The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
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Subject: Bearpaw's Moonstone Journey Sun 10 Sep 2023 - 14:24
The first of Sunfire and Juniperheart's litter was finally ready for their Moonstone journey. As Smokepetal made her way over towards the apprentices' den, carrying the bundle of herbs she had wrapped up for Bearpaw, she thought briefly of the first time she'd made this journey, for her own Moonstone, and spoken to Copperfox... the young, kind tom who had tried so hard to make her feel like there was hope for her as a warrior. He'd been wrong, of course... Smokepetal was meant to be a medicine cat, and had excelled in her training. But she was still a coward, she'd still stood there and watched a murder committed right before her eyes, on a cat she'd been trying so desperately to save. Part of her, now, questioned if she was even good enough for this.
But there was no time for that right now. Not when she was SkyClan's only medicine cat. Not when their former had been ripped away hardly a moon prior, and the clan was grieving not one, but several tragic losses that just seemed to keep coming. She had to be strong for SkyClan, and this, making sure the apprentices were well prepared for their journey into warriorhood, was the way she could do that.
"Bearpaw?" she called softly. "It's time to go, dear."
When he'd emerged from the den, Smokepetal purred a gentle, "Good morning," and nudged the herbs towards him. "Here... these won't taste nice, but they will give you strength, and keep your hunger at bay. We can stop for a drink on the way." Without any further conversation, the pair left the camp and headed northwest, towards ThunderClan's border.
The trip was blessedly uneventful, and before long their destination was just ahead. Smokepetal slowed just a bit to address her young charge. "We're here... now, the tunnel leading down is very dark, and you won't be able to see very well. I know the way, so stick closely to me, okay?" She pressed forward into the tunnel, pausing for only a second to let her eyes adjust before flicking her tail against Bearpaw's shoulder and leading him into the darkness. Suddenly the glow of the Moonstone illuminated the chamber, and the medicine cat stepped away to let the apprentice take it in. "Lie down and touch your nose to the stone... StarClan will speak with you, then." She smiled, settling down with her paws curled under her. "I will be just here."
Bearpaw was, perhaps, the exact opposite of Smokepetal. He was cold, hard, and a little too eager to risk himself in battle. He knew that it was his place as a future warrior to be bold and brave. To take action when no-one else would. Of course, he also enjoyed his alone time and much of that time was spent sleeping in his always fresh nest of moss. Skyclan was strong and filled to the brim with capable warriors and apprentices. What they lacked was resolve and loyalty. This...alliance was sure to collapse at any given moment. The clans were a fickle thing - willing to play friends for a short while but unable and unwilling to truly work together.
Until the warmth of greenleaf began to fade. Until prey became scarce and every cat was claws at scrapes, their bellies aching with hunger. What would happen then? Would their allies in Thunderclan turn on them with claws and teeth bared? Would Riverclan promise peace only to betray them in a moment of weakness? Skyclan would suffer for the foolish mistakes of a select few. Bearpaw knew this and he knew that he had to find a way to prevent this disaster - but how?
As he rolled over in his nest, trying to conjure a solution, a soft voice roused him from his musings. He recognized the voice of Skyclan's sole medicine cat, Smokepetal, and clambered to his paws. It was with a level of certainty that he padded out of the apprentice's den, his icy gaze easily finding the silver tabby's own. It was only a matter of time before he would be summoned to journey to the Moonstone and, finally, that time had come. Though, it wasn't without a hint of pride that he realized he was the first of his littermates to make the journey.
With a grunt of acknowledgement, the brown and white tome dipped his head to lap up the herbs, swallowing them with a slight grimace of discomfort. He nodded as Smokepetal spoke and padded in her pawsteps as she led them out of the camp and into the forested territory. The trip, though uneventful, gave Bearpaw plenty of time to think about his next step in life. Surely, now that he was going to the moonstone, he would soon become a warrior. Then, with any luck, he would continue to prove himself as a strong warrior - one who was strong enough to become the deputy and, eventually, leader of Skyclan.
It was useless to wonder and hope that things may work in his favor, though. And though he tried to think of something else, all Bearpaw could imagine was one day making this same journey again to receive his nine lives. Finally, he was broken from his thoughts when the distant mountains seemed to become clearer and much larger. They came upon the Mothermouth and, almost uncertainly, Bearpaw peered inside the inky depths. It looked more foreboding than anything else. Smokepetal's voice once again grabbed his fleeting attention and Bearpaw nodded. "Of course."
Following closely behind the she-cat, Bearpaw padded into the stony tunnel, grateful for Smokepetal's tail on his shoulder to guide him. She must have made this journey countless times before...for a moment, he wondered if she ever got lonely without Plumleaf. Then, the tunnel began to seem less dark and after a few more paces, he could see almost as if they were above ground again. The tunnel ended, opening in into a wide cavern with a brightly glowing crystal in the center.
Bearpaw's jaw opened slightly as he padded closer to the Moonstone, the fur on the back of his neck standing on end. It was almost ethereal in a way. Just being in the presence of the Moonstone, he could tell that it was sacred - not just a silly little gimmick. Without a word, he followed Smokepetal's instruction and settled down in front of the glittering stone. Closing his eyes, the tom pressed his nose to the icy cold rock and within an instant, was transported to the otherworldly dreamscape of Starclan's forests. Odd - he thought it would've taken longer.
Still lying down, Bearpaw found his paws and looked around the glittering forest with curiosity. The trees weren't like those that grew in Skyclan's part of the forest. It almost looked like...Riverclan. With a scoff, Bearpaw sat down, his fluffy tail curled neatly over his paws. He wasn't sure if Starclan was divided like the clans were, but if so, why was he in Riverclan's portion of the forest?
"Does it bother you, to be in the starry version of Riverclan territory? I find it rather peaceful... And yes, the stars do mirror the living clans. Sort of." A friendly voice greeted the apprentice as he found himself within Starclan's domain, the fluffy gray tabby laying across a tree branch above, light green eyes watchful. For all her fluffy fur, she did not resemble a Riverclanner at all, though it was under their name that she had died. "Up here- My name is Birdsong. I was Skyclan by birth. I left the clan rather than deal with the bloodthirst and the lies... I wound up in Riverclan eventually, though that wasn't my goal. I wanted to run from the heritage I had only learned of after becoming a warrior, when my own father was on his death bed and my parents decided to finally tell my sister and I the truth. I was never an angry cat... But I guess I do have more in common with my mother than I would like. Held that grudge for seasons, and swore I would always be honest to my own kits, no matter how difficult." Birdsong huffed out a laugh, though there was no humor behind it as she leapt from the trees with all the grace of Skyclan's finest, landing in front of Bearpaw.
"But you didn't come here to hear about my troubles. You're ambitious, I can see that. Not necessarily a bad thing, just don't let it get in the way of the things that matter. Your clanmates, your family." She mewed, sitting and wrapping her tail around her paws.
Bearpaw whirled around at the sound of a strange voice, his eyes blown wide as he tried to identify the other cat. Despite knowing that he was possibly safer than ever before, being in an unfamiliar land was putting him on edge. this entire situation was strange and out of his control...two things that he couldn't stand more than anything else. Being in Riverclan's land, he didn't expect to be confronted with a cat in the trees, however, upon lifting his head, that's exactly what he saw.
Ears pinned back, Bearpaw stared at the she-cat as she went on and on about her life. Birdsong...a cat who defected from Skyclan and ended up in Riverclan somehow. He lashed his tail once, wondering how or why any cat would want to leave Skyclan. They were the best clan in the entire forest! He'd heard some stories about past leaders and crazed cats, but that was in the past! Still...he could see why it might seem overwhelming to the cats that actually lived through such events.
The Starclan she-cat leapt down from her perch, landing with the grace of a Skyclan-raised warrior. He had no doubts about that part of her story, at least. Bearpaw, after a moment, mirrored her, sitting neatly as well, and examined her for a moment. She spoke of his ambitions and, for a moment, Bearpaw wondered how much she knew about him. It didn't matter. He had nothing to hide. Though, insinuating that his clan and family weren't his first concern was almost insulting.
"I'm well aware of what matters. I only care about Skyclan and my kin." He gazed cooly at the dead Riverclanner, blue eyes narrowed. "Someone has to." After a few seconds of silence, the brown and white apprentice's expression softened ever so slightly. "If you don't mind though...what specifically made you leave Skyclan?" He knew that his clan had a tumultuous past, though, the extent of it was a mystery to him. Plus, perhaps he could learn something useful from this.
Birdsong took in the apprentice's reaction in silence, undisturbed by the display. It did sadden her a little, that so many cats were wary and on edge, but she also couldn't really blame them for it. So she simply waited patiently as his ears flattened and he glared.
"Good, just making sure." Birdsong replied. "Just take care that it does not get you into more trouble than you can handle."
"Wolfstar, Bloodstrike and Beechfang cared about their family too. They also cared about vengeance when they were wronged, and that nearly destroyed them." Birdsong shook her head, a shiver running down her spine as she recalled the memories. Bearpaw had asked, though, and she would not deny him an answer. "None of them could have known what their actions would cause, but given that it was Dawnhawk, they should have known better. He betrayed the clan to a group of rogues, he killed a kit in cold blood and so much more. They were so blinded by their desire for justice that they lost sight of actually keeping the clan safe. We raided Windclan's camp after finding out they sheltered him despite our warnings, only to return and find our own camp a bloodbath. Apprentices, elders and a warrior dead. It was a living nightmare." A nightmare that had horrified even Skyclan's leadership, at the time. But one that could have been avoided.
"That's not the only reason I left, though. I grew up believing a lie. The cat who I thought was my mother, wasn't. I never liked Beechfang - Beechface, then. She was brash and violent in a way I despised. Still, I thought that being a medicine cat was something respectable, even if she had taken the life of a leader in battle, at least that was self-defense, nobody should attack a medicine cat, ever. Lying about being my mother, only telling my sister and I when our father was on his deathbed because of the one cat Skyclan's leadership chased... There was no self-defense in that, only pure selfishness. I couldn't stay, after that." A sigh left her, "For a while I resented the fact that I was related to any of them. Even my father, who was one of the more level-headed cats in the clan. It felt like nobody cared about our lives, and realizing that they cared so little for basic honesty wasn't something I could take. I figured Beechface wouldn't care. She had left me for her own sister to raise and pretend to mother, after all."
"I avoided Skyclan after that, even when I joined Riverclan. Then I died to a fox and... Well. I am glad to see that my former clan isn't quite as chaotic as it once was." Though letting the known murderer back into the clan and hiding it was not the smartest decision Birdstar had made. Even if the murderer did seem to be remorseful for some actions.
Bearpaw sniffed slightly, unimpressed by Birdsong's display. She was so prim and proper - probably thought that she was better than him because she'd deserted Skyclan. Whatever it was that had happened, he didn't condone clan-hopping. If Skyclan really had been in a tumultuous time, she should have stayed to help her clan recover. Regardless of his feelings on the matter, though, the brown and white apprentice sank to his haunches, willing to hear out the Starclan she-cat.
Bloodstrike and Beechfang...those names were familiar, but only one of the aforementioned cats was still around. Bearpaw distinctly remembered chatting with Beechfang as a kit and, even now, often stewed over not getting a satisfactory answer from the elderly she-cat. He hummed along as she spoke, listening intently to the story like an enraptured kit. It wasn't often that his clanmates told stories and never had they told one that painted Skyclan in a bad light. It had always been some other cat's fault for what happened. Hearing things from a different perspective was...odd.
Eventually, Birdsong fell silent, her tale seemingly over. Bearpaw mulled over what she had said, his tail flicking back and forth, almost in a distressed pattern. Brash...violent...those weren't words he liked his clanmates to be associated with. And to know that Beechfang had once been a medicine cat...it was confounding. The rumors that she was a murderer seemed to be true after all as well. It was something that didn't sit right with the brown and white tom.
Licking his lips, Bearpaw fixed his gaze on Birdsong, his ears angled back uncertainly. "Do you..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Do you approve of Beechfang being back in Skyclan?" Bearpaw, admittedly, wasn't terribly interested in Skyclan's history. What he was, however, interested in, was potential threats to the safety of his kin and his clan. "Since she's killed before, do you think she might do it again?" Beechfang hadn't acted particularly bloodthirsty that Bearpaw had noticed but, then again, neither did he when others were around.
"Also...you said Skyclan is less chaotic now? That's good..." He blinked slowly at Birdsong, looking as though he's eaten something rotten. "I think we still have a way to go. I want our clan to become something truly admirable...with strong, loyal cats that can be trusted." Our clan, because as much as Birdsong wanted to distance herself from Skyclan, it was still her place of birth - she had still been raised there. Though, despite her shortcomings, she wasn't a bad cat.
"That's hard to answer objectively." Birdsong murmured thoughtfully, "I think she is genuinely remorseful, at least for Cloverheart. But remorse and regret shouldn't absolve one of the consequences, either. She was exiled for a reason, no matter how unfair it was to her daughters." She had a hard time blaming Birdstar and Wolfblossom for allowing their mother back into the clan, much as she disagreed with it. Perhaps if it had been Ravenclaw in that position, Birdsong would have done the same thing. "Lately it's not often that I disagree with Skyclan's leadership, but this decision is one, I suppose. But this shouldn't be for the dead to decide - especially not one who abandoned the clan in question, the living are the ones who have to deal with those consequences and fallout, not me."
Bearpaw sniffed, unconvinced. Remorseful? Beechfang? It seemed unlikely. The brown and white apprentice looked away; his expression thoughtful. Why did it matter that she was sorry? She had still murdered a cat and that could never be forgiven. Surely, this Cloverheart had a family - cats that loved her and missed her once she was gone? It wasn't fair to them or to Cloverheart to allow her murderer to roam free without consequence. Besides, even if Beechfang did, in fact, regret what she had done - did she feel sorry for her actions or was she content forget about them?
His claws slid into the soil, tail-tip twitching uncomfortably. Of course, he only knew one part of the story and who's to say that Birdsong wasn't biased against Beechfang? He would have to do some more digging to get to the bottom of this - even if that meant going to Beechfang herself. He nodded slowly as Birdsong continued, his mind clearing. It wasn't right to condemn Beechfang just yet. He would need more proof before that. Birdsong was an...unreliable source.
"Right. I'm glad you feel that way. Some cats think that Starclan meddles..." He paused, glancing at Birdsong with narrowed eyes. "...too much." He'd not been alive nearly as long as the rest of the cats in the forest, but if the stories were at all accurate, Starclan wasn't as wise and all-knowing as they seemed.
There was nothing he could do to stop Starclan from pushing their noses into the business of the living, but a few snide remarks never hurt anyone. Grunting, Bearpaw got to his paws, his blue eyes scanning the starry landscape for an exit. "Thank you for talking to me, but I think I'm done here. I have...a lot to think about." Not just about her concern over his so called 'ambitions' but about Beechfang as well. He needed to intervene before something bad happened.
"Some would agree with that. They aren't wrong, sometimes. We're still cats like anyone among the living, just... sparkly." The star-speckled tabby let out a soft snort. "Maybe my biases color my thoughts." She shrugged.
There was more Birdsong would have liked to say, but she could feel the waking world reclaiming the tom before her. "Farewell, then." As Bearpaw returned to the living, Birdsong turned, leaping back into the trees.
