Warriors Redwood: Bronze

[0] Old Age Does a Lot.

A white long furred tom with green eyes, curled up under the lightly exposed roots of a great and large tree, in which, embedded, was a large stone, that stone had fallen from the sky all those moons ago. This tom was Goosefur. Goosefur was the medicine cat for a clan known as Caveclan, Caveclan lived at the base of a great mountain, in a cave hollowed by time and Starclan knows what.

Goosefur was the clans only medicine cat at the moment, though he was getting quite old and his eyesight was wavering. He was at the moon tree to speak with Starclan and perhaps discuss who to make his apprentice before he got too old to train anyone.

He soon passed to the dream-world after touching the sacred tree. He looked around the dark and cold abyss he was pulled into as the whispers of Starclans ranks enveloped him whole. Whispers that all said different things, whispers that spoke of prophecies and hard times to come. The whispers that stuck out the most where the prophecies, there hadn't been a such a thing since the prophecy that led to the clans being formed. He couldn't hear them all and it flooded his brain.

"Is anyone there?" The sound of his own voice working against his will shocked him as color slowly started draining back into this void, devoid of life. He watched as the colors slowly formed what seemed like an lake slowly devouring at the land hungrily. The vision took a turn for the worst when the stars started shattering before Goosefur's eyes, as blood washed to the shore and the sky grew darker.

"As sea swallows the earth, a promise shall usher in an age of sin and an age of death," Goosefur muttered out against his own will again. Starclan was warning him of something and whatever it was it was big, possibly world changing, but what promise would this be? And what about the sin? Is the warrior code gonna be broken? Many questions flooded through his head until he jolted awake. The last whispers of Starclan taking form as a dark grey pelt leaving his vision right as he opened his eyes.

The sun was rising, shedding its warm dawn light on the grove of the moon tree. He stood up, almost dizzily. His brain was clouded and dirty feeling. He shook his head clearing these thoughts, he still desperately needed an apprentice and the vision he had seen was cluttering his thoughts.

He needed a rational decision, he needed a sign. He looked around for anything that could possibly be a sign. He looked high and low, nothing. His tail flicked from side to side in annoyance. The golden light that was barely over the edge of the mountains in the grove was now bathing the area in its warmth and purity. Golden light.. Gold.. Gold! Goldkit!

He raced from the grove as fast as he could, the prophecy completely shoved into the corner of his mind. He had insisted on going alone despite the dangers of it and he had found exactly what he needed, this could prove he wasn't just the small old medicine cat his clan knew him to be, he could be independent and hardworking too!

He tore through the vines that covered the entrance forcing himself to go faster than his paws could work. This was the sign! This was what he needed! Goosefur rounded the corner and slowed down, he didn't want to look suspicious on mountainclan territory, the last thing he needed was a fight with one of the, if not largest, clan in the valley, but with a new apprentice Caveclan might actually stand a chance.

He scanned around as he walked. There were no patrols out, odd for Mountainclan but he paid no mind to it and continued on, patrols were Mountainclan's business anyways. He refocused on the task ahead, navigating the mountains so he could get to Caveclan territory, his home. Caveclan were known as odd, they accepted a lot more outsiders into their clan than the other three clans, they recently accepted quite a few rogues and even some charismatic kittypets. Caveclan was always struggling to try and expand like Mountainclan or Wasteclan had.

Mountainclan and Wasteclan were always fighting over who had more territory leaving Twigclan and Caveclan squeezed between the ever expanding empires. The four clans were formed over a single prophecy, the details of which, were lost to time. The clans lived in a valley surrounded by tall, dangerous, mountains, the only safe exit point was the river canyon that led to the lake.

The moon tree's grove was in its own valley inside the valley that the clans were in. The valley was practically impenetrable, thus leading to a new rule of which every cat needed two escorts for making the trip into the grove of the moon tree, and, of course Goosefur broke the rule. He needed to focus, focus away from his clan for a little.

After walking for quite a while, the last breath of sundown barely remained in the sky, he finally spotted the trees of his clan's territory a few fox-lengths away. He was still on Mountainclan territory so he didn't run but he picked up his pace quite a bit for the extremely short medicine cat. He had to get back to talk to Cliffstar. As soon as Goldkit reached six moons, he was sure that Cliffstar would allow him to train her on the path of a medicine cat.

His tired aching paws touched grass. His ears twitched with excitement. It was about sunhigh and he was excited he finally got a sign for who could be his apprentice. It happened to be the kind Goldkit, loyal to the clan despite not being clan born. Many rogues had joined the clan just a moon ago, Cliffstar, desperate after the massacre that was the fight over the large oak with Twigclan. Leaf-bare was coming and they needed every whisker of territory for hunting.

He finally reached the cave that the clan called home and he padded in, there were many cats sunning themselves on the dusty rock ground and the fresh-kill pile looked fuller then ever. He padded to the medicine den and jumped up to the top of it, letting his paws slide into the claw-holds that allowed leaders to get into their den. He pulled himself up to the top almost slipping at the top.

"Cliffstar! I've returned from the moon tree with great news!" Goosefur greeted his leader before pushing through the vines and bracken into the cozy den.

"Tell me this news Goosefur," Cliffstar's gray pelt practically blended in with the stony walls, though his unique amber eyes stuck out like a thorn in a cats paw.

"I know who will be my apprentice," Goosefur meowed excitedly, he only hoped that Cliffstar would let him take such a capable cat to be his apprentice.

"And who might that be?" Cliffstar asked Goosefur inquisitively. Goosefur couldn't help but feel a bit of nervousness building up in his gut, threatening to spill out over everything.

"Goldkit, I saw a sign. It has to be Goldkit, once she reaches the proper six moons of course, for now I could just tell her little stories of the herbs and try to teach her little bits about them, if you'll let me Cliffstar," Goosefur spilled out feeling a little relieved that Cliffstar didn't interrupt him or immediately tell him no.

"You saw a sign? You know what this means Goosefur? There has barely been any contact with Starclan since the formation of the clans in this valley," Cliffstar seemed a little skeptical but not to turn down Goosefur completely.

"I saw it, I saw golden light, it has to have been a sign Cliffstar, light never penetrates the moon trees grove," Goosefur stared at the gray leader for a moment. Waiting on an answer.

"Then you will train Goldkit once she reaches six moons. I'll send my deputy to break the news to Goldkit, you are dismissed Goosefur," Cliffstar waved his tail, gesturing for Goosefur to leave. Goosefur left immediatly and returned to the medicine den. Surely enough they had wounded warriors already.

"This could be the start of something great," he spoke to himself before beginning to sort through the herbs he had, removing anything stale. He was right, this was the beginning of something, but perhaps that something isn't so great?

He couldn't help but mutter to himself, feverish and fleeting thoughts, honestly he had entirely forgotten about the prophecy, though perhaps it was Starclan's wish that he did.

Whatever the case, Goosefur was already looking around his herb stores, brainstorming the future lessons he could teach.

Horsetail for infection.
Dock for sore pads.
Catmint for Greencough.