Mellow Mallow (Closed)

Pricklebush was very unfamiliar with RiverClan territory, and somewhat uncomfortable as well. Though it had trees like ThunderClan's, and grass and the occasional bit of moss, the resemblance stopped there. Far less underbrush and far more tiny streams and pools that connected to the big river, a fishy scent in the air, a far more dense and moist feeling in the air, almost swampy. He wasn't sure he liked it. But he wasn't here for the scenery, he was here for Mistlepaw. Speaking of the young apprentice, he was waiting for her by the entrance of RiverClan's medicine den- far more organized than it had been when he arrived, and still far too full of the remaining scent of Fallowlight. He hadn't known the she-cat very well, but her loss had rocked the tightly knit group of medicine cats, and her apprentice most of all. He knew too well the feeling of not having a mentor in your Clan, but for him the former medicine cat hadn't died. Mapleleaf had just retired from the position into warriorhood, a position he used to wish for but now was uncertain of. Shaking off his rambling thoughts, the ThunderClan tom waited for Mistlepaw to emerge, needing to go and find some mallow with her. Her stock was almost out- and teaching her about gathering herbs would be very important.

Mistlepaw was falling.. She was falling through a dark, endless abyss and had no idea when or what she would hit on the way down. It was surprisingly tranquil, and the silence relaxed her, even though the prospect of free-falling through blackness would distress most. She simply closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax as she plunged deeper and deeper into the unknown. Her heart rate only spiked when the sound of rushing water filled her ears. She thrashed helplessly, trying to slow her descent , to no avail. "No!" She cried, watching in horror as the water approached faster and faster until..splash! The air in Mistlepaw's lungs was knocked out of her as she crashed into the cold waves, body immediately freezing up and becoming useless. She gasped, and water immediately flooded into her system; every time she tried to spit out the water, more came in. "I'm going to drown," she thought sadly, "I don't want to die. I'm not ready.." There was nothing she could do. Black spots began to dot her vision and everything became distorted. The surface was the last thing she saw before water filled her lungs and her eyes slipped shut.

~~~

Mistlepaw gasped for air as she jolted awake, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she gulped in all the oxygen she could. "I..I'm alive! Thank Starclan!" She thought, nosing herself over for any signs that she had actually been in water. After finding her pelt dry, she relaxed, slumping back over in her nest. Dreaming of drowning was exhausting, and she was ready to go back to sleep...until she realized what today was. Pricklebush had promised that they would go on an herb patrol today! She leaped out of her nest and raced outside, nearly barreling into the tan tom. "I-I'm sorry, Pricklebush! I overslept a-and.." Her face fell as she said the next words, "I had that nightmare again.." For the last couple of sunrises that the Thunderclan medicine cat had spent with her, she was having that same nightmare. Falling, crashing, drowning. A cycle that she couldn't end nor control. Then she would wake up, sobbing uncontrollably, effectively waking him up and forcing him to comfort her until she relaxed enough to fall back asleep. Her pelt warmed with shame at all the trouble she had caused. She was just a burden to him..and to her clan. If only Fallowlight was here...

Pricklebush smiled slightly when he saw Mistlepaw come out... then his heart fell a little when she said those words. "I had that nightmare again." The poor she-cat had been suffering with the same recurring nightmare about drowning, over and over again. He felt so fiercely protective of her already that it was almost physically painful that there was nothing he could do about the dreams. All he could do was try to comfort her. Which he did immediately, without a second thought, the same movement he'd made many times since he'd first met the poor, small apprentice. His large form enfolded hers in a comforting, quieting embrace, holding her close to him so that nothing could possibly go wrong. She was barely older than a kit... so much had happened to her. Sadly, she was learning to bear it, to hide her emotions and not break down when she was afraid. So he didn't hold her to his chest as long as usual, no need to stifle tears that hadn't come yet. There were a mix of emotions in his sage green eyes as he gazed down at her, solemn but caring. "I'm not concerned about the time," he told her gently, "I'm concerned for you. I wish there was something I could do about the nightmares. I have them too, sometimes. But I find that if poppy seeds don't help, then comfort is the next best thing." Pricklebush touched his nose to hers, softly, then pulled up. He didn't know why, but something about Mistlepaw brought out a much softer side of him than he usually showed. Mistlepaw and Mosspaw and Ferretpaw and kits, kits of all ages and backgrounds. How Beartooth would laugh if he saw how pathetically soft his heart really was. But a tiny smile touched the ThunderClan medicine cat's face, and he gestured with his tail towards RiverClan territory. "You can tell me about it while we look for some mallow, if you want," he offered as he stood. "I'm not very familiar with the territory here. I'll need your help."

The young she-cat wasn't surprised by the sudden embrace; instead, she buried her muzzle into his fur and hugged back tightly. Pricklebush was like the older brother that she never got to have, since her original passed away in the flood before they could even meet. Sometimes, she did think of the Thunderclan medicine cat as her family. Even though they were not bound by blood, they were bound by their bond, for the two medicine cats had formed a good relationship during the last few sunrises they spent together. "I can't thank you enough for everything that you do for me, Pricklebush," she meowed tenderly as they separated, a small smile appearing on her face. She listened intently as he reassured her, and she made a mental note of trying poppy seeds before she slept that night. Besides numbing pain, the seeds were good for sleeping, but only in small dosages. She learned that the hard way when she almost accidentally gave a cat too much. Thank Starclan her mentor was there to advise her, or that could've been a disaster. 

Mistlepaw took the lead after he gestured towards the territory, since she was was more used to the territory. She wondered how Thunderclan territory differed from the lands she grew up in; perhaps, if Jaystar allowed it, she could visit it someday. After getting lost in thought for some time, the tuxedo she-cat decided to recite what she knew about mallow, in hopes to impress the tan tom. "Mallow is a leaf that grows from a shrub, usually found near the water. It's used to treat bellyaches, and it's large and fuzzy like your fur," she glanced over at him with a smile, hoping that he didn't find her joke too offensive. In all honesty, though, Pricklebush probably had the largest fur in the whole forest! She giggled, a noise that she hadn't been able to make due to all the stress she induced recently.

At Mistlepaw's smile, he melted. He was so glad that he'd been able to rescue this she-cat from the loneliness that he'd felt... grateful that she liked and tolerated him. Pricklebush let her take the lead, because he honestly would get lost in the strange streams and trees of RiverClan territory. He was delightedly surprised when she told him what she'd learned about mallow, glad that she'd retained the knowledge he'd begun to give her. She was truly a natural... Fallowlight had made an excellent choice, though he was sure it hadn't been in her plans to die before being able to mentor the young apprentice. He was no Fallowlight, but he'd have to stand in- and hopefully, not doing the worst job in the world. Just being around the she-cat and seeing her grin softened something inside his normally tight and guarded heart. A laugh bubbled up from inside him at her light-hearted joke, along with a profound sense of relief that she was able to joke. Her giggle was adorable. "Maybe that's why StarClan chose me," he responded easily, sage-green eyes glowing. "I'm basically a giant leaf. They didn't call me Pricklebush for nothing." He shook out his pelt, comically fluffing it up until he looked like a giant hairball. "Did you know that when I was an apprentice, I thought my name might be Pricklepounce? Because I caught two rabbits?" Where had that come from? Memories of Chervilpaw assaulted him immediately, their patrol together, bragging and laughing about stupid apprentice stuff he'd long forgotten. He'd just been so relaxed and happy... it had come out of nowhere. A different lifetime. However, he didn't let the immediate pain that always came with remembering Chervilpaw dull his innate happiness at spending time with Mistlepaw. Instead, he recovered his smile, and glanced around the territory inquisitively. "So where are all the herbs hiding? Remember, I have no idea what I'm doing here. You're the mentor in this case. Show me where to find mallow!"