Beechpaw's Medicine Cat Ceremony

Wolfstar had spent most of the night awake. Unlike in his youth, however, his restless wanderings tonight were completed in mind-only fashion, as he lay curled alongside Blossomstep in their den. He no longer had the desire to leave camp unguarded, even if it meant freeing himself from the constant responsibility of being Leader. His only goal right now was to rebuild SkyClan, and, hopefully, see them into a better future than what they'd been through in the past few moons. As the sky outside the den began to ever so slightly grow lighter with morning, Wolfstar gently untangled himself from his mate, leaning down to rub his cheek against hers briefly before stepping out into the camp.

It was cold, and a frigid breeze cut through his short pelt as he padded towards the medicine den, head down and ears flat against the wind. He glanced up, and the mouth of the stone den gaped at him from half-shadow. Wolfstar stopped in his tracks, a wave of unexpected dread warming his limbs with adrenaline. He couldn't go in there... he hadn't, since SkyClan's return. His mother and daughter had died, trapped within that stony prison.

What are you afraid of? Ghosts? Pull yourself together.

The leader closed his eyes, swallowing what felt like a mouthful of sand. He shook his head, moving forward again. "Beechpaw," he called inside. "Are you awake?"

Beechpaw had risen early, having finally given up on sleep in the too-quiet den. She was now carefully sorting through herbs, picking out older leaves and flowers that had lost their use due to age and the cold. Her sleep had been fitful, broken by thoughts of Dustpaw and Sagelight... And other things.

The previous meeting at the moonstone and her resultant dream... revelation... was still on the back of her mind. So too was the conversation with Mossbloom she'd had on the way back. Logically, it shouldn't have bothered her. What went on in another clan generally wasn't her business. Cats died and ran off all the time. It was nothing new.

And yet... She couldn't see Spiderquill leaving his clan voluntarily. The dream had shown her that he was injured, but she hadn't been able to ascertain how badly. The appearance of the twoleg had only added to her confusion over it.

A voice broke into her thoughts, and Beechpaw glanced up.

"Wolfstar?" She tilted her head, eyeing her grandfather curiously. He was up early... But so was she. Still, she doubted that he'd come looking for her this early just to say 'hi,' so it must have been something important.

"What's bothering you this early?" She asked.

"I... nothing," he said, brow furrowing. Wolfstar met her gaze, trying his best to not let his hesitance to go any further show in his expression. "We need to go to the Moonstone. I hope you're well rested, and can prepare us some herbs?" Beechpw didn't look well rested, that was for sure... but it seemed that was something that ran in the family, and he had no intention of prying.

Falling to his haunches, he inclined his head back towards the medicine den, "Take your time, I will wait here while you prepare. Then we'll set off."

"Okay..." Beechpaw mewed in response. "Let me just put together the traveling herbs."

Moonstone journey? Beechpaw couldn't begin to guess why, but the parcel of herbs were easy enough to gather up. She quickly swallowed hers, then set the second parcel in front of Wolfstar. Her eyes lifted to the still-dark sky, though the sun would rise soon enough, and they'd need to be well on their way.

Once Wolfstar had eaten his portion of the herbs, she'd lead the way out of camp. They'd reach highstones when the moon began to rise once more.

No stranger to the foul taste, Wolfstar didn't even grimace as he took the herbs. He noted Beechpaw's apparent confusion, but it didn't even cross his mind that she might not know why they were going. She'd excelled at her medicine cat training just as she'd excelled at her warrior training, and had Sagelight not... had Sagelight been here, she'd have been named a moon ago, he was certain.

Together, the grandfather-and-granddaughter pair set away from camp. It filled Wolfstar with anxiety to think about leaving, but he knew Bloodstrike would do his best to keep everyone safe.

...

They made good time, and the sky was darkening as the SkyClanners reached their destination. Pausing at the mouth of the tunnel, Wolfstar turned to face Beechpaw, "Are you ready for this? I... I know Sagelight should be the one to..." he gestured with his tail towards the tunnel. "He should be the one doing this, or maybe one of the other medicine cats, but..." Wolfstar shook his head. "I wanted to."

"Ready for wh-- oh." Beechpaw blinked up at her former mentor as his words slowly sank in and the realization of what he was getting at dawned on her. She'd officially been a medicine cat since late greenleaf. The notion of a ceremony after the past several moons had slipped her mind entirely. Of course Sagelight would've done it if he'd been here, and maybe one of the other medicine cats would've done it, Mossbloom probably. But somehow, her former mentor being the one to bring her here felt right.

"I... Might've forgotten the ceremony was even a thing." She admitted, ducking her head in embarrassment. The apprentice took a shaky breath, then nodded.

"I think I'm ready, grandfather." She mewed quietly, "and- thank you. For doing this. For putting up with my nonsense after everything." Her throat felt oddly tight, and Beechpaw pressed her shoulder against his briefly, lifting her gaze to the stars and rising moon above.

Another breath to steady herself, and she'd head into the tunnel. The moonstone waited for them.

Wolfstar tilted his head a bit at her sudden realization, smiling slightly, and shook his head good naturedly as he realized his mistake. "Sorry, I should have said... and, you don't have to apologize. I had to put up with your father's nonsense. After that, nothing can compare." His whiskers twitched in amusement, and Wolfstar brushed his tail lightly across her back as she passed him, then followed her into the darkness.

The last time he'd been here was when he received his lives, and the memory of those meetings in StarClan still made the hair on his back prickle. He'd be lying if he said he didn't wish he could do it again... to talk to Deerfrost, to Murkpelt... but he wasn't here for him. And besides, StarClan couldn't cater to the whims of every warrior who wanted to speak to a lost loved one.

When they finally reached the Moonstone, Wolfstar moved past Beechpaw, then turned to settle a determined amber gaze on his granddaughter. "I, Wolfstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help, she will serve her clans for many moons to come."

Many, many moons, he pleaded to them privately. Let me be long in the ground before Beechpaw has to join StarClan.

"Beechpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of the medicine cat? To stand apart from rivalry between clan and clan? And to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

Beechpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement at Wolfstar's words. She doubted her father could've been that bad, really. Certainly not any worse than Beechpaw's own tantrums had been. Beechpaw led the dark tom through the twisting passage, the soft blueish glow of the moonstone eventually tinting her vision.

Wolfstar turned to face her, and a sudden burst of nervous energy bloomed in the pit of her stomach. Was she trained enough? Could she really keep the clan safe and healthy for the rest of her days? Sometimes Beechpaw wasn't so sure. But Sagelight had obviously seen something in the combative apprentice, and Wolfstar had always offered support.

Beechpaw swallowed nervously at the ceremonial question. This was actually happening. After everything...

"I do." Her voice was steadier than she had thought possible.

"Then by the power that StarClan has gifted me, I present you to them as a full medicine cat. Beechpaw, StarClan honors your determination and dependability - and from this moment forward, you will be known as Beechface," he ducked his head, hoping she agreed with the name. He was no stranger to naming kits, or warriors, but medicine cats were different somehow.

The ceremony compete, Wolfstar purred loudly, leaning forward to touch his nose to his granddaughter's. "Congratulations, Beechface... I'm so very proud of you." He gestured to the Moonstone, and then stepped away, "You should meet with StarClan, now. When you wake, I will be here."

Dependability? Well, maybe there was something to the virtues Wolfstar named. Hadn't he told her as much before? She stood, taking in the words. Part of her still wasn't quite sure this was really happening, that she would blink and be back in the medicine den. But no, her surroundings didn't change, and Wolfstar's voice didn't fade.

Beechface, she was Beechface now. She stepped forward, touching his nose with her own, the ceremony complete.

"Thanks, Wolfstar." She mewed softly. Beechface's gaze turned to the moonstone, the slightest hint of hesitation as she regarded it. Last time she'd spoken with Starclan after a ceremony, she'd been smacked... And things had been different. Now though...

Shaking off her anxiety, Beechface settled before the softly glowing stone, pressing her nose to it and closing her eyes.

"Hey there, kiddo."

The familiar voice reached the newly-named medicine cat once she opened her eyes. Standing before her, chest drawn up proudly, was Sagelight. His signature grin was a bittersweet one, and there was a focus in his gaze that hadn't been there in life. The StarClan tom took a seat beside her, his pointed tabby pelt littered with stars. He still wore scars on his face and shoulder, but the wounds he sustained in his final battle had been washed away by StarClan's grace.

"...I'm guessing you want some answers, right? Ask away, Beechface, I'm here for you, just like I always have been. Well..." Sagelight faltered a little, his smile fading. "I guess I wasn't much use to you when I died...but I promise I have been looking over you since then. I'm so, so proud of you, Beechface." It was now that the older tom leaned over, pressing his cheek into his apprentice's head with a rumbling purr. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for the end of your training, but I know now that what I was able to teach you and what you were able to learn on your own were enough. Now, promise me, Beechface, that you won't be joining me anytime soon. SkyClan needs you." He pulled away from her, giving her an intense, serious stare.

An unexpected grin spread across Beechface's maw as she recognized the voice that spoke to her, and she sat up, opening her eyes to see a familiar, newly-star-studded pelt. His form was no longer the bloody mess she'd stepped into camp to see, and Beechface released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Sagelight!" She exclaimed. Gone was the resentment and vitriol she'd thrown his undeserving way in life, replaced by something closer to joy at seeing her former mentor again.

And just like that, his words brought the glimmer of unshed tears to her eyes, though the pain was less than it had been in the days following their return to camp. Stupid, senile old tom... Why now? Though the venom with which that thought might've once crossed her mind was gone, now.

"Don't... You did what you could. You were a great mentor, I was an awful brat." She managed with a shaky laugh. "I have no intention of joining you if I can help it. And besides, Dustpaw would have my hide if I did."

Beechface wondered if her cranky sister was here somewhere, but a sweep of their starry surroundings gave away no sign of the silver and cream tortoiseshell-tabby. Beechface had to stifle the disappointment she felt at not seeing her sister among the stars.

Sagelight pressed his cheek to the top of her head, and Beechface surprised herself at the purr that escaped her chest as she pressed against him in return.

He said that she should ask him something, but any questions she'd gone into this with had fled her mind. Stars... What should she ask?

Something practical, she decided. She'd never gone on a herb hunt with him in their own territory, only in Riverclan's territory and twolegplace. Their territory was still mostly covered in ash, and it was getting colder out. Knowing the better places to find herbs would come in useful, especially since she couldn't rely on Mossbloom to know the best places to find herbs in another clan's territory. Sagelight, though... Sagelight knew Skyclan's territory.

"Are there any spots in the territory I should be more aware of, when finding herbs and things?" She asked, glancing up at her mentor curiously.