Daisypaw's Moonstone Journey

"Hey, Daisypaw." Swiftspirit purred as she found her apprentice waiting near the entrance to camp. She set the bundle of traveling herbs she'd pulled together down, gently nudging them towards the apprentice. "Fair warning, they taste terrible. They'll keep your strength up and you won't get hungry on the journey to highstones, though." The apprentice had probably heard Swiftspirit complain about the herbs more than once since she'd started helping take apprentices to visit the moonstone, but hopefully Windclan would have a new medicine cat soon. Being gone most of the day for... More than a few days now affected the training of her own apprentices, though Swiftspirit was happy to see how well Daisypaw was doing regardless. Now it was her turn to be led from camp and toward the mountains that lay beyond Windclan's border.

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"Almost there, stick closer to me and use your whiskers. Grab my tail if you need to, you won't be able to see at all until we get closer to the moonstone itself." Swiftspirit cautioned, eyes turning to Disguise as they sat for a few moments just outside the entrance to the tunnel. The sky above was dark, the moon rising slowly. It was time.

"When we get there, touch your nose to the stone and lay down. I'll wait for you while you sleep." With that, Swiftspirit turned to lead Daisypaw into the tunnel. The path down always felt longer than it actually was to Swiftspirit, though at least part of it was her own anxiety. Still, they were right on time as the moon shifted into the crack of the cave's ceiling above, the moonstone lighting up brightly before them. Swiftspirit stepped aside, allowing Daisypaw to step forward.

Unable to keep still, her paws shuffled while her eyes searched for a familiar pelt. "Swiftspirit, over here!" she called, an eager grin on her maw which turned into a perused frown as soon as the bundle of herbs was spotted. "I hope the other apprentices were exaggerating about the taste of these... Yeah, from what I've been told, these are nasty!" Reluctantly, the golden she-cat forced the stuff down her throat, doing her best not to spit it out. A repressed gag was the end of it and naturally, a comment followed. "I'm glad that's over. Now, let's get going!" As much as Daisypaw enjoyed learning from her mentor, she was excited to begin a new chapter in her life, one filled with the adventures of warriorhood.

......

"Got it."

Swiftspirit's voice echoed in her head as the darkness enveloped her in black nothingness. The scent of the warrior ahead of her was her guide, along with her whiskers, which at times brushed against the cold stone walls. "I imagine this is what it feels like to be blind-" she mewed, her voice hushed. Somehow, it felt wrong to talk too much, like she was interrupting someone, though there was no one talking. Not soon enough, the splendid glow of the sacred Moonstone bathed her in a milky white light, reflected in the apprentice who stared in awe. "It's... beautiful." she breathed, stepping forward to take a closer look. Swiveling around, she searched for a nod of approval before settling into position and touching her nose to the stone. It was a shocking cold, but the cold dissolved as she fell into a slumber.

Uneven pawsteps greeted Daisypaw when she opened her eyes. A tortoiseshell tom approached her, limping on three legs. He smiled as he neared, his gaze kind yet revealing a lifetime of hardships beneath it. He reached the young molly and sat before her, curling a thin tail around his three paws. "Welcome to StarClan, Daisypaw," he purred, inclining his head briefly. "My name is Elmskip, I was a WindClan warrior long before Goldenstar's time. Now, is there anything you would like to know? I'm here to give advice if I can, I'd like to believe I've learned a few things since coming to StarClan." A rippling laugh rose from his throat, good-natured despite his rather self-deprecating words.

Pawsteps... she could hear pawsteps getting closer. Slowly, she blinked her eyes open, greeted by a starry warrior. Sitting up, she noticed how the warrior's gait had been different, for he was missing a limb! Her jaw dropped slightly, but she quickly regained her composure, hoping to seem respectful, especially to a cat of Starclan. "Hello- Oh, I see." Something the apprentice would like to know... "I'm not so sure... perhaps you could tell me something about yourself? " she meowed, curiosity like a passion within her.