camp boy with a coin ― intro

[nettlepaw.]

..... He couldn't clearly remember the last time he actually stepped beyond the camp. Maybe to hunt, but even then, it was too dull and fruitless to recall. As such, the majority of his time was spent idling ― or sulking, as some would call it. Observing from afar... that couldn't be all he was good for, was it?

..... Nettlepaw couldn't find his mentor that morning. Predictable. He might not have known much yet, but he knew when other cats wanted nothing to do with him. The autumn wind ruffled his shaggy coat as he waited on the edge of camp; his fur was only slightly impervious to the cold. It didn't affect him as he watched warriors and apprentices alike go about their daily tasks, chattering amongst themselves. He supposed he didn't necessarily have to wait for an assignment. As of recent, he began to take matters into his own paws. Raking out old moss from dens, clearing not-so-fresh scraps from the fresh-kill pile, and even clearing away stray debris like twigs and branches from the main foot traffic of camp. Anything to feel useful. Except most of that had been accomplished already, leaving him with nothing to do but twiddle his paws.

..... The young cat sighed to himself, shoulders slumping. Though his gaze was downcast as he pushed himself to stand, a flaw in the gorse wall managed to catch his attention from the corner of his eye. He lifted his head, bristly tail swishing behind him in interest. The tangled barrier was broken, as though something, or someone, had charged straight through it and punched a cat-shaped hole through the weaved heather. Nettlepaw leaned to sniff at the intact thorns, only to find a few strands of white fur caught between the branches. He could faintly recognize it as Oliveshade. His snout creased in annoyance, though his face soon relaxed into his standard morose expression. A decision was made; he would repair what his mentor had broken, though it may be as simple as a dent in the camp's wall. He slipped through the damaged gorse, carefully stepping over the thorns that threatened to snag on his fur.

..... The undersized apprentice didn't plan on straying far, still in sight of the camp as he gathered his materials from the closest gorse bush he could find. Cautiously breaking off spiny branches one by one with the occasional poke, then returning the collected gorse piece by piece through the hole he escaped from. The process was tedious, to say the least. Even when he was technically beyond the camp's perimeters, he still trotted back to the sandy ditch with his last bundle of gorse between his jaws, like a bird to its thorny nest. Ducking back through the wall, he spat out the last bit of gorse onto his collected pile and leaned back on his haunches in front of the hole. Clumsily, he started to weave the newer branches with the old muddled mess of prior plants, hissing a note of pain every once in a while when a thorn or two jabbed into a paw or his muzzle.​

 

[coalfoot]

———————————————【 coalfoot | windclan | male 】——————————————

【◈】Maybe it wasn't to everyone, but Coalfoot considered it obvious that Oliveshade may not be... the best mentor, for lack of better terms. She seemed to plainly avoid the young apprentice, his lost look squeezing his heart with pity. Nettlepaw seemed to try his best. He really did. He was often directionless, with the one cat meant to be his guide sorely falling short, although he was starting to wonder if it was on purpose. She had never seemed particularly fond of the young.

Coalfoot watched Nettlepaw quietly, expression somewhat unreadable, if not pitied. Although he hadn't immediately noticed what the other was up to, it didn't take him long to piece it together as he got to his paws and approached. "Would you like some help?" he asked softly, so as not to startle, tail brushing his flank. "Gorse isn't much fun to mess with." Plucking a strand, he carefully began to weave it into the wall.

"It's best to keep them as close together as you can," he explained after a moment, carefully nudging it bit by bit so as not to prick his paws. "And avoid weaving them around each other, rather than the main plant itself, so that it's more stable. We don't want it coming loose or dislodged in windy weather." Coalfoot reached over after he had finished with his own piece, gently nudging Nettlepaw aside to demonstrate with the strand he had been working with. "Like this," he said with concentration, wiggling it more firmly into place. Upon pricking his paw, he jerked back with a soft ow.

[penned by its_oliverr].

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[hyacinthbreath]

♚ Hyacinthbreath was more accustomed to the building of the tunnels than the gorse walls that protected their camp, preferring the darkness and dirt down below. She was tiny, after all- those tunnels were like every other place she'd been. More comforting, though.

Violet-tinted hues flutter open as the molly hears talking from outside of the tunnel she was resting in, the greyscale woman poking her head out to spot Coalfoot talking to Oliveshade's apprentice; Nettlepaw, was it? "I see you're having fun with that." She chuckles softly, accented tone deep with amusement. She did enjoy watching apprentices learn; her own apprentice was learning fairly quickly, though she needed more help with feelings than fighting and hunting. Seemed she was a natural at the latter two.

When the soft 'ow' leaves Coalfoot's lips, Hyacinth's ears prick up in worry; after their border patrol, Hyacinthbreath had a certain respect for Coalfoot- and that carried over to worry for him. "Watch your paws, Nettlepaw. You good, mate? Need Dandy?" She calls out to the two toms, head tilting. ​

 

[Dandelionwish]

A mental note was made to check himself for gray hairs, it was a wonder he wasn't a colorless cat now with how much WindClan had aged him in such short time. He felt ancient, derelict, timeless as the wind itself but often everchanging. He pondered over whether or not he should consider an apprentice already because the weight alone was too much to handle at times and he sympathized more and more with Honeytwist's suffering. But he was not so cruel, he couldn't put another cat in his position knowing it would break them and as long as he had a strong back and stronger still sense of morals he was going to manage on his own one way or another.

He hears his name and it makes him lift his head from staring intently at some plants he did not recognize tangled in the tall grass, twin brown triangles go upward and swivel to the side; he knew that voice and it wasn't hard to spot her at the outside edge of the camp. The point tom ambled over, head low and wheat stem bobbing in his mouth with each step before he arrived on the scene where it seemed his clanmates were wrestling with some gorse for border that had seemingly been damaged. What foolheaded cat went bursting it through it like that? Ridiculous.
"If ye stick yourselves too bad make sure to visit me...infections ain't no joke and will put ye down right quick." He sighed, "Ye see it get red or it itches in a few days hurry to me den."
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[nettlepaw.]

..... A voice over his shoulder caused him to startle, fumbling with the gorse and dropping it on the ground. His head swiveled to blink at the one responsible ― Coalfoot. Nettlepaw exhaled a sharp sigh, partially relieved. He wasn't sure how to react to the tail brushed along his side, only rolling a shoulder in shrugged response. "I guess," he mumbled back, leaning down to collect the fallen gorse, though he recoiled as Coalfoot took over the weaving instead, instructing him as he worked. His ears faltered back with slight embarrassment, but he watched attentively regardless. And when the warrior pricked himself, his face flooded with concern, inching closer as if to examine the wound.

..... Fortunately, he wouldn't have to pick up the role of first-aid. Hyacinthbreath and Dandelionwish themselves had taken notice, though for what reason he couldn't assume. He found it much easier to admire the ground than to look up at them, however. "Yeah," he finally sighed out, though in response to what, he couldn't confirm. Dandelionwish's mention of infection sent a line of bristling hackles down his spine, calling forth the memories of his sister. The tiniest scratch on her leg from training that only bled for less than a day soon flared up into a puckered, swollen mess, infection spreading up the limb and reaching the rest of her. Nettlepaw grimaced slightly, though not enough to convey his true thoughts. He flipped over his paws, thoroughly inspecting the pads for any damage. When he found none yet, he allowed himself to relax. "I'll keep it in mind." He retrieved another gorse branch, this time following Coalfoot's example of adding it to the steadily-shrinking hole.​

 

[coalfoot]

———————————————【 coalfoot | windclan | male 】——————————————

【◈】A quick swipe of his tongue over his paw was enough to right the pinprick, the tom letting out a small, apologetic laugh as Nettlepaw leaned in to look. It was hardly enough to deter him as he reached for another strand of gorse. Coalfoot's ears pricked when a familiar voice called out to him and the apprentice, head turning to peer at the molly in who'd spoken. He seemed surprised, adopting an embarrassed smile in return. Even Dandelionwish had taken notice now, presumably from hearing his name.

"No no no!" Coalfoot insisted, shaking his head quickly. "It's fine! Just a poke." Stars strike him down if he had to bother the medicine cat again, especially for something so trivial. With a sigh, he offered the two another I'm fine smile and turned back to the wall, shifting over to give Nettlepaw room and working on his own section.

"At least we'll get it done faster since there's two of us," he commented after a moment. Green eyes flickered over to the younger feline before returning back to his own moving paws. "This will be stronger than it was before by the time we're done."

[penned by its_oliverr].

​