[Clover]

Originally Posted by Lilly

A moment of clarity seemed to overcome Cricketpaw as her new mentor spoke the soft words to her; despite the hushed warning her tone seemed to comfort the she-cat even more. She slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. All around her, the cavern appeared to echo with whispers of her ancestors, and for a brief moment, the new apprentice felt invisible felines moving around her. Her breathing quickened just a bit, adjusting to her surroundings before oddly enough she found comfort in their presence. "This is where I'm meant to be," she murmured, the butterfly feeling returning as she lifted her eyelids, a new spark of hope for the new path laid out in front of her was evident in her eyes.

Heading the warning, Cricketpaw let her gaze remain on her paws and the smooth rock paths as she followed behind Geckoleaf. She was careful as she placed each forepaw down beneath her, testing its sturdiness before breathing a sigh of relief and moving on. Since they had left right after the ceremony in the Clan, she hadn't much time to rest her muscles and was still recovering from her long journey back to RiverClan. The weight of sleep deprivation still dragged at her, whining and clawing at her muscles for her to stop and curl up. Albeit her body was tired, the young she-cat's mind was wide awake with excitement and nervousness- which only intensified as the glowing illumination of the Moonstone came into full view.

A small gasp escaped Cricketpaw, feeling as though as though all the air had been pressed from her lungs. The gleaming light of the beautiful Moonstone sent tingles down her spine, and unconsciously the fur along it rose as well. Now, the whispers that she could barely hear seemed more clear, though she still could not make out any words still. She could feel deep within her soul that many cats had been here before her, and it was calming to know that this was a sacred place that tied all cats together, regardless of their Clan. And now, it was her turn to follow in their paw steps and accept her destiny as RiverClan's next medicine cat. There was apart of her that feared she would not be good enough, or be able to learn everything from her new mentor. However a bigger part of her, a deeper voice from within, seemed to speak belief to combat the negative words that swirled within her mind. You can do it.

As Geckoleaf began to speak the words of a ceremony she had never heard until now, Cricketpaw nodded softly, murmuring the appropriate "It is," after the opening question. Her heart quickened its pace as her mentor now seemed to be speaking to StarClan, and a stab of anticipation shot through her. She sincerely hoped that her ancestors would accept her, and that they forgave her for the secret she kept, of having turned to the soft life of a kitty-pet for a few moons after her kidnapping. A deep breath seemed to settle her racing pulse and then bengal turned her gaze to the Moonstone, studying its structure.

At her mentors request, she turned fully to face the Moonstone, eyes still aglow with excitement and curiosity. She took a moment, letting it sink in that she was now on the path of a medicine cat. She would soon be able to have the secrets of her warrior ancestors revealed to her. A strange calm settled over her as she stretched her neck out, softly pressing her nose to the smooth surface. A shock traveled down her spine at its cold face, but her body remained still as her eyelids began to flutter closed, a deeper calm sinking into her body like stones in the river.

She watched intently as her apprentice knelt down, and pressed her nose to the cold crystal. Geckoleaf noted the shaky way she moved; it was most likely due to exhaustion, plain and simple. She'd be sure to give her plenty of breaks on the way back the RiverClan, and a long rest after that. She certainly couldn't have Cricketpaw breaking down on her first few days of being an apprentice; this time would be crucial to her showing her character, and Geckoleaf wanted to give her the best start she could.

She watched as the familiar calm passed over the young feline; she knew it well herself, and knew the peace that came with it. The sense of being rooted in place, of being solid and stony and grounded. This time, she would not participate; it was for Cricketpaw, not her, this time. But she still wanted to make sure that her apprentice did not panic, and stayed relaxed throughout the process. The fiery medicine cat had never heard of anyone panicking, but she found it better to err on the side of caution. Her tail flicked gently, and she sat back on her haunches, needing to rest her legs before they continued on their journey, back to their home clan.

The coolness of the stones against her legs and paws was just one more small comfort to add to the peace she felt here. After having a recent mental breakdown, this one particularly acute in its effect, being this relaxed reassured her that she would soon recover from whatever ailed her mentally. She was, by no means, a master of the mind, but she had to know the basics to be able to treat cats who had issues, even if only by telling them to relax and breathe every once in a while. She herself wished someone could diagnose the strange attacks that tormented her; the images of death and gore she had stored away in a corner of her mind would occasionally break free, wracking her with visions of friends and family alike dead, and the world covered in a thick layer of congealed blood. That was one thing that she hoped never happen to Cricketpaw, especially.

(sorry for it not being of the best quality. i'm tired, but still wanted to give you a post <3)