Elmpaw's Moonstone Journey

It had been a long moon cooped up in camp, waiting for his wounds, both emotional and physical to heal. Some days it felt like the only three cats that could keep him grounded were his parents and Featherpaw. Sprucebark had of course scolded him for his behavior, but even then he had been a comfort. Although the real thing that made him snap at times was a secret he kept closely guarded to his chest.

Elmpaw didn't want to think that either his mother or father would ever want to leave him. But he also had no idea how to confirm his thoughts. Scorchlight had been so scared, worried that she might have failed him. Why would he ever want to tell her that he was worried about his biological parents when she had been there the whole time?

Honestly, that was about the sole comfort Elmpaw had in this. He didn't know if his mother would have loved him. His father was also gone. But he could say without a shadow of a doubt that Sprucebark and Scorchlight did love him. Maybe that also made the pain all that bitter, too. Because that love they gave him should have been more than enough. Not only them, but Featherpaw, and even Poppyshine, the very cat guiding him to the moonstone now, had never once made him think anything other than that she, too, loved him.

All of that should have been enough.

But he needed to know. Elmpaw needed the truth. Maybe the moonstone would grant him that.

So Elmpaw followed Poppyshine into the dark tunnel that led into highstones. He could feel his fur brushing the sides of the walls, and just up ahead, Poppyshine's tail tickled his nose. And still he moved confidently forward, his only thought on the answers StarClan could give him. If not on his parents, then at least something to prove he could be a good warrior. Not just the coward Perchstar wanted him to be. Because he wasn't a coward. He wouldn't run away. Never.

Finally, light filled his vision, and he realized Poppyshine had stepped off to the side, leaving him in front of the moonstone on his own. He had heard many stories, but words could never describe the sight in front of him. It looked like the moonstone was bigger than any of the stones they had at Sunningrocks, and even those were fairly large. And none of them glowed like this!

Finally, he found it in himself to step forward, pressing his nose against the stars-blessed rock. It was cold to the touch, sending a tingling along his spine.

Before long, the world seemed to fall from beneath his paws as he drifted off to sleep.

He hadn’t meant to die so young, but then again who intended to ever die? The snowstorm had come so suddenly, and with no idea what to do or where his patrol was little Ospreypaw had curled up between the interlocking roots of the oak tree. He had fallen, dreaming of playing with Finchpaw in the snow, his mother, Fogheart, not too far off. It was a weird dream, Fogheart grew bolder… And Finchoaw faded away until it was just son and mother, stars dancing in his pelt. Together again. Taken by the same cruel force. But he had his mama back now, all was forgiven. Ospreypaw wished he had been there when Finchpaw had become Finchstream, and when she’d had her kits. His heart had thumped so hard when she even had named one after him, if only he could tell her how much it had meant. He missed living a lot, being able to help his friends, or anyone that needed him. Here, amongst the stars, no one except for the dead called for him. The white chested apprentice couldn’t give them anything, but he longed too. All Ospreypaw wanted was to be something more. So when the stars dragged him away from his mama, he had hoped and prayed that he would be useful again.

It seemed he had finally earned StarClan favour, the tabby jumped in excitement seeing the apprentice sleeping in front of him, letting out an excited yip. Whatever Elmpaw wanted to know Ospreypaw had all the answers stored in his noggin. Or maybe he shouldn’t impart all of the wisdom he’d collected in his moons amongst the stars, he just needed to give Elmpaw a nudge in the right direction, just a paw. His nose scrunched as he pondered we what to do next, was the larger apprentice even really sleeping? Ah, he couldn’t wait any longer! With a gentle paw, he gently prodded Elmpaw, awake or not. “Hi!” he greeted, with a loud purr “I’m Ospreypaw of RiverClan… StarClan now though, I suppose. I’m here to help you out and hopefully give you a friendly push into being the best warrior ever… if you’ll let me.” He wanted to help so bad, but he also wanted to be respectful. What if the poor guy was stressed out? He didn’t want Elmpaw to think he did a bad job otherwise he’d end up useless again.

“It is nice to meet you, Elmpaw.” purred Ospreypaw, taking a step back. The bigger apprentice hardly seemed bothered by his sudden awakening, to which he was grateful for. Elmpaw had all the aspirations typical of an apprentice, which the tabby understood. He’d shared similar views, though his were more orientated towards making his mama proud. It hurt he’d never been able to become the warrior she had hoped he would become, but he knew that in life he hadn’t faltered. He had never laid paws on another cat, had never said an unkind thing and had only helped his clan. Reminding himself of these things gave him comfort when he thought of his shortcomings. Elmpaw’s problems were something he could definitely help with.

“Sorry if this is blunt, but do you want to die, Elmpaw?” he asked, blinking ”You sound very fearless, which is a compliment! But, from what you’ve told me it seems like it could also be your downfall. Being the hero won’t make you a good warrior, sometimes staying alive is the bravest thing you can do.” his gaze travelled to the sand beneath their paws and he began to shuffle it back and forth. ”I wouldn’t say I was as brash as you in life, but I certainly felt hopeless. You see, my mama died when I was still a kit, I missed her so much. I wanted to make her proud, but I also just wanted to be with her again. I was in such a slump, until I realised that my friends needed me, and so did my clan. Your friends need you to, Elmpaw. You are much more valuable alive, so don’t go wasting that gift running off to fight some fox or owl to prove yourself.” Ospreypaw lifted his head, fixing Elmpaw with a gentle, but firm stare. “I mean it!”