camp LONELY IS THE MUSE || vigils

[cottonsprig]

Cottonsprig, admittedly, has not looked forward to this. She stands before her Clan, some idling to wait for her, others moving on to complete other tasks and routines... but her paws hold nothing. Before her is nothing. The coldness of the leaf-fall air cannot compare to the ice that clutches her heart as she looks over the lavender splayed before them. There is no use for it - no body to bury, no fur to twine with the sprigs. Twice, even. They have lost two Clanmates, and though in wildly different ways, neither are able to be retrieved once again. Their graves are never dug, their stones found by sorrowful family and placed at random.

Gravepaw. The apprentice had been young when they were stolen - cats said they couldn't tell before it was too late that the tunnel was collapsing. It wasn't the first time that Cottonsprig lived through such a tragedy, and she fears that it will not be her last, either. But Gravepaw... she had watched them grow, make friends with the kittens born around them. They were eager to tend to the graves that now, they could not join. Cottonsprig forces solace into herself, graciously hopes that at least now they can rest with their parent in the stars. That their eternity is not the dark, horrible place where they took their last breath.

And Marmotbite - the small she-cat was a long term friend of Cottonsprig's. It hurt the day that the patrol returned home with the news, shared it with her, with her lover and their children. She could not imagine the pain they must've felt, to have lost someone so close to them. The tunneller had been an encouraging presence in the medicine cat's life, whether they knew it or not. Cottonsprig cannot help her skyward glance as she looks for new stars to dot the skies, as she asks, Do you know, now? Do you blame me? She wishes she had told Marmotbite in life the truth of her own disappearance. Alas, it is no longer possible.

"Cats of WindClan," she finally addresses the few that remained with her during her moments of silence. "Tonight we mourn the loss of Gravepaw and Marmotbite. Unfortunately... unfortunately, we do not have bodies to share tongues with. So, instead, I invite all of you to clean the pelt of your friend, your partner, your apprentice. None of us know when death will fight to claim us, and it is important to have shared love and gratitude in the time we have together. Please," she motions with her paw vaguely, her ears pinned to her head. "Pray in silence or share stories as they come. This is a time of mourning, but also a reminder of the confidence and courage those we have lost have imbued within us." The loss of their Clanmates will not weaken them, she hopes.

𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

• ooc // @CELANDINEPAW apprentice tag

• ❥ MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE
  ♥♥♡ WOUNDS ; can confidently stop bleeding and mend lacerations. will often request that you keep your injury clean and wait it out first.
  ♥♥♡ INFECTION ; as a side effect of likely her own doing, very dutiful with technique and treatment shortly thereafter.
  ♥♡♡ ACHES & PAINS ; will defer to a dark tunnel and rest. if pain persists, maybe she will offer something.
  ♥♡♡ BROKEN BONES ; has never dealt with a broken bone. likely will ask that you never move. ever again.
  ♥♥♥ TRAVELING HERBS ; learned well from her previous mentor. will pile even too many remedies to tough the wilderness with.
  ♥♥♥ KITTING ; having kittens of her own and helped several others with their litters, she is very well versed with calming techniques and quelling pain.
  ♥♡♡ POISONS ; she knows what they are... but that isn't enough, isn't it?
  ♥♥♡ ILLNESS ; having worked through two yellowcough bouts, she is confident in her remedies. much else... she's operating on trial and error.
  ⸻ cottonsprig is a dutiful and excitable medicine cat. she enjoys company and loves conversation. she'd rather not have too many curious noses snooping around her den... but who is she to quell curiosity?

• 

  ⸻❥ cottonsprig is the primary medicine cat of windclan. a former princess to the moors, she harbors many guilts for her actions throughout her short life. she has no consistent partner, unwilling to commit and settle, and she is training celandinepaw in medicine.

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[Frightpaw]

*+:｡.｡ This was stupid.

Frightpaw stared at the nothing Cottonsprig presented for a vigil. Nothing. Nothing there. No Gravepaw, no Spotpaw, no Ebonylight, now no Sunstar or Wolfsong just...nothing. Leaves carried off into the wind, lost to the cosmos, the promise of return a silly dream to shiver out of in the morning. She isn't sure why she's here, to be honest. She didn't know Mormotbite well, so her absence means as much to Frightpaw as the tangible presence of her corpse. Gravepaw on the other hand...

She hadn't spoken to Gravepaw since before she earned her apprentice's name. They had one conversation, and that was it. She barely knew the meek feline who shared a pretty cool name alongside Frightpaw's. Nightingalecry said that there was strength in a name - that her pappa wanted Frightpaw and her siblings to strike terror into the hearts of those who'd uttered their titles. She never did ask if that's why Gravepaw had her name. She never thought she'd have a limit to the time she had available.

Her ears twitch when Cottonsprig invites those gathered to share stories. She glances around, moonlight eyes searching those around her for information on Gravepaw. When none offer anything up right away, Frightpaw clenches her teeth.

"She wanted her name to be Graverose " she speaks into the quiet, a gift to the nothingness that was left of her would-be friend. "She said she wanted to be cool, pretty and strong. " she stares at nothing in particular, unsure what to make of the frustration rolling in her chest. There was nothing to speak to, nothing to remember, save for that stupid interaction all those moons ago.
It had been...nice, sharing a cool name with Gravepaw.
It was nice knowing you.

"You already were cool, pretty and strong, even without a warrior name " she mumbles with a sigh.

She felt stupid, saying this to nothing at all.

*+:｡.｡ Updated 9/21/24

• 
  
• 
  " Speech "
  
  
  GENERAL:
  ☾ Frightpaw
  ☾ DFAB— She/Her — Unsure
  ☾ 9 moons — Ages 1 moon every month real-time
  ☾ Windclan apprentice
  ☾ Sister to Deathpaw, Witherpaw, Grasspaw, Whitepaw and Midnightpaw
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ☾Physically easy | mentally medium
  ☾ Attack in bold #1b1e21
  injuries: None

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