with roots above;; cottonpaw

[Mouseflight]

Ever since she had been chosen by Wolfsong - although he said it was StarClan - to be trained as a medicine cat, Mousepaw had noticed Cottonpaw had less and less time to go out and into the tunnels as she had used to do so often. With the thought of going on the journey to the mountains potentially to never come back, Mousepaw had decided that he wanted one good deed under him before he left, one good thing - in his own mind at least - that he could do for a cat he actually cared about. It had taken a bit of convincing, but soon Mousepaw found himself leading Cottonpaw towards the new tunnel that they had started digging towards RiverClan territory, a proud smile resting on his maw as he did so. He had wanted to show Cottonpaw the tunnels, let her actually participate if she wanted, and show her that all because she chewed on leaves now she could still be a tunneler as well if she wanted. The clan needed her, and whether it was digging in the dirt or healing those that got injured he knew that she could do great things in either position. He'd never say that out loud of course.

Quickly he came to a stop by the entrance to the tunnel, tail twitching in excitement as he did so - it wasn't often one got to show off their hard work to non-tunnelers - so although Cottonpaw didn't fully count (she had been one before, after all) it still count enough for the usually grumpy apprentice to let go of the attitude for a moment. "I wanted to show them to you since we got so far already! We found a badger and had to fight 'em off, we were too scary for it and ran it away." Pride radiate from the boy's pelt at that, the fact that they had managed to run the badger out of it's own home.

⋆｡°✩ threw my voice into the dark

•  
• 
  ⋆ mousekit - mousepaw - mouse???
  ⋆ ftm - he/him - 11 moons
  ⋆ bisexual - open to relationship
  ⋆ tunneler apprentice of windclan
  ⋆ attack - speech - thought
  ⋆ penned by tikki

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​

 

[cottonsprig]

Truth be told, Cottonpaw missed many of her tunneling duties. Reinforcing the walls, checking for weak spots or even just chasing rabbits through them - the life of a tunneler was and perhaps always will be more thrilling than the life of a medicine cat. That said, being Star chosen gives her little leeway at the end of the day. And with however often has difficulty grasping some concepts, it still satiates much of her unending curiosity. That said, Mousepaw's offer is met with resistance only because of the lack of a chaperone - but he wears her down and she accepts, only with the hope that Wolfsong doesn't find out.

She remains close to him in the tunnel, a little worried if she's forgotten any of her moons-long training. His usually tough exterior melts off beneath the moor and he explains their trials and tribulations with much excitement. "A badger!" Cottonpaw hums, and though some would find themselves uninterested in the woes of a tunneler, she is all too into it. "How big was it, would you say? Oh, surely you alone could've scared the damn thing off, Mousepaw. You've got a good angry face," she chirps.

The conversation is warm and natural (at least she thinks,) and she can't help but murmur, "I miss this," to the multicolored tom. Her smile doesn't leave her quite yet, though she continues, "Tunneling used to be everything to me - and sometimes, I feel like it still is. I guess that's what happens when StarClan summons you late in your apprenticeship," she lets out a softened sigh, but attempts a shrug with her words regardless.​

 

[Mouseflight]

The trip would be worth it he had promised Cotton, that even if Wolfsong found out it would still be worth it to break the rules just a little bit to be able to see the tunnels once more. In the end they would probably try to find herbs, make the trip worth it for the new medicine side of her duties, it would all work itself out in the end, he'd be sure of that. A playful scoff leaves Mousepaw as soon as Cottonpaw mentions his face, "It was too scared to look at me, kept going after the others." He'd throw back, smirk glued to his face at the thought - a badger scared of a cat. They really should be, but they're too stupid to realize it and that's why this one got ran out of it's home in such a violent way.

That same smirk fell as they walk, Mousepaw listening to the noises of the tunnel in front of them as they kept going, though it turned into a slight frown as Cottonpaw spoke once more, and it almost made Mousepaw stop. Instead he slowed as he listened as she spoke of missing the tunnels and a thoughtful hum came from him. "Maybe you could do both somehow?" He'd offer, "That way you don't have to miss tunneling too much." She could help with the RiverClan tunnel and be there in case something happens maybe? Or they could build tunnels under camp to get out or in quickly if need-be and she could help with those? So many ideas - that likely wouldn't be approved, but ideas nonetheless - float through his mind. "What's it like, being StarClan chosen?" It was a sincere question, one he had been curious about for a while now, what it was like being a leader or a medicine cat, StarClan chosen to be in charge of and protect so many others.

⋆｡°✩ threw my voice into the dark

•  
• 
  ⋆ mousekit - mousepaw - mouseflight
  ⋆ ftm - he/him - 11 moons
  ⋆ bisexual - open to relationship
  ⋆ tunneler of windclan
  ⋆ attack - speech - thought
  ⋆ penned by tikki

​

​

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonpaw can't help the soft giggle that leaves her when he speaks more of the badger. "Of course! You're the definition of if looks could kill, Mousepaw. One locked gaze with you, and we would've had badger for dinner for days now." The jest is accompanied by a long made habits - paws patting down loose dirt, her tail tucked in close as to not disturb anything lacking integrity. She doesn't take time to think about the things she does while wandering with Mousepaw; however later, she might just reminisce about how natural this all felt to her.

Regardless, conversation flows, and Cottonpaw provides her friend with a partial shrug. "I'm not sure about that. Being a medicine cat is... a lot more than it seems. Wolfsong made it seem so easy, but - it's a lot of remembering, and sorting, and more remembering on top of that -" There's a blip of unsuredness in her tone, as if she's uncertain of her position and how well she can commit to it. Her ear twitches as she decides ultimately to leave it at that, not wishing to be ungrateful for StarClan's choice. That, however, becomes the next topic of conversation.

"Can I be honest?" she speaks quieter than before, slipping her form closer to the tom's, as if they aren't the only two in the tunnels. "It's... daunting. Being Sootstar's daughter is already sort of a lot, so having StarClan declare me their next student is... it's like..." she shakes her head, truly at a loss for words. "I am not ungrateful, I promise. Maybe just overwhelmed at times." She hopes her friend doesn't chide her for that, blue gaze tilted away from him for the moment.​