Disclaimer: I don't own the world of the warrior cats. I do, however own most of the characters in this story.
Chapter Seven: To Be a To-Be
"Is it your choice, of your own free will, without prejudice, bias, influence, persuasion or threats, to become the to-be of and be trained by Deep Waters Where Shadows Swim in the profession of Tribal Healer?" asked Snowwind solomly. She sat on the rock housing the pool that had been the Tribe's link with their ancestors, looking down at Deep and the nameless kit at his side. Now was the ceremony that would forever change the course of the young cats' life, at which he accepted Deep as the sole cat who would teach him the work of a healer.
Unlike the to-bes who would become regular prey-hunters and others, he would have only one teacher, rather than having all of the more senior cats teach him. Deep hoped that this tom, scarcely old enough to become a to-be, would be able to find words fitting, for as each new healer-in-training accepted the position, and later the title of full Tribal Healer, he or she had to make a suitable pledge, in his or her own words, to the tribe.
Drifting back, Deep remembered a different ceremony, when he had been taken under Reflection's paw and began his training. He had stood up on the rock, seeing his tribe look at him expectantly, and froze all through his gray-black fur. Eventually, at a nudge of his yellow-orange uncle-mentor-healer, he had spoken from his heart, simply, but it was from his heart and soul and gut that he spoke.
"I willingly and proudly take on the task of apprentice to the Tribal Healer, my uncle," and he had leapt down. Then Reflection had gotten up and given a grand speech, through which the then-unnamed Deep had tried to hide with embarrassed pleasure, of his nephews' skills.
And then he thought sooner back in time, to the night when he had become a full Tribal Healer. He had given a short speech then too; listing instead of the names, as was proper, of those who had come before him, he had given the names of each tribe member who was alive because of his uncles' gift with medicines. That night the tribe had not been sobered to hear the names of great healers whose paw prints he hoped to follow in, but had instead heard of live cats who he meant to learn from almost as much as he had Reflection.
With a jolt he realized that the orangey-yellow nameless tom had affirmed his place with only a single, eloquent, elegant bowing of his head, and had leapt up to the rock to begin his speech.
"As have the healers in our tribe and in other tribes, for countless generations, accepted the role of to-be to the Tribal Healer, so I accept it now, in the name of each spirit ancestor. I swear by the Tribe of Endless Hunting and by the single tribe we are to become that I will do everything in my power to give each member of us a healthy life."
The young tom leapt down and Deep purred at him with an approving smile. Though the words were simple, he had spoken them with power beyond his years, and the tribe had listened respectfully.
"Well said," he quietly praised his new apprentice. "Now let us see what your name is to be, my to-be," he added jokingly. The younger tom looked at him, startled, then relaxed and smiled, purring slightly. He seemed a little self-conscious of the power of his short speech.
"Thank you," he mewed back
The leader leapt back up, her black fur rippling in the moonlight, and echoed Deep's words; "Well said. Cats of the tribe," she called to the cats assembled beneath her in the darkness of the night, "listen to me now and hear now the name chosen by the Tribe of Endless Hunting for this young tom who has found the path for his life." Snowwind paused, gazing briefly into the pool of dew.
"From this moment, this cat-" she gestured with her tail to the nameless tom below her "-shall be known as Discovery Hidden From Average Sight. Discovery- we, the Tribe of Sunset Fire, hail you as trainee healer for us."
Deep purred, and the newly-named Discovery's mother came racing over to him, his two siblings following, and touched noses with him, "Oh, I'm so proud of you!" the tabby kit-mother exclaimed, and his sister nodded, while his brother did likewise.
"Now, cats of my tribe, there is another ceremony to consider," Snowwind raised her voice above the congratulations of the cats. "for there are two more cats we must honor in their turn- Discovery's sister, and his brother." The two young cats jumped, and spun around, eyes wide, and their mother purred even harder. "Come, stand before the stone," invited the black leader, the blotch of silvery fur on her forehead shimmering. Now she spoke with the ritual words.
"Do you both choose to honor the ways of our tribe, to put the tribe before yourselves at all costs, to defend the weak, old and young, against all hurts and problems and to live under he code that the Tribe of Endless Hunting has set down for us?" she asked, and the stunned young cats nodded. "Then I great you by your names: you-" she flicked her tail at the black-and-white she-cat "- will now be known as Imprint of Raven's Wing on Clouds, and you-" she gestured to the gray-with-black-flecks tome "-are to be called by Rain-Dappled Still Waters."
Looking at the two newest to-bes, Deep saw that the she-cat had a patch of black on the white that was in the shape of a bird's wing, while it looked as if Raindappled was a gray cat caught in a light rain, turning tiny patches darker colored. He stepped forward to great them, and renewed his congratulations to Discovery, his own to-be.
As soon as the young apprentice healer was ready and both of them confident in his skills, Deep meant to turn over his duties to the cream-orange tom.
And for the love-struck cat, it could not possibly be soon enough.
