Crabpaw's Moonstone Journey

With the herbs laid out for yet another troublemaker of an apprentice, Heatherberry waited until each herb was chewed up and swallowed before giving a nod that they would be on their way. "The journey will be long, but the herbs will help fight the exhaustion. Come now; the moon is rising higher. And don't wander!" Crabpaw as a kit had been a handful, no doubt he still was. There must have been something in the queens water that produced so many kits that loved to wander off without warning.

***

The journey to Highstones was smooth, the usual path becoming more trampled and clear after ShadowClan's forced hiatus from the forest. Most of daily life was returning to normal, the greying hairs along the young molly's back the only reminder that things had once been far from okay.

The winding tunnels of Mothermouth slowly opened up to reveal the glittering stone that fed off the light of the moon at the caves center. "Get comfortable and press your nose to the stone. StarClan will greet you in your dream; I will be here when you wake."

Crabpaw swallowed back the herbs with such quick and fierce enthusiasm that there was little time to taste the bitterness that coated the back of his throat and tongue. Eager eyes glistening with excitement quickly met Heatherberry's gaze as she nodded. Her warning prompted several twists of his head, signaling an agreement that was quickly confirmed with a verbal acknowledgement, "I would never, Heatherberry! I don't know the way!" How else would he get to the Moonstone if he didn't follow the medicine cat?

He'd shaken his coat out in confusion before following after, however, the journey did prove both his eyes and paws were prone to wandering slightly. The insightful wisdom of the medicine cat was something that he needed to learn to appreciate more, or adopt deeper levels of self-awareness. Crabpaw sauntered after the she-cat with nothing more than thoughts of consulting the stars. Surely they would impart on the ginger tom a wisdom of how to become the best warrior in all of the forest, or maybe how to easily catch a snake between his paws. Something in between those two things.

"Okay." He meowed, at a more normal volume than usual on account of the slackness of his jaw in response to such a dazzling sight, "I'll tell them you say hi!" Vigor returned as he abruptly snuggled up to the stone with his nose pressed to it. Within seconds, Crabpaw's flank rose and fell in a tell-tale sign of sleep.