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.
Welcome to WCC! Here are our latest announcements:
Activity checks take place on the 1st of the month. If you miss one activity check, make sure you do the next one!
Leaf-fall is finally here, and with it, the promise of colder, crueler, days ahead.
Gatherings take place on the 1st of the month; keep your eyes out for a staff member's post!
Please feel free to hit up any staff member if you have any questions!
Subject: Brackenpaw's Moonstone Journey Wed 6 Mar 2024 - 20:26
002
All Hail SkyClan's Resident Disney Princess
thymelight
No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing.
Thymelight waited outside of the apprentices' den for Brackenpaw to come out. She wasn't close to Honeydew's , but she was glad that he had returned after being missing for so long. She also knew that, before his disappearance, Foxtrot had been named as his mentor. Just thinking of her uncle made her entire body hurt, but she wanted to keep a brave face on for the apprentice's sake. It wouldn't be fair of her to let her trauma affect anyone else. She glanced down at the traveling herbs that she had laid out at her paws for him before looking back up at the den.
Brackenpaw wasn't particularly excited about heading back to Highstones so soon, he'd literally only been back for all of... He wasn't sure, but he'd hardly gotten settled at all. There was so much he was still catching up on and coming to terms with. Each day he went to bed exhausted from something new he learnt, and woke up with bags under his eyes from sleep that didn't come as he lay awake dwelling on his regrets. At least tonight he would be awake for something useful tonight. He felt guilty keeping Thymelight waiting, but he wanted to check on Harepaw before he left, not that there was much point. His brother wasn't sick anymore, and he was just as close to being a warrior as Brackenpaw was. Another sharp pang of sadness hit the tom as he realised how much he truly had missed. He wished he'd been there for all of it. With a heavy sigh, he pushed out of the apprentice's den and approached Thymelight. "Evening, Thymelight." he said with a small smile, bending down to eat the herbs she had prepared. "I'm ready to leave if you are."
No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing.
"Hi, Brackenpaw." Thymelight greeted the apprentice with a soft smile of her own and patiently allowed him to swallow down the bitter traveling herbs before nodding in approval and turning to lead the way out of camp. The trip to Highstones was so common for her now that she seemed to blink and they were already in front of Mothermouth. She paused briefly in front of the tunnel's entrance before turning to briefly face Brackenpaw. "Welcome to Highstones. Stay close to me while we're in the tunnel, and when we get inside, you can press your nose to the Moonstone. I'll be there when you wake up, okay?"
With that, the she-cat ducked inside and expertly made her way through the dark tunnels with the young tom not too far behind. She allowed herself to silently sigh once she made eye contact with the Moonstone, but she didn't allow her discomfort to visibly show as she found a spot in a corner to wait for Brackenpaw to finish his dream.
The herbs were bitter, he'd never had anything like them before and he swallowed them with a grimace. The pair were quick to depart, and excited as he was for his moonstone, he dreaded returning to highstones, having spent the past few moons amongst the mountains. "It's only welcome if I don't end up stuck here for another month." mewed Brackenpaw bitterly, though it was meant to be a joke the words came out full of disdain. The tom followed Thymelight through the maze of caverns, when they reached the moonstone he glanced at her then made his way over, pressing his nose against the cool surface. His eyes fell closed instantaneously.
Brackenpaw awoke to the smell of pine, it was all around him, and it felt like a warm hug. His eyes cracked open, expecting to be met by a pine grove, but to his surprise the starlit planes were almost barren. He frowned. StarClan was already weird, and he didn't much like tricks. Shouldn't his StarClan cat have appeared by now? What was taking them so long? He began to feel uneasy, sniffing again. The scent of pine seemed to be behind him, taunting him, following him. The realisation hit him like the blow of a badger paw straight to the chest, his knees buckled and for some inexplicable reason he felt tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. "You're behind me," mewed Brackenpaw softly, his voice like a dandelion clock on the wind "Aren't you, mama?"
"I was wondering how long it would take you to notice I was." Came Thornstalker's voice, right behind Brackenpaw just as he predicted. "While this might be the first time I have been physically behind you, I was there the whole time even before now." The pale she-cat said, sitting down, waiting for her son to make his way over to her. "I'm so glad you made your way back to me, to your home."
A choked laugh escaped Brackenpaw, and he spun round rushing towards Thornstalker, letting the warmth of his starry mother envelop him. He didn't know what to say, now he was in her embrace he didn't want to speak, or breathe, or move in case he woke up. Instead he silently wept into her fur, burying himself further into his mother's thick pelt like he was a little kit. He just wanted to stay here. Forever. He inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. No sickness, no blood, in StarClan she was okay. Brackenpaw let out a rattling breath. "I know, mama." he mewed "Even when I made dumb choices." He stepped back, but just enough to look up at his mother, eyes glassy with tears. "Can I stay here? I'm not sure there's a place for me back in SkyClan and I want to see Flamekit too... Is she here?"
