The Cat Of The Prophecy: The Origins Of The Clans- Part 1: The Original Treeclan

Chapter 7: Warrior Traditions

     Tonight was the last day before everything I have learned goes into a seemingly never ending practice. My mind was racing with thoughts and questions about the future. Willowflower had mentioned another cat, the one that told her how to train me and that I assume also knows the prophecy. Who is it? Surely it must be a cat from my past, like Willowflower is, but who? I thought softly staring into space.
     "Hello Fernpaw!" Came Willowflower's voice from behind me, jolting me out of my blank empty stare.
     "Oh, hi, Willowflower." I meowed after a moment of flattening my pelt, which had sprung outwards when I jumped.
     "Shall we get started Fernpaw?" She asked me and I nodded yes, readying myself to stand up and walk to our usual spot, but Willowflower didn't move. She cleared her throat, sat down, and curled her tail around her. "Tonight's lesson is mainly going to be about ceremonies, well actually mostly about ceremonies."
     "Ok!" I replied enthusiastically. 
     "The first ceremony we are going to go over is the apprentice ceremony. When do kits become apprentices?"
       "Six moons." I replied confidently.
       "Correct." She praised and then continued, "Kits become apprentices usually at the age of six moons old. What other cases do cats that are not kits become apprentices?"
     "When rogues, loners, or kittypets join the clan, right?" I asked Willowflower.
     "Correct. When the leader does this ceremony for warrior apprentices it will sound something similar to this, I am going to use you in the example: Fernkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Fernpaw. Your mentor will be Willowflower. I hope that she passes all that she knows on to you." Willowflower finished the ceremony and then asked, "What happens after this Fernpaw?"
     "The mentor and apprentice touch noses." I replied enthusiastically.
     "Yes indeed. Let's do that part of the ceremony shall we?" Willowflower meowed, we both stood up, and we touched our noses together. The gray and white she-cat sat back down afterwards and continued, "The next ceremony is the Medicine cat ceremony. It starts off the exact same way as the warrior apprentice ceremony except it is the medicine cat that touches noses with their apprentice and the remainder of the ceremony occurs at the place the clan goes to share tongues with Starclan at the next half moon. Fernpaw do you know why it is the half moon?"
     "Because it is the meeting of the medicine cats?" I answered.
      "That's right. Again I am going to use you as an example. Fernpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of Starclan as a medicine cat?"
     "It is."
     "Then come forward. Warriors of Starclan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her clan in accordance to your will."
     "Wow."
     "Then the apprentice and medicine cat have a dream or dreams in Starclan. Next are the warrior ceremony and the medicine cat ceremony. Don't get too excited I am not going to reveal what your warrior name is going to be." Willowflower meowed slightly laughing.
     "Oh well, I guess I will know soon enough." I meowed with a chuckle. 
     "Yes you will. I am going to put my name as leader and still use you as the cat. I, Willowstar, leader of a clan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Fernpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of you life?"
      "I do!"
       "Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Fernpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Fern-to-be-revealed. Starclan honors your curiosity and determination and we welcome you as a full warrior of a clan." 
      I chuckle softly and she rests her muzzle on my head and I lick her shoulder. She was slightly chuckling.
      "Next is the medicine cat ceremony.  I, Willowflower, medicine cat of a clan, call upon my warrior ancestors 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 her clan for many moons. Fernpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between clan and clan and to protect all clans equally, even at the cost of your life?"
     "I do."
     "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Fernpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Fern-yet-to-be-announced. StarClan honors your skills and your knowledge, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of a clan."
       "What's next?" I asked softly.
       "The leader's ceremony takes more cats than we have here to explain, but basically nine cats, each give a single life, which they give put their nose to the leader's head or nose and give the life. They will say what the life is for and they may say something more. The name changing ceremony occurs when the leader or the cat feels as though their name no longer suits them due to accident or something else. The elder ceremony occurs when a warrior, queen, leader, or medicine cat decides that they can no longer do their duty and so they retire as elders. That's all for the ceremonies."
     "What about the deputy ceremony?" I asked noticing that she had forgotten. 
     "Oh...yes. The leader appoints a new deputy like this: I say these words before Starclan so that our warrior ancestors may hear and approve my choice, Fern-to-be-announced will be deputy of the clan. Or like this: I say these words before the body of Willowflower, so that she may hear and approve my choice. Fern-soon-you-will-know as the deputy of the clan. Any questions before we move on?" Willowflower meowed softly.
     I thought for a long moment while glancing directly at Willowflower and my paws.  I flicked my ears back while I thought. What don't I know? I am sure I don't know everything. There's got to be something. I thought carefully, but couldn't find anything. After a while I looked up and focused my ears back forward. "No I can not think of anything."
     "Alright, moving on." Willowflower stated, standing up while continuing and asking me. "What is the significance of the full moon?"  
     "A gathering of all clans is held at the full moon in a truce that lasts for the entire night." I meowed paraphrasing from the warrior code. I waited patiently for Willowflower's response, but she was slow to answer she was staring off into the distance at something that I could not see, maybe she was deep in thought like I was earlier or maybe she saw something in the woods.
     "G-good. Very good." Willowflower replied still staring off into the woods. I padded over to her side.
     "What's next?" I asked her prodding her shoulder with my paw.
     "What?" Willowflower asked me, still focusing on the woods. I grew impatient and padded in front of her, cutting off her view of what ever had entranced her.
     "I said, what's next?" I repeated myself bluntly standing in front of her.
     "Oh. Yeah." She responded slowly refocusing on me. She cleared her throat once more and meowed. "Follow me." Willowflower didn't hesitate and wait for me, she quickly disappeared into the woods to the side of me.
     "I'm coming!" I meowed to her. I was confused, but I was sure she had a good reason for her actions. I took one weary look back at the woods that had captured Willowflower's attention just moments before. I scanned the area with my eyes, ears, and nose carefully. If there was something out there I wanted to know what it is.
     "Fernpaw!" I heard from a distance, it was very soft, so she had to be a few fox leaps away by now.
    "Coming!" I meowed, almost yowling, to Willowflower. I once again darted into the woods in pursuit of Willowflower. I was a small distance in before I realized just how far of a distance she must have covered. I flattened my ears and reluctantly scented the air, hoping to find a clue to which way she went. I sighed softly when I caught her scent. I sprinted through the woods until I caught up to her. She looked at me like she was disappointed.
     "Well it took you long enough." She meowed. 
     "Sorry it wouldn't have taken so much time if you had of just warned me before taking off like that." I replied letting out a frustrated snort.
     "I did warn you. I said follow me." Willowflower pointed out.
     "That wasn't a warning. That was let's go now without any rhyme or reason." I responded bobbing my bobtail. 
     "I had a reason." She meowed quietly and then continued with yet another question, "Vigils are done when and how long?"
    "A vigil takes place after a warrior ceremony they stand outside of camp for the entire night."
    "Very good. That's all for tonight Fernpaw. " Willowflower replied.
    "Alright good night Willowflower!" I meowed.
    "Good night." Willowflower meowed as she walked away.