SkyClan Medicine Cat's Den

[pomegranate]

Originally Posted by Charmer

The old tom gave a soft, shorting laugh. "Sure kit, magic. Actually if you want to get technical, its the juice inside the plant that helps. Shinefang positioned his teeth over the stalk of the plant he was working on and bit it in half neat. It crunched in his jaws, then he carefully set it on the ground and bent very low, pointing at the severed end with his nose. "See that little bit of juice leaking out? That's what the stuff in the leaves looks like, only the stuff in the leaves can help sooth a cat who is anxious or in shock. It could be the difference between life and death for a cat who has been badly injured. Shock can be just as dangerous as a wound." As they continued, he saw the younger cat had slowed her pace considerable, and as she moved leaves into the light, it was clear she was trimming more of them properly than before. He didn't know what to say about her mentor and merely grunted in acknowledgement. He understood being tough on apprentices. He'd trained his fair share of them before after all. But sometimes, these younger cats could be awfully mousebrained with their trainees. Younger cats needed to be encouraged as much as corrected and there was a difference between working an apprentice hard and just cutting them down. It was just fortunate that Ringpaw didn't appear to be more than peeved at her mentor for his words.

"I sure was," the old tom replied. "For moons and moons. In many ways, I still am. My body might not be up for it, but if it could keep up with my fighting knowledge I could teach a few cats at once a lesson on why no clan messes with Skyclan. These scars aren't just for show, you know." The old tom was covered in scars and he was proud of them. "I saw more than my fair share of battles and took my licks in service of my clan and loved ever day of it." The old tom still remembered the first day he realized it was hard to keep up with patrols. He had thought the other cats were just particularly fast that day. He had a whole list of excuses: he had had a big meal and it was sitting wrong on his stomach, his had slept on a leg wrong and that's why the joint was bothering him, there was something in the air bothering him and that's why he was out of breath so soon. It had been a difficult day when he had had to admit to himself that it was his age. Even now, he would only admit it to Grousestar. "What were you having so much trouble with during training," he asked, his voice a tiny bit warmer than usual with genuine curiosity.

Ringpaw lifted her head up from what she was doing, and looked on in interest as he dissected the leaf. When he spat it back out, it landed in front of his paws with a quiet splat, and she widened her eyes as she watched. She jotted down the parts of the leaf.
“If it’s the juice that helps, why can’t you just store the juice? It might be hard to keep it fresh, but it certainly might be easier than having to dry all of the leaves.” She meowed in curiousity. She couldn’t imagine what he would do exactly to keep the poultice fresh, but Shinefang knew more about it than her. He would know.
”How can you help with shock? And what’s thyme for? It has to have a use, right?” She asked, her flow of questions coming out easily with a cheery lift to them.
She listened to Shinefang go on. “Some day I bet I’ll have as many scars as you. I already look like a warrior!” She meowed proudly, puffing out her tan splotched chest. She then smiled bashfully. “Not really. Snapbranch says I look more like a seagull pretending to be a badger.” She then reached down again to strip a few more leaves from the stem, so that she would be allowed to stay longer. From her experience, if she wasn’t doing anything, she would be sent to do chores or go to her nest. If she was being productive, she was normally allowed to stay or get fresh kill. Quickly pawing the other leaves together, she returned to chatting with Shinefang.
She remembered when she could talk with Snowbranch about anything. The white molly had sort of been her adoptive mother, but since she was already off milk she didn’t get a Queen to be her mother or any new siblings. Snowbranch had been the first cat to not care if she was a Loner or whatever, and Ringpaw had no idea why the cream molly had so quickly abandoned her. Maybe she realized hanging out with a kit wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.
Ringpaw for a second thought about her last conversation with Snowbranch.
They had been staying up late, later than a kit should be up, gazing up at Silverpelt. The moon had been crisp in the starry sky, the most prominent thing she remembered.
Snowbranch had then sent Ringkit off to the nursery, murmuring good night wishes and little tiny things of good luck, as her apprentice ceremony was going to be soon. Ringpaw had been so happy as Ringkit, but the next day Ringpaw was born.
Snapbranch was much grumpier than Snowbranch, but she was used to it.
Ringpaw missed Snowbranch.
“What we're learning?” She asked, mostly to herself. Maybe it was just her imagination; Shinefang’s voice sounded a bit kinder. “Mainly fighting techniques. I’m okay at hunting, but battle training is out there for me.” She meowed, gesturing with her right paw just where her knowledge was in that focus. She pointed out the door, to show it was just gone. “I’m apparently frustrating to work with; and so bad that Snapbranch took me out to the farthest reaches of Skyclan’s territory so no one would see his no-brained apprentice.” She smiled and turned back to the plants.

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Silver Fishie

Ringpaw lifted her head up from what she was doing, and looked on in interest as he dissected the leaf. When he spat it back out, it landed in front of his paws with a quiet splat, and she widened her eyes as she watched. She jotted down the parts of the leaf.
“If it’s the juice that helps, why can’t you just store the juice? It might be hard to keep it fresh, but it certainly might be easier than having to dry all of the leaves.” She meowed in curiousity. She couldn’t imagine what he would do exactly to keep the poultice fresh, but Shinefang knew more about it than her. He would know.
”How can you help with shock? And what’s thyme for? It has to have a use, right?” She asked, her flow of questions coming out easily with a cheery lift to them.
She listened to Shinefang go on. “Some day I bet I’ll have as many scars as you. I already look like a warrior!” She meowed proudly, puffing out her tan splotched chest. She then smiled bashfully. “Not really. Snapbranch says I look more like a seagull pretending to be a badger.” She then reached down again to strip a few more leaves from the stem, so that she would be allowed to stay longer. From her experience, if she wasn’t doing anything, she would be sent to do chores or go to her nest. If she was being productive, she was normally allowed to stay or get fresh kill. Quickly pawing the other leaves together, she returned to chatting with Shinefang.
She remembered when she could talk with Snowbranch about anything. The white molly had sort of been her adoptive mother, but since she was already off milk she didn’t get a Queen to be her mother or any new siblings. Snowbranch had been the first cat to not care if she was a Loner or whatever, and Ringpaw had no idea why the cream molly had so quickly abandoned her. Maybe she realized hanging out with a kit wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.
Ringpaw for a second thought about her last conversation with Snowbranch.
They had been staying up late, later than a kit should be up, gazing up at Silverpelt. The moon had been crisp in the starry sky, the most prominent thing she remembered.
Snowbranch had then sent Ringkit off to the nursery, murmuring good night wishes and little tiny things of good luck, as her apprentice ceremony was going to be soon. Ringpaw had been so happy as Ringkit, but the next day Ringpaw was born.
Snapbranch was much grumpier than Snowbranch, but she was used to it.
Ringpaw missed Snowbranch.
“What we're learning?” She asked, mostly to herself. Maybe it was just her imagination; Shinefang’s voice sounded a bit kinder. “Mainly fighting techniques. I’m okay at hunting, but battle training is out there for me.” She meowed, gesturing with her right paw just where her knowledge was in that focus. She pointed out the door, to show it was just gone. “I’m apparently frustrating to work with; and so bad that Snapbranch took me out to the farthest reaches of Skyclan’s territory so no one would see his no-brained apprentice.” She smiled and turned back to the plants.

Shinefang listed his head and looked at the apprentice, the brow above his missing eye raised in an affronted, questioning manner before he realized the shecat was actually serious. "Do you have any idea how much of that juice would be lost in the process? Or how much time that would take? Why spend time doing something that nature has already done for you better than you can?" He pointed to a leaf, drying in the warm sun beam. "Here it's already contained. Don't work harder than you have to kit."

He went back to work, not looking up as he fielded more of Ringpaw's questions. "Yup, that's exactly what it's for," he remarked simply. He snorted at the apprentices excitement about his scars, "I doubt it, kit." The truth was, most cats Shinefang's age retired long before he did and didn't have the chance to earn all these scars. The rest of them didn't have the chance either because they died while they were still young. At the statement about her mentor, the old tom looked up and at the shecat, "Snappea sounds like he's terrible at insults." He kept listening as the apprentice explained her trouble with battle moves and her mentor while the old tom hung on each word, his jaw tightening in frustration. At last, he bit the last leave off the thyme stalk and took the rest of the thyme, packing it loosely into the lowest shelf. The old tom yawned as he stretched out his legs and yawned deeply before padding toward the den entrance. "Leave that stalk you're working on and come with me," he ordered. "Any cat can learn to fight. I'm going to show you how."

[pomegranate]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Shinefang listed his head and looked at the apprentice, the brow above his missing eye raised in an affronted, questioning manner before he realized the shecat was actually serious. "Do you have any idea how much of that juice would be lost in the process? Or how much time that would take? Why spend time doing something that nature has already done for you better than you can?" He pointed to a leaf, drying in the warm sun beam. "Here it's already contained. Don't work harder than you have to kit."

He went back to work, not looking up as he fielded more of Ringpaw's questions. "Yup, that's exactly what it's for," he remarked simply. He snorted at the apprentices excitement about his scars, "I doubt it, kit." The truth was, most cats Shinefang's age retired long before he did and didn't have the chance to earn all these scars. The rest of them didn't have the chance either because they died while they were still young. At the statement about her mentor, the old tom looked up and at the shecat, "Snappea sounds like he's terrible at insults." He kept listening as the apprentice explained her trouble with battle moves and her mentor while the old tom hung on each word, his jaw tightening in frustration. At last, he bit the last leave off the thyme stalk and took the rest of the thyme, packing it loosely into the lowest shelf. The old tom yawned as he stretched out his legs and yawned deeply before padding toward the den entrance. "Leave that stalk you're working on and come with me," he ordered. "Any cat can learn to fight. I'm going to show you how."

Heh, Shinefang teaching Ringpaw battle moves. This Trial is about to get rather... interesting. :3)

Ringpaw’s mouth hung open, then closed. It was true, if you thought about it. “I guess I just need to think through what is happening by nature.” She meowed. Perhaps he was right. It would take much more effort, and to be honest, the leaves were a good enough parsed to hold the juice than she could come up with.
“Snapbranch couldn’t tell a mouse from a beetle, even if you explained it to him.” She meowed, smiling. Even Shinefang admitted it! Her mentor was about as fluffbrained as a robin.
She continued on with her stem, crunching at the base of the leaves, nipping off the tangy branches, and sweeping them aside. It almost had a rhythm to it; find, bite, separate, move, dry. Repeat.
She reached out once more to grab ahold of another stem, except this time it got stuck on one claw. Her eyes narrowing, she flicked her paw up and down rapidly, trying to fling the dark green plant from her paw. It fell off and landed in front of her with a silent noise, and she bent down to begin working when Shinefang spoke.
When Shinefang gave her that direction, she immediately dropped the stem on the floor and swept it aside as she stood up.
“Where are we going? Are we looking for herbs?” She asked excitedly, her green eyes widening as she followed the large tom towards the exit to the den. Of course, she didn’t think through what he had said, and completely rushed in the fill the atmosphere with her chatter.
“I bet it’s fun looking for herbs. It’s much more fun with Snapbranch. He gets angry with me over nothing. You already know that.” She said in a flowing rush as she stepped outside. After being in the medicine den for awhile, the bright sunlight that radiated outside flashed in her orbs for a second, and the white light soon adjusted so camp came into view.
There were more felines roaming around than before, and she quickly scanned the crowd to make sure her mentor didn’t see her ‘messing around’ with Shinefang.
Herbs were important! Obviously, or else Medicine cats wouldn’t choose to make that their life. She looked eagerly back up to Shinefang, her ears forward and erect.

(Where to now?)

[.:Virgo:.]

She padded in the medicine den and blinked a little as the overpowering smell of herbs hit her nose. She sat down on the floor and looked at her paw, the markings that looked like paw pads taunted her on the bottom of her foot. she licked it and cleaned her ears.

@Charmer

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Dream

She padded in the medicine den and blinked a little as the overpowering smell of herbs hit her nose. She sat down on the floor and looked at her paw, the markings that looked like paw pads taunted her on the bottom of her foot. she licked it and cleaned her ears.

@Charmer

Shinefang headed straight for his herb stores and immediately reached for a dock leaf. He pulled it from the shelf and walked straight back toward Ashpaw who was still favoring one of her front paws. "Alright, let me have a look," the old tom said as he reached out an scooped the apprentice's paw into his own and turned it over. Shinefang blinked. The paw he was looking at had absolutely no pad. The sight was frankly a little unnerving. It was like looking a the face of a kit born with no nose. "That's..." he paused, grappling with a way to express his thoughts gracefully, "Something."

[.:Virgo:.]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Shinefang headed straight for his herb stores and immediately reached for a dock leaf. He pulled it from the shelf and walked straight back toward Ashpaw who was still favoring one of her front paws. "Alright, let me have a look," the old tom said as he reached out an scooped the apprentice's paw into his own and turned it over. Shinefang blinked. The paw he was looking at had absolutely no pad. The sight was frankly a little unnerving. It was like looking a the face of a kit born with no nose. "That's..." he paused, grappling with a way to express his thoughts gracefully, "Something."

the white markings on the bottom of her foot looked like pads, but weren't. "Yeah," she said, "Something." She looked downwards "The vet who checked me over before I was cast back out into the wild said something like 'predisposed arthritis in her paw', or something. Her nose smelled multiple different smells and could tell which herb was which by the smell. she smelled the dock leaf and smelled that there were more inside a notch in the shelf. She smelled juniper berries and she often found some on hunting patrols. which she was no good at, her mentor told her that all the time, "You are useless Ashpaw. you can't even catch a blind and deaf baby mouse! Fluffbrain!"

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Dream

the white markings on the bottom of her foot looked like pads, but weren't. "Yeah," she said, "Something." She looked downwards "The vet who checked me over before I was cast back out into the wild said something like 'predisposed arthritis in her paw', or something. Her nose smelled multiple different smells and could tell which herb was which by the smell. she smelled the dock leaf and smelled that there were more inside a notch in the shelf. She smelled juniper berries and she often found some on hunting patrols. which she was no good at, her mentor told her that all the time, "You are useless Ashpaw. you can't even catch a blind and deaf baby mouse! Fluffbrain!"

“Uh Huh,” Shinefang replied awkwardly as he let her paw drop from his own, still unnerved from the the sight and confused by her explanation. “Well in any case, this won’t do you much good,” he said as he pointed to the dock leaf with his nose. He picked it up gently in his jaws and turned his back on the younger cat while he returned it to his herb stores. When he looked back at her again the young shecat appeared to be scanning the herb stores. Curious, he flicked an ear and asked. “Something on your mind kit?”

[.:Virgo:.]

Originally Posted by Charmer

“Uh Huh,” Shinefang replied awkwardly as he let her paw drop from his own, still unnerved from the the sight and confused by her explanation. “Well in any case, this won’t do you much good,” he said as he pointed to the dock leaf with his nose. He picked it up gently in his jaws and turned his back on the younger cat while he returned it to his herb stores. When he looked back at her again the young shecat appeared to be scanning the herb stores. Curious, he flicked an ear and asked. “Something on your mind kit?”

"Hm," she said as she was distracted from the herb stores, "Sorry I just recognize some of these smells from my hunting patrols."

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Dream

"Hm," she said as she was distracted from the herb stores, "Sorry I just recognize some of these smells from my hunting patrols."

Interested, Shinefang cocked his head. “Yeah? Which ones?”

[.:Virgo:.]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Interested, Shinefang cocked his head. “Yeah? Which ones?”

"Juniper berries is one," she said. I could tell that blindfolded. I smell A lot of chervil. some other herbs i recognize but don't know the name of."