Blazesong returned back from training Maplepaw, her apprentice’s tail dragging on the ground she was so exhausted. When they finally ariived back in camp, she flopped down onto the earth. “It hurts,” she moaned, flopping a paw over her forehead. “I’ll never survive this.” Moonpelt, overhearing her yowls, ran over as fast as he could, mouthfull of herbs and gray fur streaming out behind him. “Who’s hurt?” he said, spitting out herbs all over Maplepaw’s body. “Oh my StarClan!” he cried, crouching down next to her. “What happened?” Blazesong rolled her eyes. “Training happened.” Moonpelt cocked his head to one side. “What?” Maplepaw rolled over. “Oh, the agony!” “Quit being dramatic, mouse-brain. Go get some rest.” With a groan and a quick roll of her eyes, Maplepaw slowly got to her paws and walked over to her den. Moonpelt looked at her, hi whiskers twitching in amusement. “You’re a good mentor, evidently, Blazestar.” Hearing her leader’s name struck guilt into her heart again. She had been so worried about getting her clan set up that she forgot completely to go receive her true name. A knot tightening in her belly, she knew immediately what she had to do. “Moonpelt,” she began, “There’s something I have to go do. I’ll be back in a few sunrises, but in the meantime, are you okay to watch Maplepaw?” Moonpelt did not even question his leader. “Of course.” Blazesong was so filled with gratitude for her faithful medicine cat, and, purring, she rubbed her face against his. He seemed startled by the gesture. “Good luck,” he said, stumbling over his words. Blazesong just nodded in response, before turning towards the great unknown. The forest was streaked with orange and shadows, like a great tiger’s pelt, but she was not afraid. She knew StarClan would guide her paws. With that, she left her clan behind, traveling into the forest.
***
Unsure of what exactly she was looking for, Blazesong wandered for quite a while. Back home, her clan shared tongues with StarClan at the top of a small mesa. Now, she had no idea where StarClan was hiding. Her island, while well-equipped, seemed to be lacking in special places for StarClan to hide. Her pelt prickled with unease; what if StarClan didn’t want them to settle here after all? Avoiding the landbridge to the badlands, she rounded the coast of the island to fins the small offshoot towards the mountains. Wondering if she’d find anything there, she followed her instinct. It was a quiet walk to the mountains, the ground beneath her paws slowly changing from soft grass to hard pebbles. She had to make frequent stops to lick them out of her paw pads, silently sending up prayers that none of them would get entirely stuck in her paw. She didn’t know the herbs here as well as Moonpelt did, and the smell of any blood my attract the large mountain cats down from their hidey holes, looking for an easy snag of fresh-kill. Blazesong pushed the idea away, shuddering with fear. Eventually, she came to the base of the large mountains. The cliffs were sheer, the moonshine reflecting off their sides, and it looked as though even if she wanted to climb them, there was no way up. Irritated, she went to turn away, before a small flower patch in between the mountains caught her eye. Having nothing to lose, she went to investigate. Shoving a few of the flowers aside with her nose, she saw they were hiding a small tunnel, just big enough for a cat. Her whiskers twitched, unsure. She couldn’t smell any predators, but she knew unfamiliar tunnels could be dangerous. StarClan, if you’re giving out signs, now would be a great time. StarClan seemed to hear her desperate prayer, and just as she spoke, the moon’s glow seemed to directly illuminate the tunnel. It basked in a friendly white glow, and Blazesong knew this was exactly where she was supposed to go. With a simple twitch of her tail, she plunged inside.
***
The tunnel was cramped, but it wasn’t anything overly uncomfortable. She had just enough room to stand up and turn around, but cats would have to travel in a single-file line to get through. Luckily, it wasn’t a complicated path either; it simply seemed to be a downward slope towards StarClan knows where. Blazesong, filled with determination, pressed on. She didn’t know how long she was in the cramped tnnel until it opened up into a huge cavern. To her left, the cavern continued, dark and ominous, but to her right, the cavern was open, facing the waves of the ocean like a large mouth. A stream cut down the middle, taking in water from the salty ocean. All of a sudden, Blazesong felt peace. She knew StarClan was hiding here. With a huge sigh of relief, she knew she could now share tongues with her warrior ancestors. She laid down by the rushing stream, and prepared herself for sleep. Before she did, though, she knew she had to give this place a name, a sort of finality to its depths, a place where StarClan knew they were always welcome. Glancing towards the gaping mouth of the cavern, it came to her easily: MoonMouth. And with that, she closed her eyes and opened her mind, ready to reach her ancestors.