Fallowkits medicine cat apprentice ceremony

Starclan was silent... or she believed they were. Goldeneye scorned them for the death of her first apprentice, having died not even half a moon after he had gotten his name. Had they given her a vision only to cruelly rip his young life away from her for the status that they had told her to give? The rain hammered down onto her den, water seeping through and soaking her den through and through, she deserved it. Goldeneye tucked her nose under her tail, her body shivering and shuddering with the cold and anger that dwelled just underneath the surface of her skin.

Goldeneye wished that she could have saved him, could have in some way prevented his passing but she was powerless, she gave her clan-mates herbs in hope of healing them. There was never any certainty that she would succeed, and now she was just as alone as she was before she had taken on an apprentice. Goldeneye snorted, wishing that Starclan had not made her make that decision, maybe their vision was a mistake and by following it they had doomed the apprentice to such a gruesome fate. No matter how much she willed to break from the path Starclan had given her and decide herself what apprentice she wanted or what herbs she wanted to use, she knew that she herself stood in her own way.

Goldeneye drew in a sharp, shuddering breath and exhaled as if she was cursing her beloved ancestors with her very breath. CRACK! Lightening and thunder simultaneously split through the sky, the earth vibrated under her and Goldeneyes heart sped, her eyes widening in fear. Getting to her paws the she-cats legs shook as she realized that maybe that in itself was a sign, that they knew what she was thinking and were angry with her. Was she not safe in her own thoughts? She was sorry! Goldeneye wanted everything so desperately to go back to what it was before. Another crack and pillar of light lit up her den, but this time, stood a starry figure she only saw it for a moment. It was little and held slightly darker patches on its face. It smelled strongly of Riverclan and the deer that she scented from Thunderclan from time to time. As suddenly as it had come, it disappeared and Goldeneye blinked with the shock of it.

Oh no, they weren't telling her what she thought they were telling her were they? Goldeneye's lips peeled back to expose her teeth, shoving her head out of her den into the howling winds she roared, "I am NOT doing this again! I don't care that you're all-knowing! You cost an innocent life! I don't care if you want me to take on another apprentice! You can kiss my furry a-" BOOM! The force of the strike sent the medicine cat tumbling into her den, rolling on her back like a trapped turtle. Her ears rang as she looked back outside of her den, everything much darker than they had been and stars dancing across her vision her chest thrumming. Fine. If this is how they wanted to play it, it'd be their fault if this cat died, not hers.

Forcing herself onto her paws she once more padded outside of her den, the wind still howling but the rain was lessening and with the lightning and thunderclouds, Starclans rage went with it. Goldeneye snorted indignantly at them before striding towards the nursery, her tail lashing and her fur sizzling with electricity to the point in which she was puffed out without much say. Along with her short trek towards her new apprentice, she was cursing her ancestors along the way, under her breath for she did not wish to incur their wrath once more. Goldeneye dipped into the nursery the medicine cat started nodding to queens and kits that were awakened by her argument with her ancestors before stopping by the nest that held the kit that was destined to be her apprentice.

"Fallowkit, I just had the most riveting conversation with our ancestors and they've decided that they want you to be my apprentice. Is that your wish? To follow the path Starclan has chosen to give you?" Goldeneye meowed, trying to relax her features as if she wanted Fallowkit as her apprentice in the first place. Goldeneye did not know Fallowkit like she knew Chillpaw, her heart still desperately aching for her smart, knowledgable, wise apprentice. But he was gone, Starclan had spoken, and she had no say in the matter... like always.

Fallowkit's sleepy eyes were drooped, her whole body limp in her nest. The storm outside had prevented the young kit from getting any sleep whatsoever, and her head laid heavily on her paws as she tried to drift off. She was just beginning to doze off when... 'Fallowkit, I just had the most riveting conversa...' "What's riveting?" Fallowkit didn't even digest the latter part of the sentence until after she had said the words, and her face showed an expression of shock, confusion, and delight all at once. She immediately lifted her head, staring into the Medicine Cat's golden eyes. She wanted to squeal with joy, to get up and jump around the den like the small kit that she was. But instead, she just looked earnestly into Goldeneye's bright eyes."I-I mean, of course, I do, Goldeneye!" She looked up at her with pleading eyes, hoping she hadn't messed anything up for herself. Shifting her paws nervously, she struggled in vain to keep a grin from taking shape on her face.

Goldeneye nodded softly, her gaze unreadable she beckoned the kit, the storm had ceased which would make for easy travel. Goldeneye wished that she could have an apprentice that was older, that was more aware of what they were getting into but there was no way that she could. Goldeneye pushed out of the den, once more dipping her head to the queens present. Goldeneye looked back to make sure Fallowkit was following her before she made her way to the camp entrance, dipping her head to the warrior on guard.

"Are you sure?" Was the last question Goldeneye would ask the kit.

Fallowkit's tiny paws made a quiet pitter patter as she followed excitedly after the RiverClan Medicine Cat, she looked back at the Queens in the nursery. Seeing her own mother's warm smile pushed her forward as if she had gained a new bit of strength, and she turned back around beaming. She'd never been so far from the nursery as to get to the entrance, simply for the fact that the Queens didn't appreciate them straying that far. But now, she was going to travel all the way to Highstones. When she pondered the final question Goldeneye presented, she wanted so badly to jump to an answer. But she bit back on her lip and thought. All the other kits talked about was becoming a Warrior someday, fighting bloody battles and hunting for their Clan. Instead, she'd become a Medicine Cat someday. She'd heal the wounds that her Clanmates acquired from battles and skirmishes, hunt for herbs and berries instead of for prey. Was this what she wanted? A moment passed by as Fallowkit thought, and with a surge of determination, she looked back up at Goldeneye and nodded."I'm sure, Goldeneye."

The barest hints of a smile marking her features. Giving the she-kit a smile she dived through the entrance, stopping just before the water that surrounded the water she nudged the kit in so she could make sure she crossed safely. Emerging just before the kit she helped her up onto solid ground before breaking into a light run, yearning to go faster. But running with a kit just old enough to get her name was different from a mid-aged apprentice. Soon, the two were coming upon the thunderpath, the large black path alight with monsters running across it.

Goldeneye no longer feared the monsters that crossed the path, at the rate she crossed it she might as well have been living on it! She could read them like she could sort her herbs. Making sure Fallowkit had caught her breath she meowed, "This is the Thunderpath, we're about to cross it. The monsters on the path almost never stray from it but you must be cautious." She warned, searching the little she-cats expression.

Fallowkit couldn't help but be more than a bit excited as she swam across the river, webbed paws paddling strategically like her mother had taught her. It was a slight struggle to keep up with Goldeneye as she began what was nearly a full run for her, but she kept on nonetheless. Whenever the pair of RiverClanners approached the Thunderpath, Fallowkit backed up, pressing into Goldeneye's front leg as the monsters whizzed past them. The rancid smell made her crinkle her nose with disgust, but she was much more concerned with the words Goldeneye spoke before.'We're about to cross it.' They were going to... Cross it? Her face was fear-stricken, as if she had seen the Dark Forest itself. She looked up into her soon-to-be mentor's face, sheer terror obvious in each and every feature.

Goldeneye could recognize the paralyzing amount of fear that crossed the kit's face and realized that there was no way she'd be able to get on the path without freezing in place at least once. Giving an exasperated sigh the she-cat rested her paws on the path and waited for the rumbling to die down, which thankfully wasn't long. Grasping the kitten in her jaws, she lifted her by the scruff and bolted across the path, her legs battering the poor kits underside but nonetheless they made it across safely.

Settling the soon-to-be apprentice she smoothed down her scruff with her tongue. "You alright?" She mewed worriedly.

Fallowkit hardly winced as Goldeneye lifted her and darted across the path, bumping her hind end un a way that was unavoidable. Her eyes were still fear-stricken as they crossed the path, but it was a lot easier not to yowl from fright when she was being carried over by her soon-to-be mentor rather than walking. She was slightly shaken after the golden she-cat settled her down and reassuringly tamed down her fur from its bristled state, but she was quickly able to bounce back to her quirky, sweet self. "I'm okay! Thank you so much, Goldeneye."

The medicine cat nodded stiffly, turning her nose to the plains that laid themselves out before them. Looking away from the kit she warned, "Oh the way back I expect you to cross on your own." Quickly she was striding towards the highstones coming ever closer to the two Riverclan cats, her chest tightening as she got closer. Chillpaw... would she get to see her old apprentice while they were there? She hoped so, though she had no idea what she would say if she did.

Nodding sheepishly, Fallowkit followed after the golden she-cat. As they approached Highstones, her heart began to beat faster and faster. Breathing in deeply, she followed straight after Goldeneye into the darkness. Heeding her words, she stuck close by her side the entire time, not willing to let herself get lost. As they approached the soft light of the Moonstone, Fallowkit couldn't help but gaze for a moment, finding herself in awe of the beauty. Forcing herself to shift her gaze, she looked up to her soon-to-be mentor, waiting quietly for instructions.

And just like that, the two cats were at mothermouth. The very cold and chilling aura mothermouth emitted made Goldeneye's skin tingle and fur raise along her back, turning to Fallowkit she searched the she-kits expression, searching for something. Once satisfied Goldeneye looked away and pressed her maw together, "Stay close to me, Fallowkit." She mewed simply before ducking into the suffocating tunnels of mothermouth. Goldeneye could feel the paw prints of cats well before her time, she could feel deep within her being that these age-old prints belonged to cats that perhaps were so old that Starclan themselves were forgetting them.

Goldeneye almost sighed with relief as they emerged to a wide, open expanse of cave vastly unlit. So they had made it, just in time. It was not long, unlike her apprentice ceremony in which she had spent what felt like moons waiting. But for Fallowkit it was not so. The moon shone upon the stone that made its home in the center, the light that reflected and refracted from it drenching the cave in a calm blue shimmer. "StarClan understands your wish to follow their path. Warriors of StarClan, I present to you this young kit, Fallowkit. She 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. Fallowkit, until you receive your full Medicine Cat name, you will be known as Fallowpaw" Goldeneye meowed, the words tasting strange on her tongue.

"Touch the moonstone with your nose, Starclan is waiting for us," Goldeneye instructed before padding up to the stone and settling down comfortably before resting her nose to the stone, her eyes shutting as she dipped into a slumber.