PAPER HEART ─ herb patrol / cut

[ROWANPAW]

Accompanying healers on an herb patrol was not orthodox for the tunneler trainee but not unwelcomed, either. Rowanpaw was glad to have the opportunity to come along and assist in scouting for various herbs ( hopefully the pleasant-smelling kind ) if it improved WindClan's chances at remaining propitious throughout the changing seasons. They had never lived through such a scarce period, but had heard stories of the hunger and suffering that was often inflicted on the territories. It would be a wise idea to keep the herb stock repleted.

The torrid weather still lingered in the forest but was slowly winding down, auguring the onset of leaf-fall and eventually leafbare. It was near-perfect conditions for an excursion; maybe in leafbare Rowanpaw would take more to the tunnels where it was warmer but for now they appreciated the change of scenery and fresh air.

However, what was supposed to be a fairly quotidian trek through the borderlands suddenly took an unfortunate turn. Upon weaving through some grasses and approaching the Thunderpath, their bi-colored gaze on the lookout for some yellow flowers, their pad snags on a jagged and ice-like shard. "Haredung." They curse under their breath with a wince, flinching backward and holding up a paw that is now beading with vermilion.

The chimera's kneejerk reaction, perhaps a foolish one, is to rasp their tongue over the small cut. It is not bleeding out of control, thankfully, but it was still an inconvenience nonetheless. They watch as the rest of the patrol continues about their task, and in a rushed effort to rejoin them and get back on track, Rowanpaw smears the open wound into the dirt. It stung a bit but perhaps it would help stop the blood. They didn't have time for this.

𝐈𝐌 𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ✹ . + ˚ · 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐈𝐓

• @CELANDINEPAW but no need to wait + @SWIFTSHADE mentor tag

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  a tunneler apprentice of windclan, rowanpaw is nine moons and is mentored by swiftshade they are the child of snakehiss and berrysnap. split directly down the middle, their right half is solid black and their left half is tortoiseshell patterned. they also have amber and blue heterochromia. ✦

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[downyfur]

Downyfur lingers at the back of the patrol this time. Trench-blue eyes dutifully follow the swishing tails of its leaders as they wind their way along the Thunderpath: Celandinepaw's gilt trim, Swiftshade's thick whip, Rowanpaw's snaking chroma. A large, cupped ear remains angled towards the stinking strip at their side, beyond that the holy silence of the Moonstone.

Once in awhile, they watch Celandinepaw kneel to snatch a stem or two, one brightly colored like autumnal ThunderClan, one so unremarkable they would've stepped right over and into it. They think to ask her about it someday; it seems good to know at least some medicine, though a world in which they had no medicine cats was likely one they'd already be dead in. DuskClan lives like that, they remind themself. And they still live.

A hiss, bitten back, catches their ear. Ahead of her, Rowanpaw cradles a dappled forepaw to their chest. In the movement of their shadow gleams an odd bit of earth, chipped like ice even in the harsh breath of monsters. They (cautiously) catch up to her just as she's wiping her blood against the earth, earning the faintest grimace of disgust from the warrior. "Rowanpaw," she whispers beneath the rustle of the grasses and trickle of conversation ahead. "You're hurt, aren't you?" Wide blues flick to Celandinepaw and back. "She might have herbs on paw to treat it."

Rowanpaw's mindset and their ilk is not a foreign concept to Downyfur; she'd grown up with apprentices of the same. "I've heard stories... of warriors dying with swollen, blackened limbs," she murmurs. "They were perfectly healthy a half-moon earlier, save for a little cut or two... The medicine cats only found out when it got worse." She blinks at her solemnly, kindly.

ooc: let me know if normal cats wouldn't know what infection is!​

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonsprig lags behind the majority of the patrol, having detoured to check on the badger sett. She operated on the assumption that Wolfsong's new apprentice could handle herself well out in the moors, especially with other cats sniffing about with her. Upon rejoining them, the faint stench of sick on her pelt and a few stems in her jaws, she notices further how they've spread out. Namely, how Downyfur and Rowanpaw idle on their lonesome whilst the others poke and prod at some sturdy weeds.

She shakes out her fur as she joins them, initially moving to pass the warrior and apprentice until the metallic scent of blood wafts past her nose. Her gait itself stammers as she comes to a halt, still a few steps away from the duo. Downyfur tells a tale of cats not caring for their wounds and thus perishing from them. Infection, Cottonsprig wants to name it - instead she calls ahead and summons Celandinepaw, beckoning her back towards them.

"Rowanpaw's clipped their paw," she states simply. It's an easy lesson, not one difficult to muss up. Cottonsprig hopes that the apprentice's zest won't cause her to overthink and, say - suggest that Rowanpaw rub more dirt into the wound.

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?

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  ⸻❥ 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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[CELANDINEPAW]

Rarely did a regular herb patrol go awry, and Celandinepaw had learned to expect nothing but the quotidian. The wheat-hued medicine cat apprentice wove through the sawgrasses, as though they peeled away at her very presence, shying away from she who had not been weaned by the wilds. By now, Celandinepaw had learned how to traverse through the spaces between where the grasses sprouted and where the ground faced the heavens. Leaf-fall's first breaths were a rage rather than a calmness, like easterly winds drifted from the surface of the sun and burdened themselves upon their backs, dying out just to lie upon tired spines. Like a beast born into the world from battle-tired mother, knowing nothing but how to scream and fight for her life, autumn came rushing in. She had also learned to appreciate it for what it was - after all, what succeeded this season was that of rime and snowfall. She occasionally reached down to snip at a few mallow stems, the mauve-hued flowers like windbound tails thrashing in the motions, of which she had to hold on tight lest they flutter away out of her grasp. Soon, even these flowers will be gone for leaf-bare. I wonder how hard it'll be to help everyone, then.

A hiss sliced through the quietude, and light-colored eyes perched upon Rowanpaw's form, holding up teir paw like they had stepped on a thorn or a rock. She would have left them alone if they had not decided to push their paw pad against the ground, like that would help seal whatever wound had been inflicted. "Hey! Don't do that, Rowanpaw. Downypaw's right - if you rub it on the dirty ground, you're only going to make it worse. Here, let me see how bad it is." Celandinepaw reached for the mismatched-hued apprentice's paw, now marred with whorls of soil and browns, though marbles of maroon still beaded through. "I don't have cobwebs on me right now. Come, let's go back to camp and I'll patch it up." It was half out of exasperation, half out of genuine concern.

𝘚𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈 𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘐𝘊𝘈, 𝘠𝘖𝘜𝘝𝘌 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘕 𝘛𝘖𝘖 𝘎𝘖𝘖𝘋 𝘛𝘖 𝘔𝘌 ₊˚❀ ༉ ‧₊ ˚. ☘︎ 𝘐 𝘞𝘖𝘕𝘛 𝘔𝘈𝘒𝘌 𝘔𝘠 𝘔𝘈𝘔𝘈 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘜𝘋

• OUT OF CHARACTER. text
  
  

  ❁ — MEDICINAL EXPERTISE: Celandinepaw is the current medicine cat apprentice of Windclan. Although she is quite new to her position, she also has much expertise with treatment regarding infectious diseases and basic remedies. As for anything more complex... you're better off asking a more experienced medicine cat. WOUNDS — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES — ★☆☆☆☆ INFECTIONS — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES — ★☆☆☆☆ CONTAGIOUS ILLNESSES — ★★★★☆ CHRONIC ILLNESSES — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS — ★☆☆☆☆ KITTING — ★☆☆☆☆ TRAVELING — ★★★☆☆​

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  CELANDINEPAW & TRANS WOMAN & 12 MOONS
  —— Medicine Cat Apprentice of Windclan / Mentored by Wolfsong & Cottonsprig
  —— A shorthaired, wheat-yellow spotted tabby with yellowish-green eyes. Somewhat pudgy, though lean and able to hold her ground in the wild.
  —— Extroverted and unafraid to speak her mind, she is a friendly and affable face in Windclan. Though ditzy and somewhat cowardly, she tries her best to help her clan. She is prone to outbursts when spurned or stressed.
  —— Penned by Tempest. Contact on Discord (naruk4mi) for plots and threads.

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