Frostpaw's Moonstone

Burdockroot hadn't done a Moonstone in a while. Taking a breath, she exited the medicine den and slipped into the apprentice den. Her eyes scanned for the apprentice, Frontpage, who would be traveling today. Making her way, she nudged the apprentice awake and motioned for the den entrance before slipping back out. When she was joined by the young cat, the medicine cat pawed the bundle of herbs towards them. "Eat. It's for your traveling herbs, for strength. It is a long journey between here and there."

ooc: okay “frontpage” made me laugh. that’s almost as bad as the time autocorrect turned wolfblossom to football.

Frostpaw had never really slept well. The moment she curled up in a nest, it seemed as if the cold cut right through her pelt, as if her bones dug into her flesh. When she did finally fall asleep, it was a light doze filled with unsettling things she could never remember once she woke up. Blinking slowly, the small apprentice carefully rose to her paws, feeling the cold close in around her. Her nest was somewhat away from the other apprentices, not nearly as close as those of siblings or friends, and so it was without disturbance that she slunk out of the den. It was very odd to be awake in the day.

Obediently, Frostpaw ate the herbs, face impassive as ever even though they tasted just as horrible as she remembered. Ugh. If this was her Moonstone (and it could hardly be anything else), she could not fathom how the medicine cats could stomach the herbs every single time. The only other option was to make the long trek without sustenance, which would undoubtedly be worse.

The small apprentice turned her gaze back to Burdockroot, ready to silently follow wherever the medicine cat led. She was skinny and undersized, but understood that the trek had to be made, and so she would make it. Although… she would much rather be sleeping or doing something useful, especially during the day. The sunlight made her eyes sting.

OoC: Sorry about that!! I was sleeping and sprung my eyes awake because I remembered I hadn't posted it yet and typed a quick one on my phone.

Burdockroot was always blessed with thick and long fur. It protected her from the cold, but importantly, it hid her weight. She had lost a lot of weight recently, as did they all. She was weaker. Almost every trip to the Moonstone, she went without herbs. But this one... She had already swallowed her bit before the apprentice came. It would be a nightmare for her to collapse out there in front of an apprentice.

"Let's get to your Moonstone." Burdockroot urged, heading out of camp. With a slower gate than normal, the medicine cat followed the familiar trail on instinct. She used to hate these things, the Moonstones. One on one individual time with a cat was her nightmare. And most apprentices were annoying. Heatherberry took over this duty for her and it suited her well enough - but she deserved a break. Hence, this Frostpaw.

"Did you know you have the name of a leader? The last leader before Leopardstar. True leader, that is. Before Nightstalker, during the Dark Forest Invasion when I was born." Usually her small talk was a lot more drab, but she was actually interested in this conversation. Forced inflection from her monotone voice tried to portray that.

ooc: np, thanks for the laughs :D

Frostpaw followed Burdockroot closely, a silent little shadow still blinking from the unaccustomed daytime brightness. She could take this pace, although hopefully she was not slowing the medicine cat down. It was unnerving for her to be away from camp; she could only imagine how such an important cat felt, being so far away from the Clanmates she had sworn to protect. At least she had the capable Heatherberry to assist her, and yet… she did not know, and it was not her place to do so. All she had to do was follow in Burdockroot’s pawsteps and appreciate the comfortable silence. She could do that.

The attempt in engaging her in conversation came as a genuine surprise to the small she-cat. She blinked up at Burdockroot, trying to decide if this was an actual start to a conversation she was supposed to take part in (unlikely, from what she knew of the medicine cat) or simply an observation. After all, spending so much time alone in the medicine den would make one more likely to talk without expecting an answer. Rhetorical questions, perhaps, and yet she looked almost expectant. Joy. Conversation. Her absolute favourite thing, next to Gatherings that were full of cats talking and yelling and howling.

That was sarcasm.

Had she known that? It took her a moment to reply, as always, filing away the information in her mind so it could be neatly fitted into her worldview at a later time.

1. The most obvious fact: Burdockroot did not care for Nightstalker.
2. Burdockroot was born during the Dark Forest Invasion, which would make her a little younger than Pineblossom and Swiftheart.
3. Frostpaw shared a name with a supposed “Froststar”
4. Nightstalker must have been Froststar’s deputy.

She had heard of a Froststar, she thought, deputy to the Murkystar of legend, both cats whose leadership had been cut short. Why would the medicine cat mention this? If she was born during the Dark Forest invasion, she could perhaps be Froststar’s kit, or maybe just a friend. Or perhaps she was just making small talk for the walk there, and did not enjoy the silence as much as Frostpaw had assumed she did. At any rate, it seemed a reply was expected.

“I believe I did know of Froststar,” the small apprentice responded, dipping her head respectfully. “Is there any particular reason as to why you ask?”

Perhaps it was a test, she realised a second too late. After all, it was important for one to know one’s history. She would’ve known more, had it not been for the way the elders and queens both seemed tired and ill-disposed to telling stories during her kithood, as if the act of keeping tales to themselves would fill their bellies. No matter. She would remember, now, to ask, when she could, and to learn.

Burdockroot considered the Apprentice's question. Why did sheww ask? "I don't know why I ask. It was so long ago, I was hoping that that time was still discussed. It cannot be forgotten. He was a good leader, his worst decision leaving Nightstalker as deputy." Her claws nearly dug into the ground at that thought. The thought of him standing above the clan. How much loyalty and dedication he threw into him. This journey made her think of the time when she was Frostednight, being asked to travel with him to Moonstone. He said nobody liked her because she never spoke to anyone...

"My name was originally Frostednight." Burdockroot offered, the view of Highstones in front of them.

Ooc: sorry, I guess my post never sent a few days ago.

ooc: no worries!

She didn’t know why she asked? Careful choice of one’s words was a virtue, and a ShadowClan one at that. Or perhaps the other she-cat merely wished to reminisce of days long gone by? Frostpaw dipped her head to show she had been listening, but otherwise kept quiet, the smallest hint of apprehension stirring in her stomach. Though her face was impassive as ever, she was a bit… nervous. About StarClan.

ooc: short

The apprentice never responded, and Burdockroot was almost insulted. Nevertheless, she led the rest of the way up the worn stones. When they were about to enter the tunnel, Burdockroot instructed the apprentice to follow close behind and be careful. Soon, they were in the cave and the Moonstone blazed in front of them. "Lay down and touch your nose to the rock. You will fall asleep." Burdockroot flicked her tail, and took the comfortable spot she usually took.

Silently obedient, Frostpaw followed along at Burdockroot’s side like a little shadow, ignoring the apprehension sparking in her chest. This was… dark. True darkness, black as night’s shadow. The feeling of the cold stone against her pawpads came into focus, as did the sound of the older she-cat’s longer fur brushing against the walls. It was… she did not know if she lived it.

At last, they came to the light. The Moonstone glowed, almost blindingly, freezing the small she-cat in place until Burdockroot’s instructions registered. Okay. Okay. Slowly, hesitantly, she touched her nose to the stone and fell into darkness.

Snowfoot barely knew what to say to the young cat who appeared before her. The Dark Forest reign had left her without a Moonstone trip of her own, so this was her first time on either side. She took a deep breath, letting her instincts guide her.

“Hello, Frostpaw,” she purred, resisting the urge to lick the kit on the head. “My, how you’ve grown! It’s good to see you again.”

Frostpaw blinked her eyes open.

Stars surrounded her, white and blue and silvery, glistening in the light they themselves provided. For a moment, she paused, caught in their unexpected beauty, but then her name was called and she directed her gaze to the cat who stood before her, faintly familiar in the way only things from her kithood were.

“Snowfoot?” The elder was a faint memory, white fur and a soothing, strained voice, but she thought she remembered stories, tales from the distant past. Frostpaw gave the StarClanner a hesitant, shy smile, paws shuffling, eyes darting every which way as she strove to take in as much of her surroundings as possible. “…it’s nice to see you, too.”

Snowfoot smiled, white-tipped black tail relaxing as she saw the look of recognition in Frostpaw’s eyes. Her life was not in vain, ShadowClan still remembered their past. She forced down a chuckle as the apprentice shuffled her paws the same way Snowfoot used to when nervous.

“What do you hope to learn from me?” The question came tumbling out as if she’d asked it a hundred times. This must be a normal part of a Moonstone visit.