherly, gentle tone, however, the apprentice understood: "He rests among us now." Dacepaw slumped slightly, her mottled shape deflating as she took in the words. Sparkfrost was... no longer alive. Her father was in StarClan. He had died after finishing his quest, and he had returned to Silverpelt to be with their ancestors. The tom had been gone so long that Dacepaw realized the memory of his face and pelt had begun to slip away, and yet she had still always thought he would come home to her - to ThunderClan - someday, or that maybe he would be there when she received her warrior name.

The realization that seeing him again in the forest wouldn't come to pass was heavy, but it was greatly lightened by the faith that Dacepaw held. Her father was here now. Someday, whenever that day came, she would be able to return to him. Maybe he would find her when she awakened like she had always dreamed - although she'd dreamed it would happen when she was still alive. Dacepaw knew, though, that Sparkfrost could hear her prayers now: he knew that she thought of him, and when she received her warrior name, he would be there, too, watching and calling proudly for her. She would try to remember. Dacepaw blinked her green-hazel eyes slowly, and when she opened them again she looked at Grasswhisker.

The pretty StarClan cat seemed to know that Dacepaw had made her peace with the new knowledge, for Grasswhisker then continued. She spoke praise of the apprentice's newfound place in the Clan, and Dacepaw beamed and nodded once with wholehearted agreement. "They've always been there for me. Even when they didn't know for sure if I was going to be staying or not, they made my home theirs. They welcomed me. They taught me everything about being a warrior of ThunderClan. Well, not everything or else I might have my name. I think. I just mean they are always so open with me, and I... I really love it there. I love them." She smiled, her thoughts distracted by her friends and Clanmates.