Tuftpaw's Moonstone Journey

"Tuftpaw," Beechface called into the apprentice den, "Time to get up." The pale tabby stepped back from the den to wait, and once she saw that Tuftpaw had joined her outside, she pushed a bundle of herbs towards the apprentice. It was still early, pre-dawn light edging the camp in soft hues. It was probably earlier than most would prefer to be up, but such was fate. Skyclan's territory wasn't the closest to the moonstone, not by a long shot.

"Eat these, I know they're bitter, but they'll keep your strength up on the journey. We need to reach the moonstone by nightfall." She had already eaten her own bundle of the traveling herbs before going to wake her charge for the day.

Once Tuftpaw had eaten the herbs, Beechface turned to lead her out of camp.

---

The sun hung low in the sky as the two cats made the last scramble up to mothermouth, the cave a dark smudge against the mountainside. Beechface was pleased with their timing, and would allow the apprentice a few moments to sit and rest before she beckoned Tuftpaw with a flick of her tail.

"Alright, when we enter the passages, stick close to me. They're very narrow and you won't be able to see a thing until we're close to the moonstone itself. You touch your nose to it and lay down, starclan will visit you in your dreams." She mewed, turning to lead Tuftpaw into the tunnels. Twisting, downward into blackness they descended, and it took some time before the faint outline of Beechface's ears would be visible again, but that marked their nearness to the moonstone itself.

Upon reaching the chamber that contained the moonstone, Beechface stepped aside, beckoning Tuftpaw forward once more.

The apprentice being called for was fast asleep in her den, dreaming of nothing. When she heard Beechface's voice, the massive pile of fluff stirred. Tuftpaw stood and stepped over her sleeping Clanmates carefully, already suspecting what this was for. She'd worked hard to prove herself, so it was natural to assume that she could finally make a pilgrimage to the Moonstone. The dawn hadn't quite begun yet, which meant this was early. It made her excited.

Once she was at the front of the den, a small bundle of herbs was put before her. Any doubt that this wasn't a journey was quelled. "I understand. We'll get there in no time," she promised. "Or, well, as fast as we can." Then she scarfed down the herbs, her nose crinkling at the taste. These were awful! How did any cat do this every half-moon?

After she ate the herbs, her energized eyes looked up at Beechface and her paws followed.

---

Gazing up at the sunset, Tuftpaw realized something. This was the farthest she'd ever been from SkyClan camp. It was exhilarating with the wind ruffling her fur, but equally terrifying. Beyond Highstones was territory that no cat knew. It was full of loners and rogues, all with no sense of honor. Was that where the Asylum had come from? In any case, she stood up from where she was resting and padded over to Beechface.

"Understood. I just have to follow you, stay close, and be prepared to share tongues with StarClan," Tuftpaw nodded. It was a gross oversimplification, but she was breaking it down into parts for herself. Going into the tunnels, though, was suffocating. There was no light and the rock walls scoured her pelt. It felt as though Mothermouth would eat her whole. Did great rocks like these eat cats? She had little time to worry about that as they finally made it to the cavern of the Moonstone. Here, she gasped and delicately set her paws forward at Beechface's behest.

Awestruck, she laid down in front of the great piece of sacred stone. As her nose touched it, she suddenly felt calm. More calm than she had the whole day. And she slept.

A she-cat materialized from the starry mist that was StarClan territory. Her fur was a light ginger in color, and her eyes sparkled a bright amber. "Hello, Tuftpaw," she said. She had followed SkyClan ever since she rose to the stars, with the exception for the time that the Righteous Few had taken over. In the times that she could see them, problems had risen within the clan. Wolfstar was sometimes a competent leader, but sometimes he made stupid decisions, including choosing a known traitor as deputy. Maybe I should have given him a life for common sense after that decision was made.

Of course, Wolfstar's failures as a leader were not what this was about. This was about the SkyClan apprentice, Tuftpaw. "My name's Acornfall," she said. "Do you have anything you want to ask me?" She didn't think that she was doing this properly. But of course she needed to look confident on what she was doing. After all, if she didn't seem confident in what she was saying, how would anybody trust her? She needed to look confident, act confident, even if she wasn't confident at all. It was difficult, but certainly possible. And Acornfall was sure that she could do it.

Maybe.

This was the apprentice's first time seeing StarClan in person. While she could always see them in Silverpelt, this was a whole other beast entirely. A light gasp echoed from her chest. This was a cat she didn't quite know, but everything about her spoke of SkyClan. This was an ancestor of her Clan as it was now. How should she act? Should she bow? "H-hello," she replied, suddenly more shy than she'd ever been in her entire life. "What's your name... if I may ask, I mean. This is kind of my first time talking to a StarClan cat." And, hopefully, the next time she spoke with them, it wouldn't be her death.

As she got her answer from Acornfall, Tuftpaw's muscles relaxed. This wasn't some scary, judgmental spirit who was here to deny her a warrior name. This was just another Clanmate she'd never gotten to know. A moment of silence followed while she thought of the biggest question she had. Would this make her a bad warrior to ask? There was only one way to find out. "I... I want to know something that you have to promise you won't get upset about. I want to know why StarClan couldn't stop the Asylum. I want to be the greatest warrior I can be, to protect my Clan, but... sometimes you all feel so distant."

Acornfall blinked when Tuftpaw asked her question. It wasn't something she was expecting, though it was completely valid. The only answer that the ginger she-cat had though was... that they didn't know. The missing kits disappearing eventually were traced to Asylum, but StarClan was just as clueless about it as well. But at the same time, how could she shake Tuftpaw's faith in the stars like that? How would she feel if StarClan wasn't as godly as she thought they were?

Actually, from the apprentice's reaction to seeing Acornfall at first, she might have been afraid of StarClan's power. It was something that could easily be threatening, and by Acornfall introducing herself, she made the connection a little more personal with Tuftpaw. Maybe some reassurance that StarClan was just a group of cats wouldn't be bad. "We were caught off guard, just like you were. We saw all of the actions that Asylum took before then, but we didn't expect the group responsible to outnumber all five clans put together."

Letting out a sigh, the she-cat focused her gaze back at the apprentice. "StarClan isn't as distant as it seems. We may seem like gods, but we're just cats who left the living world." Okay, what should she say next? Encourage Tuftpaw, of course. The she-cat seemed to be a little nervous. "I believe that you will be a great warrior, Tuftpaw. And StarClan will always be by your side, even if you don't physically see them." The ginger she-cat gave Tuftpaw a soft smile while she faded back into the starry mist. We're always by your side, Tuftpaw. Never forget that.

Growing up, she was often told of the great things StarClan did. They knew so much about the Clans because they had lived their lives in them. They gave leaders nine whole lives with which to serve their Clans. They could even share tongues with living cats like her! It made her stomach turn into knots thinking that, maybe, they weren't as godly as she'd previously been led to believe. If they didn't know everything, then why did cats act like they did? Tuftpaw just hoped that StarClan forgave her bold question.

After all, the whole of them were her ancestors. All-powerful or not, she was expected to defer some measure of respect to them. Acornfall introducing herself just like any other cat would, though, brought her some comfort. This wasn't all of StarClan in a heartless tribunal. This was a cat who'd lived and died, the same as any being that would one day die as well. Tuftpaw tilted her head to the side, confused. "So... you didn't really know everything about them. That makes sense, in a way. I guess..." she said, sounding a bit crestfallen.

Even if these words weren't what she wanted to hear, she still took them to heart. "Then you're just the cats who came before us?" she asked. "I promise I will always honor you, though! And I'll do my best to be a good warrior! But... thanks. For everything." Her fur rustled in the starry mist, as if telling her body that Acornfall was still there. A quiet nod was her response. Of course. It was starting to click. They were cats doing their best to guide the next generation, akin to a queen and her kits. Then, as she woke up from her meeting, she looked around the cavern.

"I-I met someone! Her name was Acornfall!" Tuftpaw exclaimed. She was ready