ShadowClan Medicine Cat's Den

[Pitou]

**Branchfire & Sunsetpaw**

The brown tom scanned the den silently as he slowly slipped in through the entrance of the medicine cats' den. He'd felt that him and Elmshadow had grown a sort of unspoken understanding: he stayed out of Elmshadow's way and the medicine cat rarely commented on his presence in his den. Part of Branchfire wanted to believe the older tom even appreciated him being at Sunsetpaw's side, she was his daughter after all and she hadn't woken up since Elmshadow had healed her eye, though he'd healed it only so far as to not develop a fatal infection; Sunsetpaw's eye was an inevitable casualty, at least as far as Elmshadow had commented on it. The young warrior sat down beside Sunsetpaw's nest then slowly began to groom himself as he'd made a habit of in the past many days, waking up in the warrior's den then spending most mornings grooming himself beside Sunsetpaw before starting his duties for the day. He couldn't say the two of them were friends, per say, she'd been one of the few kits, then apprentices, that never really took to him, reclusing herself within her own family though he'd always found her fascinating. He hadn't thought much of her disappearance but respected her return, though she was more reclusive than ever, paying no mind to Branchfire or seemingly anybody else in the clan. He'd noticed the change in her immediately and took it as a sign to keep his distance but when she ended up in the medicine cat's den the first thing he noticed was the lack of visitors. So, in an effort to show support and acceptance towards a clanmate, he picked up the habit of visiting.

Branchfire stopped his grooming, however, when something disrupted his comfortable routine; Sunsetpaw's golden pelt shifted. The brown tom rose to his paws, taking a small step backwards but keeping his yellow eyes on the old apprentice. His first thought was to get Elmshadow but he also didn't want Sunsetpaw to open her eyes to nobody in the den. Would she even understand what was going on? Where she was? So he kept his paws planted.

The ache was the first sensation to break through the golden she-cat's conscience. Her muscles contracted then stretched, seeking respite from the persisting ache. Then her eye; the pain shocked through her as some unattainable memory flashed across her mind, sending the constricting panic shooting through her heart. Her breathing slowed again a heartbeat later and she blinked her one eye open, disoriented by the inability to do the same with her other eye. Her head lifted slowly, her one blue eye searching the den. It took a moment but she slowly recognized her father's den. Then her eye stopped on...Branchfire? The curiosity faded and her mood settled back into the familiar dour attitude she'd built up against the looks and judgement of her clanmates. And now one of them was here, staring at her in her most vulnerable.

"You're awake..." He realized how lame it sounded as soon as it crossed his lips but he hadn't thought about how to address Sunsetpaw when she actually woke. He'd grown a sort of one-sided kinship with the young she-cat in the time he spent by her side but she hadn't been a part of that developing relationship; as far as she was concerned they were as much strangers as they'd ever been, simply seeing one another in passing, her brushing off his quick good-spirited comments.

"Apparently..." she laid her chin back on her paws, realizing that another cat being in the medicine cat's den wouldn't be all that surprising, cats come in here for all sorts of things and she had no idea how long she'd been out.

"Your father should be back soon. He hasn't been gone too long."

Sunsetpaw didn't look at the tom as she muttered, "Elmshadow. You don't have to endear him."

Branchfire cocked his head. He could sense the distance when Elmshadow was in the den but he'd assumed it had just been a father unsure how to cope with his daughter's new ailment, he'd been actively present as far as Branchfire had seen. "Oh, alright... How are you feeling?"

She sighed, realizing the bubbly tom wasn't quitting. "You don't need to make small talk, ya know? No need to pretend I'm not the clan reject."

He cocked his head the other direction then took a small half-step towards her to settle into a more comfortable position. "Well if cats haven't got the wrong idea from me hanging out with the clan reject yet then a small conversation won't do any harm" He flashed a charming smile.

Sunsetpaw's blue eye switched back to the brown tom, her head lifting again. What does he mean 'hanging out with the clan reject'? What's he here for? "You're in the medicine cat's den? Why?"

He smiled, feeling her slowly conceding. "Because you're in here. Seemed like you could use some company."

Sunsetpaw was taken aback. He wasn't here for himself, he was here for her? None of it made sense to Sunsetpaw. Who was this tom anyway? She remembered seeing him around, especially before she left Shadowclan, but he'd never stood out to her, she'd never really talked to him, what was he doing here now?

"Are you hungry? I bet you're hungry. I'll go get you something to eat. I don't think you've eaten anything of substance in a while." He turned to exit the den and, as if on cue, Sunsetpaw felt her stomach growl. When he returned with a toad in his jaws, the scent set the golden she-cat's mouth watering. Branchfire set the toad down in front of Sunsetpaw who dropped in, taking ravenous bites until it was gone. Branchfire stuffed down his own mildly grumbling stomach as he watched her eat with an easy smile. When she'd finished she looked up at him with her one remaining eye, a sudden flash of guilt crossing her features, "I'm sorry, were you hungry? I didn't realize I'd eaten the whole thing!"

Branchfire shook his head with a soft chuckle. He hadn't eaten since the previous day, prey had been scarce as patrols hadn't been going out regularly and the strangler warrior bringing in prey to the pile wasn't able to keep up sufficiently with the clan's needs. Regardless, he realized Sunsetpaw needed that freshkill more than he did, he'd go out and hunt later to add to the prey pile before taking his own. "It's all yours, I already ate."

Sunsetpaw licked her lips and settled back into the nest, perplexed by this new presence in her life. Branchfire... She quickly shoved away the thoughts of letting her guard down even a little. "Well, thank you for the prey but I think I'm tired now and should rest." She let her chin float down to her paws again, keeping a side eye on Branchfire. She really wasn't tired but she wasn't sure she wanted the tom sticking around either. Branchfire gave another small smile, lingering for a moment, before meowing quietly, "Alright. See you tomorrow then," and stepping silently out of the den. Sunsetpaw's head rose as he disappeared, her mind turning over the interaction. 'See you tomorrow'? Who is he?

[perseus.]

☄. *. ⋆ Sorrelflare

Sorrelflare ear flicked slightly as he saw Cougarivy walk and then soon after Elmshadow, though his attention was narrowed on Cougarivy. Xe followed in, taking a nest as well, though one that was near the entrance as xe didn't want to overstay his welcome in the den. His head turned toward the she-cat when she had asked him a question, xe had to think for a moment, not wanting to upset Coguarivy but also didn't want to upset Elmshadow.

"It was just doing a task given to me, while appreciation is nice, I would do it again if needed." Hopefully that would be a somewhat good answer for the Commander Enforcer, he truly didn't want to be on her bad side.

He turned his gaze back to Elmshadow, "I have a sting on my left hind leg and two near the base of my tail." Xe replied to the medicine cat, resting more on the nest so the bee stings were easier to access.

@Ravensong

[Pitou]

**Elmshadow**

@oleander

Elmshadow ignored the exchange provoked by Cougarivy and focused simply on Sorrelflare and the bee stings. Left hind leg and two on the tail, he chewed the dandelion, turning it into a thick poultice to spread generously over the bee stings Sorrelflare had pointed out. Elmshadow had discovered with Cougarivy that honey could have some soothing effects as well but the honey was in somewhat short supply, hence the patrol to get more, and he figured the leftover dandelion poultice could be stretched to cover Cougarivy's paw as well. He nodded to Sorrelflare, "That should take the sting away pretty quick and by tomorrow you should hardly even notice them anymore."

He turned to Cougarivy, lifting her slightly swollen paw and spreading a thin layer of dandelion poultice over the couple bee stings glaring on her pads. He wanted to be angry with her for her attitude but he found he wasn't angry, simply indifferent. She was harmless in the end and her casual bubbliness was just her being her. At one point in his life he appreciated that in her so he couldn't find it in himself to hate her for it anymore. He sighed. "Now get out of here, I've got things to do."

[Dakotaa]

SmallLeap

She pads into the medicine den, Coughing... "hello...? I need some... medicine... for a cough..."

[Ian]

Vixensnarl nodded at Ivysnake's comment about taking multiple mates. "You're correct, it doesn't matter to me," she said, before lying down to spend the night in case her wound needed to be checked again.

[Sorry, I have like no motivation, but I wanted to get a reply to this out! You don't have to have Ivy respond ]

[Pitou]

**Elmshadow & Cougarivy**

Cougarivy was acutely aware through the day of Elmshadow's eyes glancing in her direction. Whether it was the moment they'd shared earlier or the seeds she'd eaten, she was just happy for the attention he was finally giving her. As the shadows lengthened across the clearing and descended into darkness, Cougarivy turned towards the warriors den to go to sleep but something caught her eye. Elmshadow was sitting straightly at the mouth of his den. Cougarivy cocked her head, not sure how to read the tom in that moment but decided to take the hint she most preferred and turned away from the warrior's den. She padded up to him under his emotionless stare, slowing slightly as he rose to his paws but settling when he took a step back, making more room through the entrance apparently inviting her in. Her blue eyes watched him as she passed him and he followed her in. Her stomach settled but her heart fluttered, her persistence had seemed to pay off. Elmshadow didn't look at her as he moved to his own nest and meowed, "It'd be best for you to stay in here tonight, just in case due to the seeds." Cougarivy smiled. She'd been fine since they finished and returned from the herb patrol so she decided to believe the seeds were only an excuse for the stoic tom to make a gesture towards her. So she took it upon herself to make the next one. As Elmshadow settled into his own nest, instead of picking out one of the other open nests in the medicine den, Cougarivy joined Elmshadow in his, pressing into his flank as she got comfortable and tucked her nose under her own paw. Her eyes lingered open for a few heartbeats but Elmshadow never protested. As she felt his body shift and his head lower down onto his own paws, she let her eyes flutter shut and be consumed by contented sleep.

[perseus.]

Sorrelflare grunted as he carried in the dead body of Smallleap in the medicine cat's den, "Elmshadow? Ivysnake? There's a dead body for you to examine, I didn't hear much of what happened but they were found at the border with RiverClan and didn't have much scent on them other than RiverClan." All of that sounded suspicious, but he would deal with the thoughts once he was done with this situation. He would also need to go and wash whatever blood he had on him, but at least it was better on them than dragged through the camp. They didn't need to have any predators with leafbare here.

@Ravensong
@TheNyanCatMinecart

[Pitou]

**Elmshadow**

@perseus. @TheNyanCatMinecart

The tangy scent of blood alerted him before the sound of Sorrelflare's voice. The dark medicine cat grunted lightly as he turned around. The herb storage needed his attention but the scent of blood was more pressing and he'd hope that an enforcer wasn't wasting his time unnecessarily. He took measured steps out to the mouth of his den, quickly taking in the sight of Sorrelflare with the familiar limp body of Smallleap. His green eyes narrowed slightly. It hadn't been long since he'd treated Smallleap for whitecough, successfully he thought. His first concern was whether the chickweed he'd given her had caused some delayed reaction but he quickly remembered the scent of blood that had first alerted him to Sorrelflare's arrival. Something else had happened. He couldn't say he was emotional over the death of Smallleap, even so soon after his treatment of the sickly warrior, but there was an unfamiliar tinge of frustration as a medicine cat staring down at a deceased clanmate, a death he, even with his acquired knowledge, could do nothing about.

Found on the Riverclan border. Could Riverclan truly be instigating a fight right now? With Leafbare upon them, it felt out of character for Riverclan to be senselessly killing and risking Dawnstar's vengeance. He turned away from the body and called, "Ivysnake, let's get Smallleap into the corner of then den, there's no need to take up a nest." He turned to Sorrelflare again, "Who found her?"

As he awaited the answer and Ivysnake's help, Elmshadow turned to the herb storage. There was one sprig of parsley left. He'd tried using it to treat the whitecough outbreak but it hadn't seemed to do anything. The small leaves were coiling and dry but it was still giving off a strong, distinctive scent. Elmshadow grabbed the herb and carried it back to Smallleap's body, setting it down beside her. He wanted to examine the bulk of the body first before sprinkling the herb over the pelt to diminish any smell that may arise. He wasn't yet sure how long she'd been dead and the cold weather would help stave off the smell for longer than if it had been greenleaf but it was good to know he had something just in case.

[ -1 parsley ]

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ IVYSNAKE OF SHADOWCLAN ~

Checking ShadowClan's herb stores was an everyday task for a medicine cat, the same as hunting was for warriors. Ivysnake's nose was full of the sharp, heady scents of herbs, something she'd grown accustomed to, and green flecks clung to her dense pelt. We have plenty of herbs, she thought, sitting back on her haunches and bending her head to lick her shoulder. Her fur tasted of dust and plants. It's a good start for leaf-bare. They may have lost Pinewatch Patch, but she was sure it would recover eventually. Not during leaf-bare, though. Ivysnake paused in her licking, and her sharp, piercing amber eyes narrowed to slits. They contrasted her dark fur and glinted in the dusty shadows of the den. Leaf-bare won't bring new growth. It'll kill what there is and freeze the earth. Not to mention the increased chances of sickness. It was an unfortunate time. However, ShadowClan would persevere as they always had. We can acknowledge the dangers and trials of leaf-bare without running around like headless mice. With Dawnstar as our leader and stronger punishments for the slackers, we will do just fine.

The sound of a cat calling her and Elmshadow's names made the medicine cat apprentice look up. A dead body. She was on her paws immediately, stepping forward and fixing her gaze on Sorrelflare. The russet-furred cat was holding the body of Smallleap and explaining that he wanted them to examine it. It was also found by the RiverClan border. Ivysnake's eyes were menacing slits as she scanned the corpse up and down, aware of Elmshadow's presence; he had gotten there before her. There was plenty of blood, that was for sure. Its attractive smell filled her nostrils and chased away the herb scents, which seemed disgusting and mundane in comparison. It made her long for the life of a warrior. But Ivysnake still had a paw in the warrior world despite her new status, and she would be the best medicine cat she could be for her Clan.

She nodded at Elmshadow's instruction and went to take the small brown-and-white corpse from Sorrelflare. Dead cats meant dead weight, yet death made a corpse surprisingly light. It was an odd duality. The medicine cat apprentice glanced at her mentor, then went toward the corner of the den, laying the body down. Elmshadow was grabbing a strong-smelling sprig of parsley to place atop Smallleap's cold body. As he did so, she leaned over and nosed through her fur. The RiverClan border. That's where Smallleap had been found. Ivysnake frowned as she examined the mauled warrior. She had been clawed badly, and it was difficult to discern a single death wound. I wonder if RiverClan killed her. It seemed odd for the fish-eaters to instigate violence, but there had been conflicts with them back when Ivysnake had been a kit. Shadestorm had told her about it. I looked forward to fighting RiverClanners, too.

Were they looking to start up old conflicts? Or had it been one - or a few - ridiculous warriors looking to start a fight? Unless Smallleap had been frog-brained and instigated the fight that led to her death. It's impossible to know. And it's not like I care much about a single warrior. However, we will look into this and do our best to figure it out. It didn't matter what Ivysnake felt - if a warrior died mysteriously, and Dawnstar deemed it important enough, it was up to the Clan to figure it out. She lifted her head and looked at Elmshadow. The parsley's scent flooded her nose, mingling with the blood in a relentless cacophony; masking the scent of death would be important to keep predators away, but they'd have to be careful about wasting herbs on cats who didn't need them. "The body's covered in claw marks," Ivysnake meowed. "She was mauled. I wouldn't be surprised if the attack was from one cat or multiple, or if it was from RiverClan or not. There are many possibilities." Her dark brown tail-tip twitched. "It could've been a predator, too - the body's nice and torn up - but I can only smell blood. And that parsley." Her nose wrinkled, and she took a step back, giving Elmshadow room to observe. Ivysnake didn't like admitting that other cats were better than her, but the gray-and-black tom was far more experienced than she, and she had plenty to learn from him other than herbs. Not that his knowledge is astronomically higher than mine. Apparently, he knew some herbs she didn't, presumably from dreams - she remembered the discussion at the Starcave - so he'd have to teach her those when the time came. He should've done so sooner, she thought, but now was not the time to criticize her mentor for holding back knowledge that would've benefitted her and ShadowClan.

@Ravensong @perseus.

[perseus.]

Sorrelflare was glad when the body was taken by Ivysnake he licked his maw at the scent of blood, he didn't mind it much but he was just rather tired of body of Smallleap, "From what I saw it was Ebonysky, but Heatherrain and Beeflight were also there." He licked some of the blood off of his paw, ear flicking slightly waiting to see what the two medicine cats would say. He knew he would need to tell anything they figured out to Cougarivy.

@Ravensong @TheNyanCatMinecart