private TAKE A BITE FROM THE MOON \ medicine cat gathering

[MARBLELEAF]

She remembers her first trek to Highstones at six moons, barely out of the nursery; her fur had still been kitten-soft, fluffed up around her bony frame out of excitement. By the time she and Starlingheart had made it to Mothermouth, her paws had ached, but she'd fought through her exhaustion at the wondrous sight of the Moonstone itself. Through it all, her mentor had been there, a comforting flank to lean into, a guiding tail against the unknown. She'd introduced her to the other Clans' medicine cats and had shielded them from their curiosity, their indifference, their judgment.

Marblepaw would face that alone now. She does not make the journey by herself, at least; the scarred, slim black figure of Hawkstride shadows her, his gaze wearily scanning the dark for movement. She had lost her mentor to the badger's clutches, but she has to remind herself that Hawkstride had lost a sister. She tries to imagine herself in his paws, tries to imagine Sycamorebloom's dark ginger pelt damp with blood, and feels the fur along her spine stiffen.

The warrior guard had been an order from Ternstar; her icy gaze had brooked no argument. In truth, Marblepaw had not protested; she had already proved herself to be a liability to the Clan, to be a gaping weakness in their ranks. Hawkstride's presence is a welcome one, in any case; she does not know if she would have made this journey by herself. The silence as the moon begins to silver the treeline is deep and yawning; had she been by herself, would it have devoured her whole?

Starlingheart, will I see you tonight? Her lower jaw trembles, but she tries not to cry. Instead, she gives Hawkstride a subdued look as the mire changes to scrub and then stone under their paws. They are the first to arrive tonight; she can scent no scents but ShadowClan's. "If you'll just wait outside for me... I'll be safe down there." She blinks gratefully his direction before descending the cavern.

Tonight, the darkness feels almost fuzzy. She can feel it pressing against her from all sides; she almost fears a paw made of shadow will reach for her flanks as she descends below the forest. But nothing happens as the cavern opens up before her. The Moonstone is still dull, waiting for the moon to reach its zenith, and Marblepaw sits quietly.

Before long, the others come. There are cats here who have not seen the Moonstone before; Marblepaw had seen them at the Gathering, but it is not until tonight they will be medicine cats in more than name only. The red-crested she-cat who accompanies Moonbeam is Robinheart, she remembers, a former warrior, and the pale apprentice with Gentlestorm is Hopepaw. She wonders if there is fear in their hearts, now that they are face-to-face with the unknown.

They wait until everyone has gathered — Fireflyglow, Gentlestorm and Hopepaw, Moonbeam and Robinheart, Cottonsprig and Celandinepaw — before she speaks. Though the sadness tightens her voice, she does not waver as she tells them, "Starlingheart has joined StarClan. She..." She hesitates, but settles on, "she died for ShadowClan." She could have lived for ShadowClan, had it not been for me. "I will be ShadowClan's medicine cat now."

She meets each pair of gleaming eyes, but settles briefly on Celandinepaw's. You have helped my Clan more than I can say. She hopes her friend can understand that now.

warrior escort: @HAWKSTRIDE

medicine cats / mcas: @Moonbeam @robinheart @cottonsprig @CELANDINEPAW @GENTLESTORM @HOPEPAW @Fireflyglow

… ❞​

​

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonsprig keeps Celandinepaw to her flank; in the moons prior, they would've walked stride by stride, step with step. But trust has frayed with feathered edges and the older molly presses intent in the slightness of their frames. I am your holder. The words all but leave her lips as she thinks them; all but swirl in her gut with internalized disgust as they flutter away. The maw of the Moonstone's cavern braves the cold ahead of them. And for the brief moment they are alone but not, for the seconds they prey on Mothermouth's entrance - she waits for her apprentice. The mouselength of difference is made up and shoulders are locked once again.

Sisters, Cottonsprig realizes as she walks once more, still holding the younger medic to her side, rarely apologize for their follies. They simply wait for the winds to take them away.

Cottonsprig only notes the sentry at the entranceway with a slight nod. A ShadowClanner, no doubt, but unsurprising. It is not the first and will not be the last time warriors are privy to medicine cat traditions. The scents in Mothermouth are new and old, stale and fresh. Her gaze floats around those who have gathered, finds newer faces amongst the old, and faces lacking altogether. The apprentice beside Gentlestorm is young, though perhaps not plucked from the nursery like Marblepaw was. The molly beside Moonbeam... familiar in a distant manner. She cannot place her with a name but acknowledges her with a nod regardless.

Marblepaw is given a gaze of near ice, emotions flickering uninhibited behind them. And yet, all at once - Starlingheart has joined StarClan. Judgement does not exist when sorrow is so plentiful. Surprise masks everything that once drowned in her aquamarine gaze, even as the brown mottled girl looks towards Celandinepaw in a silent bid for understanding. Cottonsprig sees it, understands it herself, and even the fire of frustration is doused by the reality around them. Another medicine cat... dead by means only known to the youth. And Cottonsprig has spent so much of her life hating Starlingheart for the weakness of her spirit, the fragility of her heart. I hope it was quick, she muses, as if the guides beyond them still listen to her. I hope you are happy in the stars. A long break in her thoughts, her gaze falling to her paws. Others share their condolences, and selfishly, Cottonsprig closes her eyes. I hope you afford me a kindness I could never give to you.

"I'm sorry, Marblepaw," she says finally, her eyes opening, misted. Her gaze flicks from her paws to her apprentice, and should Celandinepaw not shirk her gesture away, the molly rests her tail around her friend's haunches, "I'm more than sure that she is proud of the she-cat she has raised to be in her place. It will be hard, but... You are strong." ShadowClan cats are nothing if not persistent, she supposes.

Her gaze flicks to Moonbeam, Gentlestorm - each with their own apprentices to share with the group. Her paws itch with a duty she wonders if she even deserves.

𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

• ooc //

• ❥ MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE
  ♥♥♡ WOUNDS ; can confidently stop bleeding and mend lacerations. will often request that you keep your injury clean and wait it out first.
  ♥♥♡ INFECTION ; as a side effect of likely her own doing, very dutiful with technique and treatment shortly thereafter.
  ♥♡♡ ACHES & PAINS ; will defer to a dark tunnel and rest. if pain persists, maybe she will offer something.
  ♥♡♡ BROKEN BONES ; has never dealt with a broken bone. likely will ask that you never move. ever again.
  ♥♥♥ TRAVELING HERBS ; learned well from her previous mentor. will pile even too many remedies to tough the wilderness with.
  ♥♥♥ KITTING ; having kittens of her own and helped several others with their litters, she is very well versed with calming techniques and quelling pain.
  ♥♡♡ POISONS ; she knows what they are... but that isn't enough, isn't it?
  ♥♥♡ ILLNESS ; having worked through two yellowcough bouts, she is confident in her remedies. much else... she's operating on trial and error.
  ⸻ cottonsprig is a dutiful and excitable medicine cat. she enjoys company and loves conversation. she'd rather not have too many curious noses snooping around her den... but who is she to quell curiosity?

• 

  ⸻❥ cottonsprig is the primary medicine cat of windclan. a former princess to the moors, she harbors many guilts for her actions throughout her short life. she has no consistent partner, unwilling to commit and settle, and she is training celandinepaw in medicine.

​

 

[Fireflyglow]

Hefty pawsteps carry the tom through snow, grunting loudly with the effort of dragging himself through. Should he be a bit more fit, this might have not been such a draining exercise. He felt like all of his energy was sapped the moment he arrived at Mothermouth. The chunky tom found it a bit hard to believe that it was time for the meeting again, time passed by so fast. With his fur a mess and soaked from the snow, little specks of white clinging to his seal-colored fur, he pushes his way into the place where the stars spoke.

"Greetings, everyone." Fireflyglow greeted exhaustedly, moving slow around the Moonstone to reach Cottonsprig's side. He seats himself a short distance away from her, but he gives her and Moonbeam a nod of hello in their general direction. As the meeting begins, Fireflyglow sits and listens patiently. Blind blue eyes stare off into the distance, as if daydreaming- he was very much listening, however. His tail taps against the cool ground, before listening to Marblepaw speak. Starlingheart is dead. Fireflyglow thinks to himself, finding that the news makes him feel a bit saddened. Another had lost their mentor, and now Fireflyglow could relate to them. A sudden regret fills him, that he hadn't befriended all of these cats sooner. What struggles have they faced, unable to tell their clanmates? He blinks sadly.

"I.. Am sorry for your loss, Marblepaw." Fireflyglow speaks calmly, deepened and emotional. Shiny tears beg to grace the corners of his eyelids, but he blinks them away with fervor. "She was.. A very good cat. She was devoted to her Clan." He rumbles, tail twitching as he falls silent. "..And now you take her place. It is an.. Odd experience, receiving your name. Congratulations, however unfortunate the cause of your promotion was." He dipped his head to the she-cat, before falling silent once again.

Seemed there would be at least one ceremony here.​

SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT ✦ 28 MOONS ✦ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✦ TAGS​

 

[robinheart]

Her first journey to highstones is fraught with trepidation. There is a subtle fear of the unknown that curls around Robinheart's ribcage and makes a home for itself in the ivory casing. So many nights she has spoken to Starclan in her own way, but tonight… it would be a reality.

The tortoiseshell limps behind Moonbeam, her mentor a glowing beacon to follow as they enter Mothermouth. Citrine eyes widen at the sight and for a brief moment Robinheart's maw gapes in awe. She is quick to correct herself, not wishing to look like a guppy in front of her fellow medicine cats and their apprentices. Hopefully no one noticed. And if they did… well who could blame her?

Robinheart seats herself beside Moonbeam and studies the faces around her as the meeting begins. Marblepaw, one she had noticed at a prior gathering, starts and announces Starlingheart's sacrifice and her now ascension to ShadowClan's medicine cat. The tortie couldn't imagine how terrifying that would feel… and hopes such a fate would never befall Moonbeam (it's a selfish hope, for which she immediately feels apologetic). "I'm sorry for your loss," Robinheart murmurs as she meets Marblepaw's gaze, dipping her head lightly out of respect for the fallen medicine cat.​

[ penned by kerms ]​

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonsprig affords Fireflyglow a soft chirp in a greeting, figuring the tom would not be able to note a physical gesture. His warmth, though he holds his distance, only makes the discomfort more unsettling. Gentlestorm looks at her, so briefly, yet their unspoken alliance adds to it too. The youthful surprise and sorrow in Hopepaw's eyes, Moonbeam and Robinheart each sharing their condolences...

Her gaze doesn't even make it to her paws. She finds Celandinepaw, who looks on to her friend with an immense, unspeakable sadness. Cottonsprig has damned this friendship much like her father had done with her and Magpiepaw - and yet it still burns beyond her efforts. They have a companionship that the older medicine cat once hoped for. And even as she tries to grow such ties with her fellow teachers, she knows that her longevity will be short lived; these cats will lose trust in her, should everything come to light. It is Celandinepaw who they will confide in, then. And who is she, the fallen star she is, to damn the efforts her apprentice is trying to put forth?

"It should be her..." Cottonsprig speaks quietly, only after the apprentices are offered forth to the Moonstone, only after the sadness has swept the cavern thrice over. "It should be Starlingheart who gives you your name. I may not hold a flame to the cat she was... but I hope the stars bless my tongue to do you the honor." The smoke-hued molly waits - for long, droning seconds, she waits. For a lightning strike, a burning fire, for the stone itself to blink out its light. When none of that occurs, she plays a gentle smile and gestures to Marblepaw, cutting off her cordial silence with, "Come and join me. I promise to do my best...!" A quick wink, for this is the first time she's named a medicine cat. She figured her only time would've been with Celandinepaw (her gaze shifts over to her own apprentice, briefly, before returning to the ShadowClan molly.)

"I, Cottonsprig, medicine cat of WindClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained dutifully to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons..." Again, she holds her gaze to the stone, daring for it to go out and leave this lonely she-cat to its darkness instead. She keeps her fears out of her voice. "Marblepaw... do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to treat every cat as if they are your own kit? To commune with StarClan and share your findings with your leader?" Unbeknownst to Cottonsprig, StarClan has already spoken through young Marblepaw. Ternstar still stands, luckily enough.

Upon the gentle, excited, fearful, or terse, "I do," Cottonsprig leans forward. A new sense of adrenaline flushes through her veins, and then uncertainty, for the hard part of this whole thing approaches fastly. A name, a name. StarClan, what name would be befitting of a young molly Cottonsprig has only met a pawful of times?

"Then with StarClan's approval, I will give you your true name as a medicine cat. Marblepaw, from this moment you will be known as..." Another pause, luckily brief this time, as she channels all she can. A glimmer of an idea unfurls in its entirety. She can only hope that the apprentice will enjoy her choice. "Marbleleaf. StarClan will honor your incoming tenacity, as well as your faith and spirit. We here welcome you as the medicine cat of ShadowClan." Should the other allow her, she rests her head atop Marbleleaf's, just as Wolfsong had done unto her. Her chest's beating is rapid, likely felt even through her thick fur, but she pulls away regardless. Her gaze holds to the newest medicine cat, a sadness drenched in her blues. "You will do well, Marbleleaf. We're just over the Thunderpath, should you need help..." Her tone is soft, gentle - like a mother may speak to her kit.

And then, she steps back, giving allowance for the molly to touch the stone first. She looks towards Celandinepaw again, allowing her sadness to remain apparent, before settling beside her apprentice again.

𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

• ooc //

• ❥ MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE
  ♥♥♡ WOUNDS ; can confidently stop bleeding and mend lacerations. will often request that you keep your injury clean and wait it out first.
  ♥♥♡ INFECTION ; as a side effect of likely her own doing, very dutiful with technique and treatment shortly thereafter.
  ♥♡♡ ACHES & PAINS ; will defer to a dark tunnel and rest. if pain persists, maybe she will offer something.
  ♥♡♡ BROKEN BONES ; has never dealt with a broken bone. likely will ask that you never move. ever again.
  ♥♥♥ TRAVELING HERBS ; learned well from her previous mentor. will pile even too many remedies to tough the wilderness with.
  ♥♥♥ KITTING ; having kittens of her own and helped several others with their litters, she is very well versed with calming techniques and quelling pain.
  ♥♡♡ POISONS ; she knows what they are... but that isn't enough, isn't it?
  ♥♥♡ ILLNESS ; having worked through two yellowcough bouts, she is confident in her remedies. much else... she's operating on trial and error.
  ⸻ cottonsprig is a dutiful and excitable medicine cat. she enjoys company and loves conversation. she'd rather not have too many curious noses snooping around her den... but who is she to quell curiosity?

• 

  ⸻❥ cottonsprig is the primary medicine cat of windclan. a former princess to the moors, she harbors many guilts for her actions throughout her short life. she has no consistent partner, unwilling to commit and settle, and she is training celandinepaw in medicine.

​

 

[MARBLELEAF]

Cottonsprig is the first to speak, and though initially the WindClan medicine cat's blue gaze is flinty, her surprise allows her to relent. "I'm sorry, Marblepaw." The ShadowClan apprentice feels her pale fur prickle under the smoke-pelted molly's scrutiny. Marblepaw can't know about Cottonsprig's own tempestuous relationship she'd had with her mentor during her apprenticeship, cannot know she'd been forced, too early, to walk in his pawsteps in the face of his exile, and thus Marblepaw only gives her a small nod. It will be hard. It is hard. Harder than I can ever say.

Fireflyglow is the next to speak; his pale eyes, silver as the moon, glisten with unshed tears. "I am sorry for your loss, Marblepaw." She nods again, her own eyes beginning to prick with discomfort. Fireflyglow had lost Dawnglare to similarly vicious teeth not long ago; his grief, though tempered, must feel newly fresh.

The new she-cat beside Moonbeam, her fur dark but for the crimson crest, blinks sympathetic amber eyes in Marblepaw's direction. She meets the apprentice's gaze bravely; Marblepaw can sense, even through her sorrow and her fear, that this she-cat has a kind heart. "Thank you."

And then it is time. Cottonsprig rises to her paws, and her voice is quiet, solemn. "It should be her. It should be Starlingheart who gives you her name." Marblepaw meets her gaze almost helplessly. "I know," she murmurs. And it is my fault she is not here to do it. But she moves to stand before Cottonsprig. Their fur is bathed in near-white light from the strength and intensity of the Moonstone behind them. "Marblepaw... do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to treat every cat as if they are your own kit? To commune with StarClan and shasre your findings with your leader?"

Marblepaw's jaw trembles. This is the moment she had been working toward for what seems like her entire life, but what meaning is there in it now? Starlingheart is gone. Starlingheart is not here to name her. She meets Cottonsprig's gaze with uncertainty at first, but then she thinks of Ternstar's sign, the prints in the snow, the sunlit glow on its wings as it soared toward the peaks of Highstones. She thinks of Sharpshadow, his silver eyes bright again after his first treatment of chickweed. She thinks of Celandinepaw, her green eyes twinkling at her through the mireland dusk. She thinks of Amberhaze, of Stonepaw, of Lavenderpaw. Burdocktail batting a mossball at Lostkit. Singeglare and Batchaser, their angry courage, their disbelief. Sneezeduck, his voice husky in the close quarters of their den. She thinks of Siltcloud, lingering somewhere in the darkness behind her, of Chilledstar, looking on from their starry seat. Of Starlingheart, sitting sentry beside her...

You're still here. You're here, in all of them.

"I do."

I will be there for them, too.

Cottonsprig appears satisfied. She hails her Marbleleaf, for her incoming tenacity, her faith and spirit. "We welcome you as the medicine cat of ShadowClan."

Marbleleaf dips her head. "I'm honored," she says. She tries to catch Celandinepaw's eye, but it's clear that Cottonsprig has given her leeway to touch the stone first. To convene with StarClan at last.

She turns from the sharp gazes of the other medicine cats and their apprentices and crouches beneath the Moonstone. Her flanks tremble as she presses her nose against the cool surface. Please accept me, StarClan. I will do all I can for ShadowClan now.

… ❞​

​

 

[HOPEPAW]

⊱⊰ The moonstone is bright, and the cats around her are unfamiliar. She's seen them before, of course, but never this close. Marblepaw is recognizable immediately, as is Cottonsprig, but the bulky SkyClan medicine cat is less so. Fireflyglow's eyes seem to focus on nothing, and from the scars around them she understands why that must be. The pale RiverClan medicine cat is only familiar because she's seen her before around ThunderClan's own camp—Moonbeam, who cannot be trusted. With her is another cat, entirely unfamiliar. Hopepaw meets each of them, any who glance her way, with a faint incline of her head, but she says nothing in the way of greetings. She isn't certain whether she's allowed to speak, and would much rather stay quiet and let Gentlestorm introduce her however he will.

Marblepaw speaks first, announcing the death of her mentor. The other medicine cats offer their condolences, but Hopepaw says nothing, copper gaze not straying from the glittering moonstone. Starlingheart's death means little to her—she cannot mourn the loss of a cat she had never known, a cat who had only existed as a member of an enemy clan. She feels some measure of empathy, of course, because if it were her standing there, informing others of her mentor's death, she would be falling apart at the seams. To imagine that Gentlestorm might not be the one to grant her a full medicine cat's name… impossible. But the scarred, beaten-up tom has seen his fair share of near-deaths. Can he withstand another?

She shakes off the thoughts as best she can. Her uncle has survived multiple attempts on his life. He'll survive another. He must.

Cottonsprig, surprisingly, steps forward to offer Marblepaw her condolences, as well as… a ceremony. She names her Marbleleaf, a name that sounds so stereotypically medicine cat that it draws a furrow between the girl's brows. Sprig, leaf… their names are so plant-y. She hopes her name won't be like theirs—she hopes she gets the storm of her uncle, or the flame of her mother. But that's a long way off, still. Her eyes follow Marbleleaf as the other moves to the moonstone, and then her gaze flickers to Gentlestorm. Are they meant to do the same?

an ancient spirit’s song 【❖】 will heal our wounds

• ooc: —
• 
• 
  HOPEPAW ❯❯ she/her, thunderclan medicine cat apprentice
  
  ⊱ skinny, thick-furred lilac molly with deep copper eyes. soft-spoken and a bit of a grouch.
  ⊱ daughter of batwing and leopardtongue ; adopted by roeflame
  ⊱ mentored by gentlestorm
  ⊱ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted ; does not typically like physical contact from anyone besides her family
  ⊱ penned by foxlore

​

​

 

[Moonbeam]

It feels like forever since Moonbeam's paws had walked the well-trod path to the moonstone, though it is not done alone as it usually is this time it is done with familiarity and as the pale moggie weaves through the familiar tunnel that leads to the center of the cave where all the medicine cats meet once a moon with her apprentice in tow she takes her familiar seat and greets each medicine cat as they come in as she usually does, greets each as though nothing had happened in the past two moons, as though she had not been missing from the previous gathering of the medicine cats, as though blood had not been spilled between RiverClan and ThunderClan only a moon prior. It did not matter to her if Gentlestorm and Hopepaw ignored her as she suspected they would - let them be childish - she had not been there to spill the blood nor will she ever be, Moonbeam was only ever there to mend it in the aftermath and whether each medicine cat and their apprentice here were to participate in battles or not that was their path in the end - to mend.

The news of Starlingheart's passing comes as a surprise to the RiverClanner, brows furrowing and ears pressing to her head for a moment as she collects herself and processes the news. She did not know the other well - how could she when the two clans did not border, when the only interactions they had were here and at the gatherings - but she had been one that Moonbeam would have liked to know more - and quietly to the young feline Moonbeam offered her condolances, "I'm sorry for your loss." It was one that she did not wish upon any yet it seemed that it was a trend among the medicine cats here, medicine cats leaving their apprentices too soon, a curse amongst the cats that live in the wild, the price to pay for all the freedoms that they had.

It is Cottonsprig that moves forward to speak, to do a ceremony that Starlingheart should have been the one to do, and as Moonbeam watches and listens her eyes move to the new ShadowClan medicine cat, mourning smile on her maw placed there as she speaks once more, "She'll be proud Marbleleaf." She tested out the new name on her tongue, and she was sure the new medicine cat of ShadowClan's former mentor would speak of her own pride this night as well when they meet once more.

Before noses touch stone there is more to be said however, and Moonbeam's eyes flick to the other's once more for just a moment before her throat clears "There's a lot to be done this meeting," She comments, alluding to Gentlestorm's own apprentice that needed to be introduced, needed her own ceremony, "I've chosen a new apprentice with all that's happened so far this season, this is Robinheart," She'd motion towards her for those who could see, smile on her maw as she began to speak once more, this time addressing her apprentice, her friend, "Robinheart, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan a medicine cat?"

She waits for the other's words, the It is that is expected by now, through all the talks that they had gone through together, the expectations and the acceptance of if Robinheart had wanted to back out she could but there was no turning back now before she spoke once more. "Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. 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." And when the time was right, and when the ceremonies would be done they would touch their noses to the stone at last.

CAUSE LIKE CONTELLATIONS ꕥ A MILLION YEARS AWAY

• --
• 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 15 moons old; ages the 17th every month
  ꕥ homosexual polyromantic ; mated to beefang, crushing on redacted
  ꕥ currently mentoring none
  ꕥ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ꕥ easy in combat unless in water, focuses on defensive tactics

​

 

[robinheart]

Robinheart is statuesque as Cottonsprig steps forward to bestow Marblepaw's name. It is familiar to the warrior naming a leader would present before the clan, though different in tone and weight. There is much more reverence — a ceremony done in private before likeminded peers. Perhaps the tortoiseshell would even call this moment beautiful as Marblepaw accepts her role as ShadowClan's medicine cat and receives the name Marbleleaf.

There is no cheering to follow, but a quiet acceptance and congratulatory murmur among the medicine cats and their apprentices.

It is then that Moonbeam speaks, calling attention to another ceremony to be had. The official acceptance of Robinheart as RiverClan's medicine cat apprentice. Her chest constricts ever so slightly, nervousness coating her body in an invisible sheen. She readily took on the role in private with the pale molly, was cheered for by her clan in the meeting where her position was revealed, but now… she would earn her title in the eyes of her peers and Starclan.

'Robinheart, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of Starclan a medicine cat?'

Her citrine eyes flicker with hesitation at the unknown — at communing with Starclan directly rather than speak to Silverpelt as if they can hear her. But that trepidation dissipates in moments as the tortoiseshell nods and replies, "it is." She has come this far and knows she can go the distance to provide for her clan and perhaps be an asset to the other clans should their medicine cats need her.

Moonbeam presents her to the Moonstone as an official medicine cat apprentice and when the time is right, Robinheart approaches and touches her nose to the surface, ready to dream with her mentor for the first time.​

[ penned by kerms ]​

 

[CELANDINEPAW]

Uncomfortably close to Cottonsprig's side, Celandinepaw held her head down as she headed into Mothermouth. Her soot-stained mentor kept her almost pressed against her flank, though the medicine cat apprentice could not bear to meet her gravid, sky-blue gaze. She had broken Cotton's trust, though a proper apology still would not bloom upon her tongue, nor would she afford her sister-figure the humility of doing so. Celandinepaw gave a tired smile to the other gathered medicine cats, as though her silence seeped through self-imposed stitches, and her guilt of betrayal would not disavow the light that dwelled within her. Whiskers twitched as her attention turned from Marbleleaf to Fireflyglow to the two unfamiliar felines that accompanied Gentlestorm's and Moonbeam's sides tonight. They must be the new apprentices. Though, the one from Riverclan looks quite old. Well, I'm not one to judge. Lips braced themselves for an introduction, though she chickened out at the last moment - mainly because she swore she could feel her mentor's icy stare sear into her shoulders. Wandering green gaze settled upon Marblepaw, though the other molly seemed lost in a miasma of an unreadable emotion, as though it had rendered her meek and taciturn. She had always known the other apprentice to be so, but she sensed that tonight was much different. Where's Starlingheart? That warrior in the front surely isn't her replacement.

Budding question was nipped swiftly after it came to fruition. "Starlingheart has joined Starclan. She died for Shadowclan." Medicine cats were not strangers to the ever-pervasive plague of death, for it was the one thing that they could never cure, as though it were a shadow that sulked just beyond mortal reach. It felt strange to mourn her, almost as if she had the notion that medicine cats were separate from the wheel of fortune. Even they could die young, even she would not escape from the hold of pallid talons. "I'm so sorry, Marblepaw. I'm sure she's happy in Starclan." It was a lie, as she couldn't know for sure if her supposed spirit dwelled in the stars, as she only waxed poetry because it was expected of her. In truth, she felt that a just heaven would not have allowed Starlingheart to perish before she had even finished training her apprentice. A kind empyrean would grant her a long life, for she had a duty beyond that of a warrior.

As Cottonsprig rose next, like the half-moon shining in luminary's ardor, Celandinepaw only watched. Drenched in Moonstone's glow and sharpened shadows, her mentor seemed so powerful in this moment. I wonder if I'll have that power... but does it come with Starclan's blessing? She shook away such grim thoughts, opting to bury them from the soils of her mind sometime in the future. For now, she had to celebrate her friend's momentous night. "Hooray, Marbleleaf! I'm sure Starlingheart is so happy that you were the one in her place." Celandinepaw chirp-whispered, her sunshot grin breaking through preconceived notions of rue or repetance. Next came Robinheart (who did not bear an apprentice's name, much to Celandinepaw's curiosity), lambent yellow gaze floating upon the nightly canvas. After the silence that followed her confirmation, Celandinepaw beamed once more. "Congratulations, Robinheart!" She cheered once more, her voice dulled down to a mere murmur of what it normally was.

𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧, 𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗦𝗟𝗢𝗪 ( .☘︎ ݁˖.☘︎ ݁˖.☘︎ ݁ ) 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗧, 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗘, 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗢𝗡, 𝗢𝗛 𝗡𝗢

• OUT OF CHARACTER. cela jumpscare / backwritten!
  
  

  ❁ — MEDICINAL EXPERTISE: Celandinepaw is the current medicine cat apprentice of Windclan. Although she is quite new to her position, she also has much expertise with treatment regarding infectious diseases and basic remedies. As for anything more complex... you're better off asking a more experienced medicine cat. WOUNDS — ★★★☆☆ ACHES — ★★★☆☆ INFECTIONS — ★★★☆☆ BROKEN BONES — ★☆☆☆☆ CONTAGIOUS ILLNESSES — ★★★★★ CHRONIC ILLNESSES — ★★☆☆☆ POISONS — ★☆☆☆☆ KITTING — ★☆☆☆☆ TRAVELING — ★★★☆☆​

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  CELANDINEPAW & SHE / HER & 17 MOONS
  

  —— Medicine Cat Apprentice of Windclan / Mentored by Cottonsprig
  —— A shorthaired, wheat-yellow spotted tabby with yellowish-green eyes. Somewhat pudgy, though lean and able to hold her ground in the wild. Broad-shouldered and tall compared to her smaller clanmates, she stands out through a Windclan crowd.
  —— Outgoing and terribly saccharine, she is a friendly and affable face in Windclan. Though ditzy and cowardly, she tries her best to help her clan as one of their healers. She is prone to outbursts when spurned or stressed. She also tends to follow her own personal code and will often go for a safe, painless option.
  —— Penned by Tempest. Contact on Discord (naruk4mi) for plots and threads.

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