pafp Oops, a Stoat vs Stoat | Medicine Den Visit

[Stoatpaw]

Stoatpaw really, really, hadn't meant to get that far in over his head.

He had been out on a hunting patrol with a few other cats, as he usually was. The patrol had been moving across the moor when Stoatpaw had caught sight of a small, quick-moving shape darting around behind them. He broke off from the group, quietly taking after it curiously, his paws soft on the wet ground.

He had never seen a stoat before. He didn't even realize that was what he was following. The small animal had a sleek, reddish-brown coat and a white belly, its movements quick and graceful. Stoatpaw watched as it hopped nimbly into a burrow, then peeked its head back out to look around, eyes scanning the area for danger.
Could it make good prey? It seemed worth it to at least try and catch it.
He crept closer, his paws barely making a sound on the soft earth. The stoat's twitching ears and sharp eyes made it clear that it was aware of something nearby, but Stoatpaw kept low, hoping it wasn't able to spot him. He held his breath, and with a soft inhale, lept forward.

But as soon as his paws were around it, he felt the sudden jolt of sharp teeth sinking into his paw. The stoat had bitten him! And it hurt, a lot!

The surprise caused him to recoil instinctively, but the stoat held on tight. He had expected prey to be skittish, to run and hide if he failed to catch it. Never had he imagined that something so small and seemingly helpless would turn around and fight instead. His mentor had warned him about rabbits kicking once; they'd even shown him how to avoid a rabbit's powerful back legs, but this was something else entirely. The stoat wasn't running. It wasn't scared. It was angry, and it hurt. The little creature's sharp teeth were like daggers, its claws raking at his fur and flesh as it fought back with everything it had.

Stoatpaw quickly forgot about trying to catch it at all. His focus shifted to just getting away from the furious tiny predator. He scrambled backward, trying desperately to avoid more bites and claws. Small tufts of fur flew in every direction, a flurry of brown and white as they tumbled and writhed on the ground. Stoatpaw could hear its angry squeaks and feel its desperate claws scrabbling at him. He tried to break free, but the little creature was determined.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Stoatpaw managed to twist out of reach. His heart was racing, and he could feel small trickles of blood coming from a few places where the stoat had managed to nick him. The stoat glared at him, its fur bristling, before it darted back into the safety of its burrow. Stoatpaw stood there for a moment, shocked by what had just happened.

His paws ached all over from where it had bitten him. Stoatpaw looked down at the multiple scratches and bites across his fur. He had barely been able to land a single blow on the creature before it had sent him fleeing.

Stoatpaw felt himself shrink in on himself, feeling incredibly shameful and vulnerable. His head was low and his wounded paws heavy as he began to make his way back towards camp.

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Stoatpaw tried not to sniffle as he entered the medicine den as he felt the hot burning of tears behind his eyes. He had been beaten by a creature far smaller than himself, something that had looked completely harmless. What did that say about him? If he couldn't handle a small creature like that, what would happen in a real battle? Would he be able to help his clanmates in such a situation?

He failed to hold back the sniffle the second time, as his thoughts and doubts continued to race in his mind. Maybe he couldn't be a warrior. What will the rest of the clan think when they find out how he got his scratches? He was sure to be an embarrassment. To his mentor, his clan, and his mother. In this moment, Stoatpaw felt smaller than ever.

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OOC: Please wait for @cottonsprig !
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[cottonsprig]

Cottonsprig has had her fair share of moments where she felt like she wasn't enough. Claw marks that mar her eye and shoulders reminded her of those fleeting breaths, where her life was nothing beneath the strength of another. Sometimes she can't shake the feeling, especially now as she enters the final stretch of her residency, an end imposed only by herself. She hadn't been enough here, either - in a room of herbs and remedies. She could heal almost anything WindClan was able to throw at her (maybe not anything, Scorchstar and Bunnyglow are examples of otherwise,) and yet, she still doesn't fit the mold set before her.

She's stretching as Stoatpaw finds his way to the entrance of her den. The tom smells of newleaf mud and blood, and almost immediately her comfort is shattered in favor of worrying for the youth. She almost lashes her tongue against him in frustration - Did you wander off again!? All before noticing the downtrodden look in his usual sunshine gaze. His mentor will give him an earful if they think he deserves it, she supposes. She can act as a pillar of comfort instead.

"Ended up on the bad end of a scrap?" she asks, her tone lilting on soft, almost coddling. The molly retrieves a fresh head of marigold and a wad of cobwebs before beckoning the apprentice closer. "I've not heard a good story in a bit, Stoatpaw. You wanna tell me what happened?" Lacking the judgement that prior filled her frame, the blue smoke simply waits for the little tabby to tell her - or to remain silent and decide against it. She doesn't mind either way.

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

• ooc //

• ❥ 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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[Silkpaw]

Silkpaw steps into the medicine den with her usual effortless grace, delicate features scrunching slightly as the sharp scents of herbs and poultices reach her nose. She's still got to get used to that. She had come to fetch more lavender from Cottonsprig and Celandinepaw, for her sprig had run its course, and she simply could not go without it. The soothing scent was a necessity, both for maintaining her personal comfort and ensuring she never smelled of anything unpleasant.

But before she can call for the medicine cat's attention, her eyes land on Stoatpaw and she stills. The tom is a mess - mud-streaked, his fur in complete disarray, and, worst of all, injured. Scratches and small bites mar his brown pelt, and his usual calm seems drained from him entirely. The she-cat's tail flicks in dismay as she steps closer, her voice lilting with exasperation. "Oh, Stoatpaw! Darling, what happened to you?" She sweeps her gaze over his wounds again, taking in the oddly scattered pattern of them. Her expression and twitching whiskers betray her concern. She sits down next to him without an invitation and watches Cottonsprig work, close enough to be reassuring but careful not to brush against his dirtied fur. She may be worried, but it helps nobody to get dust and blood on her pelt, too!
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[Mallowtail]

MALLOWTAIL

WINDCLAN LEAD WARRIOR

Due to her commonly hanging out and helping Cottonsprig or Celadinepaw in her free time, she sometimes knew what plants were actually herbs and not weeds. Her luck today on her herb search was pretty lackluster, though she chalks it up to not having either of the medicine cat's companionship when she'd gone. As she closes on the entrance, she hears Cottonsprig and Silkpaw's voices, where it appears that Stoatpaw has encountered a difficult circumstance. "Hey Cotton. I didn't find anything useful when I was out on my own. I must have bad luck without you~" She would murmur softly as she notes as her gaze drifts towards the cinnamon tabby as she raises a fictional eyebrow.

"Hey Stoatpaw, are you okay?" Mallowtail would inquire with a hint of concern in her voice. Her honey-golden gaze shifts to Silkpaw as she tilts her head to the side curiously. Since she does not notice any injuries on the other apprentice, she wonders whether she came here to assist Cottonsprig and Celadinepaw or for another reason. "Silkpaw? What are you doing here?" The moorrunner would inquire curiously. Hopefully she didn't have a stomachache or something negative that'd require her to visit the medicine den.

i. ooc

 

[Stoatpaw]

Stoatpaw bit his tongue, deciding that no, he DIDN'T want to talk to any of these cats about what had happened. He trusted Cottonsprig, but the thought of saying what had happened with the clan gossip in the den made his heart sink. He knew Silkpaw would never be malicious or mean, at least he thought not, but the idea of more cats finding out what happened made his ears droop.

He just shook his head softly at Cottonsprig's inquiry, shuffling his paws awkwardly. He mumbled a quiet "No thank you."

He just kept his gaze away from the other cats as they began to strike up a conversation. The sooner Cottonsprig could finish with the herbs and he could go curl up in his nest, the better.