Willowwisp she/her // starclan // former RiverClan warrior
Starry black paws touch down gently on silverpelt, blank eyes gazing softly upon a cat who has tried so hard to gain all the knowledge possible. Willowwisp knows that spark, the desire to learn all one can about healing, so you can be of use to your clan even if you're not the best fighter. Fighting was how Willow had died in the first place.
Regardless of her past, she can be helpful now, all she has to do is impart what she knows to the cats who wish to learn. Decisively, the black tabby pulls the apprentice into her dream world, casting an image around them of a forest clearing, the plants she wishes to share grow on the edges of the trees in their proper environments, all so, in the future, Minkpaw may be able to locate them easier. A lavender bush is in full bloom, sunlight shining directly down on it, and, next to that, a patch of marigold also enjoys the full sun. A small river runs along the other edge of the clearing, comfrey blossoming on its banks.
"My young medic," Willowwisp greets in a low voice, a smile on her face as the cat she pulled into this dream begins to look as solid as the space conjured up, "wake now, there's much to learn."
Willowwisp she/her // starclan // former RiverClan warrior
Starry black paws touch down gently on silverpelt, blank eyes gazing softly upon a cat who has tried so hard to gain all the knowledge possible. Willowwisp knows that spark, the desire to learn all one can about healing, so you can be of use to your clan even if you're not the best fighter. Fighting was how Willow had died in the first place.
Regardless of her past, she can be helpful now, all she has to do is impart what she knows to the cats who wish to learn. Decisively, the black tabby pulls the apprentice into her dream world, casting an image around them of a forest clearing, the plants she wishes to share grow on the edges of the trees in their proper environments, all so, in the future, Minkpaw may be able to locate them easier. A lavender bush is in full bloom, sunlight shining directly down on it, and, next to that, a patch of marigold also enjoys the full sun. A small river runs along the other edge of the clearing, comfrey blossoming on its banks.
"My young medic," Willowwisp greets in a low voice, a smile on her face as the cat she pulled into this dream begins to look as solid as the space conjured up, "wake now, there's much to learn."
->> minkpaw [she/they, rc apprentice, 12moons] <<-
a dark blueish grey bengal-patterned she cat with silver eyes
the grey apprentice had rested her head upon her paws, frustration and exhaustion bubbling inside her as she recalled the day, another day full of nothing but problems. no further help, it felt like she had exhausted riverclans resources for cats with herbal knowledge and she was growing both increasingly upset and mad with every 'rejection' she had to take. mad at not only the cats she had asked, even though she knew it wasnt their fault, mad at herself for continuously failing, and mad at every cat that had left her to fend alone in this situation. regular flashes of finchpaws limp body cooling rapidly in the icy rain, accompanied by her childhood friends life fading from their eyes, plagued her, kept her up into the late hours of the night. tossing and turning and only falling asleep when her aching body finally gave in, pulling her into an easier place, her regular dreamworld with sprawling fields and wrapped in soothing fog, but- this wasnt where she normally woke up.
silver eyes blinking open at the low murmur of a voice, thick fog preventing the young molly to see far, but the presence of a unfamiliar voice and the creeping feeling that she wasnt alone was enough to prevent her suspicions. soothed by the fog and the calming presence of another cat, she was sure they werent safe they just. knew. " hello? " minkpaw called out, though keeping her voice low, the cat hadnt sounded like they were particularly far away.
__________________
"i wish things were different, but it werent us who changed."
->> minkpaw [she/they, rc apprentice, 12moons] <<-
a dark blueish grey bengal-patterned she cat with silver eyes
the grey apprentice had rested her head upon her paws, frustration and exhaustion bubbling inside her as she recalled the day, another day full of nothing but problems. no further help, it felt like she had exhausted riverclans resources for cats with herbal knowledge and she was growing both increasingly upset and mad with every 'rejection' she had to take. mad at not only the cats she had asked, even though she knew it wasnt their fault, mad at herself for continuously failing, and mad at every cat that had left her to fend alone in this situation. regular flashes of finchpaws limp body cooling rapidly in the icy rain, accompanied by her childhood friends life fading from their eyes, plagued her, kept her up into the late hours of the night. tossing and turning and only falling asleep when her aching body finally gave in, pulling her into an easier place, her regular dreamworld with sprawling fields and wrapped in soothing fog, but- this wasnt where she normally woke up.
silver eyes blinking open at the low murmur of a voice, thick fog preventing the young molly to see far, but the presence of a unfamiliar voice and the creeping feeling that she wasnt alone was enough to prevent her suspicions. soothed by the fog and the calming presence of another cat, she was sure they werent safe they just. knew. " hello? " minkpaw called out, though keeping her voice low, the cat hadnt sounded like they were particularly far away.
Willowwisp she/her // StarClan // former RiverClan warrior
"You are safe here," the starry furred tabby assures when Minkpaw opens their eyes. "You wish to learn herbs, yes? I am Willowwisp... I used to belong to RiverClan not less than four moons ago, I can teach you what I knew in life." Her voice is gentle, she understands the frustrations facing this young apprentice, the path she desires to go down is not an easy one, and they will need as much knowledge as they can get in order to do the job competently.
Without waiting for an answer from the apprentice, Willowwisp leads the way to the small riverbed, less walking, more phasing through the air, a trail of stardust left in her wake. Vacant azure gaze settles once again on the apprentice, and Willowwisp finds herself smiling calmly down at them. "This plant here can be found along the riverbeds, or in other moist and grassy areas," the dead cat gestures with her tail to the plant. Its leaves are large, and this patch boasts bell shaped flowers in full bloom, flaunting all color varieties of pink, white and purple. The roots are thick and brown, and the smell wafting from it is notably tangy. "Do you know what it is?" A half rhetorical question - she knows Minkpaw likely does not know this answer, but it is polite to ask anyway.
Willowwisp she/her // StarClan // former RiverClan warrior
"You are safe here," the starry furred tabby assures when Minkpaw opens their eyes. "You wish to learn herbs, yes? I am Willowwisp... I used to belong to RiverClan not less than four moons ago, I can teach you what I knew in life." Her voice is gentle, she understands the frustrations facing this young apprentice, the path she desires to go down is not an easy one, and they will need as much knowledge as they can get in order to do the job competently.
Without waiting for an answer from the apprentice, Willowwisp leads the way to the small riverbed, less walking, more phasing through the air, a trail of stardust left in her wake. Vacant azure gaze settles once again on the apprentice, and Willowwisp finds herself smiling calmly down at them. "This plant here can be found along the riverbeds, or in other moist and grassy areas," the dead cat gestures with her tail to the plant. Its leaves are large, and this patch boasts bell shaped flowers in full bloom, flaunting all color varieties of pink, white and purple. The roots are thick and brown, and the smell wafting from it is notably tangy. "Do you know what it is?" A half rhetorical question - she knows Minkpaw likely does not know this answer, but it is polite to ask anyway.
->> minkpaw [she/they, rc apprentice, 12moons] <<-
a dark blueish grey bengal-patterned she cat with silver eyes
minkpaw just nodded at first, taking her eye off willowwisp to glance around again, "herbs yes- im minkpaw..but i think you know that already" she chuckled lightly, she still felt kind of drowsy from the brief period between being awake in her den and waking up here and had only caught up to what she was saying after she realised that she had probably chosen minkpaw specifically and therefore knew their name already. the question of how the warrior had died and what life they had lived before was itching under her dark grey pelt, but she knew it couldnt be easy to have to leave behind everything you knew and everyone you love so she kept the questions to herself for now.
the warrior floated towards what minkpaw later found out what a small stream, leaving her fog undisturbed until the apprentice followed along. this left her mildly confused for a moment, recalling the time blazingstar had disturbed her fog with his movement..perhaps starclan cats were free to chose how they present and move and this cat had just chosen to align less with the live of the living than blazingstar had.
minkpaw listened carefully, trying to take in every information she could, smell, appearance, and most importantly what willowwisp was telling her. tangy smell tickled her nose as she closely observed the differing shades of pink and purple the small flowers, arranged in small clusters and framed by large deep green pointed leaves. the pale stem and leaves seemed to be covered in a small layer of tiny light hairs and the leaves had a distinct enough pattern that she was sure she could recognise it even in the deepest moons of leafbare. "no, i have no idea" they admitted, taking her eyes off the plant for a moment to look at the warrior.
__________________
"i wish things were different, but it werent us who changed."
->> minkpaw [she/they, rc apprentice, 12moons] <<-
a dark blueish grey bengal-patterned she cat with silver eyes
minkpaw just nodded at first, taking her eye off willowwisp to glance around again, "herbs yes- im minkpaw..but i think you know that already" she chuckled lightly, she still felt kind of drowsy from the brief period between being awake in her den and waking up here and had only caught up to what she was saying after she realised that she had probably chosen minkpaw specifically and therefore knew their name already. the question of how the warrior had died and what life they had lived before was itching under her dark grey pelt, but she knew it couldnt be easy to have to leave behind everything you knew and everyone you love so she kept the questions to herself for now.
the warrior floated towards what minkpaw later found out what a small stream, leaving her fog undisturbed until the apprentice followed along. this left her mildly confused for a moment, recalling the time blazingstar had disturbed her fog with his movement..perhaps starclan cats were free to chose how they present and move and this cat had just chosen to align less with the live of the living than blazingstar had.
minkpaw listened carefully, trying to take in every information she could, smell, appearance, and most importantly what willowwisp was telling her. tangy smell tickled her nose as she closely observed the differing shades of pink and purple the small flowers, arranged in small clusters and framed by large deep green pointed leaves. the pale stem and leaves seemed to be covered in a small layer of tiny light hairs and the leaves had a distinct enough pattern that she was sure she could recognise it even in the deepest moons of leafbare. "no, i have no idea" they admitted, taking her eyes off the plant for a moment to look at the warrior.
Willowwisp she/her // starclan // former RiverClan warrior
A short nod is offered to the apprentice as Minkpaw seems to take the plant in, the color and shape of its leaves, the fuzzy stem, the pretty flowers and the large roots. Willowwisp is not surprised to hear that they do not know it, she'd expected as much - not many cats would care much for learning such things, and, with no current medicine cats in RiverClan to soak up the information, it is up to the hopefuls to learn and prove their capabilities.
"Pay attention to the roots," Willow instructs, crouching down and pulling one of the thick tendrils free from the earth. "The leaves, stem and flowers are beautiful, but they cannot help an injured patient. The roots must be chewed into a poultice in order to preform their many uses. They soothe wounds, whether that be a wrenched claw or a burn, and they can ease inflammation in stiff joints. The can help with itching, and you may find that lining an elder's nest with the roots may calm their stiffness." As she talks, Willow turns the root over in her paws, showing off every part of it. The root may not be pretty, but it is what's useful on this plant she has yet to name.
"Perhaps the most famous use, though, is this root's ability to mend broken bones. Once the fracture has been set, the poultice should be applied and the limb should then be bound. It grows most abundantly in New-Leaf and Green-Leaf; its name is comfrey." Comfrey root was one of the more versatile herbs Willow had known, and it is a good one to pass on to others. If you are ever in a pinch, comfrey is a wonderful remedy to be aware of.
Willowwisp she/her // starclan // former RiverClan warrior
A short nod is offered to the apprentice as Minkpaw seems to take the plant in, the color and shape of its leaves, the fuzzy stem, the pretty flowers and the large roots. Willowwisp is not surprised to hear that they do not know it, she'd expected as much - not many cats would care much for learning such things, and, with no current medicine cats in RiverClan to soak up the information, it is up to the hopefuls to learn and prove their capabilities.
"Pay attention to the roots," Willow instructs, crouching down and pulling one of the thick tendrils free from the earth. "The leaves, stem and flowers are beautiful, but they cannot help an injured patient. The roots must be chewed into a poultice in order to preform their many uses. They soothe wounds, whether that be a wrenched claw or a burn, and they can ease inflammation in stiff joints. The can help with itching, and you may find that lining an elder's nest with the roots may calm their stiffness." As she talks, Willow turns the root over in her paws, showing off every part of it. The root may not be pretty, but it is what's useful on this plant she has yet to name.
"Perhaps the most famous use, though, is this root's ability to mend broken bones. Once the fracture has been set, the poultice should be applied and the limb should then be bound. It grows most abundantly in New-Leaf and Green-Leaf; its name is comfrey." Comfrey root was one of the more versatile herbs Willow had known, and it is a good one to pass on to others. If you are ever in a pinch, comfrey is a wonderful remedy to be aware of.
->> minkpaw [she/they, rc apprentice, 12moons] <<-
a dark blueish grey bengal-patterned she cat with silver eyes
minkpaw watched the warrior free part of the roots, taking her eyes off the flowers and focussing on the large roots, they werent necessarily different to a bunch of other roots she had seen but the warrior had sounded very serious when telling her to focus on them so the only thing she could do was listen and guess that the roots were the actual useful part.
chewed into a poultice, soothe wounds, wretched claws and burns, inflammation in joins, she repeated in her mind, aiming to tuck it away into the corner of her mind that held the majority of her herbal knowledge, carefully sorted into categories and linked with the actual experiences she had with the herbs, smells and feelings. can help with itching, line elders nests for stiffness the latter one would not be of real use for another while, as riverclans lack of elders also erased the possibility to try it out herself.
new leaf and green leaf, so she could go look for some soon.. "how would i theoretically go about lining an elders nest? cuz chewed up would be kinda uncomfortable you know?" she asked, thinking about riverclans non existent elders and how she could help relieve some of their aches and make being an elder a bit more comfortable.
poultice applied to mend broken bones.. that was possibly the most exiting part, if she could find any comfrey they would be able to go back to the cats with broken legs she had treated and provide some more support.
"thank you for telling me! i'll be able to help some cats recover a bit better now i think" she smiled at the molly and set to patiently wait for the next herb.
__________________
"i wish things were different, but it werent us who changed."
->> minkpaw [she/they, rc apprentice, 12moons] <<-
a dark blueish grey bengal-patterned she cat with silver eyes
minkpaw watched the warrior free part of the roots, taking her eyes off the flowers and focussing on the large roots, they werent necessarily different to a bunch of other roots she had seen but the warrior had sounded very serious when telling her to focus on them so the only thing she could do was listen and guess that the roots were the actual useful part.
chewed into a poultice, soothe wounds, wretched claws and burns, inflammation in joins, she repeated in her mind, aiming to tuck it away into the corner of her mind that held the majority of her herbal knowledge, carefully sorted into categories and linked with the actual experiences she had with the herbs, smells and feelings. can help with itching, line elders nests for stiffness the latter one would not be of real use for another while, as riverclans lack of elders also erased the possibility to try it out herself.
new leaf and green leaf, so she could go look for some soon.. "how would i theoretically go about lining an elders nest? cuz chewed up would be kinda uncomfortable you know?" she asked, thinking about riverclans non existent elders and how she could help relieve some of their aches and make being an elder a bit more comfortable.
poultice applied to mend broken bones.. that was possibly the most exiting part, if she could find any comfrey they would be able to go back to the cats with broken legs she had treated and provide some more support.
"thank you for telling me! i'll be able to help some cats recover a bit better now i think" she smiled at the molly and set to patiently wait for the next herb.
Willowwisp she/her // starclan // former RiverClan warrior
Minkpaw seems to soak in all Willowwisp tells them, and the black tabby smiles gently at that. She never got to be a mentor in life, it is somewhat fulfilling to be one now. "Just place the roots themselves into the elders' nests," she explains evenly at the question, dipping her head in acceptance of the gratitude shown before rising and leading the way to the sunnier part of the dream's clearing.
"This pretty purple plant growing in sprigs is called lavender. It favors sunny areas for growing and you should be able to find it anywhere from New-Leaf to Leaf-Fall; especially if you're brave enough to venture into any two-leg gardens." Gently, Willow picks one of the sprigs to better show it off to Minkpaw. "Although not incredibly versatile, lavender has a very calming scent and could be useful particularly with fussy kits... just a few sniffs should lull them into a calmer state and, potentially, bring them right to sleep. Medicinally, it is used to calm fevers and chills, all you have to do is place a sprig under the cat's nose and make sure they inhale much of its scent. More morbidly..." she trails off, expression souring slightly before shaking her head and bringing herself back together, "more morbidly, it can be rubbed onto the deceased to mask the smell should the body need to be kept in the clearing for vigils."
Not her favorite fact to share about her favorite herb, but it's knowledge and sometimes you need to know what plants have a strong enough scent to mask that of the deceased. "Any questions before moving on?"
Willowwisp she/her // starclan // former RiverClan warrior
Minkpaw seems to soak in all Willowwisp tells them, and the black tabby smiles gently at that. She never got to be a mentor in life, it is somewhat fulfilling to be one now. "Just place the roots themselves into the elders' nests," she explains evenly at the question, dipping her head in acceptance of the gratitude shown before rising and leading the way to the sunnier part of the dream's clearing.
"This pretty purple plant growing in sprigs is called lavender. It favors sunny areas for growing and you should be able to find it anywhere from New-Leaf to Leaf-Fall; especially if you're brave enough to venture into any two-leg gardens." Gently, Willow picks one of the sprigs to better show it off to Minkpaw. "Although not incredibly versatile, lavender has a very calming scent and could be useful particularly with fussy kits... just a few sniffs should lull them into a calmer state and, potentially, bring them right to sleep. Medicinally, it is used to calm fevers and chills, all you have to do is place a sprig under the cat's nose and make sure they inhale much of its scent. More morbidly..." she trails off, expression souring slightly before shaking her head and bringing herself back together, "more morbidly, it can be rubbed onto the deceased to mask the smell should the body need to be kept in the clearing for vigils."
Not her favorite fact to share about her favorite herb, but it's knowledge and sometimes you need to know what plants have a strong enough scent to mask that of the deceased. "Any questions before moving on?"
->> minkpaw [she/they, rc apprentice, 12moons] <<-
a dark blueish grey bengal-patterned she cat with silver eyes
"oh! okay" that was easier than she had expected, no preperation just the whole roots alright.. she was still halfway in thought when the starclanner moved on, jerking the dark grey molly out of her thoughts in order to follow along.
the next plant was one she was vaguely familiar with, lavender, a herb she had collected for tansypaw moons ago and still remembered by its distinct smell and greyish green needle like leaves. sunny areas and two leg gardens huh.. they had heard the stories of twolegs trapping clanmates in their nests and said cats returning scarred and different but she hadnt been close enough to a twoleg nest herself to really properly see them or their gardens before..she wasnt particularly keen on getting close anyway
calm fever and chills, this herb really wasnt the most necessary thing one could collect, but it was supposedly good for calming kits so that would probably come in handy one day.
when molly trailed off, minkpaw focussed her attention on the herb, letting her work out whatever it was that had caused her to pause without feeling pressured. oh. the warriors odd behaviour suddenly made a lot more sense, used to cover the scent of the deceased. she wondered if thunderclan had used lavender to cover the apprentices smell and continued to stare blankly at the plant infront of her until the warrior directly addressed her again. "uhh questions..no"
__________________
"i wish things were different, but it werent us who changed."
->> minkpaw [she/they, rc apprentice, 12moons] <<-
a dark blueish grey bengal-patterned she cat with silver eyes
"oh! okay" that was easier than she had expected, no preperation just the whole roots alright.. she was still halfway in thought when the starclanner moved on, jerking the dark grey molly out of her thoughts in order to follow along.
the next plant was one she was vaguely familiar with, lavender, a herb she had collected for tansypaw moons ago and still remembered by its distinct smell and greyish green needle like leaves. sunny areas and two leg gardens huh.. they had heard the stories of twolegs trapping clanmates in their nests and said cats returning scarred and different but she hadnt been close enough to a twoleg nest herself to really properly see them or their gardens before..she wasnt particularly keen on getting close anyway
calm fever and chills, this herb really wasnt the most necessary thing one could collect, but it was supposedly good for calming kits so that would probably come in handy one day.
when molly trailed off, minkpaw focussed her attention on the herb, letting her work out whatever it was that had caused her to pause without feeling pressured. oh. the warriors odd behaviour suddenly made a lot more sense, used to cover the scent of the deceased. she wondered if thunderclan had used lavender to cover the apprentices smell and continued to stare blankly at the plant infront of her until the warrior directly addressed her again. "uhh questions..no"
Willowwisp she/her // starclan // former RiverClan warrior
She nods curtly, relieved that there were no questions this time around. "This way, then," Willow says, tone even, and she guides the grey apprentice over to a flowering patch of yellow flowers, not too far from the lavender bush.
"This is marigold," she explains, gesturing to the yellow-orange flowers. Its petals are all ruffled up and its leaves are large and green, the stem is reddish in color and smooth to the touch. "The leaves and the petals are what you want with this one. If chewed into a poultice, they can stop infection and bleeding." There isn't much else to say about the flowers - they're essential to have in the medicine den as one of the most effective ways to prevent infections, so it's crucial to know. That was one of the reasons she had taken it upon herself to learn about it, she wanted to be helpful to her clan when she could, especially considering she'd never been a fighter.
"Late New-Leaf all the way through Leaf-Fall are the best times to harvest it," she explains slowly, "marigold loves the sun, so in areas that have plenty of sunshine and a good supply of water you're sure to find this helpful herb."
Willowwisp she/her // starclan // former RiverClan warrior
She nods curtly, relieved that there were no questions this time around. "This way, then," Willow says, tone even, and she guides the grey apprentice over to a flowering patch of yellow flowers, not too far from the lavender bush.
"This is marigold," she explains, gesturing to the yellow-orange flowers. Its petals are all ruffled up and its leaves are large and green, the stem is reddish in color and smooth to the touch. "The leaves and the petals are what you want with this one. If chewed into a poultice, they can stop infection and bleeding." There isn't much else to say about the flowers - they're essential to have in the medicine den as one of the most effective ways to prevent infections, so it's crucial to know. That was one of the reasons she had taken it upon herself to learn about it, she wanted to be helpful to her clan when she could, especially considering she'd never been a fighter.
"Late New-Leaf all the way through Leaf-Fall are the best times to harvest it," she explains slowly, "marigold loves the sun, so in areas that have plenty of sunshine and a good supply of water you're sure to find this helpful herb."
->> minkpaw [she/they, rc apprentice, 12moons] <<-
a dark blueish grey bengal-patterned she cat with silver eyes
minkpaw followed the translucent molly, white tipped paws passing through the sparkly pale grass, disturbing small bits of pale sparkly dust and sending them swirling around her and mixing into the ever present fog surrounding her.
next was another herb she was vaguely familiar with, a puffy looking round collection of flowers on a strong deep reddish green stalk. the orange flowers had a sort of crinkled look to them and got darker the closer the got to the middle of the almost circular structure. the grey molly hummed, marigold, she didnt really remember where she had picked up the name of this particular herb but the name and description surely rang a bell. leaves and pedals, chewed into a poultice for infections and bleeding, grows in late new leaf through leaf fall, sunny areas and water. the apprentice repeated internally, before pausing to think of any questions she might have. when she turned up with no further question she nodded, "no questions for this one either, thank you"
__________________
"i wish things were different, but it werent us who changed."
how do you talk to a star? [p]
