Alderpaw's Medicine Cat Ceremony

Dawnflower awoke early in the day. Today was the day that she would make her second apprentice a full medicine cat. Due to recent events she believed that having two full medicine cats would be best for the clan. Rising out of her nest she padded over to Alderpaw and nudged him. "Wake up Alderpaw."

Alderpaw woke up blearily, the calico looking out of it until he realised Dawnflower was already fully up and ready to go somewhere. "Is something wrong?" The tom asked, yawning and showing off his white pointed teeth. He was no longer a little kit now, fully grown with surprising mass and strength of a medicine cat. All the digging for roots built up his forelimbs nicely and made him quiet the climber, incidentally.

"It's time to go to moonstone." She said to her apprentice. "It's about time you earned your full name." The medicine cat shook out her fur, and then looked at her apprentice once again. "Are you ready to go? Because you will be leading us there." She asked.

"Really? Am I... Ready?" Alderpaw asked, a little unsure of himself, particularly as he'd had that dream with StarClan telling him to go on a long journey with a bunch of clan cats he'd never met before. But he realised that Dawnflower wouldn't have made this choice arbitrarily. Surely she had a good reason. "Never mind. Okay, I'll lead." The tom lead them both outside the territory and finally onto the Highstones. "We're here, it's been a while."

Dawnflower followed her apprentice along to the highstones. She didn't know who would be there to give her apprentice. "I don't know what we will encounter in there but let's head inside." The place colored cat said, and then pushed her way into the small cave.

Alderpaw silently followed behind his mentor until they reached the glowing moonstone inside, the air around the stone didn't feel as peaceful as before, but he heldfast against the desire to run away. He turned to face his mentor to see what she'd instruct.

"I, Dawnflower, medicine cat of Shadowclan, call upon my ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help he will serve his Clan for many moons. Alderpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?" The Shadowclan medicine cat asked.

"I do." Alderpaw replied firmly.

[color=palevioletred]"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Alderpaw, from this moment onwards you will be known as Alderheart. StarClan honors your determination and kindness, and we welcome you as medicine cat of ShadowClan." She placed her muzzle on his head, signalling the end of the ceremony. "Normally we would meet with Starclan at this time, but I am afraid of who we would meet if we pressed our noses to the stone." She didn't know what to do. Would the dark forest respect their tradition, and send a medicine cat to speak to? Or would they just try and recruit the two medicine cats? She didn't want to risk it. "Let's just go home, Starclan will return to us soon." The pale medicine cat said before turning to leave.