It was finally, truly time. For what felt like ages, Fawnlight had kept watch over her Clan, her heart breaking each time a new medicine cat came to fill the role, only to be forced out of it one way or another. Her heart had broken most witnessing Stonepaw's fall, a guilt she still carried with her to this day. Then had been Tansypaw, then her... sister... and now, Berrypaw. A cat that had done it. A cat that had defied the supposed curse of the medicine cat rank, who had worked hard in the face of all of her challenges.
A cat who now stood before her today, ready to step into the world as a fully fledged healer.
Upon Berrypaw opening her eyes again she would be greeted with a colorful meadow. The soft sounds of a gentle stream trickled behind her, and thick bushes dotted with bright red berries, a collision really of RiverClan's territory - but with the bushes being prominent. "Hello, Berrypaw," Fawnlight greeted with a wide smile, reaching forward to touch her nose to the younger medicine cat's forehead in a greeting. "Welcome once again to StarClan."
At her words a rush of warmth surrounded them, a sense of security and safety. Like sinking into a warm moss bed at the end of the day it provided a sensation of rest and relaxation. Any tired or aching muscles Berrypaw had were gone in an instant, and a certain sense of peace would come to wash over her like the waves that lapped the shoreline of Lionsbeach.
"You have trained so hard, and overcome so much," Fawnlight begin, blue eyes glittering with pride. "Long since the day that Stagheart found you in this very bush... you have brought something to RiverClan I was starting to think was lost... hope." It almost seemed like the golden, ethereal light that surrounded them was pulsating, moving in distinctive shapes and colors around the starry expanse. "Even when things got dark and grim, you became a shining symbol of prosperity, healing your Clan from wounds both physical and of the soul. Your heart beats pure, and I know RiverClan... is in good paws with you as it's medicine cat."
The pride that was evident in her eyes felt like it would burst open at any moment as Fawnlight neared the name. She hoped Berrypaw liked it - to her, it symbolized the radiance that the young she-cat brought to a desolate Clan, necessary for rebuilding. "I, Fawnlight, former medicine cat of RiverClan, call upon the stars to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve his Clan for many moons to come."
Smiling wider as she looked at the young apprentice, Fawnlight could feel her excitement rising. "By the powers of the stars, I give you your full name. Berrypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Berryshine. We honor your courage and selflessness, and welcome you as RiverClan's full medicine cat." At this, Fawnlight once again reached forward, touching her nose softly to Berryshine's forhead.
When Berrypaw opened her leafy-green eyes, she was met with the rush of sensations from being back in a somewhat-familiar landscape that was made even prettier and more 'perfect' by being in StarClan's perpetual greenleaf. Something about it was... extra familiar, or at least felt like it, for reasons she didn't quite understand. Blinking to adjust her bleary eyes to the brightness of the beautiful territory, she glanced around almost warily — noting the prominent bushes with dark green leaves and bright red berries with piqued interest — until her gaze rested on a familar, now-comforting form. Fawnlight.
Immediately Berrypaw smiled as Fawnlight greeted her, the somewhat-ghostly touch sending a little shiver of excitement through her trembling body as her eyes fluttered closed. Her heart was still pounding when the rush of immense comfort and peace washed over her like a wave, drowning in a warm embrace as her shaking finally settled; all of the nerves and apprehension that she'd felt leading up to this seemed to melt like snow, and a shaky sigh of relief left her. It was as if for once, the anxious apprentice's mind could just... relax. Completely. It was blissfully quiet and calm. So foreign and almost daunting, yet certainly not unwelcome.
When she opened her eyes again, her green hues caught the golden light that pulsated around the two as Fawnlight continued to speak. When she mentioned the bush Stagheart found her in, Berrypaw's heart skipped a beat and she followed Fawnlight's gaze to look at it. Merely viewing the bush stirred something deep within her, like a deeper sense of knowing; or just the strange, almost meta knowledge of the past and present with the plausible future all mixing together as you view something integral to your past. Thinking of all the ways one small choice could've led to an entirely different outcome... like if Stagheart had merely decided not to go hunting that day, or if he'd given up on his catch before he'd gotten this far out into the territory. How she was so small and quiet in her pathetic, hungry mews that one could've easily just glossed over her, and she never would've grown up... and never would be standing here now, at the pinnacle of everything she'd worked and pushed for.
Swallowing hard with a rush of emotions, Berrypaw's eyes glistened as she slowly turned back to Fawnlight, soaking in the former medicine cat's words like they were water for a dehydrated warrior. She was being told that she was a spark of hope, shining against the darkness RiverClan had found itself in. A pure heart amongst the lost. She could hardly comprehend the fact that she was earning such praise, but at the same time, it felt... right. And matched with the pride and hope in Fawnlight's eyes, it made her unable to protest or doubt at all, coinciding with the unearthly peace that had settled over her usually-racing mind. So she was struck silent in awe.
Once Fawnlight began stating the traditional ceremonial words, Berrypaw's heart began to race again, but for all the right reasons — pure and unadulterated excitement, the self-actualization of everything she'd endured and worked for now coming to a head. Her new name... and her formal induction as RiverClan's full medicine cat. The little she-cat did her best to contain the twitches of her paw and tail and the realization dawned on her over and over; this was happening, this was really happening—!
Berryshine.
Berrypaw—shine, oh my stars— felt her eyes widen and a burst of joy in her chest. Berryshine...! she recited it over and over in her head, a wide smile breaking across her maw. It was right. It was perfect. Instant tears welled in her eyes, but again, for all the right reasons this time. There wasn't a shred of self-doubt that could touch her right now, her anxieties and worries for once as far away as the horizon over Lionsbeach. For once in her life, she truly felt free... and fully happy — if only for these blissful few moments in StarClan's sanctity. Prayerfully, that feeling would carry on even after she'd be brought back to reality. Part of her thought that it just might.
Taking in a shaky breath to recuperate, Berryshine grinned as Fawnlight touched her nose to her forehead. When she drew back, the newly-instated medicine cat met the former's eyes, feeling like she'd now all of just tumbled into the pawsteps she was meant to fill... but maybe, just maybe, she could actually fill them well.
"T-Thank you... stars. Thank you!" Berryshine mewed, her joy and emotion evident in her tone. She didn't know what else to say, almost at a loss but completely fine with it. She dipped her head in respect and acceptance of her new name and the weight of this role. "It's... i-it's an honor, Fawnlight."
Magpiewisp
Ancient RiverClan Medicine Cat || Dark Forest
@dino. @taillow , @squidz
It's one new idiot leader after another. They didn't stop. How many had they gone through in simply three seasons? He couldn't remember. Maybe it had been longer than that. The last one showed no promise. Big words and little action. Frustrating. They were dragging RiverClans name through the ground, muck and MUD.
As his fur fluffed in fury as did the fog, condensing more and more until the starcave itself seemed to be slowly taken in by a fog. The Moonstone itself seeming to drip with light condensation. Red eyes shining through to fog swiftly switching to a deep blue as a paw steps out. A side glance to Goosefury. He sensed two other idiots within this area as well.
This was his stage. They were now his captive audience.
"Oh good. Two ceremonies. Only one of you is competent. Sadly, its the dead one." he tossed out with some snark. Fangs flashing. His attention shifting towards the new crowned leader of Riverclan, and the newly named Medicine Cat. Even they were pathetic. Healing? You can kill with the tiniest droplet of sap if you knew how to mix it properly.
"Each and every one of your past leaders have gotten this. But to put simply I am over the consistant recklesness of Leader after Leader. Each and every one of you have been dissapointments. As have the Medicine Cats. I left a legacy behind and yet it's now covered in the ashes of the glory RiverClan once had." a spit. "Burned, tarnished, ripped apart by your own paws with no second thoughts of what was built in the past."
"If you don't lead this Clan to success. I'm killing you." he said bluntly, his voice bubbled and growled with vehemence as his claws scraped against the star littered moonstone. "And I'll poses your dead. Mutilated body. And bring RiverClan to the glory that it was before. Bloodshed on both sides. Not once, in my eons of being both alive and dead, have I ever seen RiverClan get chased out of their own land. Pathetic."
His gaze shifting over to a rather familiar, sad, pathetic face. "Your father is perishing in his own personally created hell." he said gently to Fawnlight, a hint of a smile twitching at the corners of his maw. With no time to waste, Magpiewisp than turned to look at the newly named Medicine cat. Taking a moment to look them up and down. "Use the knowledge you have. Herbs are there to harm as much as they're there to heal. Call for me and I'll find you to show you exactly how I mean." he said simply.
A quiet gaze towards Goosefury. Head tilting, as if an invitation to try. He was doing nothing wrong. Simply making promises. Would the warrior be so scared of him to attack when not provoked? He was helping the Clan that formerly belonged to the both of them. No harm...no foul...yet.
"This is RiverClan's final warning." he began again abruptly. Keeping eye contact with the Starclanner before tossing an over the shoulder look at the trio behind him. Right. The former medicne cat was also dead. She too belonged in Starclan. How? He didn't care to think about that.
"My fury has reached it's peak. You have one screw up before I simply take over. Unfair. I'm well aware, but I don't care." he said bluntly before turning his head back, facing forwards now. The fog around the edges of the cavern slowly fading. "Life is unfair, I suggest you work harder so the past mistakes of those who fell short before you don't land upon your throat."
With that. Magpiewisp began to make his exit. No deaths today, although if he really wanted he would kill the new medicine cat. A shame, wouldn't it be? But that wouldn't help him to his goal.
The fog began to lighten, if anyone were to do anything they'd best do it now. Or the tom would be gone.
__________________
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"
Spiderthroat is the Deputy of ThunderClan
||Site||
Children born of one emotion,
our devotions deepest ocean
with no division reasoned,
we'll be free
Oh, BOO. Who ruined his perfect Lionsbeach illusion??? He'd had fun with that one!! Now they were back in this dark place. Goosefury shot Magpiewisp as murderous of a glare he could manage as the Dark Forest spirit became visible and crammed two dreams into one. Crowded, much?
Also, he was spouting lies. Goosefury rolled his eye. "For StarClan's sake, do not scare off the only decent candidate we've had in seasons. It's like you don't even want to see improvement." Dramatic, dramatic, dramatic.
He ignored the new medicine cat altogether, and looked back to his current favorite attendee. "Don't let his grandiose fool you, Stormstar. Fallenstar was before Lionstorm and we were driven out under him. They came back, and Lionstorm rebuilt it all to the RiverClan you want to be again. I have faith that you'll do the same. I would not have gifted you with your first life if I didn't." He offered her another smile in an attempt to stave off the effects of Magpiewisps's threats, because he knew the dead medicine cat would make good on them. "If you want more information? Ask an elder. You won't get anything reliable out of this one here."
It was odd. This rock, this unseemly object, it held so much power. Trapped within its depths. Lark wondered what would happen if that power was unleashed, if this crystalline stone was destroyed. Would it shimmer and fade into nothing, or would it ravage and destroy? Curiosity could very well kill the cat.
Lark took care not to let any part of her body touch the glowing surface as she circled around it and padded past it, further into the Starcave, following the small stream of water that led further in into a too-thin passage that appeared as though it’d close in and crush her any moment. It wouldn’t, though. At least not today. She did have a terrible habit of flirting with death, after all. Such was the norm.
If one were to go the opposite direction that Lark was currently walking in, the stream would expand into the shimmering pool in the main cave. Limping through the tight tunnel with a dead hare in her maw, the lithe grey feline only slowed once she emerged in a larger cavern, big enough to host the former Medicine Cat comfortably, along with her makeshift herb storage. One never knew when herbs were needed, after all.
At the end of the day, the Starcave was her home now. It was relatively peaceful, and though lonely, Asphodel found that out here, she could live without the constant depression of being disliked by her kin. Sure, she missed them. Sure, her heart felt hollow, as if there was a gaping hole in the center of it that would never stitch back together. Her heart ached, and along with it, everything else. But she was tired of fighting every step of every day. Maybe the only solution left in the end was to let time seal the wounds she’d opened in the hearts of her family.
There was no option for her to go back, either, and wrench open those wounds. That was unfair to her kits. Her beloved kittens, so grown up. How she missed them, how she missed… sleeping beside a loving cat. This cave was cold, all on her lonesome. An echo of her heart. But no.
Oliver had been a disaster, Darkfall had been a disaster, and Icethroat had been a disaster — the last of which hadn’t even been her lover, yet had still managed to uproot her life all the same.
Diligent white-tipped paws shuffled a bundle of moss around - where she usually kept her herbs. Nothing save for a few sticks and the cobwebs she’d stolen from a spider on the wall remained there. Because she was a singular cat, Lark didn’t really have a need for all that many herbs, and that was fine with her. The only times she ever needed it was when she got into altercations. Which, admittedly, Lark had lately been provoking cats who irritated her into fights for the sole purpose of rejuvenating her former strength. Not because she wanted to beat someone up. Ignore that she’d been ganged up on after one too many skirmishes and had barely got out of there with her life.
A grimace graces Lark’s muzzle as she settles in her nest, shuddering quietly at the cold in her bones. Skies, could it get any more freezing in here? No matter, she would gain some warmth after polishing off this hare, right?
Nightwalker
Dark Forest
he/him | Dead
[Surly, heavily scarred dark grey tabby with sky blue eye] Purrks: Spiritual Encounter [ACTIVE]
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Devil ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Asphodel/Lark - @Rose ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Well, well, well. Nightwalker usually avoided the Starcave since, frankly, he had no interest in the medicine cats that frequented it. The former WindClan warrior saw potential in battle-inclined cats, and knew next to nothing about healing. So he stuck to the dreams of disgruntled warriors and impatient apprentices. But this one... Nightwalker had been paying close attention to a few cats in ShadowClan, even training the youngest Enforcer in the Dark Forest. She was talented, and Nightwalker sensed a lust for power and knowledge in her that rivaled many in her shadowed family. He had kept tabs on her family, waiting to see if any of them would follow in the pawsteps of their elder sister. What he hadn't expected was to hear about their mother's death, only to find her alive and well.
Or, as well as one could be when one was living in a cave, far from everyone they ever knew. She looked worse for wear, but Nightwalker could sense a spark within her--one that she had lost long ago. Had her brush with death reignited it? He supposed there was no better motivator.
Nightwalker had never set paw in the living world after his death--mostly because his spirit had been too weak to manage it. And he didn't really have an interest in doing so. But perhaps...
The first thing Nightwalker felt when he nosed through the thin barrier keeping the living and dead separate was cold. It was unlike the all-encompassing cold of the Dark Forest; instead it was bitter and sharp and stung his dark nose and ears. His paw pads smarted when he placed them on the chilled stone floor, the fur along his shoulders puffing up instinctively. How exhilarating. The shadowed tom, slightly more corporeal than usual, lumbered around the large translucent stone that jutted from the center of the Starcave, his azure gaze coming into view before the rest of his muscled form. He looked remarkably like Darkfall, the author just realized. Except... the light in his gaze was less bumbling fool and more sharp predator.
"You have a remarkable ability to defy death," Nightwalker rumbled, stalking with casual grace. "Larkfire. Or, Lostspark. Tell me, what do you call yourself now?"
The tom studied the cave with an air of vague disinterest, taking in each crack in the rock and committing it to memory. He relished the growing numbness in his paws from the cold rock underneath him. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer, so he might as well take what he can get.
"You have some talented children. Sleepysunrise, especially." Would he be able to get a rise out of her? Dangle her children in front of her like prey? Perhaps not, but Nightwalker did not particularly care. "Her skill serves her well. Her ambition, too. Imagine my surprise when the Golden Child of ShadowClan's former Medicine Cat appears in the Dark Forest, looking for training." Nightwalker chuckled lowly, the sound like distant thunder. "The... idiot daughter... Birdpaw? You might be pleased to know she's the first of that disaster litter of yours to make it to warriorhood. Surprising for everyone, I know. I had considered approaching her, but I prefer my pupils to have a brain behind their eyes."
The shadowed tom stretched languidly, wicked claws scraping at the stone beneath him. "But you don't want to hear me ramble about your children. I'm just here to enjoy the living world for a moment before I return to the afterlife." Nightwalker straightened, feathery tail swishing behind him. He padded to the stone at the center of the Starcave, watching the dim light sparkle along its edges. Oh, StarClan... Nightwalker had thought they would put up more of a fight.
Nightwalker
Dark Forest
he/him | Dead
[Surly, heavily scarred dark grey tabby with sky blue eye] Purrks: Spiritual Encounter [ACTIVE]
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Devil ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Asphodel/Lark - @Rose ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Well, well, well. Nightwalker usually avoided the Starcave since, frankly, he had no interest in the medicine cats that frequented it. The former WindClan warrior saw potential in battle-inclined cats, and knew next to nothing about healing. So he stuck to the dreams of disgruntled warriors and impatient apprentices. But this one... Nightwalker had been paying close attention to a few cats in ShadowClan, even training the youngest Enforcer in the Dark Forest. She was talented, and Nightwalker sensed a lust for power and knowledge in her that rivaled many in her shadowed family. He had kept tabs on her family, waiting to see if any of them would follow in the pawsteps of their elder sister. What he hadn't expected was to hear about their mother's death, only to find her alive and well.
Or, as well as one could be when one was living in a cave, far from everyone they ever knew. She looked worse for wear, but Nightwalker could sense a spark within her--one that she had lost long ago. Had her brush with death reignited it? He supposed there was no better motivator.
Nightwalker had never set paw in the living world after his death--mostly because his spirit had been too weak to manage it. And he didn't really have an interest in doing so. But perhaps...
The first thing Nightwalker felt when he nosed through the thin barrier keeping the living and dead separate was cold. It was unlike the all-encompassing cold of the Dark Forest; instead it was bitter and sharp and stung his dark nose and ears. His paw pads smarted when he placed them on the chilled stone floor, the fur along his shoulders puffing up instinctively. How exhilarating. The shadowed tom, slightly more corporeal than usual, lumbered around the large translucent stone that jutted from the center of the Starcave, his azure gaze coming into view before the rest of his muscled form. He looked remarkably like Darkfall, the author just realized. Except... the light in his gaze was less bumbling fool and more sharp predator.
"You have a remarkable ability to defy death," Nightwalker rumbled, stalking with casual grace. "Larkfire. Or, Lostspark. Tell me, what do you call yourself now?"
The tom studied the cave with an air of vague disinterest, taking in each crack in the rock and committing it to memory. He relished the growing numbness in his paws from the cold rock underneath him. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer, so he might as well take what he can get.
"You have some talented children. Sleepysunrise, especially." Would he be able to get a rise out of her? Dangle her children in front of her like prey? Perhaps not, but Nightwalker did not particularly care. "Her skill serves her well. Her ambition, too. Imagine my surprise when the Golden Child of ShadowClan's former Medicine Cat appears in the Dark Forest, looking for training." Nightwalker chuckled lowly, the sound like distant thunder. "The... idiot daughter... Birdpaw? You might be pleased to know she's the first of that disaster litter of yours to make it to warriorhood. Surprising for everyone, I know. I had considered approaching her, but I prefer my pupils to have a brain behind their eyes."
The shadowed tom stretched languidly, wicked claws scraping at the stone beneath him. "But you don't want to hear me ramble about your children. I'm just here to enjoy the living world for a moment before I return to the afterlife." Nightwalker straightened, feathery tail swishing behind him. He padded to the stone at the center of the Starcave, watching the dim light sparkle along its edges. Oh, StarClan... Nightwalker had thought they would put up more of a fight.
There was a starsdamned ghost in her cave. No, literally. He was both dead, and damned by the stars. If she ignored him, he'd go away, yes? He would disappear soon enough, right? Eyes closing, chin resting against her paws, Lark remained unmoved. She needed to retain her heat, and she would eat the hare later, when she was starving for it. Her plan to ignore the unwanted guest apparition flew out the window as he mentioned her daughter's name. One of them - the eldest, to be exact. Foggy amber eyes fly open, narrowing with instantaneous distrust at the name, attention catching only when her kin was brought up. Sleepysunrise? Had she been hurt? But no, Sleepysunrise was just seemingly... training. Something to tuck away for later.
Her lips pursed, and Lark averts her gaze to hide the flash of sorrow in her eyes that she'd not been there for Birdpaw's ceremony, though anger simmers under the surface over the fact that this lowly ghost had called her darling an idiot. Her sweet daughter, Birdpaw... what had her name become? Something wondrous, Lark knew, to fit the lovely, brave little cat who'd been named. Not so little now, Lark assumed, and her heart panged at the thought. Distress, was it? She was lonely, she missed her family, but... what could she do other than live in exile? Lark wished not to re-open closed wounds. Above all, she wished not to continue being a disappointment to the cats she loved so much. So she'd help them from afar, keep her distance.
The lithe grey she-cat rises to her paws, silent as the wraith in front of her as she slinks after him back into the main cave, forsaking her resting place. "My kits are no idiots." She stops at the maw of the central StarCave. "If nothing else, remember that."
It had only been so long since Stormstar's death, maybe one or two days, yet grief sagged at her paws like shackles. She had invited Cobwebfern with her, since she'd been given the knowledge that she was ready to become a full medicine cat, and Berryshine was tagging along for the ride (they didn't know where the starcave was and would be completely lost without her).
It was farther away than Owltalon would've liked, but she pushed forward, following the silhouette of the sleek brown cat as closely as she could despite the dim lighting. The she-cat was beginning to wish she would've eaten before she left, but she couldn't really stomach the thought of food currently. She'd seen enough guts to last her a lifetime.
She then turned to Cobwebfern, keeping Berryshine's pawsteps within earshot as she trotted along. "Aye, chap, ya doin' al'ight? Hm, really bad question. 'Guess nocat can really be 'doin' al'right' right now." Owltalon spared the younger cat a glance and a small smile. "Thin's are gonna be a whole lot different fer now on. Kinda scary, but ya know, I'll never succeed if I don't try." Playing it safe wasn't going to get her anywhere, but nor was completely jumping the gun.
"Berryshine, is it in view? Yer eyes 're better than mine, so I'm sure ya won't mind helping a gal out, eh?" Even though she was plenty taller than the herbalist, she still stood onto her toes for a moment, trying to catch any sort of sign that they were close.
a very scarred, grey fluffy bengal with a missing back right leg. she has fluffs of white and darker grey fur. purrks ; herbal knowledge tier two, the collector | formatting creds to wolfie <3 | lesbian/sapphic + demigirl
trigger warning ; this character frequently talks and thinks about past abuse, panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. interact with care <3
it was hard to be excited when grief wrapped around you like a weighted blanket. choked you, swallowed you up in its embrace.
cobwebfern's pawsteps were heavy, mind in a different place as they walked. was she excited? yes. was she grieving, and sad? yes. but.. was she absolutely, terribly, paralyzed with fear for this starcave visit? a million times yes. cracking a small grin at her own joke, cobweb was snapped out of her thoughts by her stomach grumbling- embarassingly loudly. ' sorry. ' she forced out, mouth feeling like it was filled with cotton.
she hadn't eaten very well the last couple of days. every time she had forced something down her throat, she'd either thrown it back up or just wasn't able to eat at all, her Grief Blanket tm wrapping itself around her throat and stopping her from eating whatsoever. ' anyone else.. hungry? ' an awful attempt at conversation. stars, cobwebfern, couldn't you just be normal for one second?
' aye, chap, ya doin' al'ight? hm, really bad question. 'guess nocat can really be 'doin' al'right' right now. ' cobwebfern let a small smile escape and she bumped her head affectionately against the soon-to-be-leader's forehead. ' yeah.. i'm not doing okay.. i'm scared- terrified, really, and i miss storms.. so much. but i think.. i know you're going to do well. i can tell. '
cobwebfern's eyes darted around, instinct to be paranoid and scared taking over for a second. her gaze caught on berryshine, and she moved to wind her tail around her mentor. ' berries.. it's going to be okay.. right? ' her voice was uncertain, lacking the power and confidence she had taken on days earlier while directing storm's.. well. you know.
⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
" it’s awful out here, socrates . "
__________________
' i've never understood what humans do and want /
it's quite confusing to me to try to connect '
Being in the lead for once felt strange for the young medicine cat. Her pawsteps felt oddly heavy as she trekked on through the winding paths that led to the Starcave, as if traversing the forgotten path of ghosts. How was it only three moons ago, she'd come this way with Stormstar—Dusklion, then—with both of them anxiously excited and determined to get their new names? Everything had felt so much... brighter. Even with that ancient medicine cat that had terrified Berryshine with his threats, Fawnlight's encouragement and Stormstar's endless determination had fueled her into blissful hope and rejuvenation.
And now, not even a full three moons later, she was trudging the same path she had walked alongside her gray-furred leader who was now dead and gone. Both lives, her main one and the one extra she'd received, gone. In one fatal slash from a coyote. It was cruel to consider, hard to comprehend, and brutal to imagine. Was Storm watching them now, from the stars? Would she speak to either cat tonight? Berry was half-tempted to press her nose to the stone herself, to get some answers and guidance from Fawnlight; maybe the former medicine cat would know what to do, what to say. Maybe she'd offer at least some semblance of comfort.
But Berryshine knew it wasn't her time; it was Cobwebfern's, and Owltalon's. With a deep breath, the herbalist flicked her tail in acknowledgement to Owl's inquiry, the deputy's familiar voice bringing her out of her fog of thoughts. "Er, yeah... a-almost there. You see the stones dipping away there? T-That's where we're headed."
The little exchange between Owl and Cob was wholesome despite the somber mood, knowing both of them were wrestling with a mixture of grief, excitement, and anticipation. It made a somber half-smile tug on Berryshine's maw while she led them down by the cave entrance. Knowing she had these two passionate she-cats at her side to continue leading RiverClan, who shared mutual grief and pain over this loss (and a common drive to keep going regardless), everything felt less... dark. Like a cloud briefly evaporating under the moon's light to allow more of its glow.
Pausing, the medicine cat felt Cobwebfern brush up beside her and her tail wind around her smaller frame. Glancing over to meet her blue eyes, Berry's distant gaze softened, and she forced herself back to reality from her wandering thoughts. Right now Cob and Owltalon needed her to focus, to tell them what to do, and... to encourage them however she could. So she'd do that.
"O-Of course, Cob... it's gonna be just fine," she assured softly, briefly touching her nose to Cob's ear. "You've worked so hard for this... no one can say otherwise."
Then she glanced over at the cave mouth that gaped into a wide expanse, going down into blackness that even their night-vision eyes couldn't pierce. The thought made her shiver, both from the cold mysticism of the cave and what she knew lay beneath the rocks. She stepped in front of the entrance, keeping her tail on Cob's shoulder for a moment as she addressed both her apprentice and the deputy for the last time in their former ranks. The thought sent a little thrill through her. There was a brief hesitation as she weighed the words she was about to say, but figured the warning was apt, given the circumstances.
"You two should know, when Stormstar—" she paused to swallow thickly, then continued, "—a-and I came here, we each received a dream with our respective ceremonies. There was, um... this other spirit that came in, threatened us if we didn't do well. I dunno if he'll try and talk to you, but figured I-I should warn you. But... w-we have RiverClan's best interest at heart, and I know we'll do well. Stormstar did so much even in just three moons. Don't listen to anycat except the ones who're supporting you."
Looking up, the herbalist saw that the moon was starting to rise higher and higher into the sky; it would be moonhigh soon. Berryshine hesitated once more, briefly touching noses with both she-cats in an affectionate gesture, her eyes swimming with both grief and pride, encouragement and determination.
"Generally there's no talking at this point. Y'know... sacred ceremony stuff. I'll lead you down into the cave. Once we get there, you'll... well, y-you'll know when it's time," she remarked with a somber half-smile, remembering seeing the glory of the dazzling stone for the first time. "You'll touch your nose to it and be put into a sleep-like state, where you'll share dreams with StarClan. I... I-I just want you both to know I'm very proud of both of you, a-and... this is a tough time. But together, I know we'll get through it. Stormstar trusted us to help lead RiverClan, a-and I know she's looking down at us from the stars right now in pride. Let's show her what we've got, yeah? Ready?"
She offered one last encouraging smile and an extra brush of her flank along Cobwebfern's side. And then the small brown molly led way into the cave, her lean form immediately getting swallowed into darkness as she stepped inside. It sent a spark of fear through her like the last time, being so consumed and surrounded by inky blackness with no real gauge of where she was other than the brush of her whiskers along the tunnel. The air got cooler as they went, seemingly endless pawsteps later, and Berryshine swore for a moment that she could still catch hers and Stormstar's scent from the last time. It was likely in her head, but still, it was a comforting afterthought. As if maybe the strong, fiery leader was still with her... even if it was only in memory.
Finally, she led them to the wider room that held the mysterious stone in the center. She curled her tail over her paws, waiting in silence between the two she-cats. And when the moon finally rose to its full height, it shone down onto the stone with an unmatched brilliance. Berryshine had to squint her eyes again, the dazzle of the stone reflecting in her green eyes like stars. The sheen bathed all three of them in its light, turning their pelts silver.
With a shaky sigh Berryshine took in its beauty, then glanced between her two companions with a single, wordless nod. It was time. And she stayed back, letting her two Clanmates step forward, vowing a silent guard over them as they'd dream... and a prayer that it would all go well.
Re: The Starcave
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Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat! 
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