She had followed dutifully after the tom, recognising him only as Rimepaw's father and a warrior with an interesting name - Spine something - and she felt a brief pang of concern for Swiftstream, the kind-hearted medicine cat who had treated her wounds after her run in with a badger that was now so long ago. As the duo had approached Highstones, Heronpaw had felt a sense of wonderment at the tall structures of stones, and followed the twitch of his ears to the entrance of Mothermouth. She followed in his pawsteps as they ventured to find the moonstone, whiskers brushing the cavern walls around her, the gentle wisps of his tail-fur brushing her nose as she fought to stay close to him, heeding his warning about getting lost a little too eagerly.
As they entered the cavern where the moon shone down onto the large stone, illuminating everywhere in a light only comparable to the heavenly glow of StarClan, a feather soft purr worked its way out from her chest, and she settled down, tucking her paws comfortably under her lithe body in an attempt to conserve warmth. A little nervous to be going into the dream alone, the mottled she-cat stretched out her muzzle to the stone, before taking a deep breath and pressing her nose against it.
Steeling her nerves with another deep breath, the she-cat opened her eyes, them involuntarily widening with shock at the landscape presented before her. Vast moorland, an exact replica of WindClan's territory greeted her gaze, and a warm greenleaf breeze imbued itself into her pelt. Standing, she found herself warm and filled with a strange contentment, and any anxiety of going into the dream alone was immediately dissolving under the sun she felt warming her long fur. Glancing around lazily, she watched a young rabbit hop into the open, but before she could take even half a pawstep toward it, a familiar voice drifted into her ears.
"Heron," she heard him purr, and the molly echoed the softness of his purr.
"Grayfrost!" Excitement now pulsed through Heronpaw's paws, and she burst forward until she was pressed flat against her father, the top of her head barely reaching his chin, and yet she still attempt to rub her cheek against the jut of his chin, happiness at seeing her father once more replacing any previous feelings of nerves or apprehension that had burned in the depths of her chest. Instead, she relished his scent and the softness of his fur on her own, and she rasped her tongue over his shoulder, feeling him do the same to her ears.
"Now listen, I don't have much time, but your mother and I could not be more proud of who you've become and the warrior we know you will be," the blue hues that had earned him his warrior name met her own, and while they were tinted with sincerity and solemness, it didn't disguise the pure love, affection and pride that swam in the depths of his eyes. Blinking affectionately at her, he continued, "However, you need to understand what's best for both yourself, and the welfare of everyone around you. Sometimes what's best for you isn't best for everyone, and you need to be able to prioritise the greater good if you want to serve your clan the best you can." His voice was stern, and she nodded enthusiastically in response, taking it on board the best she possibly could.
"I understand," she murmured, glad to see the softness she had come to love returning to his features, and he purred, giving her one last lick atop her head, and she pressed a little further into him, knowing that soon the sun would be rising and she would have to leave her father once more. "I love you, and tell Birdflight I love her too. I'll be the best warrior I possibly can be until StarClan sees fit for me to join its ranks alongside you." Heronpaw purred, trying to avoid the lump that had begun to gather in her throat, and she stepped back from her father.
"We love you too Heron," was the last thing she heard from the tom's lips as everything faded to black, and she woke up, giving a lopsided smile to Spinestalker as she stood and shook out each leg in turn, the warmth she had felt in StarClan quickly disappearing, as quick as it had arrived. The she-cat made her way from the cavern, carefully picking out the scents that had been wavering in the air from their trip down here, glad to feel fresh air on her whiskers. Heronpaw waited for Spinestalker to take the lead back to camp, deciding she wanted to mull over her father's words a little longer, while it was still fresh in her mind.
Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:55 pm
