‘cause we care [open after Arcana + Lapis post!]

With great seriousness, Ratpaw surveyed his catches.

It had been a bitterly cold night on the marsh — all sensible life hiding away — but Ratpaw had been determined, and focused. There was still prey to find, if you were patient. And Ratpaw had been.

He just wasn’t sure what Loudnose would like.

Ratpaw remembered how the normally-lively tom had looked, in the medicine den: so worn and… small-seeming, laying down with so many cats hovering over him. He’d been… injured pretty badly, they said.

Not wanting to crowd the tom, Ratpaw had retreated. But he had woken his mother as soon as he could, earlier that evening; Loudnose would appreciate something fresh, wouldn’t he?

His mother had smiled gently, tail touching his side; her way of saying she approved. She had accompanied Ratpaw on his hunt, and between them, they had managed… more than expected, in this leaf-fall weather. A good, if very small, pile. There was a rat, thin but still edible, and a frozen frog they’d dug from the mud… but, well, it would taste a bit like mud too.

I wish I’d been able to find him a snail, Ratpaw thought, though he hadn’t seen one since leaf-bare… or much of any of the tiny prey he liked. Insects, either. (And Ratpaw remembered that he’d promised Loudnose he’d bring him one, sometime… and then had gotten caught up in training. And now there weren’t any.) It made him unexpectedly sad, because... so many cats had been afraid, when Loudnose had been brought back.

What if I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to? Trying to push the sudden bought of sadness away, Ratpaw resolved to find him a snail as soon as he was able. Or some insects. But for now... Ratpaw had caught a lizard — slow and hiding in the crevice of a rock. It was this he was planning on bringing, but…

Would Loudnose even like a lizard?

Shaking his head, he told himself he was being silly. He could take requests, for next time, if Loudnose was hungry for something. Trying not to think too much more about it, he took the lizard in his mouth, and stuck his head into the medicine den. It smelled pleasantly of herbs — and of Loudnose, too, even if it was a bit too dark to properly see. Setting his gift down beside the entrance, he called softly, ”Are you there, Loudnose? It’s Ratpaw. I brought you something to eat, if you’re hungry...”

The tom quietly groomed his fur down, having just woken up from a nightmare. He could still feel the Thunderpath rumble beneath his paws, and the roar from the monster replayed in his head over and over. He tried to forget the terrible dream, but the familiar sight of his cast made it difficult. And it wasn't just a dream, but a haunting memory. It was all the tom could think about lately...

Luckily a distraction soon presented itself as someone called his name from the den entrance. They identified themselves as Ratpaw, to Loudnose's delight. "Yes I'm here! Come in, thanks for the food. That is very kind of you. How has training been?" the tabby greeted, excited to have someone to talk to.

Ratpaw ears perked up at the invitation, and he collected his gift before sliding into the stone-framed crevice. It was... surprisingly spacious inside, and the young tom realised he'd never gotten a proper or long look before. After the border skirmish, Basilbloom had treated his cuts; but with many other patients, it had been brief (if informative). And Ratpaw had left quite swiftly, plagued by exhaustion and other things.

Ratpaw had been... a bit nervous, to see him. (He didn't want to see Loudnose tired, or hurting...) But the familiar, upbeat warrior seemed to be in relatively good spirits. The young tom smiled, a bit shyly. They were clanmates, and Loudnose especially easy to like. But it had been a while since they had spoken.

With a friendly twitch of his whiskers, Ratpaw deposited the lizard beside the tom and nudged it forwards, yellow eyes hopeful. It was a tiny lizard, but it was also a yellow one; those were Ratpaw's favorite. (He considered them the best.) "Here, I hope you like it."

He flushed, a bit nervously. "Training has been hard, but good. Even if it's hard to see sometimes, in the snow." He curled his tail around his paws, and sat, head tilting -- and before he could stop himself, he asked, "Is that how you hurt yourself?"

It wasn't something he was meaning to ask, but he'd been... wondering, and the details had gotten lost. (There was the Thunderpath, and Marshmallow, and "an accident," but... how had it happened?) He fidgeted, and then wondered if he should have said something at all. He remembered how it felt, after his cuts and bruises post-fighting; part of him wished others wouldn't ask about it. But what happened to Loudnose wasn't from fighting, and it hadn't been the warrior's fault. So it must be okay to ask, right?

Swiftheart stood outside the medicine den with a small mouse she had caught. It was really hard hunting, there seemed to be no prey anywhere, she had spent all morning looking for food and had only managed to catch this... Leaf bear was rough and this one seamed to be particularly bad.

She padded into the medicine den slowly. Hey Loud I got you something she called out in her usual sweet voice

oh, Ratpaw was here too and he had already gotten something for Loud? Aww how kind and thoughtful of him, she purred softly, she liked Ratpaw. The older tom cat would surly be a warrior any day now, he had been training hard since she was a kitten after all. She was even happier that Ratpaw was here, she secretly really admired him.
She felt a little self conscious with him there and quickly tried to lick at patches of her fur that were sticking out and looking scruffy. Her fur was always a nightmare to maintain and usually she just left it alone...


She sat next to Loudnose and rested her tail on his shoulder. Feeling any better bro? she purred.

She had heard about how he had been grounded and thought it must be really boring to be stuck in the medicine den all this time, at least he could talk to others and she would do her best to keep him company.

Can I get you anything? she asked her older brother hoping to make him comfortable... well as comfortable as one could be with a sore tail and back paw and not being able to leave camp.... ugh that did not sound comfortable at all!

Maybe we will have to sneak you out of camp, it cant be good for you to be cooped up like this... I would be going stir crazy trapped in camp like this she continued hoping to get him talking to get his mind off the situation... and who knows maybe getting some fresh air would help him feel better.

Duskflight paced near the medicine den, waiting for Swiftheart— and his very familiar friend, Ratpaw, to enter it first. For once, Duskflight seemed genuinely... down. Though more so of concern for his friend lying inside the herb-filled den. With the newest catch in his jaws, the warrior took in a deep breath, finally making his way into the medicine den. The two other cats have also prepared the tom a small gift, that wasn't so too much to surprise. Of course. "Hey there Loudnose. Hey there Ratpaw, and Swiftheart too. I hope I didn't cut in?" The tom awkwardly asked, taking his spot beside Ratpaw. He still felt the most familiar to him after all these moons.

He rested the averagely-sized toad down near Loudnose, wishing that he hadn't interrupted the conversation.. If he even had. "And Swiftheart's somewhat right, Loudnose. We'll head out to the marshes again with you, once you're feeling much better. I promise," He offered the tom a warm smile. His visit to him last time was rather awkward, and so the tom wished to have not let that repeat again. "And, erm, I also got you something; though it seems like the two have already done so as well," He nudged towards his catch, now resting besides the tom on the moss bed.

It was terrible being locked up in this den, no matter how pleasant it smelled. There was nothing to do or see. He could barely move. The most entertainment he could get was visitors. Ratpaw was a good one too, Loudnose thought back to the first time he had met the black tabby. How many snails has he found? the tom wondered while happily munching Ratpaw's gift. It was yellow, a great color in Loudnose's opinion. It reminded him- "Is that how you hurt yourself?"

Suddenly the lizard didn't taste so good. His smile twisted into an uncomfortable frown, ears turning downward. "I.. um.." Thankfully he didn't have to think of a good answer. Cats began to enter the den- Swiftheart and Duskflight. His expression relaxed as they greeted him. A perfect excuse to avoid Ratpaw's.. unexpected question.

"Hey Swiftheart, Duskflight. It's good to see you. Um.. I don't think I should be sneaking out Swifty. This is my punishment, and- and it was my fault. I put myself here. I mean it's not like I can get out of here anyway, my leg is still pretty bad. Also, I'll be fine. I mean it's not that bad in here. It smells nice. I can hear ceremonies. And, thank you for the food. But.. I think the elders can use it more. You undoubtedly know hunting is harder with leaf-bare now here. I don't need so much. I'm very grateful though." The tom talked quickly as usual, though definitely not as bright. He felt nervous with this many cats around him, it was too similar to when he first woke up. That had not been a fun time. Hopefully this would go better.