[iliri]

Springpaw
long-furred, oriental-shaped, gray-and-orange calico molly with blue eyes; torn right ear
purrks: herbal knowledge - tier 2 | the collector | mind reader | skip the steps[all perm. active; sts for battle training]

---

Being inside the internal structure of the cave was vividly strange. Springpaw couldn’t seem to find herself looking away from the smooth texture, gradually unfolding itself like a silent tale of geological history. Her paws felt compressed against the cool, smooth stone, feeling relatively nice to walk upon without the consistent bothersome poking and prodding at her skin from the soil outside of the cave itself. Her ears consistently turned at the distant sound of water dripping from the stalactites that hung at the top of the cave-like ancient chandeliers. She hadn’t ever been on the inside of the cave before, only on the outside when she had been meeting with the other medicine cats. Speaking of the other medics, Springpaw found herself quietly wondering when they would be enduring another half-moon meeting. She doubted it would be anytime soon due to the recent political tensions that had occurred as of late, especially with both ShadowClan and RiverClan. The recent raid involving RiverClan only heightened those tensions, further making it relatively difficult to keep all the clans together in a relatively neutral state. But, RiverClan didn’t have any medicine cats yet due to both Tansypaw and Falconfeather seemingly disappearing without a trace. It was a shame. Springpaw had felt interested to know the former duo of medics more before they disappeared as soon as they were appointed. Especially Tansypaw, as the young tortoiseshell seemed like a relatively kind young molly to know and get along with. Sure, there was also Lightningstorm, but Springpaw held her heavy doubts about the fellow calico ever becoming a potential ally with her.

Her thoughts gradually came to a stop as both of the medics approached the moonstone, Springpaw’s eyes growing wide as she stared owlishly at the luminous blue quartz. It… looked relatively beautiful, to say the least. Its celestial glow radiated itself through the dull, gray-black cave walls, its luminosity staying tall as it glowed vibrantly. The calico felt tempted to take a closer look at the beautiful, yet strangely astonishing gem, but Drizzlecloud’s abrupt stop seemed to stop her from making any possible attempt at investigating the stone. The medic almost found herself wanting to ask once again why her mentor had brought her here, but the words had died as soon as they came once her mentor’s eyes rested upon her own, her eyes enlisted with an affectionate warmth that the calico only knew her mother often bore towards her. Springpaw found herself growing focused intently on the words that were escaping flawlessly out of her mentor’s maw. Her recent thoughts that she had once had rummaging through her mind had died, slowly rejuvenating and swarming with a whole new train of thoughts. Everything about the whole event of the raid had been terrifying, especially with the concept of her potentially losing one of the only cats that she had by her side after her former mentor had disappeared out of the blue. Rabbitchatter wasn’t much to her than just a fragment of a cat that taught her how to hunt and keep her chin held high, but Drizzlecloud was different. Drizzlecloud was a cat that Springpaw grew herself close to; that she looked up to like a family member of her own.

Her mentor’s words left something panging within her stomach, almost making her mind spin and whirl as she thought about all the events that had occurred before the raid. Their first patient, their first battle, the poison, the battle at Sunkissed Creek… There were so many things that she found herself thinking about, and she couldn’t get her thoughts out of the entire time that she had been a mere apprentice; a simple, young naive cat who didn’t have a single idea of what was going on in the world. She used to be a young feline who held high curiosity towards the simplest of things and was a big thinker, always devoted to the things that she thought were most important to her. The first thing that she had held much love and dedication towards was her siblings, raising them as if they were her kits after Smallsky had abandoned her and them. It still tremendously ached to think about her biological siblings, but it didn’t hurt as bad as it once did after her real mother had given birth to kits; a second chance for her to finally step up and be the big sister that she had always dreamed of being. But, her focus wasn’t solely about her family, it was about her growth. She had changed mentally, emotionally, and physically. She changed into a more stronger, intelligent feline than what she had used to be; she wasn’t any longer that burden that quivered and stuttered from anxiety. No, she was a true ThunderClan medicine cat; a member who had devoted herself heavily to her clan more than anything that she could ever achieve.

Drizzlecloud’s words of appreciation made her lips bore up into a smile that easily felt her lips beginning to ache tremendously from how wide her smile had stretched. Drizzlecloud was proud of her. She saw her as no longer the young apprentice who quivered from anxiety and hung herself in the dark; she saw her as a strong, independent molly who was capable of anything that was thrown at her. That weak, fragile shield that had formed on the day that she gained this horrific injury had strengthened and rejuvenated the moment that she was back on her paws and proved to herself that she wasn’t weak. She had Dovefluff’s support, Drizzlecloud’s gentleness, Bumblestar’s strength, and more. The certain cats in her clan were the initial reason why she was standing here today by the moonstone. Why she was standing here with Drizzlecloud making her speech and going on about just how deeply proud she was? Springpaw couldn’t muster the words that desperately wanted to come out, knowing well that Drizzlecloud couldn’t hear her even if she could speak. But, if she could hear her, she would thank her. Thank her for being the cat that she is today and for standing by her side since the day they both were appointed as medicine cat and medicine cat apprentice. The day that they stuck together by each other’s side and learned different complex herbs together. Thank her for not abandoning her and leaving her like how other cats had in the past. The deep trust had thrived to make it through that moment in time, and now, it was finally up to the point where Drizzlecloud was stating how proud she was to have had the calico as her apprentice. Of how proud of the experience that Springpaw had endured through their time together as mentor and apprentice.

Now? Springpaw had a choice to make. To accept the offer and finally rejuvenate into the next step of being a medicine cat, or reject and continue with her current name. There wasn’t much of an option that Springpaw held at the given moment, as she already had her mind set on what she wanted. She was chosen by the stars to be set on the path of healing. She was picked to become ThunderClan’s medicine cat. She had determination that she wasn’t going to become anything like how the past medicine cats had. They’ve all committed wrongdoings, and Springpaw wasn’t that. She was devoted to staying on the right path of a medicine cat, and she wasn’t going to let that go to waste from Drizzlecloud’s choice offered to her. So, with her head and tail held high and lips curled into a smile, the tears of utter joy prickling at the corners of her eyes. She finally nodded her head and began to speak. “I do.” Her tone shook but remained strong. She knew that Drizzlecloud wouldn’t be able to hear her, but Springpaw’s consciousness got the best of her. She could already see how proud her mother would be if she saw her right now. If Springpaw was certain, she would see that Dovefluff would be gushing tears and happily congratulating her daughter for achieving the goal of becoming a full medicine cat. Springpaw didn’t want to ponder on the thought for too long, keeping her gaze peeled on her mentor’s own as she waited for her to continue with the ceremony of making her a full medicine cat of ThunderClan.

@Omari