Jaypaw's Moonstone Journey

Wolfblossom made her way across camp with the two bundles of herbs, setting them down carefully as she ducked her head into the entrance of the apprentice's den. The sun had barely started to rise for the morning, and most of her clanmates were probably still asleep. Finding the pelt of the apprentice she was searching for, the deputy called to him softly, hoping to avoid waking up his denmates. "Jaypaw, time to get up." She retreated a few steps and waited for the apprentice to join her outside the den. The deputy bent her head, lapping up one portion of the herbs, and nudged the second bundle toward the apprentice once he joined her outside the den.

"Eat these... I guess they'll keep us from feeling like we're starving for a little while. It's a long walk to the moonstone." She attempted to make light of it, but there was a dark undercurrent of worry to Wolfblossom that only seemed to grow with each passing day. She almost didn't want to risk leaving their starving clan for as long as it would take to get to the moonstone and back, but tradition was tradition, she supposed, and Jaypaw was long overdue for this.

He heard the call to get up and it still didn’t feel right, his vision was still blurry but he got up & went to where Wolfblossom was. He was ashamed of his last attempt at the moonstone his tiredness was very visible & it got rained out. So to do it better than that he started getting up earlier and walking around the territory for endurance. It was also nice just to have a little walk around. He had started to catch prey on those trips too because of the lack of it.

He reach Wolfblossom & ate the herbs as instructed, the let the pain ease out his tiredness like last time. With this second trip he would now know a bit more about both cats in charge and he would hopefully be able to get on their good side. He hoped he did with Birdstar, now it was time for Wolfblossom. He managed a “Ready” and waited for the time to go.

With a nod, Wolfblossom led the way from camp. Usually when she was up early, birdsong was already beginning to stir in the trees, but the forest was quiet as it had been for weeks now. Empty. The traveling herbs at least dulled the gnawing ache of hunger in her belly, and hopefully that would make the trip bearable for both herself and the apprentice she led through Skyclan territory. Jaypaw was one of the apprentices she had spent less time with, but today would be a good start in getting to know one more of her clanmates better. Talking might distract from the sorry state of their fresh-kill pile, at least.

"How has training been, Jaypaw?" She'd apprenticed him to Falconmoon, another cat Wolfblossom needed to check in with more often.

Wolfblossom started with a nod. Even already he had been feeling better than last attempt at the moonstone, that made him feel good as his self imposed training had been showing effect. Somehow Jaypaw was feeling good, better than most at times like these. Then he had realized the Forest was feeling emptier than usual like is stomach, normally full but in these times it was pretty much empty.

Wolfblossom had broke the silence with a question. “I’ve survived so far so I’d say well” he half joked. Some little light hearted ness wouldn’t hurt.

"Survival is what we do best, I suppose." Skyclan had survived a lot of things, their apprentices and warriors were strong-willed and determined. That wouldn't be enough to get them through the upcoming leafbare if prey was this difficult to find, but Skyclan would find a way. They had to.

"Excited for your moonstone?" Wolfblossom was confident that there would be nothing to stop the journey this time. It must have been crushing, to have it rained out, but from what she'd heard the tom had been working hard to prove himself. Starclan wouldn't be so cruel a second time, surely.

Jaypaw had been feeling even better no sighs of tiredness still. It was quite surprising to him walk more for half a moon and bam no tiredness whatsoever on moonstone trips. Wolfblossom's response reminded him of a Skyclan somehow survived this story, all of the stories he heard from the elders were good so no reason to complain.

Wolfblossom's question made him smirk, “Well, yeah” he started “I’ve been working at it for awhile now” he felt proud of his work, he is fine now but before he would’ve been very tired by this point. Then again it was weird seeing the Forest emptier than with his first trip. Still the thoughts of seeing Starclan were “I’ve also wondered what is was like talking to Starclan.” It's interesting to think about. For example, why were apprentices allowed to go see ancestors with a guide. Then warriors weren’t allowed to go with or without one. Then leaders could just go whenever they wanted to. It’s weird but interesting.

"Starclan are... Complicated." There were a million different words Wolfblossom could have used, but 'complicated' was fitting enough. "Still, it's a rite of passage for apprentices. Sometimes the ancestors are difficult, sometimes they offer good advice." She knew a lot of cats within her family viewed Starclan as a waste of time, and Wolfblossom hesitated to voice her agreement fully, but she could also understand why. One look at Falconmoon, at Beechfang, and her claws itched to fight them all for the circumstances her family found themselves in. But her place was not one to fill the apprentice's head with doubt. "My own trip to the moonstone was... nice enough, but nothing groundbreaking. I didn't wake up with new secrets or new knowledge - that's for the medicine cats, of course. To me it was more like a vivid dream, if I'm being honest." She mewed as they passed out of Skyclan territory, the sun rising above. "Everyone has different experiences, though."

Jaypaw had grown to be a little bit tired now. It was a long walk after all no shame in it. Starclan is complicated, according to Wolfblossom. Interesting it’s probably to the point where cats just simplified it to Starclan. Likely some the wouldn’t understand. He was a bit disappointed when she said they were difficult, but hearing that they can also give good advice was nice. They walked for a bit more he was still noticing the lack of prey around, it was quite disturbing. He watched as Wolfblossom talked about her moonstone journey. He had lower expectations for his moonstone before but somehow now it was lower. Then the sun had rised up it was beautiful really. On his early walks he had never seen the sun. He was brought back to reality with Wolfblossom, but at last they were at the edge of the territory. “Anything else you think I should know?”

((OOC: Let me know when you want to be at the moonstone proper, otherwise we can keep this up for a bit. It's up to you.))

"My own interactions with Starclan have been limited." Wolfblossom acknowledged that she wasn't the most versed in their ancestors, certainly not the best cat to ask of what to expect. "I think your meeting with them will go fine. Maybe they won't be too interesting, but that's not necessarily a bad thing." She would leave her doubts aside, the apprentice should be able to make his own conclusions about their ancestors without Wolfblossom's disillusionment. Personally, the less interesting things the ancestors had to say, the better, she thought. Smokepetal's latest prophecy was rattling, to say the least, and the lack of prey that plagued the forest was troubling. Even as they passed from Skyclan territory to walking along Thunderclan's borders, then fourtrees, very little of the birdsong or scents of prey filled the forest. The sun had risen to a bright day with no clouds in sight, and Wolfblossom could be thankful for that much, at least. As they crossed into Windclan territory in the afternoon, the deputy couldn't help but feel the lack of trees was almost foreboding. Even along the borders, their territory seemed much too open for any cat to truly live in comfortably. Highstones was visible in the distance though, a sure sign the two Skyclanners were getting closer.

OOC: I’d say a couple more posts.

Jaypaw had listened to Wolfblossom’s advice and settled on the idea that maybe asking Medice cats about that would’ve been a better idea. It didn’t really matter all to much, his experience would be soon anyways. He grew more concerned for the forest the more they walked through it. There was almost no sigh of life whatsoever. Well, as long as SkyClan found a way to survive, it would be fine. After walking more and more even through four trees. Then it seemed like a huge rock was in the distance. “Is that it?” curious if this walk was even close to over.

OOC: Gotcha.

The two continued to walk, with Wolfblossom keeping a wary eye out for Windclanners and predators alike. Clan cats would respect others traveling to the moonstone, but something about the lack of trees was deeply unsettling to the deputy, and she found herself wary. Jaypaw asking if they were close was a welcome distraction. "The big rocks in the distance? Yeah. That's highstones. We should make it to the mothermouth as the sun starts to set, right on time." She nodded, "I have to say... I don't envy the medicine cats making this trip so often. We are the farthest clan from the moonstone. I'm a little envious at the clans who only have half a day's journey instead of leaving at the crack of dawn."

Jaypaw noticed Wolfblossom’s sudden change to being aware. Probably looking for cats that could be opposing. In his opinion it would be stupid to oppose a deputy and apprentice travel to highstones, would you just be looking for embarrassment at the next gathering? He was glad to hear they were on time, that was a bit of a walk though. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be a medicine cat either.” he thought it would be weird to heal instead of fight. “A shorter walk does sound nice” he kept walking as the highstones would slowly get taller.

"I don't know how Smokepetal keeps up with everything. The herbs, injuries, illness... All important for the clan, of course." Wolfblossom had learned a few herbs and their uses from Plumleaf, before her sister's untimely passing, and both of her parents had been medicine cats at one point. "It's a difficult task and a lot of responsibility, but not in the same way that being deputy is. Can't say I'd want it, personally. Being deputy seems simpler in a lot of ways, if I'm being honest. And less overwhelming, most of the time." Well, relatively less overwhelming. As they talked, they left Windclan's territory behind them, and highstones loomed closer. The thunderpath was thankfully quiet, and the Skyclanners were able to cross with ease. The terrain grew more rocky beneath Wolfblossom's paws, something that wasn't entirely unlike Skyclan's own rocky forest, but not quite the same either.

"We're almost there." The deputy mewed. "You can see the entrance, up there." She motioned to a smudge of darkness against the rocky face of highstones. Mothermouth.

Jaypaw continued to listen to Wolfblossom. “Yeah, seems like a lot for one cat, you think she’ll take an apprentice soon?” he asked. After hearing Wolfblossom's opinion he said. “So, I should aim for deputy as a warrior?” He mostly wanted Wolfblossom's reaction, but an answer on that from the current deputy might be a good idea. They continued to walk and talk until the sun started to set. They could see what Wolfblossom called the Mothermouth. He knew it was the entrance to his conversation with Starclan. It still felt so strange seeing it for the first time, and maybe only time.

"That is up to her... I hope so. Birdstar and I work as a team to manage the clan on a day-to-day, I imagine she could use another set of paws to help in the same way with the medicine den. Leadership in general isn't easy, even with cats who work well together." She and Birdstar had always been close, her sister was like her best friend. Smokepetal was her former apprentice, and while there was much that Wolfblossom and Birdstar could help with, sometimes there were things only another medicine cat would be truly helpful for. With the famine continuing and leafbare approaching, having an extra set of paws might be a good idea.

The deputy's whiskers twitched in amusement at Jaypaw's words. "I think we all dream of it, and only realize how difficult it can be when we're suddenly chosen for the spot while the world is in a state of chaos around us. You think you get used to it after a few moons... Then something else happens and you learn." A soft laugh escaped her, "I hope Birdstar won't have to make another choice for a long time. I hope I don't have to make that choice for a long time." She added.

They had reached the entrance of the cavern, and the deputy glanced back, looking out over the forest territories below. There were still signs of last leafbare's troubles, though the forest was slowly healing from it. The trees were brilliant shades of red and gold. With a shake of her head, she turned back to the cavern's entrance.

"Alright, the path down to the moonstone is dark, so stick close, Jaypaw. When we get to it, you just touch your nose to it and lay down. Sleep comes faster than you'd expect it to, from what I remember." She mewed, and turning, the deputy led the way down the narrow tunnels toward the moonstone.

((You are good to go and have your Starclan cat reply after your post!))