DEEP ROOTS ARE NOT REACHED BY THE FROST [ ✦ ] gifts

[Starlingheart]

Two of the medicine cats remain asleep in her den, but as for the others, they had been sent off with their individual clans, presumably to tend to their injured. She had promised she would care for their sick in their absence, their queens, their kits, their elders, but her mind cannot stop racing. Thoughts of their injured succumbing to a slow and painful death of infection, thoughts of rats swarming over them and ripping the flesh from the bones of innocents. That first night she had not been able to sleep with all the disturbing images that danced behind her eyelids so the next morning she had set out. She had grabbed as many herbs as she could possibly spare without putting her own clan at risk and she had set out to the makeshift camp the other clans had set up.

When she gets to the burnt sycamore she pauses, green eyes cast about until she finds the nearest apprentice. "Wuh-will you fetch the-the the other medicine cats for me, please?" she says in her usually unsteady voice and then she waits, snow capped tail curling around ivory paws and her bundle laid out before her.

There is an assortment of herbs at her paws, whatever she could think of that might help the others. Burdock for rat bites, which she would explain to them once they got there, chervil, goldenrod, horsetail, marigold, cobwebs. There is even a moss ball soaked in honey for Berryheart but that was less for his clan and more for the dappled medicine cat himself.

When finally they arrive at the small clearing she dips her head to them "I-I thought you guys could use a few things for-for treating your injured. The honey-the honey is for you, Berryheart" she says and she pushes her gift forwards for them to inspect "Anything-anything you do not know tell me I'll help however I can" she did not ever want to see another cat die due to infected wounds, her own clan or not. "Wi-will one of you ensure RiverClan is treated as well?" she says, suddenly remembering Ravensong did not yet have an apprentice, no one to heal in the stead of their mentor. Cottonpaw could take care of WindClan's cats and Fireflypaw SkyClan's but there was no one to care for RiverClan..

// @BERRYHEART @Fireflypaw and @cottonpaw

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[cottonsprig]

In truth, Cottonpaw struggles with the health status of her Clanmates. She sports the least amount of knowledge compared to those on the medicine council, after all. She can spot a scratch and help out with a kitting (to a degree) but what she knows only tapers off from there. Not to mention that WindClan cats are as hardy as they are stubborn; she's unwilling to chase her brother again to redress his wounds, so to say.

StarClan chose her, yet StarClan has abandoned them, and none of these other cats know how alone she feels-

She stands in beside the other cats in silence, blue eyes staring warily, unsure, at the herbs that Starlingheart offers. She can't help the frustration that bubbles in her chest, nor the temptation to ask if the black furred she-cat feels as if she's welcoming in some sort of karmic positive after ruining the lives of others. Blue eyes are cast aside and discomfort holds her shoulders. As much as she knows her mentor must stay with his children, she wishes he could be here, with her, instead.

"Thanks," Cottonpaw mutters at first. She can recognize a few of the leaves and petals - chervil, for example, is good for strength (in kitting, though. Is there more too it?) And... the cobwebs. If Wolfsong had told her about anything more she cannot recall it. Starlingheart asks that one of them tend to the RiverClan cats, and she bristles, only a little bit. "I would offer, but -" They frighten me. I am not well liked amongst the fish eaters, "I don't know enough to feel comfortable handling another cat's Clan." It's not an entire lie, however the blue-grey she-cat doesn't let the other reasons come to light so quickly. Blue eyes flit over Fireflypaw and Berryheart; two cats that both know far more than her and are on better terms with RiverClan. They're better fit for the role.​

 

[Fireflyglow]

Fireflypaw lifts his head from his paws as Starlingheart calls to the medicine cats at the Burnt Sycamore, eyes blinking momentarily to rub sleep away- he stands, almost stiff in hesitance as he moves like a snake through the crowd of cats. They would starve if they didn't hunt, if they didn't catch the rats that nibbled and bit at their paws. He was finding out really quickly that it wasn't easy to live in the marshes, and a wave of sympathy coats his heart as his blind gaze meets Starlingheart's.

She settles down some herbs, the sound of soft rustling catching his attention- the smell of herbs is faint, intoxicating. He'd thought they'd have to find their own herbs, but their savior came in the form of Starlingheart herself. "Thank you." This will help Ravensong and Dawnglare. He thinks to himself, determination in his eyes. They could do something, they could.. Do something, he wasn't sure.

"I'll go update Dawnglare after this." His eyes peer over towards Cottonpaw, the she-cat who doesn't feel comfortable handling another clan's sick and wounded- WindClan, so selfish and stuck in the clouds. She would have to stick her nose into other cats business if she wanted to learn, wouldn't she? Why be so useless as to only treat her own clan? He blinks, before shrugging his shoulders and leaning down to pick up his share of the herbs.

"Is there anything particular that I need to know? I do not know of the marshes' diseases, ailments. What injuries are more frequent here?" He asks curiously, tail flicking behind him.

// ic opinions!​

SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE ✦ 15 MOONS ✦ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✦ TAGS​

 

[Starlingheart]

Cottonpaw is young, only a little older than she was when she had first taken up the mantle as the full medicine cat of ShadowClan and while Fireflypaw is only a couple of moons younger than she is, she feels moons apart from him. Her green eyes flash to each cat as they arrive and she offers both of them a small smile, a polite dip of the head. She knows they had not agreed with her most recent decision, the one where she had decreed no medicine cats should have kits again. She does not begrudge them for their dissent, they must feel as if she has stolen their futures out from under their paws, any dreams they had of having a family. But truly, it is what she believes to have been for the best. The decision she had had to make was one she did not wish upon anyone else ever again. The burden that lays heavy on her shoulders is a difficult one to bear and she is reminded of it every time she walks past the nursery and sees the kits her friend had left behind.

"Thats-that's okay and to-totally understandable. I can help, wherever needed." as much as she could she would help but she feels tiredness dragging at her paws. Already so much was on her plate and yet she volunteers to add more. She has to though, she thinks. It is part of her duties to shoulder such things. "It-it's okay, let your mentor rest. I'll-I'll tell him when-when he's awake and I'm giving him prey and herbs" she says to Fireflypaw, her voice soft. "You both are-are being so strong, if I was your mentor I would be proud of both of you" looking at them made her miss her own apprentice, who was off in the mountains. She hopes that he and all the others come back safe soon.

Fireflypaw asks about the different ailments that plague the swamps and Starlingheart nods her head "The-the most common thing is rat bites, I-I brought some burdock. The normal stuff isnt-isn't strong enough you need burdock or-or to roll in wild garlic but there isn't-isn't any patches around here" and Chilledstar had ordered everyone not to leave the burnt sycamore, a decision she did not agree with but she would not dream to question her leader in front of other clans. "Chervil is-is also for infections, though the ones not caused by rat bites." she says, pushing the next herb forward with one paw "marigold and horsetail too. Horse-horsetail is also good to help stop bleeding, it works best when combined with cobwebs" she pauses for a moment to let them look at the herbs, commit them to memory. "If-if you ever forget what something is or what it is used for please-please ask me before administering it, I will try to come around every day and-and help when I can" she then pushes the goldenrod forward "This is goldenrod, it helps to speed up the-the wound healing process which cuh-can be- can be beneficial for wounds your worried about getting reinfected." hopefully they were absorbing everything she was teaching them, because she did not know what they did and did not already know.

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[BERRYHEART]

Berryheart no longer felt as if he had the right to be sad. His duty was more important than the wrenching feelings of regret within him, and with Peepers ill he stood now the most senior of the healthy medicine cats. For advice they would look to him, or to Pebbles- two self-taught healers left by cruel predecessors.

When he saw the black-and-white medicine cat, he was glad for her presence. The younger faces greeted her first, and he was happy to let them- though he offered his ShadowClan friend a half-hearted smile, barely a twitch upon his stony, lopsided face. They were quick to ask for advice, no doubt thirsty for knowledge in the absence of their mentors. Berryheart could not help but imagine Freckles' dappled form among them for a few moments, apt mind pursuing the knowledge from a Shadowclanner- knowledge they would have never gained from Berryheart.

That reality did not exist, however.

A grateful nod moved his head- for the honey especially. A deep sigh pulled through him, and with all his might he sustained his mild expression. An attempt to seem unbothered by grief made him look empty, however. "RiverClan will be cared for." It was easy to make the promise. What else could he do but heal? Little else but exist. If he was existing, not teaching, he could perform his duty with that time at least.

For the time she explained, he listened- her expertise was appreciated even by one well-versed in healing. Rat bites, burdock- he had heard it from her before, a blur of moons ago when he had still floundered in inexperience. Though- he would be surprised if they (especially Southpaws) did not know about goldenrod or marigold.

An irrelevant question teased on his tongue. "Has my mother died, yet?" It was a horrifically direct question, but did it need any fanfare? In the marrow of his monotone lay a low anxiety. She had been desperate for it, in the brief time he had visited her. ​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​