Amberpaw's Medicine Cat Ceremony

Silence after snowfall. The world holding its breath. Dawn was beginning to break, the sky slowly blushing a watery, washed-out pink. The sun had yet to peer over the horizon. The air smelled sweet.

Mintwhisker sighed, glancing over at her apprentice's sleeping form.
It was time.

It was forbidden by law for a Medicine Cat to bear a litter or adopt kits, but that didn't stop Mintwhisker. As far as she was concerned Amberpaw was her daughter, or at least the closest thing. At that moment, she felt more like a nervous queen on the day of her kit's apprentice ceremony. Soon- today -Amberpaw would be given her name. Her full Medicine Cat name. There would be no more training sessions, no more playing in the fall leaves, no more cuddling together in the same nest when the weather grew too cold for both of them. Amberpaw was growing up.

"Amberpaw, wake up." Mintwhisker was standing near the entrance of the den that she and her apprentice shared. Two bundles of traveling herbs and two thin mice were nestled by her paws. "I hope you got enough sleep tonight- today's a big day for you."
She waited until her apprentice stirred before speaking again. "Amberpaw... Today, you and I will journey to the Moonstone. Today, you will become a fully named Medicine Cat."

Amberpaw was curled in her nest, her fluffy golden tabby pelt fluffed up against the creeping cold. For now, she was warm. Sleeping. Dreaming. She had been, anyways, of hunting catmint at the beginning of leaf-fall when some days were best spent in the shade sorting herbs and others required a brisk run and some basking in the sunlight. Her dream was wild with colors, and when she woke for a reason she couldn't quite tell she had to blink several times to the pale pink light that silhouetted a dark shape. "Am I dreaming...?" she asked, still half dreaming.

Then Mintwhisker came into focus, and Amberpaw's tail tip curled with delight. Her dark amber eyes brightened as she fully woke, the pleasant dream gliding seamlessly into a pleasant salutation from her mentor. The medicine cat apprentice purred, "Oh, good morning, Mintwhisker!" She broke off in a yawn as the other she-cat spoke and suggested a big activity. "Why is that?"

"Today you will become a fully named Medicine Cat."

Amberpaw immediately stood, her eyes wide and golden pelt flattened in odd places from where she had laid on it. "Mintwhisker! Oh! I-I'm so honored," the apprentice gushed. She thought of all she had learned, and who she had learned it from. "You really think I'm ready?" she asked, overwhelmed with emotion as she gazed lovingly up at her mentor. Mintwhisker had always been busy with medicine cat work, but the she-cat had always made time for Amberpaw. The she-cat was almost more like her mother than her real mother... Amberpaw would be able to do even more to help her now.

"I know you are." Mintwhisker purred, sitting down and pushing one of the mice towards her golden-dappled apprentice. "I watched you heal Spottedleap, after all. Without you, I doubt he'd be able to hunt for at least another moon." It was a bittersweet memory now. Amberpaw reacted quickly and did everything perfectly- just as a fully-trained Medicine Cat should. Mintwhisker was proud, yes, but that was the day she knew that Amberpaw was ready to grow up.
The taupe she-cat quick ate her mouse, following it with her own bundle of traveling herbs. "Eugh... I still can't get used to the taste." She mewed, shuddering. They were bitter but necessary. "Now..."
The small Medicine Cat stood, her murky green eyes gleaming. She padded out of the den, flicking her tail as Amberpaw followed her. "Are you ready?"

Amberpaw's heart threatened to burst with joy when Mintwhisker assured the apprentice that she was ready to become a medicine cat. She dipped her head deeply, glowing with pride as well as embarrassment, and began to quickly eat the small mouse her mentor offered her. The apprentice thought of the situation which Mintwhisker spoke of; Spottedpaw hadn't received any kind of life-threatening injury, but she was right that he would have been out of commission for a while and had his warrior ceremony pushed back due to twisting his paw. If she hadn't treated it so quickly, he might've been an apprentice for moons. All the times Amberpaw plucked out thorns from paw pads, or helped remove ticks and fleas, or helped a kit with a bellyache came into her head. Even when she was uncertain, she had learned from the Great Battle: inaction will cause more pain than uncertainty will.

As soon as Amberpaw finished her mouse, she spotted the bundle of herbs her mentor had prepared for her and pulled it closer to lap them up as well. Like Mintwhisker, the medicine cat apprentice found her face scrunching at the bitterness, and she couldn't help but chuckle when the other she-cat commented on it. Amberpaw stood beside her mentor, and now that they were ready to begin she felt her stomach knotting again. "Are you ready?" Mintwhisker asked, beginning to leave the den. Amberpaw nodded, following her mentor closely, and purred, "I'm ready for anything, thanks to you."

TIMESKIP

---

"Tread lightly, Amberpaw. It's easy to get lost in the tunnels if you don't know the way. Use your whiskers to sense the tunnel walls. It'll help you get your bearings." The short-legged she-cat lead the way through the twisting tunnels, following a path she'd memorized ages ago.
A few minutes passed in silence. Finally, Mintwhisker came to a stop. "We're here," The tabby turned, glancing at her apprentice wordlessly before stepping into the cavern.

The Moonstone would light any minute. For now, though, the entire cavern was completely dark.
"I, Mintwhisker, medicine cat of Skyclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice." Mintwhisker no longer seemed present. Her voice changed drastically, becoming regal and assured. Her posture stiffened and her tail-tip twitching back and forth to an inaudible rhythm. It was as if she had shifted, becoming thousands of cats at once.
"She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help, she will serve her clan for many moons."
There was a moment of silence. The moon rose, illuminating the Moonstone. The cavern was bathed with light, and Mintwhisker seemed to come back to life. She turned towards Amberpaw, her murky eyes glinting. "Amberpaw, 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?"

Amberpaw knew the first leg of the journey well from attending Gatherings. Passing through SkyClan's territory along ThunderClan's border to Fourtrees went quickly, but the journey past that was a bit fuzzier to the medicine cat apprentice. She had gone this far once to receive her apprentice name, and another time at the half-moon to share tongues with StarClan. For this leg of the journey, the golden tabby she-cat had followed her mentor close as always, but she had been certain to take in her surroundings more intently as they passed between ShadowClan and WindClan on the way to Highstones. She was almost a fully named medicine cat; she needed to know the way by heart.

When they reached the Mothermouth, Mintwhisker gave the warning Amberpaw had heard a few times now: "It's easy to get lost in the tunnels if you don't know the way." The apprentice nodded once, preparing herself for the darkness that soon pressed upon them. As instructed, Amberpaw stayed close to her mentor, using her whiskers to feel not only Mintwhisker's bushy tail in front of her but also the tunnel on either side of her. She could feel when there were strange gaps and twists that they ignored, and she tried to keep a thorough note. Thankfully having traveled it twice before helped her to retain it even better.

When they finally broke into the clearing which held the Moonstone, Mintwhisker announced it softly. Sure enough, after a few more steps Amberpaw felt the air open up around her, and her whiskers no longer brushed the walls of the tunnel. She could see a gap in the ceiling through which only a faint amount of light filtered. However, Mintwhisker spoke in the darkness, and Amberpaw's sharp eyes picked out the frame of her mentor in the faint light before her. The medicine cat spoke with a voice that almost seemed not her own, but the echoing in the cave made it hard to know.

A chill ran up Amberpaw's spine as Mintwhisker said, "She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help, she will serve her clan for many moons." Then, light burst through the cave, brilliant enough to make Amberpaw's own coat shine like sunrise. The Moonstone illuminated from the light of the moon above, and everything in the cave was touched by the brightness. Amberpaw stared solemnly back into her mentor's eyes as Mintwhisker spoke the vow which she was to be taking. After a moment of consideration - consideration for the thousandth time, so it needed little though - Amberpaw replied confidently, "I do."

"Then, in the name of StarClan, I give you your true name as a medicine cat." Mintwhisker struggled to hide a wide grin, forcing herself to remain serious. This moment made her almost giddy with happiness. "Amberpaw, from this moment forward, you shall be known as Amberdawn. Starclan honors your compassion and confidence." It had taken hours of careful consideration for Mintwhisker to be fully satisfied with her apprentice's- her former apprentice's -new name. But now, watching the young she-cat's brilliant expression, it seemed obvious that Mintwhisker would choose something that related to light and warmth.
"Now you will meet with Starclan as a fully-trained medicine cat. Press your nose against the Moonstone- I'm sure your ancestors will be glad to see you." She mewed, finally breaking into a relaxed smile. "I'll be waiting here when you wake up."

Amberpaw stared wide-eyed at her mentor, enraptured. She didn't know when she had started holding her breath, but she became aware of it when Mintwhisker paused her speech. Only the sound of her heart beating interrupted the silence; even Amberpaw's thoughts were all, for once, focused on that very moment. Then her mentor's voice rang out again. "Amberpaw, from this moment forward, you shall be known as Amberdawn. StarClan honors your compassion and confidence."

Amberdawn's tail curled with joy and finally she let out her breath, and without meaning to she suddenly found herself vibrating with a purr. Amberdawn, she thought excitedly. There was more to do before she could enjoy her success, however. First, StarClan needed to accept her as well. Mintwhisker reminded the newly-named medicine cat of the fact, and Amberdawn nodded dutifully, turning her attention from her mentor - former mentor, though Amberdawn would continue learning from her for seasons to come - to face the Moonstone. The first time, the brilliant light had hurt her eyes a little. It wasn't something that was meant to be stared into and seen through.... one simply had to trust in their own ability. The golden she-cat crouched beside the Moonstone and pressed her nose to the cool surface.

---

Darkness replaced the light, and for a few moment Amberpaw - no, Amberdawn - wasn't certain if she had yet fallen asleep, or if she had woken up without dreaming. She stared hard through the shadows for a long time before calling, "H-Hello? Is anyone there?"

Slowly, stars began to blow in around her as if they were dust in the breeze, and then quickly the world became a bit more distinct, growing lighter and more stardusted than before. Amberdawn relaxed slightly as she found StarClan - or rather, that StarClan seemed to have found her. The forest materializing before her began to look familiar, and the medicine cat apprentice sighed with relief. We're in SkyClan territory - or, SkyClan's StarClan territory, I suppose. Feeling more comfortable and confident now, the golden tabby she-cat dared to begin padding forward to venture through this territory which was so familiar, yet so distinctly different from her real home.

The sound of a branch snapping caught Amberdawn's attention, and quickly her dark amber gaze flashed up to see a massive silver pelt lounging on a branch a few tail-lengths up. Pale yellow eyes suddenly opened on a broad face, and the shape stretched out, revealing a massive thick-furred silver tabby. Amberdawn felt as though she had seen the tom before and racked her brain trying to think of him.

"Hello, Amberdawn," the tom called down warmly, "You've found me."

Recognition flashed in Amberdawn's eyes suddenly; she remembered that he had been the first tom ever to greet her in StarClan. He was a SkyClan cat - as his ease in the tree tops clearly showed - but he had died moons and moons ago. She had never met him personally, or any of his kin, most likely, except distant relations. The golden tabby mewed kindly up to the tom, "Yes, I suppose I have. Were you hiding from me?"

The silver tom chuckled. "No, Amberdawn, simply waiting for you," he responded. Then his face became a bit more serious, and he asked, "You've received your medicine cat name. Do you believe that Mintwhisker has trained you well enough? Taught you everything she knows?"

Amberdawn hesitated, feeling a knot starting to form in her stomach. Why would he ask that? Do StarClan think I'm not ready? Instead, she replied, "Mintwhisker is like a mother to me. I trust her to have done all she could for me. She has taught me what I need to know to protect and heal the cats in the forest. I've learned so much - I've saved lives. Whether she's taught me everything I need to know, I-I can't say that. Only StarClan could. But I don't doubt that she has trained me the best she can." The newly named medicine cat stared evenly up at the silver tom.

Eventually, the tom blinked and nodded. "You are full of heart and true love and compassion, Amberdawn," he meowed. "SkyClan is very lucky to have you as their medicine cat. The whole forest is." His thick tabby-ticked tail flicked and swung down from the branch, swaying beautifully in the empty air. After a long moment of silence, he said in a bit of a softer voice, "You will be needed in the coming moons. Watch out for your family - be that your kin or your Clan. Listen hard to the world around you. And step lightly, little one. The ground can be treacherous for those who dwell in trees."

The tom began to fade, and Amberdawn gasped, running towards the tree and protesting, "Wait, what do you mean? Is SkyClan in danger?"

But the tom's tail flicked dismissively before he had disappeared altogether, leaving Amberdawn staring up in bewilderment at the empty tree branch from where he'd been addressing her. She stared thoughtfully for several moments, running through his words in her head. "The ground can be treacherous for those who dwell in trees." Was that a prophecy, or simply a warning? Either way, what was it for?

StarClan faded into nothing, and Amberdawn awoke, feeling perplexed despite the excitement vibrating inside of her. They accepted me, she thought determinedly. That's all that matters right now. I will talk to Mintwhisker about my dream later.