Lullaby For A Stormy Night [Private, Herb Training]

[Abyssopelagic]

Lately, Coldamber found herself checking in on ThunderClan. She'd become quite invested in them since she tried talking to Cinderpaw. Their meeting was interrupted, though, and now now she was gone.
She intended to speak to Roseraven, now, appointed in the apprentices place.
She'd wanted to speak to her long ago, so why not now, after a resurgence of her job as a healer.
However, it seemed someone else was in the Medicine Den. No longer was the disgraced Medicine Cat laying in one of the nests, but two cats, strangers to her. Had she been left behind in it all? Had a cat been named since she planned to speak to the warrior?
It seemed so.
Nevertheless, she could find her another day.
The Medicine Cats were in greater need of a dream, a guide.
She picked the apprentice of the two, inviting the living cat to enter into her dreamscape.

[ @ares ]

[iliri]

• Springpaw •
long-furred, oriental-shaped, gray-and-orange calico molly with blue eyes; torn right ear
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Tired and exhausted, the pastel calico had practically dragged herself onto her moss-bed, paws dragging across the ground and almost touching the small stream that flowed into the middle of the den. Luckily, she remained careful so that she didn’t accidentally wake Drizzlecloud or step on any of the herbs that were inside of the herb storage. In which Springpaw couldn’t really comprehend why she would do that when they are safely tucked away. Shrugging the thought away, the molly dragged herself onto the moss-bed, letting loose a tiny grumble due to the uncomfortable feeling that it brought. It was due for a change in bedding, she supposed. Ignoring the thought, she curled her tail around herself and drifted her eyes shut, slowly dozing off into the dreamscape.

—

Springpaw’s eyes shot open and a small gasp of shock escaped her maw. All around her stars glittered the atmosphere, the faint scent of sweet flowers and other different smells drifted across her nose, suppressing a shiver across the medicine cat apprentices body. Where was she? Was this StarClan? Did she… die? The last question caused a quick jolt of panic to suppress through the calico, causing her paws to quickly feel herself in case she was actually dead. Wait. How was she supposed to find out about that when she was asleep? Letting out a tiny sigh, the calico’s eyes glanced around the starry atmosphere, looking for anyone in particular to help her out. “Hello?” She called, her voice echoing throughout the area. “Is anyone there?” She hoped that some sort of reply would come forth. At least someone would’ve sent her here, right? She hoped that was the case, at least.

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@Abyssopelagic [Apologies for the bad post. I’m not gonna be on all week as I’m gonna be going camping up until the 25th! ]

[Abyssopelagic]

Coldamber let out a 'mrrp' before addressing Springpaw, wishing to avoid startling the apprentice.
"Greetings, Springpaw."
She took a few steps to enter the apprentice's line of sight.
"You have not died, but you are in StarClan for this brief moment. I offer my knowledge to assist you and Drizzlecloud as you settle into the role on Medicine Cat."
Coldamber allowed herself to sit, her tail creating a trail of stardust as it swished through the air. Once she was settled, she offered a small smile.
"My name is Coldamber. I once was a Medicine Cat myself."
Her eyes flicked to the ground, a silent invitation for Springpaw to sit.

[ @ares ]

[iliri]

• Springpaw •
long-furred, oriental-shaped, gray-and-orange calico molly with blue eyes; torn right ear
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Pointed ears quickly perked directly up at the sound of another feline within her presence, the small calico quickly whipping around to face the direction of… a StarClan cat? How was this possible? Questions quickly began to arise within the pastel calico’s mind, lips quivering as Springpaw tried to silently understand the situation. That is, until the daunting realization hit her rather quickly. Right. She was a medicine cat apprentice, so this should probably be a normal thing, right? Seeing random StarClan cats in a dream like it was a normal thing… yeah she should totally ask Roseraven about that. Puzzled oceanic hues focused directly at the stranger as she began to speak, a small brow raising up in question as the newcomer—now known as Coldamber—began to introduce herself. Coldamber, huh? Springpaw never knew much of who a Coldamber was. Then again, with Coldamber’s statement of her being a former medicine cat made some sense as Springpaw personally never knew much about the medicine cats of the other clans.

Well, at least she had the right amount of acknowledgment to tell Springpaw that she wasn’t dead. That was the least of Springpaw’s worries. If she suddenly died then who was going to be ThunderClan’s medicine cat apprentice? Including, how would the clan even be able to compromise without a medicine cat apprentice? The thought made the apprentice nervously swipe her tongue across her dry maw, dilated oceanic hues glancing nervously side to side across the star-filled landscape. Gee, being inside the dreamlands felt nothing but… weird. Springpaw focused once more on Coldamber as she mentioned herself teaching Springpaw some of the knowledge that she carried while she was alive, making the pastel calico sigh in relief. Well, at least there was some more help except for having to travel across the border to WindClan to learn some things from Cowtuft and Lightningpaw. However, due to the recent gathering, she didn't think that would be happening anytime soon. Springpaw would feel guilty just for causing the death of another cat all just from simply learning about a few herbal remedies.

“What… What will you teach me?” Springpaw asked quietly, hesitance itching at her tone as she briefly looked at the star-furred molly. “What will you teach me to help serve my clan? I don’t want to make the same mistakes as what the other medicine cats have done. I don’t want to disappoint Bumblestar.” Or Drizzlecloud. Or Dovetuft. Springpaw felt her throat tighten and her paws growing numb against the ground. What if she failed her mentor and mother? What if they grew disappointed in her? What would Dovetuft think of her? Would she… would she abandon her just like Smallsky did? Great StarClan she hoped not. The gray queen had promised to take care of Springpaw like she was her own daughter. Look after her and make sure that she isn't alone again. The thought brought brief comfort to the young calico, but she quickly tossed it aside. She had to focus on Coldamber and see what she was going to teach her. Springpaw mentally hoped it would be essentially valuable for her clan. She only knew very briefly, afterall.

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@Abyssopelagic

[Abyssopelagic]

Coldamber felt pride and respect for the young apprentice in front of her as she questioned her and what she could offer. Even Elmshadow's caution and suspicions of her hadn't phazed her, but this display of loyalty to her Clan.... it deserved acknowledgment.
"I will offer you all that I know, for as long as you wish to receive my teachings. I can teach you a variety of herbs that can heal your Clanmates, or ease their pain. I dealt with many unusual circumstances during my time as Medicine Cat, things that I had to learn how to deal with through trial and error. My hope is to give you a solid foundation with which to start your path as Medicine Cat with.
Too many times I have seen cats be given this rank and offered no help to adjust to the demands. No way to learn but to rely on the kindness of the other Clan's or through trial and error..... a process that takes time that we don't always have the luxury to afford."
Coldamber paused, allowing herself a moment to breathe.
She eyed the small calico for a few moments. She could practically smell the anxiety coming from her in waves.
"Come sit with me, dear. Take a moment, if you wish before we continue. We have as much time as you require."
She could always return another day to continue teaching the apprentice. She had plenty of time to take to teach Springpaw.

[ @ares ]

[iliri]

• Springpaw •
long-furred, oriental-shaped, gray-and-orange calico molly with blue eyes; torn right ear
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Springpaw let loose a quiet sigh, silently acknowledging the fact that Coldamber was very willing to teach her all that she knew, her tensed muscles loosening themselves as her oceanic hues locked onto the Coldamber’s eyes. She silently listened to the starry molly speak and slowly nodded along with each word she uttered. She truly did want to know what herbal knowledge that the former medicine cat had when she had been alive. She remained quiet as the molly explained what she’ll teach the young molly. The bitter thought of having to try trial and error only made Springpaw’s long fur raise along her back. She truly hoped that she wouldn’t have to try such a difficult task. She wouldn’t want to risk putting lives in danger all because she had to try doing trial and error, so she slowly nodded her head. “I… I wouldn’t want to risk trying trial and error unless necessary. If I have to do it… then I hope that I don’t cause the death of one of my clan-mates.”

Her voice almost hitched, her breath getting caught in her throat as she slowly moved herself towards the starry feline, small bits of stardust moving around as she approached the StarClan member. She had stated that they could take as much time as she could muster, but Springpaw would wish she could learn as much as she could from the former medicine cat of WindClan. Springpaw promptly sat down beside Coldamber, resting her tail along her paws as her eyes glanced up towards the direction of Coldamber, both a mixture of anxiety and hope swirling deeply within the pastel calico. “If you don’t mind, I would like for us to get started… i-if that’s okay with you, I mean.” She trailed a white paw along the starry ground, eyes flickering back downwards as she could easily feel the anxiety overwhelming her chest. Why didn’t she feel so overwhelmed by this? She didn’t know.

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@Abyssopelagic [rushed post! I deeply apologize for it! I’ll write better as the lesson goes on.]

[Abyssopelagic]

Coldamber carefully watched Springpaw as she processed her words. The situation and the dire circumstances were not lost on her, it seemed.
She listened as the apprentice voiced her concerns about doing her own tests. Sadly, it would be neccesary for her to do, as there was far more to be learned than what she could provide, but she'd hardly kill her clanmates. At worse, hopefully, there would only be some mild discomfort.
But there was always that chance.
"You will still need to test herbs on your own, as my knowledge is limited, but you are unlikely to cause the demise of your clanmates through your trials."

Coldamber was rather relieved that Springpaw was eager to start into their lessons, and didn't take nearly as long as it had to get Elmshadow to shut up long enough for her to teach him. His distust in her had been headache inducing, but she supposed she could understand.
Understanding why did little to curb her annoyance at the time.
"I will start with the basics, the herbs you will use almost daily."
She tilted her head.

 

"Your most important tools are cobwebs and moss. While not herbs, you shouldn't underestimate how great their importance is. Moss does wonders for absorbing blood and cobwebs, while delicate looking, are quite strong and marvelous for keeping in a poultice, moss, or a splint.
If you are dealing with severe bleeding, bad enough it soaks through your moss, do not remove what you have placed. This will not help staunch the flow, only stop the body's attempt at doing so. Instead, apply more moss, and a bit of pressure if you're able. If it's a limb, it should be held above the torso. It helps to slow the bleeding."
This was one of the few things Coyotesnarl had taught her and Snailswirl before he left. And it was perhaps one of his more important lessons.
"Always keep a healthy stock of both at the ready. Do keep an eye on what you have, for both can go bad. Keep your cobwebs away from anything damp or that will stick to it."
She was sure the apprentice knew how to find moss. Every Clan always had a supply on hand, if she remembered correctly.
Cobwebs, it seemed, were not as easy to find..... for some reason. Or maybe WindClan warriors didn't pay attention to what was applied to them.
"You can find cobwebs anywhere where spiders rest. In secluded and dark corners are always a good place. If there are caves on ThunderClan territory, they too are a good place to look. When collecting them, it is best to store them on a stick, as smooth as you can find to reduce the chances of fraying your cobwebs."

 

"Of the true herbs, poppy seeds and marigold are a Medicine Cat's lifeline. Marigold are used to prevent and even treat infections. Either the flower or the leaves can be chewed into a poultice and directly applied to the wound. The finer the paste, the better. However, it isnt the end of the world if you find there are still a few chunks."
Oh, how she remembered the first time she was left to heal on her own, she had spent so much time chewing, that by the time she was done, it was probably mostly saliva. She hadn't lost that patient, but it sure was an unoleasant experience for the both of them.
"Marigold are a bright, low growing flower. They range from yellow to a more orange colour, but both types are equally as effective."
As she continued to describe the flower, she swished her tail once more and from the showering stardust, the image of flowers began to form. All fluffy and cloud-like and in a full range of colours, all on display to show Springpaw what her words could not do justice.
"They are quite easy to find, especially in new-leaf and green-leaf. They grow near bodies of water and usually in clusters of only a few. They are quite fragile against frost, however, and will be harder to find come leaf-bare, but it's not impossible."
Feeling a little cheeky, the star spirit made one grow right at Springpaw's feet. How could one not expect her to be extra? Shaping dreams was something she found she enjoyed. It was fun, and it dazzled her visitors..... usually.
Most importantly, it was an extremely helpful tool that allowed her to give a visual aid, supplying an image her words might not be able to. It left little doubt as to what she meant.

 

"While it's the seeds of the poppy flower you use, it is best to leave the flower intact until you plan to use the seeds, as the dried petals keep them neatly contained. You should be sparing with using them for kittens under a certain age and, by extension, pregnant queens.
They are quite safe in small quantities for all others.
Poppy seeds are helpful for a variety of things. Their relaxing quality makes for good use when a cat is in shock or to aid in restful sleep, but it is mostly used to help with pain. Unlike marigolds, the patient is to chew the seed and swallow it. I recommend starting with one for younger or even smaller cats and only two for older cats. Give it some time to take its course and if there are still problems, only give them one more before waiting again."
The nebelung looked up to Springpaw, hoping this wasn't all too much for her to process. She was aware she could ramble for quite a bit when it came to talking about herbs. There was just so much that could be said about them.
Hopefully, the younger molly wasn't too put off by this. She could adjust as neccesary or if asked
"Poppy flowers are red, their petals lightly ruffled. Flat, but also protecting where the seeds are stored."
Just as before, Coldamber willed for the small, delicate flowers to spring forth from the starry ground, the marigold now fading to avoid obscuring the new flowers from sight.
"Poppies thrive in warm, and dry climates. Unlike marigold, they are quite solitary, but thankfully they can carry quite a few seeds, and I have been lucky enough to see one carry as many as 13 seeds, but it depends on the flower itself, but some seeds can be dislodged and lost along the travel. Do not fret too much, as the scattered seeds will later grow back as poppies you can harvest in future seasons."
She paused, pondering her last statement. Would it be possible to make herbs grow in certain areas so you wouldn't have to travel as far to harvest them?? She'd have to bring it up sometime to one of the healers in the future, and return to find if it worked.
But poor Springpaw was already getting the beast's share of her rantings, so she'd spare her from her insanity for today..... well, at least some of it. She would eventually have to bring up the egg sacs as a back up for cobwebs.
"Unfortunately, you will be hard pressed to find them during leaf-fall and it's near impossible during leaf-bare. However, the seeds can stay good for much longer than other herbs might be able to, meaning you can stock up before the hard frosts send them unto hiding for the season."

 

Poppy
Marigold
Daisy
Dandelion
Celandine
Borage
Catmint
Honey
Mushrooms
Egg Sacs

[ @ares ]
//I..... am having way too much fun\\

[iliri]

• Springpaw •
long-furred, oriental-shaped, gray-and-orange calico molly with blue eyes; torn right ear
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So, she will have to test the herbs on her own? Great. A small frown grew apparent among the calico’s lips as she silently processed the starry feline’s words, tail twitching as the molly finished speaking. Springpaw wasn’t so cocky about testing the herbs on her own on someone else for in case she didn’t know the right properties of them. Or, even how they functioned. At least she still held a bit of hope in her heart for most of the herbs that she acknowledged, and for most of what Coldamber was going to teach her. Who knows, after this little lesson, she’ll be able to speak with Drizzlecloud about what Coldamber taught her. It’ll be a great experience for the two of them, at least. Ears perked and eyes focused, Springpaw silently awaited for Coldamber to start them off with the basic herbs. Springpaw already knew briefly about what marigold and poppyseeds did, thanks to the small help of Bumblestar, but maybe Coldamber will give her a bit more tips?

Okay, off with the basics, were they? Of course, Springpaw already knew a little bit of how cobwebs worked, but interest peaked at her once more once moss was brought up, the calico merely cocking her head to the side. So both cobwebs and moss could be used to soak up blood and stop bleeding. Springpaw will definitely take mental note of that. Maybe next time if there’s a heavy battle, she’ll take some moss along with a mixture of cobwebs with her to help stop the bleeding in case it's too severe. Or, maybe she could also use a piece of damped moss to help clean off a wound first before placing down cobwebs, along with some dry moss to help prevent the cobwebs from getting off the wound? Yeah, that’ll probably be a good idea. Tossing the short thought away, Springpaw listened carefully to Coldamber’s next set of words, nodding slowly in a statement of her own understanding. So make sure to not set down any pieces of moss that didn’t go bad or any cobwebs that have something sticking inside of them or any water source. Got it.

Of course, Springpaw already had some ideas of where cobwebs were located and how to collect them without causing any damage, but didn’t give any further comment to the molly. Each and every valuable information that the latter gave to her was just as important as the last. Unfortunately, if Springpaw recalled, there weren't any ‘caves’ around ThunderClan territory. However, cobwebs are really easy to find on bright, early mornings when the rather open atmosphere is foggy and the ground is dewy. Cobwebs are pretty much common when they are in those types of places. If Springpaw recalled, she was sure that she found at least six or more bundles of cobwebs around in the territory when she was younger. It was definitely early at the time, so they were easily noticeable. However, they were also easily accessible around the bottom roots trees inside of the dense forests if she looked hard enough. So, cobwebs were a pretty easy thing for the young eight moon old medicine cat apprentice to find, much to her liking.

Alright, the next herb was one that Springpaw was faintly familiar with from Bumblestar’s short meeting with her and Drizzlecloud; marigold. Once again, Springpaw already knew of what the yellow flower was used for when treating wounds, but it felt better to be reminded of its usage in case it were to ever slip her mind. For which Springpaw had heavy doubts that it ever would. However, at least Coldamber was in more depth about its usage than how the hot-headed leader described it, so it gave a bit of relaxed closure for the young apprentice. Of course, the calico molly briefly remembered what exactly the herb looked like, from her simple recalling of the day she had become the newest medicine cat apprentice, and when Bumblestar showed her and Drizzlecloud the herb. At least Coldamber made sure to let her know that it would range from more than just a simple orangish-yellow color, and that they were both equally effective.

The location of the flower wasn’t much of a surprise, as Springpaw quickly recalled Bumblestar implying to her that marigold was mainly located close to water. The first popping up in her mind was Sunkissed Creek, as for its vastly large river. That was one of the main territory spots in ThunderClan and if she recalled, marigold tended to thrive around that area. At least the herb was still around for leaf-bare, thankfully, so that in case she was low on some, she could go in search of some marigold. However, it didn’t really surprise her much that it wouldn’t be easy to find due to the heavy cold snow and ice that leaf-bare usually brings, but at least it was still probable to spot. However, even with them being fragile against the frost, it’ll make it difficult to carry them easily without causing any damage to the roots or flower. She supposed she’ll just have to figure out a way to carry them back to camp without causing any damage to the fragile petals during the harsh days of leaf-bare.

The thought had seemed to suddenly slip her mind when out of the corner of her blue eyes, a small, delicate yellow-orange flower grew right in front of her paws, seemingly in the shape of a simple marigold. Puzzlement quickly flashed in the young eight moon old’s eyes, leaning down closer to inspect the small plant. How in the world did it end up here in StarClan? However it got there, it surely caught her interest. She slowly knelt herself down so that she could see the little flower clearly, gently nudging the herb with a white paw to see if it was truly there. Yet, there it was, moving in contrast from her touching the plant. In response, Springpaw let out a small gasp of awe as she touched the flower, glancing briefly up at Coldamber as she continued to inspect the little flower. ”Did… did you make the marigold appear? How?” both awe and shock filled her tone, the young apprentice mesmerized by the pretty sight of the orange flower against the starry atmosphere of StarClan. It truly was a gorgeous sight.

Her focus on the little plant didn’t seem to last too long as her ears angled themselves up at Coldamber again, craning her head to look up at her as the molly began to speak about the uses of poppyseeds. Well, at least Springpaw knew the most of what poppyseeds do, as she mainly knew that they were mainly used as a factor to help someone become eased from their pain, whether if it’s agonizing or not—which, she would desperately hope it wasn’t—and she would be able to give them a couple if medically necessary. However, even with her brief knowledge of the herb, it was still best to learn more about it from the former medicine cat herself as the information was definitely deemed necessary for both her and Drizzlecloud. So, learning that the seeds were definitely suitable in case a cat is in shock or in the dire aid of having restful sleep. Which, she felt, would be important in case they had a wound that was severe and needed time to heal.

It was rather obvious that the seeds were used to help dull the pain that a certain patient was experiencing, as it was one of the more simple things to learn overtime as she was a young kit. Including, Springpaw was certain that she had to take one herself when she had a thorn stuck on one of her pads when she was a kit. That memory felt like it was only just a day away. However, the pastel calico silently shook away the thought and listened carefully to the nebelung speaking about how much in a dosage she should use for a patient. So, start off with approximately one with younger cats and at least two for older cats, then wait for the seeds to run its course for a little while before giving a cat another one again in case the pain seems to come back, or give them another if problems are still lingering around. It seemed rather easy enough to remember, at least. However, in the back of the young apprentice’s mind, she quickly reminded herself to not give anyone too much poppyseeds or else she could risk something far much worse than a heavy slumber. That was something that stuck with her mind.

Oh, well, at least she was given more information about what a poppy flower looked like. Of course she knew it was a red plant, but she didn’t want to get the plant accidentally confused with a rose in case she were to ever come across one. She was almost certain that an incident almost happened like that when she had sent off Lioncrest in search of a poppy flower. At least she had given him enough information about the plant that he didn't accidentally bring back a rose, thankfully, or else she was sure that she would’ve been in loads of trouble with Bumblestar and possibly Drizzlecloud… then again? She might’ve been lended off the hook for making one simple mistake giving out a herb patrol. It was her first one, afterall. Her thoughts on the matter didn’t stay for too long, as her ears quickly perked up to listen to what Coldamber had to say about where they grew and thrived. Okay, that was something Springpaw would need to remember. So they liked to grow in warm and dry climates… So would they be noticeable in Firefly Cove? Judging from that place being mainly a meadow more than anything, it could be a possibility.

A quick sigh was seen to escape the calico molly’s mouth as Coldamber mentioned that a batch of at least thirteen seeds were in one single flower, but it had only depended on the flower itself on how many seeds it carried. At least that was helpful to know, along with the fact that the seeds even stayed healthy if they were inside the flower after it had been picked. She wouldn’t know how to properly deal with herself if she had only scooped out the seeds of a singular flower itself instead of just taking back the flower. That would’ve felt just ridiculous to do. Well, at least if seeds fell off of flowers that she would bring back to camp, it would just simply grow back into the more poppy flowers that she could harvest in later seasons. Geez, there was surely a lot to take in. How much more information could the young molly possibly handle? She wasn’t sure, but it was all an important value due to her being a medicine cat apprentice of ThunderClan, afterall.

However, a frown quickly grew on the calico’s lips as the gray molly mentioned how the flower won’t be able to properly grow in the leaf-bare, unlike marigold flowers. Well, that was a bit of a grave shame to hear, unfortunately. But at least the seeds will stay in good condition as long as she collected a plentiful amount of them from the flowers. Maybe she could place them in a secluded spot in the herb storage to keep them from freezing from the cold temperatures of leaf-bare? She wasn’t sure, she would probably have to ask about how she could keep them from freezing up due to the cold temperatures… but now that she was thinking about it, she might as well do that before the thought suddenly crosses away from her mind. “Well, would there be a way to keep the seeds from freezing up due to the freezing temperatures of leaf-bare? Could I place something over them to keep them from getting too cold and being able to be used?” The question seemed reasonable to ask, and that would probably go for all of the herbs that she would learn later on during this lesson. What would she do for all of them to keep them from freezing up because of the stinking cold weather? Would Coldamber know? Springpaw hoped so, or else she wouldn’t even be sure how to handle that situation if it were to happen in leaf-bare itself.

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@Abyssopelagic [deeply apologize for the long post! You don’t have to respond as long as this. ]

[Abyssopelagic]

Coldamber was more than pleased to learn that Springpaw was quite the inquisitive and creative little spark, taking in as much information as she could. She already knew that she was going to enjoy the rest of their time for their lesson. It was always so nice to have someone ask whatever popped to mind.

She watched Springpaw observe the new specimen of flower, even nudging it once. Her head cocked a bit to the side as she watched. It was cute, the apprentice's fascination.
She straightened herself when she was asked if she made it appear.
"Mmm hmm.... It's one of the perks of teaching through dreams. If I think and will for it hard enough, I can change things about the landscape. Only very small things, and it took me awhile to teach myself how to."
She smiled to herself, giddy that she'd asked.
"But I do best when I walk in others dreams. I don't know why, but the landscape is just more malleable. Well... I have guesses, but nothing I can prove."
Tempting as it was to play around a little more with the dream now that Springpaw seemed interested, it would perhaps be better to continue with their lessons.

Hmm, how to keep frost from nipping precious plants?
It had certainly been an issue in WindClan, without a covering of trees to block the winds, making winter that much more unforgiving.
"There are quite a few ways to protect your stash. Mostly, keeping them sheltered in a den works wonders, but during particularly harsh freezes, it would be a good idea to lightly cover them with moss. If it gets bad enough that moss doesn't work, digging a small indent in the ground and covering the moss bundle of herbs with the soil can help."
It sounded silly, as the ground was always frozen over, but her plants did better after a warrior had made the suggestion to her.
"It sounded odd when it was first suggested to me, but I suppose now I understand. Plants don't die during the winter, they simply grow lower, closer to the ground to wait out the freeze. Sometimes they retreat to their roots entirely until the sun comes back. But, in all cases, the soil protects them from those harsh frosts."

Now to move to other herbs she would be using quite often. She went over a small list in her head before nodding and continuing the lesson.
"Now, some other herbs you wish to keep at least a pawful of at all times just in case, but perhaps not too much unless there's an emergency, would be borage, daisy, celandine, and dandelions.
Some have more specific uses than others, but you never know what trouble your Clanmates can get themselves into."
She paused, remembering who it was that had taught her celandine and and daisy. A grin crept onto her face and she looked to Springpaw.
"It was actually a ThunderClan kit who had taught me about celandine and daisy during my temporary stay in camp."
If only all of her stay had been so pleasant. Buckstar had been accommodating and kind, but Frostbreeze had been.... uh, a gargoyle to try teaching. She had, at this point, figured it was not truly a StarClan cat that had sent that prophecy to appoint Frost. She just wish she had seen through it sooner.
"Hmmm, maybe once we're done, I can tell you about my stay in ThunderClan, if you're interested."

For now, moving on....
"Borage is a must have, especially when fevers are most common. Both the leaves and the flower can be used, but they hold different healing properties.
The leaves are best to soothe your Clanmates fevers, the flowers better suited for stomachaches. You could use the flower for a fever in a pinch, but it's not nearly as effective as it's leaves. Both are to be chewed by the patient and eaten."
Coldamber took a moment to allow a few borage flowers to grow, in the blues and pinks it can come in, as a reference point for her dear student.
"As you can see, they come in a variety of colours. Both the blue and pink varieties are safe to use and do not seem to differ in strength or healing properties. If you notice otherwise, I would be interested to know.
While the flower can thrive in a myriad of climates, they will be most plentiful where there are sun patches and the soil drains well. Anywhere water does not seem to stagnate after a rain would be a good starting place. They do... fairly decently in the winter, but they are certainly far fewer in their numbers. You may need to swipe away snow to find the precious buds beneath."
She had to keep a frown from her face as she spoke of the cold tolerance of borage. Granted, there were few herbs that did well in winter, but she still did not enjoy having to tell her pupils that they were scarce in winter. But, at least some of them could still be found, albeit more difficult.

"Daisies are marvelous for soothing swollen and aching joints, and will likely be a favourite among your elders. While only the leaves are usable, keeping the flower will make it easier to identify which Herb it is, so I recommend harvesting as much of the stem as possible rather than stripping the leaves.
It is to be applied topically as a poultice directly to the swollen or sore joint and to be left as long as possible to let the effect have time to work. Although, it is possible that the flowers have a use, I personally am not aware of one. Don't be scared to see if the flower does any good for you other than distinguishing it's leaves from other plants."
And just like every time before, Coldamber had the old flowers retract back into the ground, to be replaced by the Herb she was currently talking about.
"Daisies grow pretty much everywhere. They don't seem to discriminate against soil type or amount of sun or even terrain and appear to be quite adaptable. However, like most plants, they will become scarce during the winter moons."

//Side note: there are MANY uses for celandine, but Cold only knows the one!! Spring will need to experiment to find out the other uses: anti-spasmodic and relieves both cramps and inflammation\\
"Celandine is a small, yellow flower with 4 petals that are almost always perfectly spaced. The juices are to be used for any pain or diseases regarding the eyes, and must be applied directly. I've always had my patients lay down, eye open, and squeezed the flower directly above as opposed to trying to reach while they're standing or sitting."
She gave a small snort.
"Given that I am quite the short cat, you could imagine why."
She wasn't miniature compared to other cats, but she was lacking a bit in the legs...... okay, and not the little nub that was left of her hind leg, either. She was just... shorter in the legs, something that seemed to be predominant in her whole family. Given that Springpaw had a ways to grow before she was taller than her, the apprentice might appreciate hearing what helped her out.
"Celandine is quite the aggressive little plant and will grow quite literally anywhere, sometimes even choking out other plants in the area. It would be best to keep their growth patterns in check and prevent them from encroaching on your other Herb spots. They prefer to make their home in disturbed soil, but not necessarily well trodden paths.
This, combined with how low the plant grows, they are still prevalent in the colder months as well. They will not expand their reach during this time, so if you have some particularly aggressive celandine, you needn't worry about watching it so long as the mornings still frost over."
In her experience, she hadn't had this problem with the plant in WindClan, but watching it grow elsewhere was startling to see it overtake the rest of its neighbors.
"I personally did not have an issue with the aggression, but I have seen the behavior in other places. While I doubt it will be a big issue for you, it's better that you be prepared in case it does, yeah?"
She gave a smile.
Hopefully, this wouldn't be an issue for ThunderClan.

"Dandelion is a wonderful plant. Like celandine, they grow everywhere, but don't kill off other plants. They simply find space for themselves between any other flowers in the area. The only use I'm aware of are its numbing property when chewed and applied to the skin, making it a marvelous cure for bee stings and burns, but can be used for other pains at skin level."
She conjured up a few dandelions to show Springpaw.

[ @ares ]

[iliri]

• Springpaw •
long-furred, oriental-shaped, gray-and-orange calico molly with blue eyes; torn right ear
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A perk of teaching in dreams? So that was how Coldamber was able to create little magical things that appear in dreams and make it seem as if they were almost real in reality? That… was a bit cool, in the young calico’s opinion. The fact that Coldamber could change and shift whatever she wanted in the dreamscape whenever she wanted if she just focused and thought about it hard enough was cool as it is. It was at least a little disappointing for Springpaw to hear that was only mainly possible for little things like flowers or other plants, but at least it was still cool to hear that her temporary teacher had the ability to do such a wonderful experience that Springpaw couldn’t do. The calico cocked her head to the side as shecontinued to silently listen to Coldamber, raising a brow. ”So you only do it best when you are in others' dreams? That’s… actually very cool, in my opinion! Can I see you do more of it? After the lesson, that is.” Springpaw quickly added in that last sentence so that there weren't any possible accidental mix-ups during the lesson, giving off a little bright smile up towards the star-furred molly that matched the bright starry atmosphere of the vast dreamscape around them.

Springpaw’s attention quickly spiked up as she began to listen to Coldamber giving off some tips and tricks about how to keep herbs from becoming too frigid and withering in the up-coming cold season. So, there were many ways to keep them from constantly freezing up, that was one, but what were those ways? Well, Springpaw’s question was quickly answered before she could ask it as the former medicine cat began to explain the methods of how to keep them from freezing up, gradually grabbing Springpaw’s increasingly growing attention towards the usage and care for herbal remedies. So, neatly tuck herbs into dens and keep them sheltered with some moss atop of them, but only during particularly cold, harsh conditions in the leaf-bare. Sounds simple to know! However, Springpaw was quick to mentally note in the little detail about for if the weather was quick to get bad enough, she’ll dig a small indent into the ground and cover any moss bundle of herbs with soil. This’ll be extremely valuable information for her to notify her mentor with so they could use it for leaf-bare, that was for sure. However, Coldamber’s next set of words was quick to drag on the calico’s impending curiosity, making her cock her head to the side.

”So… plants don’t die in the leaf-bare?” She questioned, eyebrow raising. “I thought they always did! Whenever the snow melted and grass showed, it always looked old, brown, and well… dead. How is it possible that herbs wouldn’t be the same like that? Do they just… grow differently?” Springpaw’s questions were indeed out of curiosity, and some confusion. She knew that the much, much older molly’s words were obvious enough to answer her questions, but Springpaw was still curious. How do plants still live throughout the cold weather even though the freezing snow was enough to kill them through the long days of leaf-bare? Was their roots really that strong against the cold soil when it formed? It didn’t really make much sense to the young nine moon old molly. Maybe Coldamber could explain it in more depth to her? Springpaw wasn’t exactly fully sure of the situation, but she sincerely hoped so. Those types of things were absolutely confusing to understand entirely.

Well, it would seem that those questions would have to be answered later, as Coldamber continued to explain what other important herbs that Springpaw will have to learn, making her oceanic hues glisten lightly with interest and curiosity. She heard a little bit about borage, but not much of the others. She’ll have to make sure to keep as much of a mental note as possible when Coldamber begins to explain the usages of all those herbs. They’ll be rather handy to explain to Drizzlecloud about their uses when the calico molly woke up from this expanding dream… or rather dreamscape. However, the apprentice couldn’t help but wonder how Drizzlecloud was going to think of the fact that she was picked other than her to be visited in a dream from a StarClan cat themselves. Would she be jealous? Springpaw surely hoped not, Drizzlecloud was seemingly far too kind-hearted to have such an impactful emotion hit her… the pastel calico thought that, at least. Her short thought on the matter was quickly dismantled when Coldamber mentioned something about… a ThunderClan kit teaching her about celandine? How?!

Questions were quick to begin to bubble in the calico’s throat, eagerness dragging onto her as she blinked a few times in surprise at her temporary mentor. Coldamber stayed in ThunderClan temporarily? Why? What did she do? Did she have to teach an apprentice there? Who was the leader at the time? Questions were practically about to roll off the molly’s tongue, the calico having to quite literally hold herself back from accidentally disturbing the two of them from the current lesson. Questions about Coldamber will be answered after most of the lesson was over—even if Springpaw desperately wanted to know more about the former medicine cat temporarily staying in her clan—so they needed to get right back on the current track at paw. Other than that, she slowly nodded her head to the molly’s statement, continuing to hold herself back from asking any questions about the time she stayed in her clan. Geez, there were many things that Springpaw wished to know about from simply speaking with Coldamber. Now, Springpaw was quick to begin to listen to the next herb that the molly was about to explain about.

Borage was a herb the Springpaw rarely knew much about, but at least Coldamber knew a good variety about the herb that she was willing to give as much information about it to the young medicine cat apprentice. Furrowing her brows, the young molly took note of the former medicine cat’s information about the herb itself. So the plant itself was mainly used for fevers and was much more suited for stomach-aches. That’ll be fairly easy to use in case a kit accidentally eats too much prey or if anyone in the clan ate anything that was spoiled. That’ll definitely help out with that. Alongside that, the fact that the herb was used for fevers was also very useful in case one of her clan-mates tended to get sick and were in a dire need for some sort of medication. That’ll be extremely helpful to keep a fever at bay until a well suitable remedy is currently at bay. She didn’t need to make it into a poultice, and only to be given to the patient so it could be eaten. Eesh. Hopefully she didn’t deal with anyone that was picky and would spit it out. That would make her job only harder to deal with.

Her eyes were quick to trail down towards her paws as small buds of borage flowers began to pop up out of the starry grass, almost quick to grab the nine moon old molly’s attention again. It was just only there for a brief moment, but it was also such a beautiful sight to her oceanic blue eyes that it simply wasn’t easy to take her eyes off of the blue and pink buds. Her ears were angled in Coldamber’s direction as the former medicine cat continued to speak, further indicating the properties of the herb and where it could be located at. Springpaw’s eyes finally pulled away from the small borage leaves so they could focus back up towards Coldamber so she could continue to listen to what she had to say. Well, at least the healing properties of both colors didn’t seem to differ much within the herb, that was a good sign. An even better one was that the herb was indeed still valuable to find even in the cold depths of leaf-bare! Even if it’ll be rather scarce and difficult to find, it’s still worth it to know that it’s still available in those types of weather conditions.

Moving onto the next herb, Springpaw had continued to listen carefully to what the molly had to say, occasionally twitching a whisker or so. Well, there weren’t many elders inside ThunderClan at the moment, but daisies will surely be a necessity in case there were any possible sprains and swollen joints. Neither of such things were rather common, but she’d like to have information at the ready in case there comes a time where she would have to use daisies on those specific occasions. However, it was deemed so that the young apprentice was going to have to find out herself in the flower themselves had a proper usage. The thought almost made her throat tighten in its grasp. She might have to try some trial and error in order for her to see how the flower worked… and she’ll mentally pray for herself in case it had some sort of negative reaction from her clan-mates. She’d definitely be in trouble. However, the apprentice was quick to glance towards the small daisies that rapidly replaced the borage that was once there. The flower looked rather easy to memorize, so it should be quite easy to find during the daytime. She’ll just show Drizzlecloud it once she wakes up from this dream, afterall.

The next herb along the list was celandine, that Springpaw was going to definitely have to remember that the specific herb was definitely aggressive and could possibly kill off any other herbs in a specific area along the territory. That was going to be a definite challenge to keep a keen eye out for in case she or Drizzlecloud went out to search for the herb, or in any case of a herb patrol, but she would have to be very careful with her wording whenever she told any cat about celandine. However, she did keep in mind about the usages of the aggressive herb, and made sure to mentally note to herself to try to collect some for in case anyone in the clan has some sort of issue regarding with their eyes. Both she and her mentor didn’t really know much about anything regarding the eyes, but with this? She could easily inform Drizzlecloud about this herb and tell her about its benefits if necessary. As Springpaw continued to listen, she felt more relieved at the mention of the herb still growing within the winter time, even if it’ll be scarce. At least the herbs that the molly had told her were relatively fine in the winter, and were still probable to find. That’s something that made Springpaw feel grateful about, at the very least.

Then, onto the next herb, Springpaw felt a little bit more relaxed at the mention that dandelions didn’t kill off other herbs like celandine did or have an impact on growing literally everywhere. It wasn’t that hard to remember what the small flower looked like, as Springpaw herself had seen the herb quite a few times during a short walk through the territory or before when she was just an warrior apprentice. She hasn’t known of the flower’s properties til now, and now she was definitely going to make sure to snatch more than one during a walk through the forest, and she’ll probably make sure to tell any cat that goes on another herb patrol to collect some as well. Just for merely wellness awareness, in case anyone got stung by any bees during a patrol or if they were caught in a swarm of bees. Or, in the case of a fire, the herb would be rather valuable to have as well. The last thought made the apprentice grimace slightly to herself, but she didn’t pay too much attention towards the thought for too long. It shouldn’t be much of an issue to collect the herb due to how much it grows throughout new-leaf and green-leaf.

“… Okay, I think I got all of that. It’s definitely going to be important for both me and Drizzlecloud to know all of this when I wake up. I can’t wait to tell her all that you taught me, Coldamber.” Springpaw admitted, smiling up at the molly as her eyes drifted shut in gratification. She was genuinely serious about the offer, and she was willing to know all that Coldamber knew so she could pass it onto her mentor. It was definitely helpful and she appreciated it.

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@Abyssopelagic [I deeply apologize for how long this took me to respond to! It took much longer than intended to respond to this thread and I apologize for that]