Goldenpaw's Moonstone Journey

Mothglow gathered up the travelling herbs, setting them gently on the ground before calling out in the direction of the apprentice's den. She wondered, vaguely, how relieved Flintstar would be that he could stop worrying about an apprentice's training. "Goldenpaw! Are you almost ready to go?"

Goldenpaw yawned and opened her eyes, vision blurry. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and stretched, taking a little extra time to groom her chest fur into submission before she replied. "Yep, coming!" She quietly but briskly trotted out of the apprentices' den, taking the herbs and eating them. She made a disgusted face. "Yuck, how can anyone eat these? They taste like dirt." 

Mothglow led the way along the path that felt so familiar by now. It was a long and tiring journey; but it was also a rite of passage every would-be warrior took at some point or another, and so it was a necessary expedition. Eventually they reached Highstones, and Mothglow paused; taking a moment to appreciate the beautiful sight and willing her companion to do the same, before leading the way in silence through the shadowed tunnels.

The Moonstone shone as it always did, and she settled into her usual place. "Go on, Goldenpaw. StarClan is waiting."

Goldenpaw gasped in awe at the sight of the Moonstone, the blue glow filling her vision. After standing and appreciating the view for a few moments, she looked to Mothglow for guidance. She nodded at the medicine cat's words, stepping forward and pressing her nose to the glowing blue stone. An odd, though not altogether uncomfortable, feeling washed over her from head to tail. She felt weightless, as if she were a ghost now. Suddenly, the dim cave around her changed to a glorious starry landscape. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

A star-speckled, fiercely orange pelt appeared in a stark contrast to the navy Starclan skies. The figure was tall and lean, lanky limbs boasted muscles that had been battled hardened in life. Various scars parted fur and told tales of many battles past. Against the vibrant flame-colored fur were twin emeralds that bore into the young she-cat. Flamestrike's eyes held a peculiar sadness, one that had twisted and warped through his lifetime and had carried into the afterlife; this only intensified as he was reminded of how his own kits had been so youthful once. It was well before their hatred for him had burned in the depths of their gaze. He regarded her for a moment before letting out a low sigh, "My name is Flamestrike. I was once a warrior of Shadowclan. I'm sure you're here for some life changing advice or something but all I have to offer is a simple sentiment... don't be afraid to walk away from a fight. Some battles are not worth the effort." He glanced back over his own pelt, "I know as well as any other long lived warrior in the forest." The tom's voice was weary but echoed with an obvious remembrance of his own life.

If Goldenpaw was expecting some profound celestial wisdom, this wasn't it. Seriously, this was her one chance to speak with her ancestors and she gets told to run away? What good was that? Was this dead cat seriously telling her to be a coward? "Uh, mister Flamestrike, I hate to be rude but surely you have some other wisdom for me? With all due respect, what kind of lousy advice is 'don't run away?'" Flamestrike, being much older and wiser, probably knew what he was talking about, but Goldenpaw simply refused to settle with one sentence of sub-par guidance.

Flamestrike met her disappointed gaze evenly. The frown on his maw seemed to falter slightly, sinking lower than before. Starclan hadn't sent him here to argue with the indigence of youth but rather to bestow a simple sentiment that would be needed in the future. It was her decision to heed the ideal or not but he found himself willing her to listen if only for a moment. Apprentices were stubborn, and he'd inevitably fractured the connection to his own offspring. Green eyes wore the exhaustion that clung to his soul like morning dew droplets on fur. After a moment, the large warrior finally flicked his tail, "If you needed something more profound, I would have given it to you." Sadness wracked his expression once again as he muttered, "I hope you're able to take this and use it, Goldenpaw."