[starry informed me she will be out for a few days so i will continue your healing with what berrypaw knows! it should be enough to heal him unless there's something else going on ]
Berrypaw narrowed her eyes in concentration. The marigold was spread all over the wound, good. A layer of protection, she envisioned. Okay, what next... cobwebs, right? To stop the bleeding and help seal up the wound?
Berrypaw gingerly took the cobwebs that her mentor had brought out, wrapping as much as she could around her paw. Then she brought it down to Grimpaw's flank, carefully spreading the sticky substance as best she could. It certainly wasn't the prettiest wound-patching work, but it looked like it got the job done. She stopped herself from grimacing at the leftover cobweb and blood stuck to her paw — it was hardly anything worth fretting about when she was in the middle of saving a potentially-dying cat. Her concern for him outweighed any aversion to the sight of blood and goop.
"He should be fine as long as an infection doesn't kick in, which is what the marigold is for," Berrypaw reasoned, flashing Crowglow an encouraging glance. "We just have to make sure he rests and doesn't reopen the wound. That could lead to more bleeding and... well, could make everything worse. So it's very important that he rests."
It was the best she could do, hoping her own anxiety wasn't showing too much in her face and body. She was more nervous of her own limited abilities, not Grimpaw's condition... she imagined he'd be alright — he was in good paws, right? Like Mistyshard said? She had to remind herself of that.
Of course it hurt. Why had she even hoped overwise?
Mistyshard nodded thoughtfully, glad when he mentioned not having forgotten anything. That was a start, at least. So he wanted some poppy seeds.. she could get those, along with some cobwebs to wrap around his head to sort of cushion it? She hoped that made sense. Also some dock maybe.. Oh wait! blessed thistle could help with brain fog, if she recalled correctly. "I'll be right back with some herbs that will help you." (at least hopefully they would).
The herbalist quickly turned to the herb storage, bounding in there and grabbing a poppy flower. First she shook that and took 3 seeds from the ones that were now scattered across the floor. She could clean that later. Then, some blessed thistle. She was able to locate the odd plant pretty quickly, grabbing two leaves and carrying them with her as she made her way back to Roseshard. If cobwebs and dock would still be required she could grab those later. First she needed the warrior to eat the blessed thistle, before she could milder his pain by feeding him poppy seeds.
Mistyshard pushed the two leaves towards Roseshard, giving him a quick nod. It was meant to be.. reassuring, in a way? She didn't know if he needed it, as a grown warrior, but sometimes incidents like this were traumatizing. "This is blessed thistle - it should help you be able to think clearer and get your brain fog to go away. Just be aware that it's a bit bitter, but you're not a kit so you should be able to deal with the taste I hope." Then she also moved three poppy seeds closer to him. "...Eat these once you've fully chewed and swallowed the blessed thistle. They'll help you sleep and reduce your pain." Her amber hue sparkled with curiosity as she watched the herbs hopefully serve their purpose.
He watched her spin away and return a few heartbeats later, laying some leaves down before him. He wondered what made them so "blessed" whiled he chewed the bitter leaves. They certainly didn't taste like a blessing. But yeah, as Mistyshard said, he was a warrior, so no funny faces. He swallowed the chewed pulp and ran a tongue over his teeth before licking up the poppy seeds. He gave those a crunch too, before swallowing.
Then he waited for the herbs to work. "Thanks," he mewed, because the silence was awkward. Moments later his eyes began to droop, and he curled up in the nest, preparing to sleep. The last thought that he remembered crossing his mind before darkness engulfed him once again, was that he had to see Blackfrost again soon, to say thank you.
***
[Time jump to later?]
Roseshard blinked the sleepy crust from his eyes. He must have been sleeping for a while, because outside he could hear the dawn birds singing, and the light was poor. He shifted his head experimentally, pleased when he felt nothing. Maybe that meant the swelling had gone down, and he was better again. He didn't want to be in this den any longer than he had too. It wasn't the same den -after the flood- but it smelled the same and that was enough. It brought back memories. It brought back the guilt.
He traced his nose over the scars on his flank absently.
Besides, the Clan needed him for border patrols and hunting. His paws itched to go, but he knew he needed Mistyshard's permission before he could leave. The russet-and-black tabby had nothing to to but wait for her to wake up.
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Ain't much that I know what to put 'ere...
"And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies." - Haymitch
Re: RiverClan Medicine Cat's Den
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