Emberkit's MCA Ceremony

Gorsefeather stepped out of his den bright an early for the day ahead. Though he had only recently become the medicine cat for Windclan, after seeing his father driven half-mad to his grave by his burdens, he thought it best it did this now. He'd been watching the newest arrivals to Windclan for a while, looking for a kit with both interest in healing and strong will, not that it was very apparent in kits. But even a glimmer was enough, and the finally assurance that he made the correct decision was when the kit in question didn't even protest when others became apprentices before him.

Quietly padding through the camp, the medicine cat approached the nursery to fetch the kit in question. Though teaching this kit would be a burden, and one he really didn't need with Deernose ill, it was a necessary one. The kit, Emberkit, was a curious one, and perhaps, with time, another hand around the place was exactly what he needed.

"Emberkit? Are you awake?"

The apprentice-sized kit's grey eyes flickered open as his name was called. His fur was wild and he cleared his voice from sleep. "Yes, I am," he purred, standing up. He nervously looked at Gorsefeather as he swallowed hard out of nervousness. "I...is something wrong, Gorsefeather?" He asked. Hopefully I'm not in trouble. He cocked his head to the side and blinked at the tom a few times. he was less then a moon past his age of getting an apprentice ceremony, but he never really thought about it. He had his mind set on other things, like learning all he could before he was too old and completing his goal of learning every flower's name and what it looked like before he became a warrior...ugh, how he hated the thought of becoming a warrior. He didn't want to fight or hunt, he couldn't for his life.

Sensing the kits hesitance and concern, Gorsefeather did his best attempt at being somewhat friendlier than his default mode of grouch. The calico stepped into the nursery, carrying his bundle of travelling herbs, he had no doubt that the kit would accept his offer. After all, the kit seemed to show little interest in battling or hunting, which personally mystified him, but he wasn't going to stare the gift horse in the mouth.

"Everything is fine. But I'm here to ask. Would you like to be my apprentice? Naturally there are many things you'll have to give up, but there are many rewards to this path, should you choose it." He, unlike his parents, had no intention of forcing the kit on this path, though he had a hunch the ginger kit was more than eager. Just the way he methodically memorised herbs in itself was a clear indication. And the was an odd shiny rock shard caught the light and set a leaf alight gave him the final push.

Emberkit knew as soon as he saw the bundle of herbs what Gorsefeather was going to ask. Emberkit sat down, deep in thought. This must be my destiny! I am saved from becoming a warrior! Starclan must want me to chose this path... "Yes, Gorsefeather! I...I've wanted to be one all along." The ginger tom realized that he actually had wanted to be a medicine cat all along. His love for herbs, disliking of fighting and hunting, his personality, and his incredible memory. "Are we leaving right now? Where are we going?" He questioned. Emberkit knew there was some sort of ceremony for medicine cat apprentices, but he had no idea where it was held at or what he had to do.

"Calm down." Gorsefeather snapped. "It's still early for most cats in camp, if you want to be a medicine cat, that's the first lesson you'll need to learn. Minding your surroundings. This is the nursery. Come out."

After leading the kit to the centre of camp, he dropped the bundle once more. It was a mixture of ragwort, burnet, lamb's ear and juniper, his special formula that tasted awful, but did it's job. For most kits, he'd add some honey to help it down, but if Emberkit was to be the next medicine cat after him, he'd have to learn to deal with it. After all, it was their jaws that chewed up the mixtures to go onto wounds and fed to kits.

"Now I need you to understand something before you accept. Should you choose this path, you may never take a mate or have kits. The clan will be the mate you protect and cherish, and your clanmates, your kits. Think this over seriously, and should you change your mind on the way, I will understand. Okay?" It was a lonely path, the one of a medicine cat, but he'd long accepted it as his own. He'd never make the mistakes of his father, and could never bear to watch either. If Emberkit strayed from his path like Suntail did, Gorsefeather would chase him out himself. "Now that's settled, eat this mixture. And since you've been so keen on learning herbs, name me what I've put in there."

He expected the kit to know about three of the four. The burnet often got masked by the stronger flavours of the other herbs.

Emberkit sank back when Gorsefeather snapped at him. What a mentor he's gonna be, he thought sarcastically. "I'm sorry, Gorsefeather," Emberkit purred quietly as he stood up straight and followed the tom out of the nursery. Emberkit sniffed at the herbs once they were dropped and automatically recognized two...no, three of the four herbs that were there. He had seen the other one before, but he didn't
know what it was called. Emberkit looked up at Gorsefeather as he told him about the medicine cat's duty of never having a mate or kits. He thought for a moment. He didn't have a crush on anyone, and he wasn't planning on finding a mate or kits. But was it something worth giving up? Emberkit realized it was. He was probably going to save more lives as a medicine cat then make more lives as a warrior with a mate.


"Gorsefeather, I won't ever have a mate and kits besides the urm...clan." He felt awkward calling the clan his mate, but he understood the analogy. "I won't change my mind, Gorsefeather. I know that this is the path Starclan wants me to take, so I will take it." Emberkit smiled at the end of his words, then bent down and shoved the mixture into his mouth all at once. The vile taste told him to spit it out, and he almost did. He had to put a paw up to his mouth to keep him from throwing up. It was hard to get down his throat, so he swallowed hard a few times. It took a while, but he managed to get the herbs down. Some of the mixture dripped down his jaw from when some got pushed out of his mouth. He left it there, not wanting to lick it up for the taste was terrifying. He was going to learn to manage the taste eventually as a medicine cat.

"The herbs used were Ragwart, Lamb's ear, juniper, and one I don't know the name of. I think they all give a cat strength on a journey, though." He sat down, the disgusting taste stuck in his mouth. His grey eyes looked up at Gorsefeather for a response.

"Hmph." Gorsefeather accepted that as the kit's response, but couldn't help doubt him a little. Surely Suntail didn't become a medicine cat thinking he'd fall in love and want a mate. Time changed everyone, all he could do was pray that this kit wouldn't change beyond recognition. That he'd grown into a fine Medicine cat as his answer suggested he could be, even though he clearly didn't enjoy eating the mixture.

He purred a little in amusement at Emberkit's distaste, and gestured for him to clean his face. He made a ridiculous sight with green paste over his jowls. Gorsefeather leant in and ate his portion with practiced ease, before answering the kit. He'd long since taught his tongue to simply ignore the taste, prolonged exposure and the threat of a cat dying helped him get over it.

"Good, you're right. And the final herb was burnet. Good for stamina." He delicately grabbed the leaf the mixture had been on and stood up with it. It was time then for them to leave to get to High Stones by dusk. While the trip wouldn't be anywhere near as long as other clans had to endure, it was good practice to get there early. "Come on then, we leave at once, Emberkit. Let's get there before everyone wakes up to wish you well. Then we'll never get there."

When Emberkit realized that Gorsefeather wanted him to clean his face, the ginger tom braved up and licked the mix of herbs from his jaw. The terrible taste once again tingled his tastebuds, but this time it wasn't as bad because it was only a little bit of the paste. "Burnet! So, that's the name then," he purred to himself. Emberkit nodded as Gosefeather ordered that they leave at once. "But Gorsefeather, will you tell me where we are going?" He asked, starting to pad towards the entrance of the camp. He had never been out in the territory before, and by the way his grey eyes glowed brighter and his walk was full of bounce, anyone could tell that Emberkit was excited. This was going to be a journey to remember.

He wasn't enough of a grouch to tell the kit off for bouncing about like a bird learning to fly. He imagine leaving the camp for the first time must be exhilarating, especially considering how long the kit had waited. Emberkit's eagerness to learn and understand crushed his desire to be a little more caustic, keeping Gorsefeather from being at his worst, broody and snappy.

"We're heading to High Stones. There's a rock there called, Moonstone. There I will hold your ceremony, and we'll talk to Starclan. Remember this road we're taking, one day, hopefully not too soon, you'll have to do this alone." It was morbid talk, but Suntail had passed away not that long after he'd apprenticed him, it was essential Emberkit would also be ready if something happened to him. He refused to leave Windclan vulnerable again, with an apprentice who barely knew what to do as it's medicine cat. He would be better than his father. Flicking the ginger kit on the shoulder, he lead them outside camp across the moors.

Emberkit tried to keep up as they ventured through the windy hills that made up Windclan's territory. It was a rough adventure for a kit, but this ginger Tom was the size of an apprentice and continue on even though he was out of breath. Emberkit decided that too much questions would make Gorsefeather cranky again, so he kept quiet and tried to imagine the moonstone and what Starclan would say. He couldn't wait to be a medicine cat apprentice and start training.

When they finally reached High Stones, Gorsefeather led the kit to Mothermouth. He was pleasantly surprised by the kit's quietness, he expected the curious thing to be more chatty, not that he was complaining. Gesturing for him to follow with a flick of his tail, the medicine cat entered into the darkness without a hint of fear, used to the darkness that would eventually lead to Moonstone. He remembered how frightened he was when he first came here, so he called out reassuring to the apprentice.

"Follow the sound of my pawsteps and my voice. Don't worry about tripping. Trust your senses." With that he started down into the cavern, letting the darkness swallow him whole.

By the time they got to the Mothermouth, Emberkit's fur was messier then usual and he was weak and tired. "Okay, Gorsefeather," he purred as the tom disappeared into the hole. The firey ginger tom gulped and clinched his eyes shut tight as he padded into the cave. There was only one thing he hated worse then darkness...heights. Luckily, they were going into the ground and not above it. The cat's paw steps echoed as he plunged into the earth, hoping he was keeping up with Gorsefeather.The grass under his paws faded away to hard cold soil, then stone. 

He listened carefully for the medicine cat's heavier paw steps and voice. For a moment, he didn't hear anything so he sped up to a run, but bumped into something...a wall. He turned, panicked and ran deeper into the cave. He soon bumped into something again...another wall. He got up, trying to figure out what to do. Don't worry about tripping. Trust your senses. Emberkit closed his eyes and sniffed the thick air. He caught Gorsefeather's sent and slowly walked towards it, brushing his whiskers against along the wall of the cave, he made his way to him. His ear's picked up the sound of Gorsefeather's steps then saw him.

They were standing at the entrance to a room with a dazzling bright glowing stone in the middle. Emberkit's eyes reflected the Moonstone, making them turn a white color instead of grey. "Wow."

Gorsefeather gave the kit some time to take in the sights, but they were here for a purposed and couldn't delay too much. Once Emberkit had gotten his bearings, it was time to start the ceremony. The moon had reached the perfect height, and the stone was glowing with full intensity. Call upon Starclan, Gorsefeather cleared his throat to get the kit's attention before speaking the solemn words that had been spoken by Medicine cats before him for generations.

"Emberkit, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?" He asked, sitting before the Moonstone with his tail curled around his paws. The calico spoke calmly, this was the real moment of truth. Emberkit would pledge his life to Windclan right here, and it would determine his fate forever.

After Emberkit took in the sight, he faced Gorsefeather and looked him in they eye with a brave soul. He didn't even have to think twice or hesitate to answer. "It is." The kit knew he would miss out on things in life, but he would also get to do things other cat's couldn't do. He was sure this was the path he wanted to take. He was sure he was going to do whatever it took in his power to heal and care for the clan until the end of his life.

Nodding to show he accepted Emberkit's answer, he continued.

"Then come forward." Gorsefeather looked up to the stars as he spoke, continued to speak from memory of his own Medicine cat apprentice ceremony many moons ago. He prayed that his ancestors would accept this apprentice as they did him and would see the bravery and wisdom within. He was more certain than ever that Emberkit was right cat for this position. "Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this kit. He has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant him your wisdom and insight so that he may understand your ways and heal his Clan in accordance with your will."

Looking once again directly at Emberkit, he spoke.

"Emberkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until I see you worthy to be a Medicine cat, you will be known as Emberpaw. I will mentor you. And I hope to pass down all I know on to you. May you serve your clan and our ancestors with courage."