E C H O
Echo's bones had never been fantastic, but in the few moons since arriving in the Clans, she'd been walking less - the ache in her body wouldn't let her forget it tonight. After Echo had found out that the Clans' medicine cats had regular meetings and one was coming up, Bearheart had been kind enough to show her the way to this so-called Mooncave to ensure she didn't get lost. Of course, that meant Echo had now made the trip out here not once, but twice, and she could practically hear her bones creaking as she thought about the long walk home.
Instead of wallowing in that, the grey tabby settled herself back onto her haunches and ran a quick tongue over her windswept fur. Although she was usually pretty good at getting along with other cats, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of unusual nerves and that manifested in trying to make herself look presentable. Or, at least, as presentable as she could, with the countless scars tearing up her body. Silently, as she had been doing over the last few days, she wondered what the healers of the other Clans would be like. Rough? Docile? It was hard to guess and she didn't have enough of a grasp on Clan life yet to even try.
Speaking of which, where were they?
Echo's hazel eyes scanned the moonlit shore by the Mooncave, searching for the shadows of any approaching cats. Hopefully, she hadn't got the time or date wrong - the last thing she needed was to make this trip again. No - surely she'd got it right. As far as she'd been told, ThunderClan was the closest to the Mooncave apart from WindClan. Perhaps she was just early.
So, settling into the sounds of the night, Echo waited, her tail curling patiently around her feet.
Littlewoods nodded his head in response to the other medicine cats' concern about Lighthollow, flicking his tail as if swatting away their worries. "Oh, he's fine... as most warriors do, he complains more than he actually is in pain." Littlewoods, despite his caring nature, had seen his fair share of warriors turn into little kits over the smallest injury. He always said that the more they complained, the more okay they were, since they could focus more on whining than trying to stay awake or upright.
He listened with interest as Venomrose spoke of their kits with such pride, whiskers twitching with amusement. "...Yes, that does sound like Spottedkoi, doesn't it?" He'd met the Riverclan deputy before, and whilst she was competent with her duties, her... thousand yard stare often gave the impression that she'd eat a lot of things if given the chance. He had to wonder if it was some kind of condition, really. "Let's just hope Alderkit grows out of the pebble-eating phase." Littlewoods had to admit he was kind of relieved that Windclan's nursery and camp wasn't as... pebbly as Riverclan's, or he'd definitely have to deal with a lot more kits with upset stomachs and worse.
Littlewoods waited for the rest of the medicine cats to get up before taking up the rear, guiding their newest members into the mooncave. His eyes took a couple of moments to begin adjusting to the darkness, and he smiled softly in response to Roseglow's worries.
"Starclan will come to you, I'm sure. They'll want to meet you and share tongues just as much as you do with them." Littlewoods reassured, touching his nose to her tail-tip as he fell into step behind her. "And there's no harm in not dreaming. Sometimes... Starclan simply doesn't have things to say, but that doesn't remove a medicine cat's usefulness." As they entered into the mooncave finally, he allowed himself to properly adjust to the light.
"You don't have to worry. Starclan knows what's best for your journey."
The young feline dipped her head at Venomrose, grateful that the medicine cats were all welcoming. Roseglow let out a purr as the riverclan medicine cat began to gush about their litter of kits - the purr momentarily getting stuck in her throat at the mention of a kitten trying to eat a pebble. Roseglow blinked at Venomrose, a mix of shock and laughter in her gaze. Although Roseglow adored kits, she was still uncertain about ever having her own. Still, the thought stuck in her mind.
At the signal to get moving, Roseglow pushed herself to her paws, gulping nervously as they began the trek into the cavern. The ginger feline nodded at Venomrose's advice, stepping carefully as she felt the cool rocks underneath her paws. The feeling sent a chill up her spine, eyes wide as they adjusted to the darkness. With each step, she came closer to facing their ancestors. I have to show Firestar that he was right, I have to make him proud. He can't be wrong, can he?
Eyes catching Waspsight, she gave the tom a small smile at his reassurance, grateful the others were doing their best to ease the transition into her new role. Roseglow listened thoughtfully at the shadowclan medicine cat's words, absorbing his advice and feeling a mix of relief and new worries washing over. "What if..." Roseglow began, unsure if she even wanted an answer to the question, "What if I don't dream at all?" She paused, the words stuck in her throat. "What if-" Before Roseglow could continue, her attention was grabbed by the glowing gemstones deep inside the cave. The innermost centre of the small cave revealed a large boulder in a pool of water, the light reflecting from the surface, onto the stone, and onto the crystals. Roseglow couldn't keep in the gasp that escaped her lips, her worries melting away at the sight of something so otherworldly yet so familiar. She knew she didn't need to ask if they had arrived, she had never been more certain of anything. Wordlessly, Roseglow awaited instructions from the senior cats, unable to peel her eyes away from the beauty of the Mooncave.
W A S P S I G H T
A grin graced the calico tom's face at Venomrose's greeting. He gave the tall tom a flick of his tail to their flank in return as Littlewoods soon joined their ranks. He was also surprised at the tortie healer's late arrival, given his close capacity to the mooncave, but it didn't take long for him to explain his tardiness. "I do hope he's alright," Waspsight hummed in response to Lighthollow's condition, though he took Littlewoods's transfer of topic as a good sign on the matter. He listened quietly as his friend immediately blabbered on about their family, the smile on his face never faltering as he took in the joy on Venomrose's expression. He was happy for them, his friend deserved that life.
His attention shifted to a shadow out of the corner of his eye. Over time, he learned to not become too distracted over every shadow that came in went in his line of sight, but this one in particular caught his interest. A sleek black cat with warm looking orange eyes. She kept close to Echo's side, not too close, as though she did not want to interrupt her current exchanges but also she did not stray far, like she wanted to be by her side regardless of physicality. It interested him that the spirit seemed to linger, whether her companion was aware of her presence or not, he did not know. Waspsight decided that perhaps it was a topic better for a different time. "Echo, was it? Pleasure to meet you." The ShadowClan tom got to his paws after Venomrose, gesturing with his tail to their two newcomers to follow the lead. "It may look like some dark cave now, but once you get to its heart, you'll see it differently." He caught the nervous eyes of Roseglow, who glanced after Echo at her questions, with inquries of her own practically bursting at the seams. His bi-colored eyes crinkled slightly in amusement. Perhaps, if he were a young medicine cat in his own right and new to the ways of StarClan, he too would be shaking under his pelt. "They're not all doomsday and end of days." He assured her as they walked down the rocky path, carefully putting his paws one at a time ahead of each other, "StarClan cats are just like every other Clan cat you've met in life. Just... Past a different time. There's nothing to be afraid of. Not every interaction with them is otherwordly." Waspsight gave a chuckle. "In fact, most of my dreams here are like the dreams I have in my own nest."
At the approach of Waspsight, Venomrose perked up a bit. As the ShadowClan healer took a seat, the dark RiverClanner leaned over to affectionately bump his shoulder with their head in greeting. They were somewhat surprised that Littlewoods was the last of them to arrive. WindClan's territory was the closest to the Ghostly Flats, after all. A worrier at heart, they hoped nothing bad had happened to the little tom.
Their fears were short lived, thankfully, as the WindClan healer made his appearance. "It's good to see you both-" they mewed to Waspsight and Littlewoods "-and nice to meet you, Roseglow and Echo." Their whiskers twitched a bit, but otherwise, their face didn't portray the surprise they felt. ThunderClan hadn't made her take a clan name? Deep down, a twinge of jealousy pricked in their chest. When they'd been delivered to the clans, they didn't have a choice in having a second part tacked onto their name. Sure, 'Venom' hadn't been a name given to them out of kindness, but nobody even asked if they wanted to be known as Venompaw back then... Maybe they weren't as over that whole debaucle as they thought they were.
Grateful to be shaken from their thoughts, the dark-furred feline proudly puffed out their chest when Littlewoods inquired about their kits. "Fantastic! They're absolutely perfect!" They purred, grinning. "It's going by so fast, they're three moons old now. I can't wait to see the kinds of cats they're going to become. You, uh, can definitely tell that some of them are Spottedkoi's kits, though. I caught Alderkit trying to eat a pebble this morning, heh." It wasn't hard to pick up on the adoration the medicine cat held for their mate and offspring, as it was written all over their face and audible in the fondness of their voice. They would've gone on all night, but they suddenly became a bit self concious about how much they were talking. Clearing their throat, they gave the others a sheepish smile as they glanced down at their paws "But we're not here for me to blabber all night, heh. We should get going soon." Their gaze flickered between Roseglow and Echo "Be very careful when we start heading down to the cave, the rocks can be incredibly slippery," they warned, tail twitching nervously. They' d nearly slipped once when heading down there, and that was one of the scariest experiences of their life. If a cat fell from those rocks, they would likely not survive.
So far, they were getting a good vibe from Roseglow. They weren't too sure about Echo yet, though. She seemed nice, but they couldn't help but feel like she'd been looking at them funny since they arrived and they couldn't put their paw on why.
Roseglow unwillingly let out a sigh of relief at the kindness the Thunderclan medicine cat offered, feeling much better after receiving some assurance. At the compliment, the she-cat smiled shyly, looking down at the ground to avoid the older feline's gaze. "Thank you," she murmured, tail curled in joy, forgetting about her previous stress "Echo is a lovely name as well."
As the scent of Riverclan reached her nose, Roseglow looked over at Venomrose, dipping her head respectfully, impressed at their calm and collected demeanour that contrasted her own, fidgety energy. As the other medicine cats trickled towards them, the ginger tabby repeated her respectful gesture in greeting, staying silent as they all said hello and exchanged formalities. At Littlewoods' explanation for their tardiness, Roseglow widened her eyes, "Are they okay?" She asked, concerned for the warrior's well-being. Realizing she had forgotten to introduce herself to the others, Roseglow licked her chest fur in embarrassment before shyly looking up at the others, "I'm Roseglow," she started, conscious of her age and experience compared to those around her, "I recently became Skyclan's medicine cat." Roseglow explained, deciding not to mention how Firestar dreamt of a glowing rose petal after a few moons without any healer. Before then, she had trained as a warrior's apprentice - though, not a very talented one.
At Echo's question, Roseglow opened her mouth before shutting it quickly, realizing she also didn't know what to do. Shifting her paws uncomfortably, the molly looked at the others expectantly. She knew, or at least hoped, that they would talk to their ancestors, and maybe Roseglow could inquire as to why they chose her as a medicine cat. What if they give us a prophecy? Am I even ready to deal with that? Pushing the thought aside, she looked around at the others, blinking gratefully at Echo for her taking charge of their questions.
E C H O
Echo was relieved to see Roseglow approaching and even more glad when the young molly introduced both her name and her Clan. She was still learning to distinguish the different Clan scents after so long of considering them all an 'other'. As Roseglow spoke to her, Echo offered a wide, gentle smile and a nod of her head.
"Not long at all, don't you worry yer head 'bout it. And yes, it's my first time. I'm sure it'll be wonderful," she assured the younger molly, giving her a reassuring smile. Truth be told, Echo didn't really know what to expect, but she wasn't about to be worrying some young cat over her own concerns. "Roseglow is a beautiful name," She mused, tilting her head. "I'm Echo. Pleasure to meet 'ya."
As another feline approached, Echo turned her gaze onto them, offering the same welcoming smile that she had given to Roseglow. However, as the cat approached, Echo's hazel gaze flitted to the scar marring their shoulder before refocusing on their face. "Venomrose, huh? Pleasure to meet 'ya." With the comment that the others weren't too far behind, Echo didn't bother to give her name yet. After all, she didn't exactly need to be repeating it all over the place.
Just as they had said, two other cats - Waspsight and Littlewoods - arrived, both introducing themselves by name and Clan, which Echo was grateful for. Echo stayed silent for a few moments while the others finished catching up, before she cleared her throat, rising to her paws, her scarred tail twitching slightly behind her in greeting. "Howdy there," She purred slightly, tilting her head. "It might take me a bit to get yer names, but it's a pleasure to meet y'all. I'm Echo." The grey molly gave a moment's pause, unsure if there would be any reactions to her not having taken a Clan name. While ThunderClan had been overall very welcoming to her thus far, there had been those who were hesitant. That being said, evidently at least one of the other medicine cats hadn't always been Clan, so perhaps things were more lenient than she had been expecting. Raising her chin, Echo chuckled lightly, allowing herself to relax some. "So... How does this whole thing work? Do we just... all follow each other into some dark cave?" Her expression twisted into one of amusement as she glanced at the other cats, waiting patiently for whatever came next.
Littlewoods
The Windclan tom was the last to arrive, his feet pattering furiously as he tried to catch up to his peers, and not be as catastrophically late as he was scheduled to be. To any medicine cats looking toward Windclan's territory, they probably would have seen his long tail sticking up over the ridge before the rest of his body came into view, puffing and panting as he finally caught up. The apprentice-sized tom shook himself out a little as he finally slowed down, taking a moment to catch his breath.
Despite dutifully attending the mooncave every single meeting without fail, Littlewoods always felt the same excitement and anticipation in preparing to meet his ancestors. Perhaps it was because he was in a good place, with Windclan's former medicine cat still in the camp and given his permission to handle any emergencies whilst he was away- provided a clanmate fetched him back so he could take over ASAP. And yet, he still felt nervous. He wanted more than ever for Starclan to send him a sign about a promising young cat who he could take for an apprentice, but his ancestors had been silent on the matter of apprenticeship for so long now he wondered if they ever would send him one.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone... Lighthollow got his paw snagged in an old twoleg trap during the evening patrol and tore one of his claws." He dipped his head apologetically to the assembled medicine cats, before he realised that the two she-cats sitting outside of the mooncave were unfamiliar faces. Brightening up immediately, he knew these had to be the new medicine cats! He'd been so excited to meet them he'd forgotten they'd actually be here. Littlewoods suddenly felt... somewhat more conscious of his tardiness, but if his clanmates had needed him, he knew they'd understand.
"It's so nice to meet both of you, I'm Littlewoods, Windclan's Medicine Cat." He smoothed down his fur with a swift few licks, but it didn't do a lot with the general fluffiness of the medicine cat. Glancing over to Venomrose, he tilted his head. "How are the kits doing?" He asked, blinking kindly at the Riverclan feline.
W A S P S I G H T
The older he got, the more he grew, Waspsight had to continously remind himself that things change. And they change quite often. In order to continue growing, you have to adapt to those changes. Allow them in, and take them for what they are- whether you like them or not. While he was still quite young himself, he was determined old enough, wise enough, mature enough, however you'd like to word it, to become sole healer of his Clan. In the beginning, he was adamantly against it. He did not want to heal without Hareflight by his side. Not because he wasn't competent enough- far from it, in fact. Waspsight was, in all terms and definitions, a genius. Humble boasting not intended. He had mentally memorized and learned nearly all there was to the basics of herbs, wounds, infections and treatments by his eighth moon. But for him, there was still plenty of learning that needed to be done. Emotionally, maturing, that is.
Maybe even still, he had more maturing to do. Part of the reason why he had so adamantly rejected being lone healer for so long was because he did not want to let go of his mentor. But Hareflight deserved her time to rest. She had given her Clan several moons of loyalty and hard work, despite the physical and mental toll it took on her; it wasn't as though she had not fully earned her retirement if that was her choice. It was just... He missed her. Her nest next to his every morning, her sweet stammer greeting him as he came and went. To him, Hareflight was more than just a mentor. She was an advisor, a friend, a dear, trusted, loved companion to him. Waspsight did not want to move on without her. It felt like abandonment, even if she was just on the other side of the clearing. And while Mercuryrose, Juncostar, and even Hareflight herself assured him that wasn't the case, Waspsight still had his reservations.
The calico tom breathed deeply through his nose as he journeyed forth. As usual, the closer he got to the mooncave, the noisier things became for him. With time, his gift had become honed and pricise enough that he no longer became distracted by the silhouettes in his peripheral or the constant whispering in his ears. But that didn't mean that being around highly spiritual places was easy for him. He acknowledged the spirits that approached him with a flick of his ears and continued on his way. It was not his intention to be rude, but if he stopped for every spirit that knew he could see them, he would be stuck here all night without reaching his destination.
As the top of the hill came into view, so did the solid silhouettes of his fellow medicine cats. With the familiar mingling scents of the Clans came scents of new faces. Ah, as times change indeed. It would seem that their personal ranks had become altered once more. "Good evening," The ShadowClan healer dipped his head in greeting as he took a quiet seat beside his friend, Venomrose. His bi-colored eyes wandered to Echo and Roseglow as he addressed them directly. "My name is Waspsight, I dutifully care for ShadowClan. It's nice to meet you both."
Venomrose hadn't been keen on the idea of leaving Spottedkoi and their kits alone for the night, but they'd missed the last couple half moon meetings due to their reluctance to be away from their mate and offspring and they knew that wasn't the best look for RiverClan. So off they trudged, dark fur fluffed against the cold.
They'd been the sole medicine cat of RiverClan for a good pawful of moons now, but it still felt somewhat strange making the trek to the Mooncave alone. The walk gave them a lot of time to reflect, and they couldn't help but think of everything that had happened the last few moons. The thought of the imposters that had taken over the Thunder and Shadowclan leaders still shook the young medicine cat, and they hoped they'd never have to experience something like that again. Between the posessions and the murderous mountain cat that haunted the clans seasons ago, Venomrose had seen enough senseless bloodshed for nine lifetimes. Things like that where the reason they hesitated to wander too far from their family. Spottedkoi and the kits were the only family they had, after all.
Sighing, the dark feline pushed their way through the bushes and over a ridge, pausing as their gaze landed upon two strangers waiting in the usual meeting spot. Ever cautious, their bright green eyes narrowed as they briefly observed the pair, trying to decide if they were friends or foes. After a few heartbeats they decided to approach, waving their tail in greeting to the she-cats. As they stepped closer they began to pick up the scents of Thunder and SkyClan, causing them to relax a bit. These must be new medicine cats.
"Good evening. I am Venomrose, Medicine cat of RiverClan," they mewed coolly, dipping their head as they sat down a respectful distance from the she-cats. "The others shouldn't be too far behind me," they hummed, pausing to rasp their tongue over their scarred shoulder to smooth out some fur there.
They hoped they were right. They weren't very good at interacting with new cats and they definitely weren't very good at playing it cool for very long. They hoped Waspsight would be there soon so they wouldn't feel so awkward.
Roseglow nervously made her way towards the Mooncave, the pit in her stomach growing heavier and heavier with each pawstep towards her destination. It was her first time meeting the other medicine cats and communicating with Starclan since she was announced as Skyclan's new medicine cat, and the ginger molly desperately hoped she would make a good impression with the others and her ancestors. Despite her anxious thoughts, Roseglow felt a tingle of excitement in her paws when she realized she could ask the other medicine cats about herbs and tips they might have to offer, glad she wouldn't have to be alone in learning about her new role. Luckily, the she-cat had always quite liked herbs and flowers, and although she was new to her position, Roseglow knew some basics.
Taking in a deep breath as she approached the Mooncave, her eyes landed on Echo, unfamiliar with the she-cat, but was able to scent Thunderclan on her. She must be the one who joined Thunderclan and became their medicine cat. Approaching, Roseglow dipped her head respectfully at the older feline, doing her best to be polite and not staring at the scars that adorned her pelt. The ginger molly wondered what kind of violence would lead to such wounds, but pushed the thought away when she remembered that, like herself, this was a medicine cat who had made the decision to dedicate her life to peace and healing. Like the Thunderclan medicine cat, Roseglow made an effort to look her best - grooming her long fur flat and picking out some fresh petals to wear, hoping the others would accept her.
"Hello," Roseglow dipped her head once more in greeting, settling down on her hindlegs across from Echo, "I'm Roseglow, from Skyclan." She started, her voice soft and nervous. "Have you been waiting long? I'm sorry if you have, I'm sure the others will be here soon." The tabby tried to sound convincing, although she wasn't sure if what she said was even true. Shifting her paws awkwardly, she shyly looked up at the thunderclanner, desperate to share her nervousness with someone, "It's my first time here. Is it yours too?" Roseglow admitted, brows furrowed in concern, "Do you think it will go well?"