Icekit's Medicine Cat Apprentice Ceremony

Cloudstone was beginning to wonder if he was cursed.

This would be his third apprentice now. His first, Flintpaw, barely made it one moon in. Bouncepaw had shown much promise, but he had disappeared not too long ago. He prayed to StarClan that this one would make it as a full medicine cat, but they never seemed to listen to him these days. Were they angry at him? What had he done? The black tom's gaze watched the clouds above as they faded from white to orange and red, waiting until it would be the right time to leave. The sun was hovering over the horizon when he finally got to his paws and approached the kit in question, Icekit. She'd been seriously burned by the fires that had raged across each of the territories. On their journey to Highstones, he could only wonder how scarred the forest was if they dared look back.

His nose gently brushed the top of he kitten's head. "Icekit, are you ready?" This could be done tomorrow, he thought, if her lungs still had some smoke and ash in them. Although one day wouldn't make much of a difference.

Icekit imagined she'd never get used to seeing everything in partial darkness.

She'd lost all sight in her left eye, and the flesh surrounding it was still raw and as red as a salmon's scales. Her left ear looked more like a charred leaf than an ear, and no matter how often she bathed, the sharp miasma of burnt flesh would never leave her. The first time she's seen her reflection, she could have sworn the mere sight of it intensified the pain. Half of her face was a twisted, inflamed mess, and though the pain had been lessened with ample healing time and poppy seeds, nothing could be done to save her vision or the fur that had once grown where the burns were. There wasn't a moment that passed by where she didn't regret chasing that stupid dragonfly right into the flames.

In light of her damaged front paw and eyesight, Fishstar had arranged for her to join Cloudstone in the medicine cat's den. Icekit had never once entertained the thought before her accident. As most kits did, she'd dreamed of defending the borders, fighting for RiverClan in glorious battles, and having the freedom to hunt whatever and wherever she pleased for as long as she could remember. Now, suddenly, she was faced with something in complete opposition to those dreams, and she was barely suppressing her bitterness and disappointment.

Being a medicine cat was a great honour, yes, but it wasn't an honour Icekit wanted. She wouldn't express her distaste outwardly, but it would always be there, present in the pit of her stomach for only her to mull over privately.

"Yeah," she called, rising up from the spot of moss she'd been lying on. Putting too much weight on her left frontal paw sent needles of pain running up her leg, but she could walk - albeit a touch awkwardly. "I'm ready."

i am the worst person
Seeing that the kitten was up, Cloudstone pushed a bundle of leaves, as well as a few poppy seeds. "These will help keep you strong on the journey. Make sure to chew thoroughly, alright?"


The moon was already at the halfway point when they reached Mothermouth. Every time he set his gaze on those stone fangs hanging ever so precariously, a shiver went down his spine. The black tom looked back to Icekit, whose white patches seemed to glow under the moonlight. "How are you feeling?" He had to pretend he wasn't apprehensive about passing under the stalactites, nor the fact that he often had trouble contacting StarClan by himself.

Icekit nodded, taking up the herb bundle into her jaws. They tasted awful, but she supposed that she wouldn't make it all the way to Highstones without eating them, so she pressed on.

She had no other choice than to be a medicine cat, anyways, so she figured it was high time to get it all over with.

-

The herbs had done nothing to keep the rawness of Icekit's paws at bay as she'd trekked alongside Cloudstone. She was willing to bet at least one of them was bleeding, and that was to say nothing of the pain in her injured leg. It burned with every step she took. She'd done well not to express her pain outwardly, but she couldn't stifle a sigh of relief when the duo finally arrived at the foot of Highstones.

"Uh.. O-okay, I guess," she replied to the older cat, craning her neck to peer into Mothermouth. The darkness of the cave sent uneasy shiver down the expanse of her spine, and the fur on her neck prickled.

"It isn't far now." Her wounds were a concern, but they could rest afterwards if necessary. "There are many paths, so stay close to me." With that he hurriedly passed under the entrance and into the maze inside.

Once they had entered the main cavern, the Moonstone had not yet been lit, although Cloudstone could feel that it would be soon. While they waited, he gazed into the middle ground, trying to remember where the nearest herbs were in case Icekit's paws were damaged. Soon enough, the moon appeared in the crack in the roof, illuminating the rock. The tom stepped towards it, motioning for the kitten to follow suit. He acknowledged the irony of his words before beginning the ceremony. "Starclan understands your wish to follow their path. Warriors of Starclan, I present to you this young kit, Icekit. He has chosen the path of a Medicine Cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will. Icekit, until you receive your full Medicine Cat name, you will be known as Icepaw."

He nudged her gently forward. "Touch your nose to the Moonstone. StarClan may speak with you." He sat back, prepared to wait if she did connect with StarClan.