private A ROSE THAT FROM THE LETHE DRINKS — MC MEETING

[WOLFSONG]

──ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ── WindClan has endured much these past moons, and there has been little respite for Wolfsong and Cottonpaw in their duties. He knows well that battle forges the warrior, that no degree of training can fully prepare any cat for the viciousness of swarming teeth, and the same is true of this role. Sootstar named her daughter Cottonfang to spite StarClan, but she was not ready then; now, after Cottonpaw has tended to patients without Wolfsong even within the same territory, has foraged for herbs without supervision and scraped together the remains after the fires, what better trial of knowledge is there? What greater test than time and strife? Yes, he knows the moment had come that Cottonpaw sheds her apprenticeship— officially, at least, for she has already progressed beyond it in all but name.

With so many deaths mourned, it is a welcome change to meet renewal, like the first sprouts from sooty soil.

And it seems ShadowClan has encountered much the same, with an unfamiliar face at Starlingheart's side. Quite young, too. Much younger than Cottonpaw was. "I see we have a new arrival. I am Wolfsong, and this is Cottonpaw— though not for much longer." His gaze travels across the other medicine cats' faces, the recently named Fireflyglow included. He allows his comment to remain unclarified until his gaze alights upon Cottonpaw again, so close in resemblance to her mother yet valleys apart otherwise. "It seems your apprentice will learn much today, Starlingheart. Cottonpaw, stars as my witness, I believe you are ready." His voice lowers slightly as he addresses her, weighed down by a ritual solemnity. "I, Wolfsong, medicine cat of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand our ways, and with your blessing, your guidance, she will serve our clan for many moons." As she already has, weathering storms of sickness, frost, flame, and fang. "I ask you this, Cottonpaw: will you uphold the ways of a medicine cat, adhere to our code, and, regardless of grievance or favor, care equally for your clanmates?" He holds her stare with his, sole eye reflecting the moonstone's glow.
​

WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 42 MOONS, HE/HIM, NPC X NPC. MATES WITH SUNSTAR (07/05/2023). BIOGRAPHY, PINTEREST, & PLAYLIST.

medicinal expertise med. part ii med. part iii med. part iv

• — ★★★☆☆ WOUNDS: You're (mostly) in safe paws. You'll know if he's less experienced if he asks for your permission to try a treatment. No wound can scare him away from knowledge.
  — ★★★☆☆ INFECTION: He can prevent most infections. If you feel feverish, let him know; he'll hum thoughtfully over herbs and sniff your wound before saying, "With your blessing..."
• — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES & PAINS: If you complain to him of pain, he'll ask where. If it's a headache, you'll likely feel a bit better. For anything else, "Try this, if you'd like, and tell me how you feel."
  — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES: At best. he can ask you to remain lying down in the den. He may try to distract you with conversation while he considers what herb to feed you.
• — ★★★★★ TRAVELING HERBS: Going somewhere? No worries; Wolfsong knows just what you need to stay hale and healthy during your journey. The rest is up to you.
  — ★★★☆☆ KITTING: Thanks to Starlingheart and his own pregnancy, he's better prepared for the arrival of kits, but any complications will need a little faith and a lot of luck.
• — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS: It's best if you avoid eating anything unfamiliar to you— it's probably just as unfamiliar to Wolfsong. The best he can do is offer you yarrow and sit with you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ ILLNESS: If it's white or greencough, you'll likely recover. Otherwise, prepare for odd concoctions and the usual request that you consent to a little trial-and-error.

​

 

[MARBLELEAF]

It's a long trek to Mothermouth—longer than they'd anticipated. After so long, though, the marsh melts away into fields of gilded grasses and sprawling hills. Marblepaw's feet are sore and tired by the time she and Starlingheart spot the peaks of Highstones rising in the distance, but at the very sight of them, her heart leaps into her mouth. "That's it, isn't it!" Her voice is too-high, eases into a squeak. "What are the other medicine cats like? Do you think they'll like me?"

The nearer they get, the less calm her nerves become. Fraying like threads, she considers: I'll be meeting all the medicine cats in other Clans, but I'll also be meeting StarClan. Her mouth tightens. That is... I'll be meeting StarClan again. After all, Siltcloud had come once to her dreams already... She peers back up at Starlingheart, a smile breaking over her youthful face. "I can't wait to dream with StarClan again," she mews, her tail waving behind her.

As they near Mothermouth, the tone between the medicine cat and her new apprentice changes to one of quiet solemnity. Marblepaw perches at the opening of the cave, catching her breath from the trek, her ribs as sore as her paws. She peers into the tunnel that blooms into open darkness beneath the earth. I have to go in there, too. I'll have to go in there once a moon from now on. Her whiskers tremble at the prospect; why does the darkness seem so oppressive?

I must be brave. Brave as Sycamorepaw must be when he goes into battles. She stills herself, her breathing, and follows at Starlingheart's paws. The blackness is cloying, thick, she can practically reach out and touch it. Soon, she begins to make out pelts shifting in the darkness. Unfamiliar scents brush her nostrils and begin to settle on her tongue like spice. Many cats sit, illuminated by the moon, one a fierce-looking golden feline with a scarred blue eye. She does her best to suppress a squeak as the tom addresses her directly.

"I see we have a new arrival," he says. "I am Wolfsong, and this is Cottonpaw—though not for much longer." Marblepaw's ears twitch—she was a 'paw in name only, then! She'd be witnessing her first medicine cat ceremony as well! Marblepaw quivers as she bows her head to the moorland-perfumed cats. "I'm Marblepaw," she mews, her tone thin and high in the moonlit darkness. "Pleased to meet you both."

Expectantly, she turns to face the other cats. One is small and white, her pelt smelling of riverwater, of salt. Another is big-shouldered, with a thick pale pelt; his scent is reminiscent of forest musk. The other two are tall, one sinewy and sepia-toned, the other broad and fluffy; both of these cats smell strange, sharp, like pines bleeding sap. She dips her head to each of them and waits for Cottonpaw to speak.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Marblekit . Marblepaw, she/they w/ feminine and non-gendered terms.
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — 6 moons old, ages realistically on the 1st.
  — mentored by Starlingheart ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored n/a
  — shadowclan medicine cat apprentice, formerly a rogue. siltcloud x lilacfur, gen 3.
  — currently mated to n/a.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  sh fawn tabby with dull green eyes. courageous, curious, introspective, observant, judgmental, snarky.

​

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonpaw watched the sun as it set beneath the horizon, giving way for the stars and the moon to dance in the sky instead. Wisps of clouds trail alongside the moorland medicine cats as they make their way to Highstones - hardly a frog's hop away from them, though she nor Wolfsong make a proper habit of being first there. Her mentor seems quicker, tonight, as his single eye glimmers in the night's sparing light, but the molly writes it off. Maybe he's eager to show that despite all of the forest damning them to feed from the trash - WindClan still thrives.

She slips into Mothermouth with ease, eyes adjusting to the light difference quickly. The stone shines in the center and the grey furred she-cat moves to find a spot near it, though she is halted by her mentor's greeting. Cottonpaw hadn't even noticed the spry young soul settled beside Starlingheart (admittedly, she tends to ignore the black furred medicine cat...) Marblepaw, she calls herself, and Cottonpaw finds the time to mourn Magpiepaw's loss. Even she, in the brief moment of grief, cannot blame Starlingheart for finding a new student so quickly. Herbs and their uses can only trade paws aptly if a teacher is present... And they've too many instances where a mentor has passed too soon.

Again, mortality plagues her, and Cottonpaw nudges the thought aside as she offers the newest addition her attention. She opens her maw to properly greet the other, when Wolfsong instead continues on his own. Blue eyes flick to him, confusion fluttering in their depths. How many seasons had passed since that fluff of cotton was found by the tom? Three, erring into the fourth? Had she really been training beneath him for so long, long enough that he now wished to grace her with the chance to be his equal?

Cottonpaw's memory wavers, but as Wolfsong carries on, she decides firmly that his sentiments are truer than her mother ever offered her. She has trained hard, like her sisters and brothers and friends. Her path may have diverged but she is here, yet another testament that not all of Sootstar's children have rotted, and that not all in WindClan is foul. Something clings to her throat as he mentions the code, following it - and though her resentments were made clear by way of action and inaction, her eyes flicker with the realization that she must say beneath StarClan's open skies that she will follow it. Until she breathes her last breath, her paws are to work in WindClan's care and should never deviate.

Something in her breaks. But she allows her excitement - her greed even, to be something more - to swallow her whole. "I do, Wolfsong," she purrs, a glimmer in her blue eyes. "I really do," she continues, as if she must reinforce her fervor. As if something is still unsure, rattling around in the cage of her heart, trying to halt her from making a promise she cannot keep. Cottonpaw disguises the pain with a purr and a twitch of her plumed tail.​

 

[Fireflyglow]

There is a tenseness in his form as he walks behind Dawnglare into Mothermouth, keeping his distance from the high priest in case he turned and decided to lash him with barbed tongue words. They seat themselves amongst the other cats, blind blue eyes flicking around sightlessly as a new cat is brought amongst them. Starlingheart has a new apprentice? His eyebrow raises in curiosity, though Wolfsong begins a ceremony soon after. Cottonpaw is to be made a full medicine cat beneath the light of the stars and moonstone, and he fixes her with a stare close to excitement.

Do you feel it? The eyes of all of our ancestors on you, welcoming you into their light completely.. He thinks to himself, a small smile on his lips as he leans forward. He would wait for the ceremony to end before he would welcome the new apprentice. He remembered his first time at the moonstone, after all. It was like it's holiness would consume him.​

SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT ✦ 23 MOONS ✦ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✦ TAGS​

 

[Moonbeam]

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. The walk to the moonstone this time feels similar to when she had first come alongside Ravensong, tensions higher than they should be for the occasion. She hadn't been at the gathering but had heard of what had happened between the ShadowClanner and Wolfsong, knew that something had happened even if she wasn't there to witness it. She hadn't been there either when warriors were fighting at the gorge, when a WindClanner fell to their death and a RiverClanner came back to camp unable to walk properly, but Wolfsong hadn't been there either, Cottonpaw hadn't been there. It was hard to feel ill-will towards these cats she met with every moon, knowing that it wasn't their decision to have their clans fight with the others, they were simply tasked with the aftermath, of healing and burying.

Nothing would change tonight she had decided, she would still be cordial and the attitudes and potential messages that would be spread through this meeting would be what pushed them forward. If Wolfsong or Cottonpaw were to say something or hold ill-will for whatever reason then so be it. Luckily as she moved forward and took her seat alongside the other medicine cats the tension she had been feeling began to melt away and she could only hope she had nothing to worry about. She looks to those gathered, noting the the addition of a young cat along Starlingheart's side and though she's a little surprised she realizes then that there should be no surprise here. ShadowClan would have needed a new medicine cat eventually and with Magpiepaw's untimely removal from them Starlingheart would have to find a new cat to train eventually and with the way the clans worked, with the pain and suffering so many had to deal with it was better to do it sooner rather than later.

The second they're all seated Wolfsong speaks, a ceremony beginning for Cottonpaw - soon to be something else - to become a full medicine cat so all Moonbeam can do is offer a small dip of her head to Marblepaw for now, not wanting to interrupt the ceremony. There would be time for introductions after. For now the white-furred moggie listens, ignoring that small ping of jealousy that had begun swelling within her chest.

LET THE VALLEYS AWAKE ꕥ LET THEM RATTLE AND SHAKE

• --
• ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ flesh wounds
  ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ infections
  ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ aches & pains
  ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ illness
  ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ breathing
  ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ traveling
  ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ broken bones
  ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ kitting
  ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ poisons
• ꕥ SH white masking cinnamon torbie w/orange eyes & small ears
  ꕥ 14 moons old; ages the 17th every month
  ꕥ homosexual homoromantic ; mated to beefang
  ꕥ currently mentoring none
  ꕥ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ꕥ easy in combat unless in water, focuses on defensive tactics

 

[WOLFSONG]

──ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ── He still finds it strange some days that this is his role in the clan, and since the fire, guilt has taken more than its fair share of nights, but he can be proud of the wounds they have tended side by side. Proud, too, to provide WindClan with the stability of teacher and student, and of course, he cannot claim that he was always the former. They have learned from each other, and though Wolfsong is much older, they have grown together too. He knows what he asks of her by calling upon StarClan, and he knows that she had found one particular code stifling, but this is where her path would always lead as fate and StarClan decreed. Where it may follow after this night, Wolfsong cannot say, but she will carry what she has learned forever, and one day she will no doubt find a bright-eyed apprentice of her own to guide down the starbright road.

Wolfsong would be honored to see it, even though part of him mourns that their time together as mentor and apprentice is at its end. No matter. Today, tomorrow, a hundred moons from now, she will still be my first full apprentice, and she will carry this name for memory everlasting.

He smiles at her, a glint in his own eye. Yes, no matter how far apart they may be, they are bound, and Wolfsong can think of no other cat to stand in her stead. Cottonpaw has earned this herself. Sootstar cannot overshadow the Moonstone's glimmer, and she should be defined by her own merits, never her parents'. "Then by the wisdom and strength of StarClan, I give you your true name. Cottonpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as..." He pauses, ostensibly to drag in a deep breath, though his mouth twitches at the corner. A touch of drama never hurt anyone, and despite all that's transpired, he cannot help to tease, just a little. "Cottonsprig, the cutting that grows, the potential to bloom again and again— not a remnant, but heart, and the promise of flowers after flame." He blinks away mistiness, smile stronger now. "StarClan honors your persistence, your compassion, and your courage to defy limits imposed upon you. Let us all welcome Cottonsprig as the new medicine cat of WindClan!" Shifting forward, he rests his chin atop her head and sends a private prayer to StarClan, and another to the far away spirits of his homeland.
​

WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 42 MOONS, HE/HIM, NPC X NPC. MATES WITH SUNSTAR (07/05/2023). BIOGRAPHY, PINTEREST, & PLAYLIST.

medicinal expertise med. part ii med. part iii med. part iv

• — ★★★☆☆ WOUNDS: You're (mostly) in safe paws. You'll know if he's less experienced if he asks for your permission to try a treatment. No wound can scare him away from knowledge.
  — ★★★☆☆ INFECTION: He can prevent most infections. If you feel feverish, let him know; he'll hum thoughtfully over herbs and sniff your wound before saying, "With your blessing..."
• — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES & PAINS: If you complain to him of pain, he'll ask where. If it's a headache, you'll likely feel a bit better. For anything else, "Try this, if you'd like, and tell me how you feel."
  — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES: At best. he can ask you to remain lying down in the den. He may try to distract you with conversation while he considers what herb to feed you.
• — ★★★★★ TRAVELING HERBS: Going somewhere? No worries; Wolfsong knows just what you need to stay hale and healthy during your journey. The rest is up to you.
  — ★★★☆☆ KITTING: Thanks to Starlingheart and his own pregnancy, he's better prepared for the arrival of kits, but any complications will need a little faith and a lot of luck.
• — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS: It's best if you avoid eating anything unfamiliar to you— it's probably just as unfamiliar to Wolfsong. The best he can do is offer you yarrow and sit with you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ ILLNESS: If it's white or greencough, you'll likely recover. Otherwise, prepare for odd concoctions and the usual request that you consent to a little trial-and-error.

​

 

[MARBLELEAF]

Marblepaw is silent as Wolfsong conducts his ceremony. The she-cat who sits before her is silhouetted in silver, draped in lengthy shadows, her coat soft and gray as woodsmoke; it seems to Marblepaw her eyes are filled with the stars themselves as she says, "I do." Cottonpaw is stripped of the name she'd carried for so long, and before their eyes, becomes Cottonsprig, a full medicine cat of WindClan, with all StarClan's powers and a proper name. Marblepaw's tongue feels stuck to the roof of their mouth—they've never felt this awe-struck, this full of wonder.

She looks for Starlingheart beside her, and, suppressing a thrill, presses her pale tawny flank to her mentor's side. After a heartbeat, she manages to lick her lips of their sand and cry out: "Cottonsprig! Cottonsprig!" Her small voice echoes inside the cavern, and the reverb is enough to cause her head to spin.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Marblekit . Marblepaw, she/they w/ feminine and non-gendered terms.
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — 6 moons old, ages realistically on the 1st.
  — mentored by Starlingheart ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored n/a
  — shadowclan medicine cat apprentice, formerly a rogue. siltcloud x lilacfur, gen 3.
  — currently mated to n/a.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  sh fawn tabby with dull green eyes. courageous, curious, introspective, observant, judgmental, snarky.

​

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonpaw does not waver, however as Wolfsong pretends to do so, she finds a sliver of fear in her chest. Sootstar had named her Cottonfang many moons before, deigned such alongside her siblings for a short period of time. If the tom were cruel, he would reinstate it. He'd gift her with claw and tooth, too, just to ensure the soft pawed molly is forever shadowed by a name she cannot live up to. And yet - a glimmer in his lone eye, a spot of humor she has seen plenty times yet. Her smile, which had fallen, picks up again when he announces her new name.

Cottonsprig. It is followed by prayer and accomplishment, by cheer from now the youngest of them. The chill of the cavern no longer presses against her soft fur. Whilst it felt like daggers scraping her skin with her mother, this time it's a warm glow, a soft spot of happiness to be seen as he sees her. Boundless with curiosity and eagerness to learn, she is dubbed a full medicine cat - if only alongside him where they may continue to teach one another.

"Thank you," she says, breathless. He rests his chin atop her head and she draws her tongue over his shoulder in honor and respect. Her gaze falls to the others before zeroing in on the littlest one. She cheers the loudest thus far, uninhibited by tragedies around them. Her paws do not yet know how swift they must be, but she will learn. And though Cottonsprig does not feel fond of her mentor, she knows that Marblepaw will be taught well. "And thank you," she dips her head to the young she-cat, letting out a shuddering breath. They each can go to dream now, if no more announcements must be made. She does not rush the process, simply waiting for another to take the lead. An apprentice, she still acts like - hopefully she'll shed the nature soon.​

 

[DAWNGLARE]

There is a new little shadow in the absence of Magpie, it seems. The first time it had happened — the first time ShadowClan had appeared as a pair of birds — Dawnglare had pondered the likelyhood of Starlingheart's own kit gnawing on her ankles from the marsh to the moonstone, an echo of her own complexion. Since then, he's come to find, ShadowClan was simply plentiful in drab, dark - pelted forestfolk such as herself. This child, in comparison, could not be more dissimilar. She looked about as young as her predecessor had been, gangly and curvy - spined in all the same ways. Perhaps younger than Fireflyglow had been...

A new cynicism curdles the gaze Dawnglare looks down on her with. Starlingheart doomed her so young... perhaps because she had been a victim to the very same thing, herself. Somehow, there is still a distant sigh of her kin's voice, trapped within this room. A face as meek as Starlingheart's demanded no such callback, but she seems doomed regardless. Alas, that pelt of hers... The skin of ShadowClan. " Mmmmarblepaw, " A reluctant taste on his tongue. An honor, this is: he did not deign himself the task of learning names so lightly. She dips her head to him then. Oh. Already, she showed more sense than many who had before her time. And then there's a bell - chime in his ear... Some sense of familiarity; scratching, scraping... Dawnglare leers closer to her, an assessing gleam lighting what the moonstone did not already.

Wolfsong — when had he given him the pleasure of learning that name? — whisks them away in an haste. Cheap mimicry. All of them were, truthfully, but in this way, it is most obvious. Slitted eyes fall upon their faces, and then drop away a moment after. WindClan finds themselves oddly blessed this moon. Why was that?

It doesn't matter. Cottonsprig, he forgets it the moment WindClan utters it. From the very moment of its creation, that name is stained with pestilence. The newest fool amongst them cheers. A disgruntled sound nestles itself in Dawnglares throat, meanwhile. He has no congratulations for her.

" Would all of ShadowClan rejoice the way you do? " he asks Marblepaw instead. They all knew the answer well with the full moon's end. Only by this knowledge does a smile flicker upon his face the way that it does.​