The wet and swampy dirt damped the ginger cat's paws, soiling the once downy kitten fur. A heavy rain that occurred earlier moistened the surroundings, making every blade of grass and leaves glisten at the half-moon. Stars from the Silverpelt sparkled brightly above the cat's head, as if his ancestors were welcoming their presence beneath the great wide night sky.
A sudden cold gust of wind blew across the scene when a light-gray tabby spoke. "The others have been very late this night," she remarked. "My bones are already shivering from the cold while they are still back at their camps, enjoying the warmth of their nests." She shivered as another blow of the evening wind came across her. "Let's take shelter from one of these oak trees, Emberpaw. We could wait there for those lazy cats."
The apprentice, knowing that his mentor would get angry if he didn't, followed Sharpwhisker to a hollow beneath one of the four mighty oaks. The Fourtrees had always been the meeting place of the medicine cats every half moon. This would be the first meeting Emberpaw would attend and hopefully, he will meet an apprentice medicine cat like him. Unlike ordinary warriors, medicine cats have the privilege to stay friendly with each other.
Emberpaw sighed. It was almost a moon since Snowpaw and Frostpaw became warrior apprentices. He became a medicine cat, unlike them. Although he didn't like the idea at first, he learned to accept that this was his path, like what Sharpwhisker said. If he would compare his situation with his friends, his is definitely more pleasurable. He wouldn't like to be in an apprentice's condition, especially after seeing how Snowpaw and Frostpaw get hardly any sleep.
For the past few days, Snowpaw had been quite jumpy since his first day of becoming a 'paw'. Everytime Frostpaw's mentor, Badgerfang, places the body of the dead adder he caught near the apprentice, Snowpaw runs away. Fluffypelt often scolds Badgerfang each time he does that. Since then, the two of them train their apprentices together. It may be a good thing because, if Snowpaw and Frostpaw were put together in a same place, they'll never finish anything.
A couple of days before Emberpaw's apprentice ceremony, Sharpwhisker talked him into taking the path of a medicine cat. The old medicine cat said something about a prophecy clearly pointing to him and that she should monitor him. Although Emberpaw didn't remember most of Sharpwhisker's words, he still got half of the message. It's something about fire burning the whole forest while everything is frozen and cold, right? Emberpaw tried to recall.
"Hey! Sharpwhisker, we're here!"
"Ugh, RiverClan cats, they're always the loud ones," Sharpwhisker muttered under her breath. Emberpaw wasn't sure if the newcomers had heard the cranky medicine cat's comments. "That noisy cat is Birchleaf," Sharpwhisker told his apprentice. "He's a chatty one for a medicine cat. His conversations always last for moons, so do not ever try to talk with him," she warned.
Emberpaw tried to observe Birchleaf. He had a sleek and fluffy gray pelt and he looked too fat compared to the ThunderClan cats. He always believed that RiverClan cats are fat because of fish, but he didn't know they were true. His pelt smelled of various herbs and berries, like he had just finished taking care of an injured warrior. He hid behind Sharpwhisker as he noticed Birchleaf coming near him.
"...and who's this, Sharpwhisker?" Birchleaf asked. "Is he your new apprentice? What's his name?"
"Emberpaw," Sharpwhisker answered abruptly. Her tail was beginning to twitch in annoyance.
"Do you think he'd be as good as Mousepaw?" Birchleaf questioned further. "She was a prodigy as a medicine cat apprentice, I tell you. It took her only a season to memorize all the herbs and their uses. Too bad you previous apprentice..."
Birchleaf was silenced with a glare by Sharpwhisker. She was obviously getting bothered with the topic about Mousepaw. Sharpwhisker face had shown a distressed and cheerless expression when her previous apprentice was mentioned. Disturbed with Birchleaf, Sharpwhisker tried to change the subject. "When will you stop talking, Birchleaf? You sound like a cheeky apprentice." Sharpwhisker's ears perked up, then she added, "Look, we haven't notice the others because of your noisy chattering!"
Emberpaw whipped his head to the direction of the sounds of the incoming cats. Their pawsteps sounded weird and squishy from the wet soil and their constant muttering filled the forest. The apprentice estimated that there were about three cats travelling together. It seems like the ShadowClan and WindClan medicine cats travelled together despite the light drizzle.
"Where's Grayfall?" the WindClan medicine cat asked Birchleaf and Sharpwhisker as their small group reached Fourtrees. The SkyClan medicine cat was the only one left before they continue to travel to Mothermouth and talk to their warrior ancestors. "Who's this?" the medicine cat asked as she noticed Sharpwhisker's new apprentice.
"Sorry, Patchnose got a sore back earlier," the last medicine cat apologized as she ran through the swamped ground, splashing the mud around as her paws hit the land. She stopped just in front of the small gathering of cats, panting from her run from SkyClan's camp to the Fourtrees, and began to groom her matted and dirty fur. "Oh, is he your new apprentice?" she asked, becoming aware of Emberpaw's presence.
"His name is Emberpaw," Sharpwhisker finally answered. "I'm training him to be a medicine cat before I finally retire." Sharpwhisker then pointed her nose to the others, introducing them to Emberpaw. "The newcomer's Grayfall. The one over there is Rockpelt and his apprentice, Cloudpaw," Sharpwhisker said, pointing to the ShadowClan cats. "The ginger one is Robinflight and you already know Birchleaf." The old medicine cat got up from the roots of the oak tree and started to lead the other cats. "Let's go to Mothermouth now, before the rain pours again."
As they began to move, Cloudpaw, the ShadowClan medicine cat apprentice, kept her pace with Emberpaw. "Hi, I'm Cloudpaw," she introduced herself.
"Sharpwhisker already told me your name," Emberpaw answered grimly.
"Don't be so cold," Cloudpaw commented. "It's nice to become your acquaintance. I thought I would get my medicine cat name without having someone to share my training with."
Emberpaw wasn't listening to Cloudpaw, but when a sudden thought crossed his mind, he asked, "What does the Moonstone look like?"
"I guess I can call it a shiny rock, but it's more than that," Cloudpaw explained. "After you have entered the Mothermouth, you will have to walk through a very dark and narrow tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, you can see the Moonstone. You should see it when the moonlight shines on it. It's really a beautiful sight to see!"
Ugh, another cat like that Birchleaf! Are medicine cats always like this? Emberpaw had longed to tell his thoughts, but he still kept them. Having enemies of other medicine cats aren't nice. "Do you really fall asleep the moment you touch the Moonstone?"
"Yes," Cloudpaw chirped. "It's a bit cold at first, but you'll get used to it."
"Are the StarClan cats the only cats you see when you sleep?"
"Of cour-"
Cloudpaw's answer was muffled Birchleaf's excited mew. "I think I can see the Mothermouth from here. Let's hurry. I know Emberpaw is excited about his approval of being a medicine cat by StarClan."
Birchleaf raced towards the Mothermouth, located at a ditch at the bottom of the hill they were at. Small pebbles rattled down the base of the Mothermouth and clouds of dust were scattered everywhere with each step Birchleaf made. The young medicine cat never made any indications of waiting for the others.
The rest of the medicine cats gave a sigh and decided to follow the RiverClan medicine cat. Birchleaf was being too excited, and Emberpaw couldn't imagine another medicine cat being as immature and childish as him. Instead of chasing the eager Birchleaf, they remained in a slow pace, carefully avoiding the dusts and dirt from clinging into their wet and thick pelts.
One by one, the medicine cats all approached the Mothermouth and slowly made their way to the tunnel inside it. Emberpaw decided to go just after Sharpwhisker, so he could have someone to guide the way. As he entered the tunnel, cold wind welcomed him and the darkness slowly consumed everything he could see. He, then, hoped that Cloudpaw wasn't right about what she said.
"Are you alright?" Cloudpaw asked from behind Emberpaw.
Emberpaw shrugged, though he doubts that Cloudpaw couldn't even see him. As they went deeper through the tunnel, the air grew more coldly and the walls and the ceiling gave less space. Only Emberpaw's whiskers brushing at the walls and Sharpwhisker's scent guided him all the way to the Moonstone. The tunnel leading to the Moonstone was so cramped and narrow; Emberpaw thought that a fat kittypet wouldn't be able to fit in.
Finally, light filtered at the end of the tunnel and Emberpaw could see again. In front of him lies a great and large piece of rock. The light from the moon is reflected by the Moonstone, giving it a nice ambient glow. Emberpaw was so amazed that he forgot what they came there for. For him, the beauty of the rock was so mesmerizing, as if it was the most beautiful thing in the forest.
"Emberpaw, is it your wish to enter into the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?" Sharpwhisker said, breaking the silence from the Mothermouth and officially starting her apprentice's ceremony. The old medicine cat looked young once again with pride and joy. Someone can finally precede her from her previous rank in the clan.
"I-It is!" Emberpaw answered.
"Warriors of StarClan, I present you this apprentice," Sharpwhisker announced, looking up to Silverpelt. "He has chosen the path of the medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insights so that he may understand your ways and heal his Clan in accordance with your will." The medicine cat bowed her head and pointed her nose to the Moonstone. "Lie down here, and press your nose against the stone."
Emberpaw did as he was told. He touched the Moonstone with his nose and felt a sudden chill to his bones. For Emberpaw, it was as cold as ice and as piercing as a thistle. Soon after his nose made contact with the stone, his eyes began to feel heavy and he was in a deep slumber.
A faint breeze woke Emberpaw up. He got up to his paws and looked around him. It was dark, like inside the Mothermouth, but there were no cave walls or Moonstones around him. The sky was dark and the ground was swamped by murky water. Dead willow trees surround the area and a reeking smell of blood filled the area. Emberpaw couldn't believe what he was seeing for StarClan grounds couldn't be this dark and gloomy.
"Is this really... StarClan?" he asked himself.