Honeypaw's Medicine Cat Apprentice Ceremony

Sagelight woke at the crack of dawn, hurriedly grooming his fur so he looked at least somewhat presentable before he gathered the usual traveling herbs he needed. He and Honeypaw had a long journey ahead of them, but one that would be very rewarding. The medicine cat swallowed his bundle with practiced ease before he left the warmth of his den to find Honeypaw. It had been that very night that he had woken to discover that his niece was to become his apprentice. She had shown interest in the position since she was a kit, it was only right that StarClan would choose her. A good omen from StarClan amidst the turmoil that was going on in the forest.

He sighed and set Honeypaw's bundle down on the ground before peeking into the dark den, filled with sleeping apprentices. He didn't think Honeypaw would have gotten much sleep after what happened last night. "Honeypaw, it's time to go," he called in a loud whisper, trying his best to not once again wake the other apprentices. "I have your herbs for you!" Earlier he had been apprehensive about taking an apprentice; he didn't feel qualified enough for the task. But now that he knew it was his eager niece, he felt much better about the prospect.

Her uncle’s voice roused Honeypaw from her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, staring groggily into the darkness, waiting for the fog to clear from her head so she could actually think straight. Remembering the discussion with Sagelight just a few hours ago and the offer he had made her, she quickly bolted up into a sit, fully awake now. She was going to travel to the Moonstone with the medicine cat to be accepted by StarClan as SkyClan’s newest medicine cat apprentice!

Quickly, yet carefully, the young molly stepped over the other sleeping apprentices and left the den, bounding over to Sagelight. She spotted the mixture of herbs by his paws, recognizing them to be the traveling herbs he would often have other apprentices eat so they could make their journey to Highstones. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at them, trying to recall what herbs they were; if she was to become the next medicine cat apprentice, she would have to learn the herbs she would use. Unfortunately, she could only recognize one of them from her kithood. ”Um.... One of them is daisy, right? And ... the other one that looks like daisy is.... is....” It was right there on the tip of her tongue!

Sagelight pricked his ears towards her as she questioned after the herbs, blue eyes shining brightly with enthusiasm. He laughed softly to himself, excitement making his heart leap in his chest. She was so eager and so ready to learn it would make his job easy. The pointed tabby tom sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the heavens for blessing him with such a wonderful apprentice and took a moment to point out the different herbs to her. "No, not daisy, but close. This one,"—he tapped a white flower with a yellow center—"is chamomile, for concentration and strength. This,"—he jabbed his paw at some blue flowers with spiky leaves—"is chicory root, to soothe hunger. This fuzzy one here,"—now a soft green plant—"this is lamb's ear, for stamina. And last,"—he prodded at the final herb, a few large leaves—"is sorrel. This is for strength and to curb thirst, and it also helps with joint pain." He paused, winking at her with a smile. "But don't feel pressured to learn all of this right now, you'll have time later. There's a lot to learn, but I know you can do it." Sagelight leaned forward and butted his head gently against hers, then pulled away again. He waited for her to finish her herbs before leading the pair of them out of camp, following the light but well-trodden path towards Highstones.

Honeypaw felt her head begin to spin with all the new and unfamiliar information. So the herb wasn’t daisy, but chamomile. She would have to ask him the difference between the two later. And there was ... chicory root, lamb’s ear, and sorrel. Stars above, she already forgot what all of them do. Which one soothes hunger again?

The apprentice gave a soft huff and shook her head, growing increasingly flustered. Then she took in a deep breath to calm herself. It was just as Sagelight had told her, there would be plenty of time to learn all the herbs later. For now, she just needed to eat them and get a move on.

She licked the herbs up and chewed them up, immediately wrinkling her face at the awfully bitter flavor. It took everything in her not to spit them back out. Once she swallowed and gave a cough, she began rasping her tongue over her lips over and over again to try and wash away the taste. She looked up at her new mentor expectantly, teal eyes shimmering with excitement. ”Okay, I’m ready to go now. I’m so excited!”

The uncle and niece, after a day's journey to the sacred mountains, rounded the top of the slope and finally faced the familiar opening to the Moonstone. Sagelight paused at the entrance and flicked Honeypaw's flank with his tail, smiling. His own bright blue eyes shown with excitement and pride for her. "Just like last time, remember? Stay close and use your whiskers to feel your way." he mewed before padding down the dark tunnel. The two cats soon came upon the clearing that held the Moonstone. The medicine cat led the apprentice inside and stood before the great stone, his back to it as he faced her.

Sagelight closed his eyes for a moment, channeling the spirits of his ancestors. When he spoke, his voice was filled with a heavy presence, he sounded both like and unlike his usual self. It was almost as if hundreds of other voices spoke with him as he recited the sacred words he had once heard from Mintwhisker. "Honeypaw. Is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a Medicine Cat Apprentice?"

A sudden jolt of panic entered Honeypaw’s veins and coursed through her body. Had he forgotten that she had never been to the Moonstone before? She had never traveled through Mothermouth. What if she got lost?!

...No. No, she couldn’t think like that. She would be just fine. Every apprentice before her had been fine, and every apprentice after her as well. Sagelight would make sure she wouldn’t get lost. He and perhaps their warrior ancestors as well.

Gulping nervously with a nod, Honeypaw entered the cave after her uncle, brushing out her short fur at the penetrating chill of the place that had never been graced by the warmth of the sun. She took her time, walking slowly, concentrating on Sagelight’s scent, making sure her whiskers were always touching the cave walls.

And then, the two SkyClan cats were suddenly in a large cavern. I’m the center stood a large rock that she could only just make out by the faint glow of the stars and the moon shining through a hole in the ceiling. Honeypaw’s pupils grew wide, neatly blocking out her irises, taking in the majesty of the Moonstone. If it looked this powerful when it wasn’t lit by the moonlight, she couldn’t even fathom what it would be like once it began to glow. The other apprentices had said it looked so beautiful. She couldn’t wait!

Her attention was brought back to Sagelight once he began speaking to her. She couldn’t help but shiver. She couldn’t explain it, but for some reason, it felt as though the two of them were no longer the only cats in the cavern. Was StarClan here with them now? Were they watching her?

Trembling quite heavily, not just from the cold anymore, Honeypaw nodded. ”Y-Yes. I’m ready.”

As if on cue, at her affirmation the Moonstone burst into light, filling the cavern with its white, sacred glow. Sagelight smiled and backed away from the stone, motioning for her to step forward in his place. "Touch your nose to the stone and a StarClan cat will come and speak with you. Congratulations, Honeypaw, I'm proud of you! I'll be right here when you wake up." He broke into a grin and went and sat by the opening to the cavern to wait for her.

Honeypaw flinched, her eyes squeezing shut, squinting them back open until they adjusted to the new source of bright light. When she was comfortable opening them again, she stared at the Moonstone as it shone like the moon itself, captivating her in its radiance. There were no words in her vocabulary that could do justice for how beautiful the Moonstone was.

Sagelight invited her to approach the large stone, and she did so, though she couldn’t really feel her paws carrying herself over. She’d might as well be drifting across the stony floor towards the Moonstone, as if an invisible wind powerful enough to move her pushed her forward without causing her to stumble.

Once mere whisker-lengths in front of it, she settled down into a laying position on the ground, tucking her paws underneath her fragile underbelly to protect it from the cold. She closed her eyes, leaned forward, and touched her nose against the surface of the Moonstone.

In a flash, cold shot through her body, but before she could cry out, the cold ebbed away into a comforting warmth just as quickly. She opened her eyes and found she was no longer in Mothermouth with Sagelight, but instead within StarClan’s territory, standing in a field of gently blowing grass. All around her, fireflies drifted and danced in the soft wind. StarClan was absolutely breath-taking.

”I’m glad you think so,” a sudden voice meowed from behind her. Honeypaw whipped around quickly to find a beautiful pale orange tabby molly with amber eyes gazing fondly at her. ”Hello, Honeypaw. Welcome to StarClan. My name is Honeydrop, one of the former medicine cats of ShadowClan.”

Getting over her startle, Honeypaw’s eyes widened. She was actually talking to a StarClan warrior. A former medicine cat. A cat with her same name no less. ”H-Hello, Honeydrop.”

Honeydrop tilted her head adoringly, and immediately Honeypaw felt whatever nervousness she still possessed fade away. This cat seemed awfully kind.


”Honeypaw,” the StarClan cat began in a formal, yet soft voice, ”you have been chosen to take the place as the next medicine cat apprentice of SkyClan. Sagelight is very knowledgeable in the ways of medicine and herbs, and will teach you all that he knows. I know you will do both SkyClan and StarClan proud, Honeypaw.”

Suddenly, the world around Honeypaw began to grow bright, brighter, yet brighter still, until she had no choice but to shut her eyes to keep the light from blinding her. When she opened them again, she found herself laying on the floor of Mothermouth in front of the Moonstone, which had dimmed back to its original darkened state by now. She could hear the soft breathing from the corner of the cave where Sagelight slept.

Honeypaw leaped up to her paws, a spark of excitement filling her up to the brim. She had been visited by StarClan and had received their blessings. She was the new medicine cat apprentice of SkyClan!