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Post by flamexcat on Aug 8, 2009 18:10:07 GMT -5
The grassy nest beneath Falconpaw stirred quitely as the tom lifted his head, blinking sleep out of his eyes in the process. Pale gray light streamed weakly into the medicine cat den and the apprentice parted his muzzle in a wide yawn. Feeling the effects of a sleepless night dawn down on him, the white cat shook his head, "Mmm...I could almost swear I just went to sleep..." he thought blankly. Still, as much as he would have liked to continue dozing, Falconpaw knew that it wouldn't be an option. Tail tip flickering, he let out a long sigh and slowly rose to his paws. Bits of bedding fell lazily down from his pelt while others clung on like annoying burs. Narrowing his sharp golden eyes, Falconpaw lowered his head to swipe the pieces off with his tongue. After a few frustrating moments, he sat up again satisfied with his wash and let his gaze wander. Almost immediately he spotted a scattered clump of herbs separated from the others and out of habit the white cat stood and padded over to the mess. Carefully he nuzzled the plants and let there scent wash over him trying to decided there name, "Watermint?" He whispered out loud, concentrating harder on the strong smell, "no...Marigold of course." Convinced he was right, he pushed his mouth closer and clamped the herb gently in his jaws preparing to put them back in there rightful place.
( Bad...sorry. =[ )
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 9, 2009 9:58:25 GMT -5
Cloverleaf was sitting outside of her den, listening to the morning birds begin their songs. She smelled many things in the air as a breeze wafted past her. There were the scents of heather and sage coming from the Moore. The smells of Windclan cats still sleeping in their dens. The taste of many herbs clung to the air next to her den. These were scents most would miss, as they were only faintly escaping the den, but after moons of working with the plants, Cloverleaf could smell them from across the camp! Her nose was well practiced in picking out the different tangs and earthy smells. She sniffed the air again, taking in the sweetness of Goldenrod, the sharpness of Tansy, and the gentle comfort of Honey. Something else got her attention too...Though it was not a scent. Soft noises now escaped the medicine den. Guessing that her apprentice was now awake, the medicine cat strolled back into her den. Immediately she found that she was right. Her apprentice stood organizing herbs, and she smiled at him. "You are correct." she meowed, as he debated with himself out loud about which herb was which. "That is Marigold. " she added. She bent over to help him sort. "How was your sleep?" she asked Falconpaw through a mouthful of herbs.
OOC: If yours is bad, then mine is terrible! =)
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Post by flamexcat on Aug 9, 2009 11:58:44 GMT -5
Halfway through the process of lifting his head did the words of his mentor drift into the den. Ears pricking alertly he looked over his shoulder to see Cloverleaf outlined against the entrance smiling warmly at him. Sleek white tail brushing calmly over the ground, Falconpaw gave a dip of his head in greeting and mumbled,"good morning" through his mouthful. Unsurprisingly she came to join him and soon they were side by side working on the task. For a moment the white tom's pelt prickled with agitation, he didn't need help! But knowing it was useless to argue, he shrugged off the feeling on continued to work. "How was your sleep?" Falconpaw blinked at the question. Finely dropping some of the plants softly on the ground he answered, "Okay I guess..." he meowed, prodding the herb gently into place with his fore paw. Naturally not wanting to speak much, yet hating the silence, he sighed and glanced over at the green eyed she-cat. "And yours?" The apprentice questioned politely, turning his head again to pick up a pile of Fever few.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 9, 2009 20:51:25 GMT -5
Cloverleaf thought for a moment about her sleep. She had not slept long. Maybe a few hours at most...she had also been troubled with a dream in which she was aware that she was dreaming, but she could see nothing and feel nothing. It was strange, and when she woke up, she felt uneasy. "My sleep was troubled by a rather empty, yet somehow unsettling dream." she answered at last, her eyes serious and thoughtful. "Though I don't have to guess at how my sleep was. I am decisive." she added to Falconpaw, giving the young tom a teasing look. "What kind of an answer was 'ok I guess...' " She could tell that her apprentice was in one of his less social moods, but that didn't stop Cloverleaf from being friendly. Cloverleaf might be a quiet, not very rowdy cat. However, she was still a cat who liked to talk and joke. Especially when dealing with dull work like re-sorting herbs.
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Post by flamexcat on Aug 9, 2009 22:09:14 GMT -5
Now it was Falconpaws turn to recall what he had drempt. Shuffling his paws akwardly, he let his golden eyes fix on the ground. It hadn't been the worst dream he had had lately, but it disturbed him slightly. The apprentice shivered mentaly as he brought it back to mind. In his dream it had been blizzarding as it had done all those moons ago, except instead of being a kit, he was the same age as he was in the present. Like he had done many times in his sleep, Falconpaw had been trying to remove a cold lump of fur burried beneath the snow. It was a useless task, but he would have continued anyway if it weren't for the blurry gray shape appearing on the hillside. Feeling somehow connected to this cat and desprete, he had begun yowling, "Help me! Help me or she'll die!" But the cat ignored him. Feeling it was his only hope, he had continuded to call even when the form had walked away. It was when he turned back to his frozen mother to find her gone had he jolted awake. Now trying to figure out how to put such a thing into words, he sighed and shook his head deciding it was better if he kept it to himself. "It's my answer, and there's nothing to worry about...just a dream" He muttered, whiskers twitching as he returned to work.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 10, 2009 10:50:47 GMT -5
Cloverleaf did not entirely believe her apprentice's answer. After all, he sounded odd as he spoke. But the medicine cat had learned that sometimes it was better to let Falconpaw keep things to himself. If something was bothering him, he knew he could talk to her if he wanted. She plopped the last of the herbs into their correct piles, and turned to the tom. "We need more Goldenrod today. Especially because it thrives during Greenleaf, and we need to get as much as possible before the colds cut off our supply. Can you remember what Goldenrod is used for Falconpaw?" she asked her apprentice, getting right back into her usual mentoring mood. Seeing the small pile of Goldenrod was almost saddening. She was glad to know there was a large and still health group of the stuff growing near the Riverclan border...Of coarse, caution would be necessary. Especially after the recent scuffle on that border.
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Post by flamexcat on Aug 10, 2009 12:35:13 GMT -5
Falconpaw couldn't help but be relieved when Cloverleaf didn't question him any farther. Sitting up, he watched patiently as his mentor finished the job and turn back to look at him. The white cat pricked his ears intently when she began to talk about Goldenrod and he nodded slowly in agreement until she asked him what the herb was for. He had been expecting this and he lifted his head confidently, "Goldenrod can be used for wounds, but it works especially good on joints and muscles, right?" Falconpaw replied, his golden gaze fixed hopefully on Cloverleaf.
(Eh...short.)
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 11, 2009 12:26:02 GMT -5
"You are correct Falconpaw. Good job. I especially like the commitment to the answer. Confidence is important as a medicine cat. If you are unsure of yourself, you bring that uncertainty into the practice. Things can be disastrous when you are uncertain and hesitate." Cloverleaf meowed appraisingly. She thought a moment and added, "Though if you really haven't the slightest clue what to do, hesitation might be wisest." she purred. She flicked Falconpaw's flank with her tail, and turned around, walking out of the den. She started to head for the camp exit, knowing her apprentice would meet her there. She already felt much better. After being awake a while, and working...Well, the she-cat's dream was just a distant thought, at the far back of her mind.
OOC: Eh. Mine too. =)
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Post by flamexcat on Aug 11, 2009 17:27:59 GMT -5
Trying not to become over confident by the praise, Falconpaw nodded, although he couldn't help but smile a little. When Cloverleaf stood to go, he did the same eager to leave camp and the remains of his nightmare behind him. "Dumb dreams. Why can't I dream about something useful, like the best places to find herbs?" he thought sourly to himself, paws gripping the ground out of frustration. But the moment didn't last long and soon he was padding silently out of the medicine cat den tail waving behind him. As they walked through camp, Falconpaw noticed that a few cats had taken to waking early, though not many. His large ears easily picked out the sounds of his clan-mates stirring in there dens and he guessed it wouldn't be long before the camp would be full of them.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 11, 2009 18:16:20 GMT -5
Sure enough, as Cloverleaf exited camp, she heard the tell tale sound of her apprentice's paw-steps behind her. She also heard the sounds of many cats waking in the camp and starting their days. Those sounds slowly faded the farther from camp the medicine cat and her apprentice walked. Cloverleaf slowed to fall into step with Falconpaw, not wanting to seem distant or closed off. She smelled the air of the Moore, her senses coming to life. Cloverleaf could smell heather and lavender, sage and earth. She also could see brilliant sunlight streaming over a hill as the sun breeched the horizon. The winds rustled the tall grass, making it seem as though the Moore was a rippling pool of life. It was a beautiful day, and the medicine cat was glad for the happy weather. Gathering herbs in the rain and snow was not her favorite pass time..."It sure is nice today." the she-cat meowed with a side glance at Falconpaw. A blackbird sang its high pitched song somewhere in the distance, and a second took off from a hiding spot to her left.
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Post by flamexcat on Aug 16, 2009 13:02:00 GMT -5
Feeling the fresh moorland breeze enter his lungs as he followed after Cloverleaf, Falconpaw couldn't help but take in the air with deep satisfied breaths. The warmth of the sun's rays bathed his tired joints and muscles, waking him fully from the little sleep he had managed to get.. "It sure is nice today." Falonpaw nodded in silent agreement as his mentor pointed out the enjoyable weather. "Its not the first thing on my list of entertaining things to do...but gathering herbs is better than staying in camp all day long," he thought to himself, nose twitching curiously as a cricket hopped up in front of his face. For a split second he watched it calmly, golden eyes following the tiny creature as it retreated farther into the grass. When he was sure it had gone, the apprentice shook his pelt and picked up his pace to catch up to the gray she-cat leading the way.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 16, 2009 14:02:43 GMT -5
"Sometimes I forget how mature you are Falconpaw." Cloverleaf meowed over her shoulder. "Most cats, even warriors, would have jumped all over that cricket." she laughed a little. "Though a little playfulness never hurt anyone. Except the cricket perhaps." Her eyes were smiling and bright. She herself sometimes chased bugs when she had time to herself. It was nice to act like a kit every now and again. Especially when you had a job as stressful as hers. If she didn't let her mind run a little, the work she did would overwhelm her, and she would become half the medicine cat she was today. Cloverleaf looked again at her apprentice, willing him to speak. His silence was sometimes more deafening than a screech. Not that she really minded. She just worried that he was upset inside or something...
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Post by flamexcat on Aug 17, 2009 20:37:27 GMT -5
Looking up as his mentor spoke, Falconpaw's ears swiveled and he couldn't help but feel that she was trying to urge him onto conversation. Sighing quietly, his shoulders lifted in a shrug and dropped again as he continued to walk. "Yeah I guess you could look at it that way," the tall white cat murmured, watching has every time he stepped a small puff of dust would rise and than spread into the air. "Its getting dry..." he thought for almost no reason at all, his long white snake of a tail wavering behind him. The apprentice didn't even have to lift his maw to scent the oncoming smell of the Riverclan border, they were nearly there.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 18, 2009 11:45:24 GMT -5
Sure enough, a few moments passed and the two cats emerged from the tall grass directly in front of a thin line of trees. In the distance, the river gurgled and bubbled loudly. Cloverleaf sniffed the air, not wanting to linger long this close to Riverclan. Not after the nasty battle they had been through recently...The smell of fish, though that could have been the medicine cat's imagination running from her, seemed to linger in the air around the border. It contrasted boldly with the airy scents of her own clan. Cloverleaf looked at Falconpaw. "Ok Falconpaw. Can you find me the Goldenrod plant?" she asked the white tom. She had to test her apprentice about this stuff, despite her not wanting to spend so much time here.
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Post by flamexcat on Aug 18, 2009 23:21:24 GMT -5
Stopping beside the gray she-cat as they parted through the long grass, Falonpaw's eyes narrowed faintly as the fishy scent of Riverclan wafted around him. The scent was fresh, obviously just marked, but there was no sign of cats nearby. Relaxing, he turned his head to listen to Cloverleaf as she asked him about Goldenrod. Instantly the picture of the herb came to his head, and tail tip indicating she should follow, the apprentice turned and began to pad down a gentle slope. Halting after a moment, he raised his muzzle and let the scent of the moorland come to him, waiting to pick out a particular smell. It didn't take long before he picked out the faint, yet almost sweet odor of the plant. Tail raising like a flag, Falconpaw started to move again, this time at a faster pace. This way he continued following his sense of smell and only stopping once more as he moved on the invisible trail. Now the herb was very close, and as he careful peered ahead, the tom could make out the bright yellow-gold flowers almost glimmering through a patch of weeds were he knew he would find plenty Goldenrod. "Its just up ahead!" Falconpaw called over his shoulder, pushing through a tangle of undergrowth.
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