Stoatpaw's Moonstone Journey

Dovefrost pushed himself out of den, a bundle of herbs hanging from his maw as he headed for the apprentice den. It was time for another journey, this time it was Stoatpaw. He hadn't really talked with the apprentice before, he had seen the young tom in passing but there wasn't much more to it than that.

The fluffy tom stuck his head into the den, green eyes roaming over the forms that occupied it's space. Finally he saw the one he was looking for. "Stoatpaw. It's time for your journey, meet me outside." The medicine cat backed his way out of the den, sitting just a short distance away with the herbs for the apprentice. Once Stoatpaw emerged, he nudged the herbs forward. "Here eat these, it will keep you from getting tired on the trip."

Dovefrost was a decidedly impressive creature. The apprentice likened the pure white of the medicine cat's fur to his own, and noted it with interest. Despite this similarity, their coats and statures could not have been more different. Where the healer was imposing and left a wide shadow, Stoatpaw was slim and no more than a flickering of shade. What was perhaps the most unique thing about the other tom that he'd noted from afar was that Dovefrost soft like the down of a young robin, more so in personality than anything. As a kit, his jaw had been slack in awe. Now the reverence was more genuine than whimsical.

He'd hardly been sleeping when the medicine cat had roused him from his nest. Today they would be traveling to the moonstone together, as all apprentices did before they could earn their warrior name. Often, Stoatpaw had doubted there really were cats among the stars but curiosity propelled him to get to his pads and follow suit. Outside there was a bundle of herbs waiting for him. The scent tickled the apprentice's nostrils, drawing a quick sneeze. Stoatpaw shook his head, eyeing the bitter herbs for a moment before dipping his head to swallow them back. He did little to hide the look of displeasure that crossed his maw.

"All set then, with that over? I'm ready to get going." Although the words were pleasant and he offered Dovefrost a respectful nod, his tongue ran the length of the roof of his mouth. Already he had begun to wonder if the taste would ever disappear. Let's hope you know what you're doing, Dovefrost, and that these things actually work.

Dovefrost couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him at Stoatpaw's reaction. He knew the herbs were bitter, and there wasn't much that would change it, but he still found it funny to see all of the apprentices' reaction. There were some who tried to hide their disgust, while others didn't do anything about it. The white tom didn't lament on the fact for long, they couldn't waste anymore time than they already did. "Alright, let's get going." He said as he stood, and with a flick of his tail lead the other out of the camp.

They had reached the Moonstone just in time. The moon was bright in the darkened sky, as they stepped into the tunnel. Dovefrost warning the other to stick close. Once they reached the cavern, Dovefrost gave his instructions while moving off to the side. "Press your nose to the stone, and Starclan will put you to sleep." He didn't need to offer more than that, one of their ancestors will meet him in the dreams soon.

The journey to the moonstone seemed to pass by quickly. His eyes drank in the new sights, noting Windclan's barren territory with interest as they skirted by. Occasionally, mild chatter rose between the pair, but nothing too noteworthy. Stoatpaw found his thoughts distracted by supposed momentous meeting ahead. Would the stars actually greet him? What would they even have to say to an apprentice, if they were real at all? The possibility he was there and surely these prying questions would be answered soon.

It was the sight of highstones that finally took breath from the young tom's lungs. Nothing had ever made him feel more small, even standing beneath the looming shadow of the great oaks. Stoatpaw followed the medicine cat up the side of the rocky terrain, paws suddenly becoming heavier for a reason he could not decipher. This was further than he had traveled before and he chalked up the weariness of his limbs to that fact.

At mothermouth, the little apprentice's whiskers twitched at the cold dampness. Despite the uncertain darkness ahead, he followed with little hesitation. Knowing Dovefrost was ahead provided some small semblence of comfort. Just when he was certain there would never be light touching his gaze ever again, there came a soft glow, one that reminded him of the moon against silverpelt. Stoatpaw just barely stopped his jaw from dropping. The medicine cat's instructions snapped him from a frozen state and he stepped forward, pressing his to the chilling stone, and settling onto his stomach. Almost in an instant, the crushing darkness of sleep overtook Stoatpaw. When he could see once more, the world had shifted.

He now communed with the stars.

There was a peaceful tune to the air this night. A rhythmic breeze swept through the land, a tepid feel left in it's wake. Fireflies moved about in a hypnotic dance of sorts. They freely illuminated whatever path they took. The atmosphere harbored a serenity that was rare back in the land of the living. It was strange and foreign yet it brought waves of comfort. The grass beneath them glistened with the reflection of the moonlight. There was nothing more mysterious or more beautiful than StarClan's sacred lands. It was truly a sight to behold, especially to any apprentice.  

"Stoatpaw. Time for you to awaken." murmured a gentle yet clear voice from somewhere within the hazy shadows, it's owner stepping out not a moment later. A dilute calico pelt littered with soft, twinkling stars could be made out and the closer the she-cat got, the clearer the details became. Two eyes full of wisdom and tenderness watched the apprentice stir from his brief moment of slumber. A whisper of a smile ghosted her face as she sat down in front of the tom, tail wrapping snuggly around her paws as she waited.

Birdflight didn't have to wait much longer for Stoatpaw to fully rouse, not that she wouldn't have waited if it had taken him longer. She'd been usually known to have to have illimitable patience, especially for those younger than her. "Welcome to StarClan, Stoatpaw, kin of Thrushnose," she began, smile much more prominent now that she had his attention on her, "My name is Birdflight, kin of Leopardstar and Lichenfang. I was a warrior of ThunderClan quite a bit before your time. I'm here to listen to whatever is on your mind and to help with any questions or concerns you may have before you take the next big step in your life, as you were certainly aware of. Please don't hesitate but also don't feel forced to tell me anything. However, it would be in your best interest if you were to share your woes." Birdlight had chosen to leave out Poppyflight from her introduction as she was aware that the young tom's father was a rather sore topic.

A serene air welcomed him, something purely ethereal and otherworldly. To Stoatpaw, it reminded him of other fanciful dreams that he had previously entertained in snatches. Wide eyes flickered about and soaked up the supposed world of Starclan. Birdflight had roused him, caught his attention. But there was so much about this star-speckled realm that demanded attention, tried to pull his gaze away. If there were answers to be found, something he craved, the apprentice would have to question this illusion. His maw parted ever so slightly but the words died away as she addressed him.

Stoatpaw's tail flickered back and forth, in a failed attempt to tame the rising vexation of this whole... state. It did not last long, "Tell me something I don't know, Birdflight, that's what I really want from you." Admittedly, it made him exasperated to even consider that he was standing before something real and not just an illusion. But, they names she had spoken, things she had said, all snatches of names he'd heard or things he had known. Easily, this could be a trick of his own mind. Perhaps Dovefrost had slipped something into those herbs that made his dreams wander more freely.

He rose and padded back and forth. She wanted to hear his woes? Well, alright, it would not change anything. The little brown and white tom stopped to stare at the she-cat before him. Displeasure was obvious in the agitated ring of his sharp tongue, "My woes? Well, one, I could run circles around the other apprentices. They're so immature and short-sighted. Most cats are so focused on their desires with no reason for why. I feel like I'm going mad half the time, stuck in my own mind with burning curiosities that will never be resolved." The flickering of his tail became lashing, malcontent. Stoatpaw's wide eyes stopped to burn into her.

"I don't know how to feel better about everything when there is so much wrong with this world. And... wrong with me." His sides heaved, something edged into his tone. After a moment, there came the faintest of smiles. So many words that the young apprentice had kept knotted up inside for so long. There was no consequence from these dreams, nothing that would follow him into the waking world. Stoatpaw's expression became neutral as he stared after the Starclanner, daring her to soothe the natural born anxieties that had welled up so deeply inside.