Well-Earned Rest [C]

Poppypaw stayed fairly quiet after her first hunting attempt with Perchfall. Fighting a goose wasn't planned, but it worked out fairly okay. They didn't end up staying to hunt for anymore fish, as the large bird would provide a fair amount of food for the clan and the feathers would have to be plucked out to use for bedding. And, given its large size, it was a bit of a pain to get it back to camp. Poppypaw felt terrible that she wasn't able to help more as they hauled the bird back, but she was still smaller and weaker than Perchfall.

But that just meant she'd have to work harder to help Perchfall when they were back.

Once they were back in camp and the goose was delivered to the kill pile, Poppypaw pushed her head gently against Perchfall's side to urge her into lying down for a bit. "I'm going to get you some herbs," she explained before she bounded off again. It was only a quick visit to the medicine cat, explaining the deputy's injuries, and then she trotted back with some goldenrod poultice and a bit of cobwebs on her paw to help soothe the pain and stop any bleeding from the goose's attack.

Poppypaw sat down before Perchfall and offered the medicine to her mentor. "I'm sorry I was not more help in the fight," she meowed. "Thank you for protecting me."

She was going to have to work harder so Perchfall wouldn't be in such a difficult position again. Poppypaw didn't want Perchfall--or any cat, really--to have to take attacks in her stead because she was inexperienced. She hated fighting and if she had her way, she would never fight anything again. But that was not going to stop her from getting better for the sake of her clan.

As much as she put on her stoic deputy face, Perchfall's head was beginning to swim. Dragging the massive goose back to camp was an ordeal, even with Poppypaw's admittedly-small amount of help. She appreciated the apprentice's efforts. However, after all the sharp beak pokes to the head, thinking felt more like swimming in the snow-flushed river than anything. She did her best to stay strong, though. Poppypaw was young. She'd done well, but there was no way she could carry a giant predator bird and her tired mentor all the way back to camp. So, mostly wordlessly, they finally made their way through the camp entrance. This will be a fun story to tell Ashflight, at least.

To her surprise, once they dropped the goose on top of the meager fresh-kill pile with a sigh of exhaustion, Poppypaw began pushing at her. It took the deputy a moment to figure out what she wanted, but once she understood, she lay down slowly on the snowy ground. Then, her apprentice ran off again without waiting for an answer. Perchfall chuckled quietly after the calico scampered away. It was strange-- such vibrant, happy young cats as Poppypaw and Tinypool seemed to care for her so much. She couldn't fathom why; their personalities were as different as leaf-bare and greenleaf. It was odd. And yet... it kind of felt nice that somecat cared for her so much. Wait. What am I doing, laying around? I'm the RiverClan deputy, I don't have time to make my apprentice take care of a tiny injury I got from my own mistake. But the second she intended to get up, Poppypaw came racing back out of the medicine den, a poultice of herbs almost falling out of her mouth. It would be rude of her to walk away now. Besides, her head did hurt a little bit....

"Thank you," she murmured quietly at her apprentice's offering of the herbs. She was no medicine cat, but she did her best, vaguely applying the squishy wet herbs to the aching spots on her head. It was gross. She suppressed the urge to grimace, remembering that she was in front of Poppypaw. "You were plenty of help," Perchfall mewed instead, shaking her head in disapproval. "Many apprentices would have frozen up. You had no battle experience, yet you intervened-- despite my warning it was unsafe, might I add. You are lucky you were not injured; however, I did my best to protect you, and everything turned out all right. Actually, you showed a fair amount of skill. I am sure that with some more training, you will be a natural fighter."

Saying all those words at once made her feel a little dizzy. Normally she didn't talk this much... but she wanted to make sure Poppypaw wasn't blaming herself or fretting unnecessarily. The deputy shook her head again. "I will be fine. No reason to worry about me."

Poppypaw relaxed as Perchfall began applying the medicine. She had worried a bit that she was overreacting, but the deputy seemed grateful for her care, so that helped her relax. Although--and she would not admit this aloud--it was kind of funny watching Perchfall struggle to apply the medicine. Not that Poppypaw knew much better, but the slight clumsiness, no matter how small, was so unbecoming of the rigid deputy.

She brightened at Perchfall's kind words and she raised her head a bit higher with pride. But at the deputy's last words, the pride diminished and her tail lashed in the first display of annoyance she's given around her mentor.

"You gave it your all fighting the predator and you got hurt. Of course I'm going to worry about you," she meowed stubbornly. "I may still be young, but I can help. At least a little."

Poppypaw wished she could do more, though. She didn't know how to better help Perchfall with the poultice, nor the best way to care for her after the attack. The best she could do was help lick some of the small cuts and scrapes Perchfall had acquired in the battle and smooth down her fur. It was a gesture she'd picked up from the queens in the nursery, and it was all she could offer Perchfall for comfort.

"I can start plucking the goose," Poppypaw also offered. "And help distribute the feathers to the dens for warmer bedding."

The herbs felt uncomfortable on Perchfall's head, but she had to admit that they were soothing the small injuries somewhat. Cloverheart definitely knew what she was doing. It was a good thing that the medicine cat had finally returned; she had been worried at this point that they might have to appoint a new one without any training experience. After a moment, though, Poppypaw caught her attention once more with her response. Her stubborn insistence was amusing as well as confusing to the deputy. I'm supposed to be the one taking care of RiverClan, not the other way around. But I guess maybe this means I'm doing well as a mentor?

However, Perchfall was noticeably startled when her apprentice started grooming her. Not a negative reaction, just a slight widening of her eyes in surprise. That had not been expected. She knew that other cats shared tongues together often, but... she honestly couldn't think of a time when any cat had really done it for her. As a very young warrior she had no relationship with her peers, and now as a deputy she was too busy, and never approached. Ashflight had probably felt too awkward to groom her, but she had been okay with just conversing. Even Tinypool was often talking with other cats, being the charismatic and wonderful she-cat that she was. So, feeling the comforting sensation of another cat's grooming wasn't something that had crossed her mind since being a kit. Strange.... Then she noticed that Poppypaw had said something. "Oh-- Yes, we should do that. There are lots of feathers, plenty for everyone. Make sure that Wisteriabloom gets first pick in the elders' den, though. Then we can start giving them to apprentices and warriors. Maybe Jaystar would like some." Did the leader like softer nests? Perchfall truly had no idea.

Poppypaw nodded; then that would be what she does. She didn't move to the goose quite yet, though, wanting to make sure that she adequately cleaned Perchfall's wounds and that she was comfortable enough. Poppypaw had seen how much Perchfall worked to care for the clan while she was growing as a kit, and so Perchfall deserved to relax and not have to worry so much. At least for a little bit.

When she was done, she rubbed her cheek against Perchfall's chest for a moment in an endearing gesture. Maybe for other cats it would be a lot very fast, to be sharing tongues and rubbing lovingly, but Poppypaw had grown attached to her mentor immediately. Perhaps naively; but Poppypaw would never see it that way.

She moved a few tail-lengths over to the kill pile where the goose lay and she began plucking the feathers and laying them in a careful pile. She would take scoops of feathers to the cats in the order that Perchfall instructed, but she wanted to make good headway on plucking all--or at least most--of the bird first, before the sun fell below the horizon.

Wisteriabloom, nursery, apprentices, and then warriors. Poppypaw smiled at the thought of Jaystar. "Yes, we'll want to make sure Jaystar is warm too. And you, of course!" She purred to herself. While she would not try to skip over any of the elders or younger cats before getting to the warriors, she wanted to ensure Perchfall got a good amount of feathers for her nest. She was the one that took down the goose, after all!

Poppypaw looked over at Perchfall and grinned to herself. She had made just a small pile, but she paused just long enough to grab a feather and go over to place it on Perchfall's nose. A kit-like giggle bubbled up from Poppypaw's mouth at the silly display of the deputy with a balanced feather, and then she scurried back to her duties with the goose.

But silence was never something Poppypaw enjoyed, so she asked Perchfall, "What was it like when  you were an apprentice? Did you like your mentor too?"

Perchfall continued to sit still, even as her apprentice went off to begin picking feathers off of the goose. Her fur tingled slightly where Poppypaw had groomed her, and the warm gesture of rubbing against her chest made her feel... lighter, somehow. It was strange. She had never cared very much for physical interactions with other cats, and no one had ever really tried to initiate them with her before. But after the slight warm flutter that it made her feel, it was possible that she would have to re-evaluate her stance towards sharing tongues. If any other cat would be willing to let her into their circles, that is. Poppypaw was certainly kinder and more immediately open than most.

Letting her mask drop just a little bit, a tiny smile showed itself on the deputy's face as her apprentice continued to banter innocently. "And you, of course!" Though Perchfall's nest in the warriors' den was somewhat sparse, she supposed that she had no choice but to accept a few feathers. Who would dare refuse Poppypaw? Certainly not her. Not even when she did silly things like place a goose feather on her nose. It tickled, but the gray and white she-cat tried her best to stay still, before a tiny sneeze accidentally sent it flying back towards the pile. Hopefully she hadn't seen.

But apparently it had been silent too long for the chatty little calico. The next question bubbling upwards was something Perchfall supposed she should have expected-- a question about her own mentor. Now that wasn't something she had thought about in a while. Since Poppypaw was turned away, she didn't see the slight twist that momentarily soured the rare smile on the deputy's face. "I... was never really close with my mentor," she admitted quietly, in the same neutral, non-committal tone as ever. As if it wasn't a big deal. As if she hadn't seen other apprentices with their mentors and wondered what was wrong with her. "Sparrowclaw went on patrols with me occasionally, but never really did much. He was a somewhat older warrior. I was not his first apprentice; he saw no need to give me any special attention." Her tail flicked slightly. "He is... not around anymore. But he was not a tom who was close with many cats, let alone the apprentices he trained."

Poppypaw happily plucked away at the goose, pinching some feathers between her teeth to pull off or snagging them between her paw toes. The pile of feathers was slowly growing larger and she had scarcely made any progress on the bird. The goose turned out to be a spot of good luck after all, though it was a shame that it hadn't come earlier in leafbare. It was better than not at all, she supposed.

When Perchfall spoke of her mentor, Poppypaw's expression twisted into a frown. She thought mentors were supposed to care for and look after their apprentices, whether they'd had multiple apprentices before or not. It was a special time to care for a young cat, to learn more about yourself and teach them all of your knowledge. That's what the queens had told her every time she bothered them in the nursery. And Perchfall, she was a great mentor! Poppypaw counted herself lucky, and every minute more that she spent in the deputy's company, the luckier Poppypaw felt. She had learned so much in a single outing and her head buzzed with excitement and longing to make Perchfall proud of her. How could this Sparrowclaw have looked at another young apprentice and not wished for that excitement? Not wanted to spend their days teaching the everything? No one, least of all Perchfall, deserved to have a mentor who didn't care.

"Well then he didn't know what he was missing," Poppypaw meowed stubbornly as she turned to look back at Perchfall. "Because you're great! And you're strong and smart and you're the deputy! You had great things in store and he should have gotten close to such a great cat when he got the chance." She gave a stiff nod to punctuate her point.

Maybe to others, it was naive for Poppypaw to be ready to bat for her mentor after only one official day of teaching. Or maybe it was rude for Poppypaw to speak as though she knew so much about Perchfall, when all she really knew was that she was a deputy. But for Poppypaw, it was as true to her as it was that snow fell from the sky. Perchfall was her mentor, and a great one at that, and anyone who couldn't understand what a wonderful cat she was? Well, then they were a fool.

Perchfall wasn't sure what she was expecting, answering so honestly to a young apprentice who couldn't possibly consider the full ramifications and complications of life. However, misguided though it may be, the complete sincerity of Poppypaw's response was somewhat heartwarming. She sounded far older than her age, except for the squeakiness of a voice that had just barely left the nursery. The tiny smile returned. A small chuckle almost accompanied it. If Sparrowclaw had gotten the little fluff ball of energy that was Poppypaw as his apprentice, he might have imploded. The thought was funny.

However, it was also strange to hear the little she-cat singing her praises so profusely. They had known each other for... one day, maybe? She would feel justified in telling someone about Poppypaw, but the calico wore her heart on her pelt with no shame. Perchfall... didn't really do that. Her emotions were kept locked up so safely that she wasn't always sure whether she was actually feeling them or not. And when she let them loose, what happened? She collapsed in a puddle. An utter mess. Like when she thought Ashflight was dead, and then... and then... The thought brought up a tangled web of feelings she didn't want to unpack right now. Nor did she have the time. See, this was why she left these things alone! They barged in and interrupted any other thoughts she might be having! Hopefully she hadn't left her mask down long enough for Poppypaw to see unwelcome emotions begin to parade across her face.

"Don't worry about it," she said finally, directing her small, uncertain smile back downwards. "Sparrowclaw is not around anymore. He was never unkind to me. There is no point in dwelling on the past if it can't bring us forward. Do you want me to help with the goose feathers?"

Poppypaw brightened fully again, and her naive, dopey attitude showed no indication that she had noticed any complex emotions stirring within her mentor. She nodded eagerly and shifted to another side of the goose so Perchfall wouldn't have to walk all the way around to get to a good spot.

She finally allowed a silence to settle between them. Poppypaw's mind wandered, thinking about all of the fun lessons that were still to come. She hoped that she could really make Perchfall proud, one day. There was still a very long way to go before she was a warrior, and maybe longer still before she could actually be a cat capable of making her clan proud. And that was okay. Poppypaw wanted to do whatever she could to help those around her, and she didn't need praise to do it.

A quick glance at her mentor warmed her heart again. If she had someone like Perchfall looking after her, then she would definitely grow into an amazing cat.

Poppypaw let out a soft purr. "Today was a really great day," she meowed softer. "Thank you for teaching me so much, Perchfall. I look forward to learning more from you."

Luckily, her momentary messiness seemed to have gone unnoticed. Perchfall let out a slight, inaudible sigh as her apprentice returned to goose feathers-- and, true to her inquiry, she moved over and began picking some of them herself. The strange fluffiness in her mouth made her tongue feel dry, but she knew it would be worth it if she could offer Tinypool and Ashflight some feathers for their nests. They'd probably appreciate it. And of course, some for Poppypaw. The little calico deserved as many as would fit in her nest. Her openness and kindness was something that the deputy hardly deserved... and something that she had begun to worry might put the apprentice in danger in the future. Hopefully she would know the difference between a friend and an enemy. However, with the immediacy with which she had trusted Perchfall, a cat she knew little to nothing about, it was concerningly possible that she might befriend a strange rogue and give him Clan secrets, only to get murdered in return, or... No, those thoughts were too dark for the cheerful apprentice. But Perchfall vowed then and there to keep the she-cat safe from any possible lapses in judgement.

At Poppypaw's words, the gray and white she-cat couldn't help but let the tiniest of smiles back onto her stoic features. Still, how could she fault such pure kindness? Such unadulterated love? She knew she didn't deserve it. She knew that one day, once her apprentice knew who she truly was, that open hearted joy would curdle into wariness. However... for now... she didn't want anything to change. She wanted this moment to last forever. It may have been wrong, but she just wanted to sit and enjoy the unfamiliar feeling of being unconditionally trusted. "You're welcome, Poppypaw," she said quietly. "You have been a wonderful apprentice. I cannot wait to see how much more you grow and shine."