AS LONG AS IM HERE WITH YOU [ ✦ ] 'herb patrol'


Her family. There is nothing Starlingheart loves more than the little family she had created for herself. Her mate, Nettlepaw, Flintpaw and Ghostpaw she loves all of them and, while she had always dreamed of bigger she is content with what she has now. Now that her children are apprentices though, she feels as if she hardly sees them anymore. So preoccupied with all of their own duties, they did not have time to spend together other than a shared meal here and there. And now with Flintkit being made into Flintpaw it is even more so lonely for her in the medicine cats den. That is why today she had left her den with such a determined look on her face, had found all of her kits mentors and told them that, with Magpiepaw gone, she needed an extra set of paws to help her with an herb patrol. It wasn't exactly a lie, she would in fact need some help. She had gone to her mate too to ask if he wished to join them as well. His new duties as lead warrior were many, she knows, but still, she is hopeful that he can find time to pull himself away, to be with her and their kits. Together.


She weaves her way through the forest with her little troop in tow. "We are-we are looking for-for honey, chickweed and feverfew" she tells them as they make their way through the pines "Remember, do-don't tuh-touch anything that you don't know and if you're uncertain c-come find me" no one would be getting sick from touching unknown plants today, she would make sure of it. She fixes all of her children with an intense gaze for only a moment to try and convey that she is serious before her face returns to its usual warm smile, unable to remain cold in the face of her kits.

"Why don't you all tuh-tell me how your training has been going? What-what're you learning right now?" they might as well catch up while they worked and besides, she doesn't expect them to gather any herbs. More or less they were only here to keep her company while she searched and to help carry whatever she did manage to gather home.




  • she / her
    shadowclan medicine cat
    mates with Granitepelt

    57481195_eU7dbr873IhoDGh.gif
    - - a small, black furred she-cat with green eyes
    toyhouse [ ]

    - - Starlingheart is the reclusive and anxious medicine cat of shadowclan. She tries her best to always be kind and to wear her heart on her sleeve but life has not always dealt her the best hand. Still, she does her best to remain optimistic and faithful to starclan even in the face of her clans cynicism. Because of her stutter, which is starting to improve as she gets older and gains more confidence in herself, she tries to speak as little as possible. Her quiet demeanor has granted her a valuable skill, however, the ability to listen. She prefers to hang back in the shadows and observe over being in the spotlight and because of this she has learned to pick up on things quickly. It is what she can attribute her quick skills as a medicine cat to, the ability to retain information, the ability to learn swiftly. Despite the way life has gone for her, she believes that there is good in everyone she meets. Because of this she trusts easily and therefor is easy to manipulate.
    INFJ-T 'the advocate'

    skilled medicine cat ; not very good at anything else
    BRIARSTAR X AMBER; sister to pitchstar, nightswarm, chittertongue, skunktail, and lilacfur; mother to nettlekit, ghostkit and flintkit

 

Whatever willingness he'd once held to keep toiling away at his duties was dying rather rapidly. Success had flowed as easily into his paws as poison from a spider's fangs, and only a moon in he was beginning to grow sick of it. Starlingheart's offer to alleviate the monotony by doing something different, even if it was medicine-related, had earned a cheer of agreement from the cinnamon-and-white tom, blue eyes clear with curiosity.

Ivory ears angled attentively, the sought plants (or otherwise) committing to his memory. "What's feverfew look like?" Herbs all smelled the same to him, melding into each other- early life in the medicine den had forged that perception. A visual learner from what Nightswarm had been telling him, Nettlepaw would need to be told past the names exactly what he was looking for. He guessed she was so used to working with Magpiepaw, who was off Stars-knew-where by now, hopefully stumbling across some lungwort.

A serious facade crumbled rather easily on his mother's soft face, but he knew she meant it when she told them not to touch anything. For a few moments he blinked at her question- what'd be the best thing to say? For her to worry for his progress would be less than desirable- it'd probably hurt her, in fact. "Oh, it's going good," he said, and delved no deeper. It was enough of an answer. More than he'd volunteer for someone he didn't know well. "Haven't sparred much, yet... I think that'll probably be next."
penned by pin ♡
 
Flintpaw trails dutifully behind his mother, head swinging low between his shoulders as he scans the boggy earth for the herbs she'd listed. He knows vaguely the shape of these ones thanks to his extended stay in the medicine den; they had been offered to him as a balm for his illness many times when he'd been sick. But he's not sick anymore– no, he's fine now, he is sure of it. He is fine despite the film that sometimes sits in his throat, in his lungs. He is fine despite the horror he feels that he might get sick all over again. But Starlingheart would rescue him, if it came to it. She'd done it once already.

When Starlingheart posits her question, his dual-toned gaze sweeps his siblings first, wondering if they might have something to offer before him. They have, after all, been training for a moon longer than he has been; he feels as though he has no stories yet to share. But still, it is Flintpaw who next speaks up: "Scalejaw and I are doing battle training." He neglects to mention that they've only barely started; thankfully it seems Nettlepaw is only slightly ahead of him in that regard. What he does know is that Nettlepaw is leagues ahead of him in hunting, and that is a fact that makes his pelt burn with jealousy. He needed to catch up, and fast.

"I like it," he supplies, though truly he has formed no opinion, hardly capable of a good pounce, let alone a spar. But he needs his family to know that he is just as strong, just as far along as they are, despite his setback. Flintpaw's nose wrinkles as a particularly fragrant flower bombards his senses. Pausing, he looks up to Starlingheart. "I think this is one."

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    flintkit . flintpaw
    — he / they / she ; apprentice of shadowclan
    — short-haired solid blue tom with low white and blue/green heterochromatic eyes
    — "speech" ; thoughts
    — headshot by me, avatar by lovettebunny
    — penned by meghan
 
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XXXXXTruthfully, Granitepelt is busier now that he is on Chilledstar’s council than he has ever been. He is expected to pull the weight Sabletuft had abandoned and Ferndance had had stolen from her, and then he has his duties to Sootstar to honor as well. He had asked another warrior to take Applepaw training for the day, just this once—Starlingheart had asked him to gather herbs with her and the kits, and he rarely gets the opportunity to spend a non-dreary moment with his mate. That she’d asked the kits to come stings a bit, however, and he finds his mood growing fouler as they patrol.

XXXXXShe looks adoringly at each of them in turn, asking about their training and ignoring the new duties he’s had bestowed upon him. Granitepelt fumes quietly as the kits talk about mundane things like battle training and hunting. His tail whips behind him, expression faintly disturbed. “Are you teaching them to be medicine cat apprentices, too?” He watches with clear disapproval as Flintpaw identifies one of the blooms. “Once we’re finished, I’d like you to show me something you’ve learned, each of you.” His gaze is directed solely on Flintpaw and Nettlepaw—for all he cares, Ghostpaw is not present at all.



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