Burningpaw's Moonstone Journey

As Murkystrike placed the traveling herbs just outside of the apprentice den, she traced the path to Highstones in her mind again. This would only be the third time she'd traveled to the mysterious place... But she was sure it wouldn't be the last. Stepping into the dark den, she nudged Burningpaw with a gentle paw. "Burningpaw, it's time for you to journey to the Moonstone. I'll be waiting for you at the entrance to camp." She mewed quietly before backing out of the den to wait for the tom.

Burningpaw had been sleeping hard, and almost didn't wake when Murkystrike spoke to him. He stirred, then blinked his tired eyes at her. Moonstone journey? Wasn't that Rookfire's job? No matter... he'd been waiting for this for a long time. He got to his feet and stretched, yawning and exposing his tiny fangs as he did so. He padded out of the apprentice den and his eyes went to the herb bundle. His parents had beat this into his head too: The Moonstone journey is the most exciting part of a cat's life. Eat the herbs without a fuss. Be respectful and polite crossing Windclan territory. Do not make a single sound within the mother mouth.

"Did something happen to Rookfire? I mean, I don't mind that it's you, Murkystrike. I'm just curious." He bent his head and scarfed the bitter herbs down as quickly as he could. He gagged, but immediately forced them back down his throat. "Sorry. I knew they'd be bad but that was..." Right. He needed to shut up. Eat the herbs without a fuss. He straightened himself back up, but he would be taking a drink from the first water source in sight on the way there.

"I'm ready."

Murkystrike's ear flicked as the tom inquired about Rookfire, and shook her head a little. "He's fine, just busy - so I offered to help by leading apprentices to the Moonstone in his place. Hopefully I'm not too terrible a guide!" She smiled, eating the bitter herbs as he did. Her face distorted a little as she swallowed them. She chuckled as he began to speak before suddenly cutting himself off. "They're pretty bad, that's for sure. I don't know how Rookfire does it." She purred, standing to lead the way out of camp. They paused briefly at the first stream they came across before continuing on their way to Highstones.

~~TIME SKIP~~

They reached Highstones as the sun was setting, the stars emerging from the dimming sky. She had briefly explained the expectations as they climbed up the rocky terrain towards Mothermouth, having traveled in silence through WindClan's territory. Now as they stood before the dark entrance to the tunnels that wound to the Moonstone, she looked back to the tom. "It's time." She led the way into the tunnel, her form quickly swallowed by darkness as she followed countless generations of pawsteps towards the brilliantly glowing stone. Once in the cavern that housed it, she moved to the side to watch over the apprentice's dreaming form and wait, giving him a nod to proceed.

Burningpaw followed Murkystrike to Highstones. He didn't know what to expect. His parents had told him many times what it would be like but even then it had always seemed so surreal. So far away, like it would never actually happen. Yet here he was... standing at the Mothermouth. A cold fear and uncertainty dropped into the pit of his stomach. This one moment was so critical to him that he was terrified that he would be disappointed. What if nothing happened? What if his faith was about to be called into question? It was all he held dear to him... all he had ever been told was worth anything. If that crumbled, what did he have left?

The dark apprentice slipped into the darkness of the mothermouth and felt his way through the tunnel. He didn't utter a single word when he finally laid eyes on the moonstone. His eyes were wide and his mouth was agape. This was it... there was no turning back once his nose touched the moonstone. The apprentice had always felt so sure of everything right up until this very moment. There was just as much excitement as there was fear... was that normal? Had he already failed Starclan by doubting?

Burningpaw lie flat on his belly and braced himself with a deep breath. He was aware only of his rapidly beating heart as he leaned his nose forward and touched it to the stone...

Visions of cloudy galaxies rushed through his mind as he stood on what appeared to be a starry void. His fur stood on end as he tried to make sense of all that he was seeing. For several moments all there was was stars...

"S-starclan?" He called out softly. His heart suddenly felt like it had stopped. Had he died? Did Starclan judge him right then and there and destroyed him? He took in a breath to see that he was indeed still breathing. "I'm Burningpaw of Shadowclan... the true Shadowclan..." He hated how scared he sounded. He should never have been this frightened of the deities he served so faithfully every day. Or should he be?

"The true Shadowclan, huh?"

There came a sharp wheezing laugh, it crackled in almost a mocking manner. As the small figure of what looked to be an emaciated gray tabby padded forward, the world around them shifted, twisting into what appeared to be a dazzling mirror image of Shadowclan's territory. They were in the deep marshes now except the sensation of muddy run-off that tugged at their pads was warm, inviting, and almost a comfort. Wolffang had found that she quite liked it here. Perhaps there was some true Shadowclan blood running through her veins somewhere.

"Tell me more about this true Shadowclan, Burningpaw, I'd sure love to hear it. Cats come here all the time prattling on about a quest for wisdom but it seems you already have all the answers you need. So why should I tell you anything?" The former rogue settled calmly back on her haunches as she regarded the young tom with prying yellow eyes. She narrowed her gaze and seemed to stare deeply into his pelt before letting a dissatisfied snort, "Nah. Entertain me first. Then perhaps I will share with you the secrets of the stars."

If it weren't for the star-speckled landscape, perhaps the tom might have thought that he was communing with the Dark Forest. Wolffang's short, ragged pelt was a patchwork of various scars. She'd never been a pretty cat, and she had certainly not lived a pretty life. There was a soft flicker of a frown across her maw as she regarded Burningpaw but it turned to an amused flicker of her whiskers as she considered how he might view her - there was some twisted humor in there somewhere, surely.

The laugh was unexpected and Burningpaw could only blink in surprise. A starry warrior appeared to him and he could only stare. The laugh was forgotten for the moment as he allowed the appearance of a Starclan cat to put him in a state of sheer awe. Despite her scars, he knew that the stars in her pelt and around himself were evidence enough of where he was.

"I... I come from the line of Shadowstar, the founding leader and the first Shadowclan cat. My parents can proudly trace their lineage back to her... I do not have a single drop of blood belonging to other clan cats or rogues that came along after Shadowclan's initial formation. I have generations of original Shadowclan blood in my veins with nothing outside of it to dirty it." Why would a Starclan cat need to know that anyway? Didn't they already know? His parents seemed very very sure that Starclan was aware of this fact and extremely proud of them for being so devout.

"Who are you, anyway?"

"Oh, wow, ain't you special?" Wolffang snorted. She'd heard of cats that prided themselves in their origins, in the blood that ran through their veins. Many seasons ago, a clanmate had mocked her for where she had come from. It was this instance, and the many stares or snide remarks, that had eventually driven her to a desperate desire to cling tightly to her tight circle of kin. Such madness lead her to attempted murder of a medicine cat. Swallowing back the venom that burned at the back of her throat, the little she-cat sucked in a sharp breath through her nostrils.

"My name is Wolffang." She replied in a much milder tone. Whatever taunting air had lined her tone had died away, twisting into a stone cold meow, "I was born of Eagleheart of Skyclan, and Hazeflight of Shadowclan. What do you think of that, Burningpaw?" The question was genuine. Her features were stoic. Whatever scathing bit she had managed to rouse just for this moment had died off. Round yellow eyes bore into his coat. Thankfully, Starclan cats could not die twice.