Pantherpaw's Moonstone Journey

Peaceful slumber in the stars has suited Lavenderdrop. He was afforded the luxary of resiging among kin, clanmates, and loved ones for an eternity. And what a blissful thing it was to be removed from all of the things that had plagued him in life. The former Windclan warrior had found himself contented enough to ignore the affairs of the forest, and yet, even he was aware of the recent events that hade befallen the clans. Perhaps, it was this time of great turmoil and change that had summoned the otherwise removed tom from the depths. The stars needed even someone as insignificant as him.

As Pantherpaw slipped into the otherworldly realm of Starclan, Lavenderdrop appeared before him. Boasting his Windclan heritage, and kinship to the late Dawnhawk, the limber warrior was a stunning site enrobed in the beauty of the stars. At the edge's of his pale, silken coat was a shimmering dust reminiscent of the ethereal starry background from which he stepped. Twin pools of pale green light peered into the young apprentice with equal parts measured thought, and uncertainty.

He'd never welcomed an apprentice to the stars before.

Lavenderdrop drop blinked. Starclan was supposed to grant wisdom and guidance to those who visited. But he'd never experience that. The skies has been dark and the stars lost when he had been named a warrior. Having chatted with ancient Windclan cats, he'd heard stories of defining journeys during walks with the ancestors. How was he supposed to compare with that? He slowly blinked once more before clearing his throat in a manner that cut through the silence.

Welcome to Starclan, Pantherpaw!" As his maw parted in a pleasant greeting, the words were soft and yet full of overemphasized cheer. Lavenderdrop cringed inwardly at the odd sound of his own voice. Maybe that wasn't the right tone. Certainly, he'd find it along the way. His feathery tail flickered anxiously behind him, "I'm glad you made it. We've been waiting for you. I'm here to provide you guidance." Was he? What did he have to offer? Uncertainty rose in his chest and he forced anxious words away, willing the apprentice to speak.

ooc; for my reference... cc99cc

It was admittedly a little disconcerting that he couldn't read the apprentice's expression in order to find a clue about what he was thinking. This uncertainty coupled with the fact that it seemed Pantherpaw wasn't quite sure how to take his greeting. Lavenderdrop's ears heated up. Surely this would be the last time that he would ever welcome an apprentice to the stars. He settled back on his haunches, and neatly tucked his tail over his delicate paws. It appeared that the apprentice had more to say, which caused relief to wash over him. The pressure was off for a moment, instead of having to conjure up words from nowhere, all he had to do was find a way to respond.

But what came from the dark-furred tom's maw was the last thing he expected. First, Lavenderdrop's ears twitched, then his whiskers, as he meowed, "You think it is a punishment from Starclan?" There was an obvious shock in his voice, likely answering the question before he had the opportunity to elaborate. He hummed softly to himself, thinking further about what the other cat had just suggested. It was easy to think that things happened for a reason, or that Starclan's paws influenced everything underneath the stars. There had once been a time or two that in hearing the events that had befallen the clans, he had willed the ancestors to take action. But, that wasn't the way the world worked.

He'd briefly caught sight of the frown across Pantherpaw's face and it caused a pang in his heart. To lack the ability to show emotion, and yet only finding sorrow in the dreams where you could... hopefully the little words he could say would make some sort of a difference. Lavenderdrop exhaled in a memory of breath, expressing his own feelings at the weight of his conversation. Standing, he flicked his tail for Pantherpaw to follow him. As he padded away, they crossed star-dusted territory that mimicked the moorlands. Patches of heather dotted the slopes and the soft grass was gentle on their paw pads. The Starclan warrior's mind churned with many thoughts, wanting to fin the right thing to send him back with, now fully realizing the weight of his task. For so long, he had simply settled into enjoying the comforts that the afterlife had to offer. He had forgotten what it was like to live down in the forest, to feel the weight of life on your shoulders.

"If Starclan controlled such things, I would have hoped they would have taken away my anxious nature in the afterlife. It would have made this conversation much easier." Lavenderdrop admitted sheepishly. He stopped at the edge of a tunnel in the ground, a rabbit burrow, "If our paws could control the world below, nothing would ever happen to the clans. Sometimes things just happen, Pantherpaw, and there's not a reason for them. Good or bad. But you carve your own path, you know? It's up to you what you do with that world around you and the life you live." Stooping low, the cream-furred warrior poked his nose into the rabbit hole, peering in like he'd done eons before in life.

"Sometimes, you run down a rabbit hole and there is bountiful prey at the end. Other times, the tunnel collapses. Life keeps on moving either way. Make the best of it, alright? I'll be watching" And with that, Lavenderdrop darted forward, racing into the carved out tunnels, not worrying where his paws might carry him. It was such a freeing feeling, one he'd never thought too much about but happened to find because of a brief conversation with an apprentice. As he pelted forward, he found himself hoping that Pantherpaw had chosen to follow suit. Either way, it was up to him now where he went, hopefully without thoughts of the stars trying to hold him back. They willed him forward on whatever path he might go, and in spite of the things that would afflict him in the future.