Owlstar had nearly forgotten what it was like to be here.
Her bulky frame cut unevenly through mist and long blades of grass, large paws gingerly navigating the graves. Despite the death that was present in the air and the clouded skies, peace settled onto the leader's heart in slowing waves.
She kept her tail up and high to make sure her clanmates could see her. It's not that she was unbelievably tall, or short, or anything, but it was foggy in the graves this evening. Even with new-leaf the pull of cloudiness never left the area.
The leader suddenly stopped and turned to face the two cats. She'd seen Whisperingpaw and Berryshine around a lot, so she figured the she-cat had committed the herbs to memory regardless if she'd just heard of them today or not. As for Adderstrike, she'd be fine. She was a warrior after all. Exchanging a curt nod, Owlstar padded off, but not too far.
Both of the herbal words didn't fit well in her battered maw, all fancy and odd. But, with the description given, she set out for coltsfoot. Even with mist hindering her vision, she didn't have to look long.
[owlstar rolled a 16! slightly damaged...]
[+1 coltsfoot]
[owlstar rolled a 5! fumble...]
[owlstar rolled a 15! completely intact!]
[+1 coltsfoot]
Despite her recent screwup, she seemed to be doing well. The tabby quickly abandoned the nipped herbs and went out in search of thyme. She could've sworn she'd gathered that herb before, but even with the visual memory of it, she wasn't exactly sure.
Brown paws wandered and shuffled through grass before the pointed plant finally sprouted into view. She trotted over to it, and gingerly aimed her jaws.
Whisperingpaw looked up at Berryshine when she spoke, smiling softly at the healer's gesture of placing her tail on her shoulders. But that sadness...the sadness that she saw in Berryshine's eyes... Her brows furrowed. It seemed that Berryshine was stuck in some deep and troubling thoughts. "A-Are you okay?" She asked, but then shook her head. No, that was the wrong question. "I mean...what's troubling you?" There. That was what she actually meant to ask. She really needed to do better at selecting her words with precision... But she was thankful that it was Berryshine she was speaking with.
Whispy gathered a few more stems of the dandelion, looking up curiously at Berryshine as the healer approached her. Curiosity and hope. She really didn't want Berryshine to be upset with her at her question...not that she'd blame the medicine cat if she were. But that wasn't what the -paw saw in the healer's gaze. She saw...understanding. And a calm sensation came over Whispy in that moment. She beamed, tail twitching about happily as she hummed her agreement. So...having this interest didn't make her odd. And her path, it could be anything. She knew that what Berryshine said was right, she believed that too. That if she continued following StarClan's path, whether they had their direct connection restored or not, she would eventually find her place. "Trust." She purred, looking down at the dandelions briefly before looking back up at Berryshine. "In my heart...I-I know that the right thing! She trilled softly.
Wow! Spending time with Berryshine was...better than she ever anticipated! And the medic seemed to be feeling a little better, so that was good too. It seemed to Whispy that Berryshine enjoyed her company too, at least a little. So at the very least...I'm not a pest. Whispy could hardly stop purring at this rate, she was having such fun! "D-Do you have a garden?" She asked, turning to look at Berryshine with an excited sparkle in her eyes. "I could help you with it! Oh! And you can always send me on herb patrols!" That way, she could learn more and be fulfilling her duties! And helping with a garden - or even multiple! Wasn't that a simply delightful thought? - would give her an opportunity to learn and spend more time with Berryshine. Whispy shuffled her paws timidly before speaking again. "I-I hope...that we can continue to be friends." She mewed.
She wasn't expecting Berryshine to say no per say, but she also wasn't sure if being medicine cat came with some kind of friendship restrictions or something. Whispy knew that the rank came with different rules than the warriors had to abide by, or rather additional rules. But this, taking about different plants and StarClan and gathering herbs, was the most fun Whispy has had in a long time! She couldn't help a giggle of giddy joy, leaping to her paws. "Are there more?" She asked, her gaze almost pleading. "Herbs and plants here I m-mean." Or...was their excursion at its end? She didn't really want it to, but then again if all good things lasted forever how could we distinguish them from being good or not?
[OOC: LOL girl that's okay but also makes me worry about you. Also side note: I love how Berryshine is trying to avoid loading Whispy with philosophical jargon and she's like, doing it to herself. ]
[ LOL yes. they're both mindful of the other <3 and don't worry about me, my head just gets a little silly sometimes when it comes to remembering things xD ]
Berryshine's eyes had widened a bit when Whisperingpaw asked what was troubling her — then a moment later, her gaze softened. The young cat's concern reminded her of her discussions with Crowpaw and Rainpaw, too; all three of them were dearly empathetic she-cats. She shook her head for a moment, not wanting to trouble her with the depths of the Starcave collapse issue. That was likely something she'd get into with a future apprentice (if her heart and mind could prepare for one yet), as well as Owlstar and Sunheart. The last thing the medic wanted to do was sow any unrest in the Clan by showing her own waver in her faith (not in StarClan themselves, per se, but in what was happening to them).
"D-Don't worry, I'm just... well, y-you might remember that Owlstar mentioned the Starcave collapsing, yes? I was just remembering that day, a-and wondering how we'll be able to fix it. But I'm sure me and the other medicine cats will work s-something out soon," she mused, uplifting her voice into a hopeful, lighthearted tone so as to ease the true burden of the words.
It was encouraging as well to see Whisperingpaw uplifted by Berryshine's advice, to keep trusting and moving on down wherever life took her — and to see how much the pale-coated she-cat seemed to be enjoying this outing. It made the medic smile gently with a purr.
A garden? Berryshine tilted her head as the 'paw spoke, pondering the idea. She'd never quite considered it, but it made a lot of sense. It'd have to be outside the camp, since they lived among stones back at camp, but... it'd be easy access for herbs. Her eyes glinted in interest, a wider smile forming on her maw. "A-A garden, huh? That's a wonderful idea, Whisperingpaw... perhaps o-on a day when you're not on patrol or training, y-you could drop by." She wondered how much the young cat might already know about it; judging by the excitement in her voice, it seemed like a decent amount.
And then... those other few sentences made her chest warm. Awh... the apprentice wanted to be friends. She'd almost phrased it like a question, trying to see if that was allowed. Berryshine let out a soft purr and nodded, her gaze as warm as her tone. "O-Of course, Whisperingpaw. Even if we're both busy with our duties, I-I'm happy to be your friend. And I'll take u-up that offer about herb patrols," she added with a little laugh; it was always nice to find cats who wanted to go sticking their noses for plants. She felt bad prodding the same few each time.
Other plants? Berryshine perked up her head, gazing around. She nodded, spying a new patch of growth nearby. "Y-Yes, it seems so... newleaf is bringing its bounty. Come with me — don't forget your dandelion," the medic added, gesturing to the collected stems. Then she padded over to a patch of borage, the purple star-shaped flowers starting to bud and grow among the broad, coarse leaves with a refreshing scent.
"Do you recognize this one at all?" Berry wondered, glancing at Whispy.
[ +3 dandelion total - gathered from last two posts ]
__________________
art by c1nder Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat!
she has a semi-closed den policy.
Optional Prompt: Newleaf has been rather rainy, isn't it? The mist in this graveyard seems a bit thicker than usual! Nothing your nose can't work through, though... *sneezes*
"Don't let any ghost bite your toes." Adderstrike said nudging the apprentice playfully, Whisperingpaw. "Thought if they do, call for me... I'll kicked their butt!" She snickers before waving her tail as a little goodbye.
Adderstrike didn't go that far away from the whole group. Enough to still have an eye on them. Call her a worrywort or whatever you'd like but when there was a cat that was a single moon younger than her she felt she needed to protect them. Take care of them like a mother and protect them from harm, but you know what was actually harmful right now? ALL THIS MUD! Ok well maybe it wasn't that horrible but Adderstrike wasn't in the mood today to deal with it. Owlstar fouled her mood by... Existing.
Thinking about it, it was foggy today... Hopefully that teasing ghost story didn't actually scare the apprentice as she didn't stick around long enough to tell if it did. Oh well...? As the warrior trotted around she found some thyme and quickly went to gather some... The muddy ground pulled the whole thing out. With a sigh Adderstrike chewed off what she needed and planted the rest back in the ground. She pondered, maybe she could bring some of this back and grow it herself? Ah maybe later? +3 Thyme
Now for the next herb. Coltsfoot. Scouring up and down the place she finally found the flower. She took a mental note of the patch she found and harvested the whole flower, excluding roots, and walked to find the others. It wasn't like everyone was hunting prey so who cared about noisy footfall? As she went to join up with the two she thought about how she was able to help out berry and her clan. A soft purr formed in her throat before quickly fading. She needed to hang out with more cats... +2 Coltsfoot
Young Whispy trotted into the Seagrass Fields behind Owlstar and Adderstrike, beaming with excitement. She loved coming here now, it represented the memory of her coming here with Berryshine! She was surprised by Adderstrike's playful nudge, blinking in a moment of confusion. But she smiled, giggling softly at the tease. "Of course." She purred in her soft, hushed voice. But in truth, she wasn't worried. Even with the fog that was rolled in, she knew that ghosts were not something to fear. Well...not the ghosts - or rather, spirits - that would be found here.
Coltsfoot and thyme. She dipped her head as both Owlstar and Adderstrike went their own way, and she decided to set to work looking for the herbs Berryshine had shown them before their departure. Leaves mostly, but also the flowers if possible. And leave the roots. She recalled Berryshine's instructions, the scent of the herbs. But that wouldn't do her much good right now... When she tried to get a whiff, she only sneezed. She'd have to do this by sight.
She bent her head, looking closely for the yellow flowers of the coltsfoot herb. Whispy knew she'd have to be mindful that it looked similar to dandelion flowers, the leaves and center of the flowers looked different.
-d20: rolled 9-
She found some yellow flowers alright, but closer inspection showed they were dandelions. Whispy shook her head, not the right herb this time.
-d20: rolled 20-
There! She purred as she found a nice little grouping of coltsfoot flowers growing. She bit off a few of the leaves and blooms, leaving the stems and roots of the plants in tact.
+3 coltsfoot
Picking up her precious cargo, she turned her attention to the next herb: thyme. She made a mental note to ask Berryshine what these herbs were used for later. She used the flower heads themselves for poultices, but what for? And what were the leaves good for? She carried her coltsfoot carefully while she searched for the thyme, not wanting to accidentally bite into one and find out.
-d20: rolled 12-
Hmmm...she found a bushy looking thing that could have been thyme...but no. The shapes of the leaves weren't quite right, and Whispy would rather not risk it. She trusted her instincts on this one and kept looking, for all she knew this was some wild weed that did nothing. Or possibly even toxic.
-d20: rolled 15-
She spotted something that looked like the herb Berryshine showed them before they left. She set down the coltsfoot and picked a couple leaves from the thyme plant, there weren't any blooms on this bush so she left it mostly alone.
+2 thyme
Whispy collected her cargo and returned to where she left Owlstar and Adderstrike, sitting and waiting patiently for the other two to come back.
[ LOL yes. they're both mindful of the other <3 and don't worry about me, my head just gets a little silly sometimes when it comes to remembering things xD ]
Berryshine's eyes had widened a bit when Whisperingpaw asked what was troubling her — then a moment later, her gaze softened. The young cat's concern reminded her of her discussions with Crowpaw and Rainpaw, too; all three of them were dearly empathetic she-cats. She shook her head for a moment, not wanting to trouble her with the depths of the Starcave collapse issue. That was likely something she'd get into with a future apprentice (if her heart and mind could prepare for one yet), as well as Owlstar and Sunheart. The last thing the medic wanted to do was sow any unrest in the Clan by showing her own waver in her faith (not in StarClan themselves, per se, but in what was happening to them).
"D-Don't worry, I'm just... well, y-you might remember that Owlstar mentioned the Starcave collapsing, yes? I was just remembering that day, a-and wondering how we'll be able to fix it. But I'm sure me and the other medicine cats will work s-something out soon," she mused, uplifting her voice into a hopeful, lighthearted tone so as to ease the true burden of the words.
It was encouraging as well to see Whisperingpaw uplifted by Berryshine's advice, to keep trusting and moving on down wherever life took her — and to see how much the pale-coated she-cat seemed to be enjoying this outing. It made the medic smile gently with a purr.
A garden? Berryshine tilted her head as the 'paw spoke, pondering the idea. She'd never quite considered it, but it made a lot of sense. It'd have to be outside the camp, since they lived among stones back at camp, but... it'd be easy access for herbs. Her eyes glinted in interest, a wider smile forming on her maw. "A-A garden, huh? That's a wonderful idea, Whisperingpaw... perhaps o-on a day when you're not on patrol or training, y-you could drop by." She wondered how much the young cat might already know about it; judging by the excitement in her voice, it seemed like a decent amount.
And then... those other few sentences made her chest warm. Awh... the apprentice wanted to be friends. She'd almost phrased it like a question, trying to see if that was allowed. Berryshine let out a soft purr and nodded, her gaze as warm as her tone. "O-Of course, Whisperingpaw. Even if we're both busy with our duties, I-I'm happy to be your friend. And I'll take u-up that offer about herb patrols," she added with a little laugh; it was always nice to find cats who wanted to go sticking their noses for plants. She felt bad prodding the same few each time.
Other plants? Berryshine perked up her head, gazing around. She nodded, spying a new patch of growth nearby. "Y-Yes, it seems so... newleaf is bringing its bounty. Come with me — don't forget your dandelion," the medic added, gesturing to the collected stems. Then she padded over to a patch of borage, the purple star-shaped flowers starting to bud and grow among the broad, coarse leaves with a refreshing scent.
"Do you recognize this one at all?" Berry wondered, glancing at Whispy.
[ +3 dandelion total - gathered from last two posts ]
Whispy frowned slightly with Berryshine shook her head, but she said nothing. Perhaps it was medicine cat business? Did she overstep? But then she felt a little relieved when the herbalist started to explain that her thoughts were dwelling on the Starcave's collapse. She blinked sympathetically and nodded. "I'm sure that you will. Because I'm certain you're not the only ones looking for a solution." She mewed with a smile, blinking upwards towards the sky. "I'm positive...S-StarClan is looking for a solution too." And she believed that, with her whole heart.
She knew that her clanmates were losing faith in their warrior ancestors, but she had to believe in them. How could they expect their ancestors to support them if they couldn't at least offer them their faith in times of difficulty? She hoped that little bit of encouragement she could give helped. It was nice talking to a cat who was like-minded in spirit like this. And nerdy for herbs!
Whisperingpaw perked up when Berryshine said a garden might be a good idea. She nodded eagerly. "I-I would be happy to!" She purred, her voice carrying a little more than usual. It actually startled her a little, causing her to blink in surprise and stare at Berryshine a moment. Before laughing softly. "S-Sorry...I just got really excited." She swished her tail bashfully against the ground. Whispy knew she didn't need to explain herself or apologize to Berryshine for being excited about plants, but it just seemed like good manners to do so anyway.
But if she thought was excited before, that didn't hold a claw to the excitement she felt when Berryshine agreed to be friends. In her joy, Whispy jumped to her paws, a delighted trilling sound coming from her throat. She touched her nose to Berryshine's with a purr. "Th-Thank you, Berryshine!" She chirped, eyes sparkling. She resisted the urge to say "I won't let you down", because that just seemed silly. But she wasn't sure how else to express her gratitude. It's not like somecat handed her a guide for how to navigate relationships within the clan like this, the warrior code was certainly no help. "And I hope you do! E-Especially new herbs s-so I can learn more...b-but all kinds of herbs r-really!" All the plants. Any plants. She wanted to learn about them all.
She nodded eagerly, lifting her dandelions and following Berryshine to the next plant. Whispy set her dandelion down and leaned in closer, giving this new herb a good sniff. "It smells...refreshing?" She mewed, blinking up at Berryshine. She was a little disappointed that she didn't know the answer, but mostly she was excited. A new herb! "I-I'm afraid...I don't know what it is." She answered, although there wasn't that much disappointment in her gaze. More excitement at the prospect of learning about a new plant.
Whispy frowned slightly with Berryshine shook her head, but she said nothing. Perhaps it was medicine cat business? Did she overstep? But then she felt a little relieved when the herbalist started to explain that her thoughts were dwelling on the Starcave's collapse. She blinked sympathetically and nodded. "I'm sure that you will. Because I'm certain you're not the only ones looking for a solution." She mewed with a smile, blinking upwards towards the sky. "I'm positive...S-StarClan is looking for a solution too." And she believed that, with her whole heart.
She knew that her clanmates were losing faith in their warrior ancestors, but she had to believe in them. How could they expect their ancestors to support them if they couldn't at least offer them their faith in times of difficulty? She hoped that little bit of encouragement she could give helped. It was nice talking to a cat who was like-minded in spirit like this. And nerdy for herbs!
Whisperingpaw perked up when Berryshine said a garden might be a good idea. She nodded eagerly. "I-I would be happy to!" She purred, her voice carrying a little more than usual. It actually startled her a little, causing her to blink in surprise and stare at Berryshine a moment. Before laughing softly. "S-Sorry...I just got really excited." She swished her tail bashfully against the ground. Whispy knew she didn't need to explain herself or apologize to Berryshine for being excited about plants, but it just seemed like good manners to do so anyway.
But if she thought was excited before, that didn't hold a claw to the excitement she felt when Berryshine agreed to be friends. In her joy, Whispy jumped to her paws, a delighted trilling sound coming from her throat. She touched her nose to Berryshine's with a purr. "Th-Thank you, Berryshine!" She chirped, eyes sparkling. She resisted the urge to say "I won't let you down", because that just seemed silly. But she wasn't sure how else to express her gratitude. It's not like somecat handed her a guide for how to navigate relationships within the clan like this, the warrior code was certainly no help. "And I hope you do! E-Especially new herbs s-so I can learn more...b-but all kinds of herbs r-really!" All the plants. Any plants. She wanted to learn about them all.
She nodded eagerly, lifting her dandelions and following Berryshine to the next plant. Whispy set her dandelion down and leaned in closer, giving this new herb a good sniff. "It smells...refreshing?" She mewed, blinking up at Berryshine. She was a little disappointed that she didn't know the answer, but mostly she was excited. A new herb! "I-I'm afraid...I don't know what it is." She answered, although there wasn't that much disappointment in her gaze. More excitement at the prospect of learning about a new plant.
total: +3 dandelion
StarClan looking for a solution, too... that was a nice thought. It was something Berryshine had quietly hoped for, but had begun to dwindle some hope. Yet hearing the apprentice's positive words, the medic purred in agreement, feeling some of her spirits lifted.
As they padded over to the borage and Whisperingpaw had her excited moment, Berryshine let out a soft mrrow of endearment, giving the 'paw a soft glance. "N-No need to apologize, Whisperingpaw. You should never have to say sorry for being excited over the things you love," she enthused. Of course there were some things that cats loved that were a little... darker, but Whispy's love for plants was no such sinister thing. So Berry was happy to encourage her to lean into that enthusiasm, as innocent and heartwarming as it was.
Following the apprentice's gaze, Berryshine watched as Whisperingpaw inspected the plant. The breeze ruffled the fresh grass around them as she nodded, noting borage's crisp scent. "T-This is borage," the medicine cat explained, happy to see that Whispy's eyes were more excited to learn than disappointed for not knowing. "I usually just need the leaves, b-but sometimes take a flower or too to help discern it from the other herbs in my storage. Especially if I'm teaching it."
She nosed some of the stalks, carefully plucking some of the leaves as her nose brushed the coarse surface. "Remember in my first aid demonstration, I-I said that marigold is important for preventing infection? Well, if it sets in anyway, this is an e-essential herb to help combat the fevers and heal from the inside out. I'll usually prescribe a few d-doses of this as needed, watching over the sick cat."
__________________
art by c1nder Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat!
she has a semi-closed den policy.
StarClan looking for a solution, too... that was a nice thought. It was something Berryshine had quietly hoped for, but had begun to dwindle some hope. Yet hearing the apprentice's positive words, the medic purred in agreement, feeling some of her spirits lifted.
As they padded over to the borage and Whisperingpaw had her excited moment, Berryshine let out a soft mrrow of endearment, giving the 'paw a soft glance. "N-No need to apologize, Whisperingpaw. You should never have to say sorry for being excited over the things you love," she enthused. Of course there were some things that cats loved that were a little... darker, but Whispy's love for plants was no such sinister thing. So Berry was happy to encourage her to lean into that enthusiasm, as innocent and heartwarming as it was.
Following the apprentice's gaze, Berryshine watched as Whisperingpaw inspected the plant. The breeze ruffled the fresh grass around them as she nodded, noting borage's crisp scent. "T-This is borage," the medicine cat explained, happy to see that Whispy's eyes were more excited to learn than disappointed for not knowing. "I usually just need the leaves, b-but sometimes take a flower or too to help discern it from the other herbs in my storage. Especially if I'm teaching it."
She nosed some of the stalks, carefully plucking some of the leaves as her nose brushed the coarse surface. "Remember in my first aid demonstration, I-I said that marigold is important for preventing infection? Well, if it sets in anyway, this is an e-essential herb to help combat the fevers and heal from the inside out. I'll usually prescribe a few d-doses of this as needed, watching over the sick cat."
Whispy ducked her bashfully, but nodded with a grateful smile. She knew the medic would say something like that. Something clicked in the pale gray cat's mind when Berryshine explained what borage was used for. "Oh!" She chirped in recognition. "This is wh-what you meant then. B-By infections on the inside." She recalled now, when she had asked Berryshine about what happens when there's an infection on the inside. That's right! She mentioned borage then!
Whispy inspected the herb with renewed awe. "So this is borage then... I-Is one dose t-the same as one leaf?" But as she looked up at Berryshine eagerly, the young cat apparently remembered herself. She was training to be a warrior...knowing the dosage for something like this was totally unnecessary. But still...she hoped Berryshine would tell her more about the herb. She was curious, the nagging desire to know gnawing at her like an itch she couldn't quite scratch.
Whispy cast Berryshine an apologetic glance before looking at the borage and carefully snipping of a couple leaves with her teeth. That was all she could carry...which also meant that they'd probably be heading back soon. That was...kinda sad to think about. But then again, this trip coming to an end just meant the next trip was that much closer right? The next trip! The thought made Whispy tingle with delight. "W-Will we be able to go out on another patrol soon?" She asked, carefully gathering her borage leaves with her dandelion for the trip back to the camp. Though she was unable to resist looking up at Berryshine with those wide, pleading eyes.
Re: Seagrass Fields
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Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat! 
