Lightpaw's Moonstone Journey

The time had come again for Mothglow to visit the Moonstone in the company of an apprentice. The apprentice in question today was Lightpaw, and so the medicine cat set down the bundle of traveling herbs outside the apprentice's den - her own, as usual, already eaten - before calling out. "Lightpaw! Are you ready?"

Lightpaw lifted her head and curled her lips at the smell of the herbs. "I suppose." She ate the bundle as quickly as she could, then shook out her short fur and stretched. "Gee, those taste as bad as they smell." She commented.

"At least you only have to eat them once," Mothglow offered up a small bit of optimism. After all, she had to eat them more and more often, it seemed; with more and more apprentices coming all the time and just one medicine cat to lead them. "But now that you'd eaten them, we can get going. Follow me," she said, leading the way out of camp - and further, out of ShadowClan - with practiced ease and good spirits.

Lightpaw was silent as she followed Mothglow.

The silence was somewhat unnerving, and so Mothglow walked perhaps faster than necessary. Not every cat cared for conversation, she knew - and so she didn't bother trying to break it today, since Lightpaw didn't seem like she was in the mood to talk - but long stretches of quiet made the journey difficult for her. Still, after some time (longer than she would have liked), they reached Highstones; and so she led the way to the tunnel. "Stay close," she said quietly, the only words to escape her since they left; and she led the way through.

As they emerged into the Moonstone's cavern, though, she settled into her favorite spot not far from the entrance. "Touch your nose to the stone and close your eyes, and StarClan will speak with you."

Lightpaw, briefly, was scared. Starclan knew she'd killed Poppyheart. But, no, they knew why too. They knew exactly what had been done. And they would understand. She touched her nose to the stone and when she woke up again, she was in a place of stars.