DYING FOR THE KNIFE \ mc meeting

[BERRYHEART]

Berryheart's limbs ached as he walked, head bowed low. He had been quiet on the walk over, forever discomforted by the ceaseless presence of this illness. He had tried other illness-remedies, to come to the conclusion that the sole solution was lungwort. StarClan had known it too. The tortoiseshell had not voiced it aloud, but he had doubted them- doubted their assertion that there was only one remedy. Surely no illness could be so cruel. He should have known better than to be blindly optimistic.

More Thunderclanners were dead, and he worried for those remaining. Stumbles, kindly and reliable- Kindles, his cherished kin. It was the thoughts of them that kept him silent as he walked, aware that the other medicine cats would likely be facing similar- if not worse- thoughts.

A sigh slipped through his crooked jaws at the sight of them, moving out of the darkness to be swaddled by the blue-silver silk of moonlight. Midnight was late- or absent, perhaps. It seemed one of them was often missing... though, for Midnight to be gone was more concerning than Dawn-eye. Though he liked the latter... the former's leader had less of a reputation for ousting healers. Logic pointed to a grim, but hopefully soon-curable, fate. "It's been a difficult moon," he murmured simply, seeing no reason to choke down his hardships. Secrecy from each other would only cause harm and distrust now, in a time where they were supposed to band together. And if ThunderClan, if he, was to facilitate those floodgates... he would.

\ @LICHENPAW @STARLINGHEART @WOLFSONG @cottonpaw @DAWNGLARE @Fireflypaw ​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[Starlingheart]

This medicine cats meeting was one that was weighing heavily on her mind in the weeks before it. She had to make the journey to fourtrees alone, without her apprentice by her side but that was okay because at least she was not alone the whole way there. As always, she is grateful to Berryheart and Lichenpaw's presence. They were all three on the quieter side but it is a comfortable silence. They make idle small talk of course, Starlingheart tells Berryheart of Halfshade's ktis how they had all but one been born healthy and beautiful but that the queen herself had not survived. She does not tell him that Chilledstar has fallen ill but if prompted on if any more cats were sick she would give a vague answer, quickly dismissing the topic in favor of something lighter.

When finally they reach the cave that holds the moonstone in its depths, she takes her place in her usual spot, green eyes sweeping across all of the cats who were present. Dissapointment etches itself into her features when her gaze lands on the spot that Ravensong usually occupied - it remains empty and Starlingheart can only guess as to why. What she had to say was too important to wait for next moon, for them all to be here, but she does find herself sad that the RiverClan medicine cat would not have a voice in the matter.

With her resolve steeled she steps forward "Be-before we- before we begin..." she is stuttering too much and she knows it. What she had to say was too important to be caught up in silly anxieties. She would have to concentrate, take a deep breath and try again. For a moment she closes her eyes, wills her thoughts to slow and when she breathes out she is ready. "Before we begin I- I would like to- to propose something" She has no idea how the others will react. Will they be angry at her? Attack her in the way they had once turned on her aunt? Certainly not... she saw many of the cats here now as friends and she hopes that they view her in the same light, that they would see reason in what she was about to suggest.

"Not too long ago, Berryheart gave me three pieces of lungwort. As all of you know - it is the only thing that works against this dreaded plague but it does-it does n-n-not grow -does not grow in Shadow" she could have searched until her paw pads were cracked and bleeding and she collapsed from exhaustion but it would not have changed that one simple fact. "My own son- my own son was among the sick cats" she adverts her gaze at this part, shame filling every corner of her being. She had sworn to protect her clan when she had become a medicine cat, had sworn to give her life to them. What a disappointment she had turned out to be. "I am a medicine cat but- but I'm also a mother" she says, her voice quiet, ashamed "I gave him- I gave him double the dose to ensure that he would live but in doing so I took the cure away from others who may have needed it more. Heavybranch - an elder died and soon after him a queen, Halfshade. She was too sick when she gave birth and it-it killed her"

I killed her.

"So I'm proposing a code. Like- like the warriors have but- but for us. Laws to govern us - to ensure no one else has to suffer or-or make such a difficult decision ever again. I propose that our first law in the code should be that medicine cats should not be permitted to have kits... It is- it is too much to ask of one cat to-to put their clan above their- above their children" she would chose her children every time and she knows it.

She looks up momentarily at Wolfsong, it is his reaction she fears the most, after all but really she is afraid what any of them might say and she waits with baited breath for their answer.

​

OOC NOTES . ✦ . CHARACTER INFO

• ooc : — ​
• 
  

  

  
  

  ➵ she / her
  ➵ shadowclan medicine cat
  ➵ mates with granitepelt
  ➵ heterosexual
  ➵ scrawny and small framed black and white she cat with short fur and green eyes
  ➵ toyhouse [ ✦ ]
  ​

 

[WOLFSONG]

──ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ── They have all lost much, and will continue to until the cats return from the journey with lungwort. Wolfsong does not doubt that there are clanmates who blame him for the deaths they have suffered; grief and reason are opponents more than allies, and the former is a frequent victor over the latter. Worse still are the rogues beginning to plague their borders, even daring to cross them in pursuit of prey. They are not like Gin's group, which Wolfsong was part of.

A show of Sootstar's deathless capability will not sway them to her cause. They are rabble, disconnected and disorganized, but all the more dangerous for it.

He sits slowly, leaving ample room for his apprentice. His one-eyed stare is heavy, and he sees it reflected in the other eyes around him. "Indeed," he agrees with Berryheart's quiet assertion, and he expects them to commence with sharing any treatments they have found to be most effective at staving off yellowcough. Instead, Starlingheart begins to speak of a terrible choice she made.

Two doses? If such an amount is necessary, I worry for the stock the journeying cats will return with. Surely our sick will be in grave condition, such that two doses might very well be the standard. But that is not where Starlingheart takes the discussion. She speaks of the losses they faced, one of which may have been prevented, if she had used but one dose.

Or if she had let her son die, she may have had twice that.

His eye narrows. "And those of us with kits already," he begins, his rasping voice low, "are we meant to turn them loose from our care? Renounce them? My love cannot be revoked like a tick from an elder's pelt." His jaw muscles tighten. And what next? Will we be expected never to love at all, to refashion ourselves out of stone? ​

WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 38 MOONS, HE/HIM, NPC X NPC. MATES WITH SUNSTRIDE (07/05/2023). BIOGRAPHY, PINTEREST, & PLAYLIST.

medicinal expertise med. part ii med. part iii med. part iv

• — ★★★☆☆ WOUNDS: You're (mostly) in safe paws. You'll know if he's less experienced if he asks for your permission to try a treatment. No wound can scare him away from knowledge.
  — ★★★☆☆ INFECTION: He can prevent most infections. If you feel feverish, let him know; he'll hum thoughtfully over herbs and sniff your wound before saying, "With your blessing..."
• — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES & PAINS: If you complain to him of pain, he'll ask where. If it's a headache, you'll likely feel a bit better. For anything else, "Try this, if you'd like, and tell me how you feel."
  — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES: At best. he can ask you to remain lying down in the den. He may try to distract you with conversation while he considers what herb to feed you.
• — ★★★★★ TRAVELING HERBS: Going somewhere? No worries; Wolfsong knows just what you need to stay hale and healthy during your journey. The rest is up to you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ KITTING: Thanks to Starlingheart, he's better prepared for the arrival of kits, but any complications will need a little faith and a lot of luck.
• — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS: It's best if you avoid eating anything unfamiliar to you— it's probably just as unfamiliar to Wolfsong. The best he can do is offer you yarrow and sit with you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ ILLNESS: If it's white or greencough, you'll likely recover. Otherwise, prepare for odd concoctions and the usual request that you consent to a little trial-and-error.

​

 

[Fireflyglow]

The fur along his spine rises as he walks into the light of the holy place, ghostly blues flicking to and fro sightlessly as he tries to take in his surroundings. He's still not used to this place after so long, so led by mother's winds as he steps around other medicine cats with expertise. His massive paws step over looming tails, swerving around rocks until he finds himself a nice spot to sit down and listen.

His uncle speaks first- this has been a hard moon, indeed. Fireflypaw's eyes are sunken with exhaustion, pelt ragged from lack of proper grooming- he's been so stressed out that it's hard to take care of himself. His stomach deflated from hunger, paws kneading into the ground uselessly to comfort himself. Then, Starlingheart speaks. She proposes a law for medicine cats- that medicine cat's shouldn't have kits. He swallows around his own anxiety. But.. But he wanted kits. He wanted to raise some of his own when he was fully trained.

"This isn't fair." He speaks softly, barely above a whisper as he turns his head away. Why should they all be punished for the rash decision of one cat? Dislike crawls up his spine then, bitter taste in his mouth as he listens to Wolfsong's words. For once, he finds himself agreeing with a WindClan cat- that fact terrified him, especially since they held the prisoners WindClan so sought. ​

SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE ✦ 14 MOONS ✦ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✦ TAGS​

 

[DAWNGLARE]

Dawnglare no longer has it in him to bristle with the absence of every face. True colors shown, again and again – and if these few were so frivolous with their appearances, they were hardly any chosen one with that decision alone. The stars evidently mattered little to them — and their clanmates, by extension. Why should he stress over the absence of cats without goodwill? With the brightness of their eyes swallowed up whole by something unseen; and their souls surely cast to nowhere of importance, whenever that time had come…

Berryheart has been true from the beginning. Perhaps in his exhaustion - addled brain, he thinks he would never withold a greeting from him. " It has been. " the comment is mild. Beside his own apprentice, he takes his place. The shine of Her beating heart is dull — but there. And to remain as such, for moons to come. The dimness of it all tells him quickly that there would be now miracle, here. no miraculous, second cure. No guarantee that souls on the edge would stay put, until the cure is brought. That is, if it would be at all.

The tilt of his head is slight, toward the black and white visage of ShadowClan’s chosen. Compared to the rest of them, whose Lungwort supply has long withered since Leafbare, apparently, Starlingheart was privy to none at all. A tilt of his head betrays the barest hint of sympathies. “ I am a medicine cat but- but I'm also a mother ” Dawnglare remembers when she had been young and scared, hiding behind the gangly legs of her sacrilegious kin. How much time has passed, he wonders.

One dose too many, worry unable to settle. In a strange way, he understands. He had been tired, indeed; when that old tom had sat down to die despite the dose he had been given. No, it is not impossible, that her child could have passed without that second dose. Of course, the question was: what made that child so special, indeed?

" You've made a mistake, " Dawnglare tells her this thing she surely already knew. Though his tone is not scolding. His gaze sweeps across the rest of them, bathed in moonlight.

Dawnglare has lived a life longer than any of those present, and in those moons, he has no children to his name. Certainly, he never would. He glimpses nothing but a burden, and one that he is happy to never bear. Were he to try and turn an eye to understanding, he would have to look to the tattered image of his own mother. Would she lay down another life, for his? Would either of them be happy…?

The comparison is impossible, for he was a great many things that no one else could ever hope to be.

But as he glances around the moonlit cavern, he knows that those faces around his are fragile. In Starlingheart’s admittance, she held a certain strength; certainly, but… not enough. Hard doctrine is what those too foolish to make their own futures needed to flourish. The defiance in the eye of WindClan does not disprove this idea. Neither do the words of his own apprentice, loud against the silence, no matter how softly he means to speak it. Perhaps something like this would at last shake his foolishness.

" I agree, " he says at last, and his tone did not hold the same weight that the others’ did, but that would never be so. He was no father.

" Why do you say this, Fireflypaw? " In mind and in matter, Fireflypaw is very much like a child. Too kind; unwise. It takes a blink, and then two to ponder that, yes, Fireflypaw could certainly have his own children. " Because you want kits? " Incomprehensible, and utterly against the work they do. " You already harbor your biases, and they are only an idea in your head, " he says wonderingly. Strange, strange thing that this was. " Perhaps you are not truly meant to be here. " This, he ponders more and more, lately.

And by Wolfsong’s words, he is not positive what is and is not his place to say. " Turning anyone loose seems counterproductive, " he drawls. The goal was utter, equal care. Not care for some, and cut strings from others.

OOC 𓆩♡𓆪 9.16.2023 𝘚𝘠𝘕𝘖𝘋𝘐𝘊 𝘚𝘌𝘈𝘚𝘖𝘕 𝘛𝘖 𝘊𝘖𝘔𝘌 𝘖𝘜𝘛 𝘖𝘍 𝘏𝘐𝘋𝘐𝘕𝘎

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• 

• ( 𝙒𝙃𝙔'𝘿 𝙄𝙏 𝙏𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙎𝙊 𝙇𝙊𝙉𝙂? ) DAWNGLARE Medicine Cat of SkyClan. Mentoring Fireflypaw
  —— He / him , deeply confused by the use of other pronouns
  —— Currently 56 moons old. Mated to Mallowlark
  
  Unsettling and strange, Dawnglare bears a unique perception to the world and stars above on top of a generally unpleasant disposition. Holds others to uniquely impossible standards and himself undeniably above the rest.
  

  You may find him kinder to others than is typical, exhausted from the yellowcough blight and heart heavy in a way he has never felt.​

  Mood is decided by dice - rolls per thread, with the exception of some important threads

​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Murmurations of agreement sprawled their way toward him- he could only imagine the moons would grow more difficult. Soon, he had assumed, they would delve into subjects of alternative treatments- but Pebbles commanded attention, and so she had it. Despite her stutters, Berryheart looked at her patient and watchful- took in every word as if it were star-blessed with knowledge. A code. A code for them. He supposed it made sense, when looking at it all literally... they were not warriors, co could they follow the warrior code, focused so much on blood and borders?

This still concerned blood, though. Kin, but... the closest kind. Children. Much like Dawnglare, Berryheart had lived a fair stretch of his life without any. The children of his two sisters were more than enough for him. No desire had ever sparked within him to be a parent- and the first step to that end, taking a mate, was disturbing to him near-tenfold.

He could not assume he was the same way as everyone else, as he once had. Many cats took mates- he had deduced that there must therefore lie some joy in it that he fundamentally could not understand. It did not bother him very much.

Cutting loose- no, no one was to be cut loose. Simply offered the same treatment as everyone else. Not preferential, as Pebbles' kit had undeniably received. Two lungwort for one cat- and he could not judge the necessity of it, but a new litter was now left motherless, perhaps as a consequence. Berryheart's face was entirely unreadable as emotions rumbled like thunder out of Dawn-eye and Sootypaws' throats.

"Love cannot be revoked." Berryheart said it with finality. Not one of them did he look at. "I love my kin, as dearly as I love ThunderClan. But..." He paused for a long time. Never would he let himself stumble on his words, in measured situations such as this. "Maybe it's easy for me to say. I'll never have kits, nor even a mate."

He was solemn for a moment, quiet as he regained his breath. This may be the most any one of them had heard him say at once. What biases he had were known; the agreement of this code lay on the shoulders of the two parents present, then. "I believe this will fashion a future where no-one need revoke anything. Not for us, but for who comes after."​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[Starlingheart]

Of course there is dissent, Starlingheart had known their would be and would have been a fool not to expect it. It came first from the very cat that she had predicted it would, the only other cat present who was also a parent. She does not say anything though, not yet, she simply blinks, taking in his words and allowing others to speak before she responded in kind. What most surprises her, is Fireflypaw’s words of disagreement, quietly muttered but in the cavernous space it echoes off the walls and rings clearly in her ears. This isn’t fair. Oh how she longed to tell him that life wasn’t fair, that he would face injustice after injustice and still have to keep going. She had not made this decision in a rash moment with little thought, in fact it was her desire to have a large family like the one her mother had cultivated that made this such a difficult choice for her. For her children, for their clan she would give up anything though and this path is truly what she believes is the best one to take. She leaves Dawnglare to speak to him, he was his mentor after all and it is his voice she is seeking, not the voices of the apprentices. But still, a sympathetic glance is cast in his direction.

She is surprised when Dawnglare speaks in her favor, agrees with the new code and even more surprised when so many words spill from Berryheart’s mouth. He was a dear friend to her but even she had not heard him speak so much. Their friendship was built on a mutual understanding, of comfortable silence and long pauses. But she is happy that he too seems to agree and she sends a small, thankful but sad smile his direction, dipping her head ever so slightly at him before she speaks again.

"Ber-Berryheart is right. No one is-is asking you to cast aside your children I simply ask that we- that we think ahead for our future. For them and-and all the cats who come after them" she indicates with her head to Cottonpaw and Fireflypaw, fixing them with her round green eyes for a moment before she turns back to Wolfsong, the only medicine cat present who had yet to agree and yet his voice was the most important. She understands his reservations, understands that she had been weak in her choice but she was a firm believer that everything happened for a reason. She never would have found her true calling, the path of a medicine cat, without first being attacked by that opossum after all. So despite the tragedy and the heartbreak she has been made to suffer both at her own paws and the paws of fate she must stand firm by this decision. ”So, what do you say, do you agree?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper and her gaze fixed steadily on the WindClan medicine cat.

"Please know I did not make this decision lightly" she adds finally. Just as she finishes speaking the usual silvery light that fills the cavern, emanating from the moonstone, glows brighter. It pulses once, twice, three times before fading and when the strange event is over Starlingheart releases a breath she had not realized she had been holding. She looks back at the moonstone in wonder. StarClan was sending a sign to them, an agreement as plain as day and she has to marvel at it. To receive such an affirmation made hope flutter in her chest. She had made the right choice to propose this new law, there is not a doubt in her mind about it anymore.

This was the right thing to do.

​

OOC NOTES . ✦ . CHARACTER INFO

• ooc : — ​
• 
  

  
  ➵ she / her
  ➵ shadowclan medicine cat
  ➵ mates with Granitepelt
  
  

  

  - - 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
  ​

 

[WOLFSONG]

──ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ── His jaw clenches tightly. SkyClan's apprentice is the only cat in dissent with Starlingheart's proposal, barring the absent Ravensong, and he does not know whether Fireflypaw's agreement is something he should want. What is done is done. I cannot avoid such...preferential treatment with the likes of Snakehiss, but if that is an acceptable risk until Cottonpaw leaves apprenticehood, then so be it. He merely hopes the terms of this rule do not change later— an allowance made often leads to allowances taken.

He stares at the moonstone, frowning, the tip of his tail tapping idly against the ground in thought. The sudden bright light stings, and he closes his eye against it until he can adjust, and by then, the glow has dimmed and died. It seems he is outvoted. Wolfsong distrusts where such a decision may lead —why be permitted to hold anyone dear at all if it is preferential by nature?— but if the others have such concerns, they have not shared them. Perhaps they do not. "I am wary of where such a rule might take us, but I will agree," he says at last, tired. ​

WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 38 MOONS, HE/HIM, NPC X NPC. MATES WITH SUNSTRIDE (07/05/2023). BIOGRAPHY, PINTEREST, & PLAYLIST.

medicinal expertise med. part ii med. part iii med. part iv

• — ★★★☆☆ WOUNDS: You're (mostly) in safe paws. You'll know if he's less experienced if he asks for your permission to try a treatment. No wound can scare him away from knowledge.
  — ★★★☆☆ INFECTION: He can prevent most infections. If you feel feverish, let him know; he'll hum thoughtfully over herbs and sniff your wound before saying, "With your blessing..."
• — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES & PAINS: If you complain to him of pain, he'll ask where. If it's a headache, you'll likely feel a bit better. For anything else, "Try this, if you'd like, and tell me how you feel."
  — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES: At best. he can ask you to remain lying down in the den. He may try to distract you with conversation while he considers what herb to feed you.
• — ★★★★★ TRAVELING HERBS: Going somewhere? No worries; Wolfsong knows just what you need to stay hale and healthy during your journey. The rest is up to you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ KITTING: Thanks to Starlingheart, he's better prepared for the arrival of kits, but any complications will need a little faith and a lot of luck.
• — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS: It's best if you avoid eating anything unfamiliar to you— it's probably just as unfamiliar to Wolfsong. The best he can do is offer you yarrow and sit with you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ ILLNESS: If it's white or greencough, you'll likely recover. Otherwise, prepare for odd concoctions and the usual request that you consent to a little trial-and-error.

​

 

[cottonsprig]

It's her second meeting. Cottonpaw doesn't normally struggle to find excitement and yet as they join the other cats at the moonstone, she can't. Her gaze falls over massive stone in question, wondering if she'll dream this time, if she'll see her father too. Maybe that's the blessing StarClan has allotted her; to see him, even in his death. "... Cursed." Or, maybe not. Perhaps she'll never dream of StarClan.

She turns her gaze to the ShadowClan medicine cat as the other speaks, and as she does Cottonpaw feels largely unfazed. Casualties are a part of the job, aren't they? She knows it too well, her father's ailing voice echoing still in her mind. Sure, the other is selfish in her actions but at least she's admitting it in front of them all - StarClans living council, she almost dubs them, if not for the ruling they would all agree to. It's only when Starlingheart suggests they ban medicine cats from having a family that Cottonpaw feels they have no right to act like the Gods' right hands.

Cottonpaw's chest feels tight as her eyes widen, but her voice doesn't rise whatsoever. Silence is too comfortable as she looks between the other cats - and though Fireflypaw whimpers and Wolfsong protests at first, the others are in agreement. But what of Lichenpaw, Magpiepaw? What of Ravensong, the only other trained medicine cat among them all, who isn't there with them tonight? She has no idea of the standing of those missing - but to suggest such a strict change whilst so many of their council is absent is - "Awful..." Her tone is quiet, like Fireflypaw's, and she turns to her mentor in hope that he'll hold on tight to his resistance.

But he doesn't.

And she doesn't have the fortitude to say much of anything at all.

Her cheeks feel warm as her life is further decided by those beyond her. She hardly feels as if she is a part of a whole, and rather a tattered leaf just barely hanging onto a branch. It feels like she's been pummeled again - youth holds her so tightly and so the thought of having a family of her own is so far off, and yet she must disregard any hopes that she might've had so quickly. It is unfair, she can only agree with the point tom who is dwindled by his own mentor. Cottonpaw swallows thickly but remains steady despite the pain in her chest.​