Wavepaw pads down a winding pebble trail beside Ivyhawk, bouncing every few steps.
She was finally old enough to visit the Moonpool with him and become a medicine apprentice for real, and wasn't bothering to contain her excitement.
"Are we almost there?" the blue-gray apprentice chirps, angling her amber gaze up at the RiverClan medicine cat.
Ivyhawk sighs, twitching a torn ear.
"You've asked me that seven times already," he replies blankly, though a little smile creeps across his face.
"But yes, we are."
"Great!" Wavepaw replies, giving a little hop and increasing her speed.
Little puffs of vapor form in front of her muzzle as she breathes, dispersing into the air after a few heartbeats.
The few trees scattered around the field they were walking through were barren- a delicate layer of frost coated every blade of yellowing grass.
Clouds drift over the half-moon floating in a darkening sky.
Leaf-bare had come upon the Clans, and thankfully RiverClan was doing well- the rivers kept flowing despite the dropping temperatures and now it was even easier to store fish since the cold ensured they wouldn't spoil.
The only problem was sickness, which had presented itself in a few mild cases over the past half-moon, but ample prey had eased its negative impact.
Wavepaw glances up as Ivyhawk as the golden tabby slows his pace.
A dirt path up a hill stands in front of them, weaving through clusters of bare trees.
"Why are you stopping?" she mews a little impatiently, fluffy tail swishing behind her.
"Because we're here," Ivyhawk replies, taking a step onto the trail.
"C'mon."
-=-
Trotting behind Ivyhawk with an excited hum, Wavepaw's eyes widen in wonder at the sight of the Moonpool.
Although her soon-to-be official mentor had told her many times about the Clans' sacred place, seeing the glimmering pool with her own eyes at last filled her with excitement.
The half-moon's reflection, though obscured by clouds, was projected onto the water with a brilliant glow; mist from the waterfall feeding into the pool sprays Wavepaw's pelt with frigid droplets of water.
"We're here, everybody," Ivyhawk calls, smiling softly- the other medicine cats begin to slowly approach.
Wavepaw presses closer to her mentor's side- she wasn't the shy type, but meeting so many new cats at once made her a bit nervous.
Ivyhawk had told her a little about the Clans' other healers but left out details, apparently so that she'd get to experience everything without any preconceived notions.
All she really knew were their names, and even then she wasn't sure who was who.
A fluffy cream-furred tom pads up first, followed closely by a skinny gray and white tom who seems to almost be clinging to him.
"Ivyhawk! Good to see you," the cream-furred tom mews, blue eyes shining with kindness.
"Hey," the RiverClan medicine cat replies, smiling weakly.
The gray and white tom says nothing, round blue-green eyes scanning Wavepaw's form.
She felt the tension radiating off him and sensed it affecting her own body; he seemed nervous, almost scared. But why?
"And who's this kiddo?" the cream-furred tom inquires with a purr, gaze flickering over to Wavepaw.
"I'm Wavepaw!" the blue-gray she-cat replies proudly, bouncing in place.
"Great to meet you! I'm Beechfoot, and this is Hailwatcher," Beechfoot mews, glancing back at the gray and white tom with a twitch of his ear.
A little hesitation accompanied the older healer's movements, as if he seemed to remember something.
"..Hey," Hailwatcher murmurs; Wavepaw senses his tension growing more severe.
"Nice to meet you two," she replies politely, nodding to Hailwatcher.
"We're from SkyClan," Beechfoot adds, "-and we have another medicine cat, Mossyspots, but she didn't come today."
Wavepaw nods, trying not to stare at Hailwatcher- something felt strange about him.
Scars cross the gray tom's entire body, overlapping in some areas, and his ears were torn and nicked.
Tension pulsed from him in waves, intensifying as his eyes dart around the area.
Pushing down her curiosity, the apprentice glances up again as a light gray she-cat bounces up to her and Ivyhawk.
"Ivyhawk!" the she-cat mews, touching noses with the golden tabby.
"You're here! And- oh!"
The light gray she-cat notices Wavepaw and beams, stepping over to her with a purr.
"Is this who you've been telling us about all this time?"
"Uh...yep," Ivyhawk replies, twitching an ear.
"Wavepaw, this is Ashpaw. She's from ThunderClan."
"Hi!" Wavepaw purrs.
"Ivyhawk bragged a whole lot about you and how good of a medicine cat you're going to be," Ashpaw murmurs to the blue-gray apprentice, giggling.
Grinning mischeviously, Wavepaw glances up at the RiverClan medicine cat.
"Really?"
Ivyhawk mumbles something under his breath as a sarcastic reply, though it's unclear whether he intended for it to be audible.
"We're going to be best friends!" Ashpaw purrs, leaning forward to touch noses with Wavepaw.
"Awesome!"
"Let's sit down," Ivyhawk mumbles into his apprentice's ear.
Wavepaw beams at Ashpaw, padding after her mentor and sitting down beside him.
A black-and-white she-cat lingers in the corner, talking quietly with a pale tom.
Nearby, a golden tabby and a black tom speak quietly to each other.
Glancing around, Wavepaw finds that her focus is returning to Hailwatcher; the tension she perceived before comes rushing back as she begins scrutinizing his movements.
He was too far away to hear, but based on his murmuring to Beechfoot and his intermittent glances at the black-and-white she-cat, something seemed off.
The pale tom rises to his paws and slowly approaches Ivyhawk and Wavepaw, muttering a curse as he stubs his paw on a rock.
"Hey, Rabbitwhisker," Ivyhawk mews, gaze traveling down to the paw the feathery-furred tom was now favoring.
"Good evening," Rabbitwhisker replies curtly, twitching an ear.
"This is my new apprentice, Wavepaw," the golden tabby mews, curling his tail protectively around her.
"Hello," the blue-gray she-cat murmurs, eyeing Rabbitwhisker with a tinge of wariness.
Rabbitwhisker stares at Wavepaw through half-lidded hazel-blue eyes before bothering to respond.
"At least you aren't loud like the rest of them," he hisses, shooting a sharp glare at Ivyhawk before plodding back to his position in the corner.
Wavepaw frowns, glancing up at Ivyhawk, who simply shakes his head.
"He's cranky, don't take him too seriously," he mutters.
The black and white she-cat Rabbitwhisker had been talking to comes up next, sporting a disinterested expression.
Wavepaw feels Ivyhawk tense, and his striped tail curls more tightly around her.
She noticed that she was too stiffening up on account of everyone else seeming to do the same, but after a quick breath in and out she reverts to her original demeanor.
"Hey there," the she-cat mews to Ivyhawk, tilting her head in a cocky manner.
"..Hi," the golden tabby replies stiffly, gritting his teeth.
"Hey, kid," the black-and-white she-cat murmurs, blue gaze angling down at Wavepaw.
"I'm Nightshade, from ShadowClan."
"...Like the poison?" Wavepaw mews, tilting her head.
Perhaps it was an awkward question, but it was a fair one nonetheless.
Nightshade tenses, and Wavepaw notices the fact that she has a queen's belly.
She had heard murmurings about ShadowClan's medicine cat and how something had happened, though kits didn't seem to be what it was.
Hopefully she'd figure it out.
"Yes," the ShadowClan medicine cat mews a bit harshly, flicking her tail.
"..Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you," Wavepaw chirps, grinning convincingly.
Although she couldn't see his face, she sensed Ivyhawk sharply glaring at the ShadowClan medicine cat through narrowed green eyes.
Nightshade stalks away without another word and two more cats come over; a black tom and a golden she-cat with brown stripes.
The former looked exhausted, though a cheerful expression remains plastered artificially on his face- the golden she-cat frowns at her companion and steps toward Ivyhawk and Wavepaw.
"Hey, Ivyhawk! Is this your apprentice?" she mews, smiling amicably.
"Yep," the RiverClan medicine cat replies, a tiredness creeping into his voice.
Wavepaw knew he had probably had enough socializing already, and there was still a whole night ahead of them.
The golden she-cat smiles down at Wavepaw, twitching a tufted ear.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Bumblepaw, from WindClan."
The black and white tom practically lurches forward, digging his white-tipped paws into the stones scattered around the Moonpool clearing.
"I'm Starlingclaw..from ThunderClan," he pants, tail dropping.
Wavepaw felt a profound tension radiating off him- his attempts to hide whatever was bothering him were very obvious.
"Nice to meet you two," she replies absently, trying not to stare at Starlingclaw- after all, even if it was to gain valuable information, staring was apparently rude.
No one except Ivyhawk seemed to believe that Wavepaw visually fixated on others to better understand them, which was just a little bit frustrating.
As Starlingclaw and Bumblepaw walk away, Ivyhawk rises to his paws.
"Okay, introduction time is over," he mews, fluffy striped tail swishing from side to side.
Wavepaw pretends not to hear her mentor mutter 'Thank StarClan' under his breath and straightens, fluffing up her fur as a chilly breeze whistles through the trees.
Beechfoot pulls himself up with a murmur to Hailwatcher and meets Ivyhawk at the edge of the Moonpool.
"We're gonna start now, everybody," Ivyhawk calls out, flashing a rare smile at Wavepaw.
The blue-gray apprentice bounces up and down in her seated position, beaming widely.
She had followed Ivyhawk around since she could walk, but now she would formally become his apprentice with the approval of StarClan.
A dream come true, for sure.
"Wavepaw," Ivyhawk begins slowly, sucking in a breath of cold air, "-it it your wish to explore the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?"
Glancing over at Nightshade and sensing her stiffen at these words, Wavepaw snaps back to the present and nods vigorously.
"It is."
"Come forward, please," Beechfoot mews with a chuckle.
Wavepaw bounces up with a gleeful purr, padding toward Ivyhawk and the senior medicine cat.
The former glances down at the shimmering Moonpool, and Beechfoot murmurs something into his ear.
"Cats of StarClan," the RiverClan medicine cat begins, "-I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your insight so that she may help and heal all without regard to allegiance or conflict."
Upon finishing his small speech, Ivyhawk motions with his tail toward the gently rippling waters of the Moonpool.
"Come a bit closer," he whispers, smiling softly down at Wavepaw.
Wavepaw obliges, shuffling close with a squeaky purr.
"Bend down and drink from the Moonpool," Ivyhawk adds, crouching down beside his now-apprentice.
The medicine apprentice nods, lapping up a tongueful of the frigid water; a shudder sets into her body and her vision slowly fades to black.
-=-
Wavepaw wakes on the sandy shore of a brilliantly clear stream.
Opening her eyes and taking a peek into its depths, she glimpses many fish of all colors swimming with the current.
The water sparkles with the reflection of silver stars, and the reeds that shoot up in the riverbanks have an artificially saturated appearance.
A tree-length or so to her right sits a massive blue-gray tom, one that resembled someone Wavepaw was...familiar with.
The StarClan warrior pricks an ear, turning his head in Wavepaw's direction.
"Oh! A visitor...I assume I'm meant to take on this one," he mews pleasantly, thick silver-tipped fur rustling with every movement.
"Hello!" Wavepaw calls, bouncing to her paws as quickly as she can and beginning to pad over.
Ivyhawk was nowhere to be found, but she hoped he was off having a nice conversation with some other StarClan cat.
The StarClan warrior's gaze softens as Wavepaw gets closer- his massive fluffy tail leaves a dip in the white sand behind him.
"Greetings, little one," the blue-gray tom rumbles jovially, amber gaze soft and welcoming.
"I am Wavestar. I led RiverClan many seasons ago."
Wavepaw tilts her head to the side, tail twitching.
It was interesting that they shared a name, but maybe she was reading into things too much.
Or, maybe she wasn't.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Wavepaw."
Wavestar lights up, smile somehow growing even wider.
"Ah, so it seems we share a name. We must be kin."
Growing tense herself, Wavepaw chuckles weakly.
Hey family was the only topic she didn't want to bring up, and now she definitely had to talk about it now that a StarClan cat had asked.
"..Yeah...kin."
"Out of curiosity..who's your father, Wavepaw?" the StarClan warrior mews, a look of thoughtful consideration now on his face.
The blue-gray apprentice senses a prickle of tension coming off Wavestar and suppresses a quiet sigh.
She was hoping she could use this night as a bit of escapism, but apparently things wouldn't work that way.
"..My father's Shellstar," she mumbles, averting her gaze.
Wavestar's tension spikes, then slowly drifts away.
"Ah! So you're my grandkit, then."
The old leader smiles gently, silvery fur rustling in the breeze.
Wavepaw found her grandfather's heartbeat of hesitation to be a bit odd- surely there wasn't any other descendant of his who could've been her father?
Wavepaw nebulously recalled knowing an uncle whose whereabouts were currently unclear; whenever the subject arose, the Clan collectively said he had died and promptly put the matter to rest.
She also couldn't remember if the aforementioned mysterious uncle was on her mother's side or her father's, and could bet that neither of them would talk about it without starting problems.
There were a lot of problems with them nowadays, and no one would tell her the truth about why.
Returning her focus to her surroundings, Wavepaw grins convincingly up at her grandfather.
"Well, it's nice to know my grandfather," she mews, twitching an ear.
Wavestar chuckles, bending down to lick the top of the blue-gray apprentice's head.
"Wonderful to know you too, sweetheart," he replies softly.
"I have some leverage around here, so I'll try to make sure I can visit you whenever you speak with StarClan," the blue-gray tom adds with a wink.
Wavepaw nods, gaze eventually traveling down to her paws; frightened to discover that she can see the ground through them, she yelps in alarm.
"It looks like you're fading from our hunting grounds," Wavestar mews with a frown.
"I'll see you soon, Wavepaw. Take care."
-=-
Trudging groggily alongside her mentor, Wavepaw rests her head on Ivyhawk's shoulder and gazes up at the brightening sky.
A sense of dread settled over her now that she was to return home- while she was excited to get back to her nest in the medicine den and sleep a bit more, the likelihood of returning to the aftermath of a screaming match between her parents was worrying.
"You think you'll like being a medicine cat?" Ivyhawk mutters sleepily, ruffled fur swaying in the early morning breeze.
"..Yeah," Wavepaw replies with a quiet purr.
"I just don't wanna go home to all the fighting and stuff.."
The RiverClan medicine sighs; through her sluggishness Wavepaw senses him tense a little.
"Well, one of the best parts of being a medicine cat is that you can pretend you have herbs to sort and then leave."
"No one will question you, since you're the one making sure they don't die of horrible sickness," he mews, a mischevious smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Does that really work?" Wavepaw mews in facetious disbelief, letting out a quiet giggle.
"I promise, it works," Ivyhawk replies with a snicker.
"Used that one to get out of all kinds of stuff."
"Plus, you know I'm here to keep you away from all the drama and let you enjoy being young."
Wavepaw smiles softly up at her mentor.
"Yeah...thanks, Ivyhawk."
The RiverClan medicine cat chuckles, licking his apprentice's ear.
"No problem."