Goldenpaw's Moonstone Journey

Smallbean awoke with a start, sitting upright in his nest the second his eyes opened. His chest was heaving and his fur was messy, stuck out in all kinds of angles. Another bad dream. It seemed like they'd been becoming more frequent lately. Letting his tired eyes wander across the den floor, he focused on two delicate herb wraps he had set out the night before. That's right... He was taking another apprentice, Goldenpaw, to the moonstone. After waiting a few more moments to recover from his bad dream, he rose from his nest, shaking out his disheveled fur to be rid of any moss that clung to it. He slowly walked across the den to the travelling herbs, picking them both up between his jaws before setting them back down once he was outside. The sun had just barely begun to rise, meaning they still had some time before they had to leave. Switching his attention to waking Goldenpaw, he crept over to the apprentice den as he usually did, walking inside for a brief moment to let the apprentice know that she needed to wake up. "Hey, Goldenpaw, it's time to wake up." He not-so-quietly whispered to the she-cat, giving her a slight nudge before retreating to the medicine den. While he waited for Goldenpaw to arrive, he swallowed his herbs, having already grown used to their bitter taste. Once Goldenpaw joined him, he muttered a friendly greeting before pushing the remaining herb bundle toward her. "Uh- Take these- Traveling herbs. They'll keep you strong during the journey." He said awkwardly, averting his gaze. After both of them were ready, he lead Goldenpaw through the camp entrance, beginning their journey to the moonstone.

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After a long day of travelling, they had finally arrived at mothermouth. Without wasting a moment, he turned to Goldenpaw, going over the same instructions he'd given to every apprentice before. "Just so you know, these caves are easy to get lost in, so it'd be a good idea to stick close by. I'll try my best to make it easy for you, though. Oh- one more thing, when you reach the moonstone, press your nose to it and fall asleep. You'll wake up in Starclan." He exchanged a nod with the apprentice before entering the cave. He navigated the tunnels, making sure he could hear Goldenpaw's pawsteps the entire time. It didn't take long before the tunnel opened up to a cavern, the moonstone sitting in the center. A small smile found it's way on to his face at it's sight. He moved himself out of the way and allowed room for Goldenpaw to enter, gesturing to the stone with his tail. "Whenever you're ready." His words were mere whispers as he sat down and watched the apprentice.

Smallbean’s voice stirred the ‘paw from her shallow sleep. It had taken some time for her to settle long enough to actually drift off. Goldenpaw didn’t mind the interruption, though. She stumbled to her paws, dazed, and followed the medicine cat with enthusiasm. She noted that he really was a small cat. That observation was quickly lost as she followed his instructions. The she-cat didn’t even complain about the taste, greedily lapping up the herbs as though she were starving. What she really was hungry for was the chance to meet a warrior ancestor and gain special knowledge to become the best cat the forest had ever seen. That’s how she assumed it would go, anyway.

Her paws were sore but it hardly registered in her brain. She stuck close to the medicine cat (perhaps too close) until the moonstone was finally in view. Then she darted forward and paced several steps around it, giving it a thorough sniff. The faint smell of other cats clung to its cold surface. She could tell that many, many cats had been here before. Goldenpaw circled once more, finding a comfy spot to lay down, and pressed her nose against it. She waited impatiently for sleep to overtake her. When it did, it was nothing like she’d ever experienced before.

Goldengale stood atop a hill, gazing down at the spot where the form of an apprentice had taken shape. She hadn't yet opened her eyes, but Goldengale was in no rush to speak with her, allowing her to take her time to wake and gather her wits. An unseen breeze ruffled the pelts of each of them, Goldengale blinking slowly as she realized just how similar this apprentice looked to her. It was a bit of a shock, honestly... Was this what she had looked like when she had her Moonstone journey as an apprentice? She shook the thought away as she sat down, her tail settling lightly on the ground behind her as she waited patiently. When the she-cat finally moved, Goldengale grinned. "Greetings, Goldenpaw. Welcome to StarClan."

It was easy to be distracted by the landscape before her. Goldenpaw hardly noticed the starry warrior before her, eyes going wide as she took in the sights. She’d never seen so many stars in her life despite sleeping beneath them each night. She finally looked at the StarClan cat and returned her grin with a wide, toothy smile. ”Hi there! I’m Goldenpaw! Are ya here to talk to me? Will you tell me how to get super big and strong so I can be the best warrior ever?” Goldenpaw crouched as she spoke, eyes narrowing and tail sticking up in the air in a mock fighting crouch. Her smile remained spread across her face, enthusiasm clearly shining through her blue eyes. It was clear the apprentice really believed she could become the best. What did it mean to be the best? She didn’t even know.

Goldengale smiled at the energetic apprentice, laughing to herself at her antics. "I am indeed, Goldenpaw. But first, let me introduce myself. I'm Goldengale, formerly of WindClan. So tell me, what do you think being the best warrior ever means? What are the qualities of the 'best' warrior, to you?" She asked, watching the apprentice closely to see her reaction. The StarClan warrior was genuinely curious about what the young cat thought.