You've Outgrown My Help [closed - Herb Patrol]

Aspenheart allowed Softpaw to lead the way to the field. He watched her technique as she weaved through the territory with the grace and dignity of her mother, Graybriar. She had grown into her role, despite the old tom's doubts. And yes, he was old. He was aged by the events of his life, though it had been considerably short for a non-combatant WindClanner. He expected to die young, so it was a surprise when he lived to see his apprentice nearly as tall as himself. Lately, he looked up to meet her eyes. He stood hunched and humbled by his brother's death. Aspenheart found whatever comfort he could in training his niece in the ways that had saved him. As the frost thawed and the days became warmer, he realized that she didn't quite need him anymore. There were just a few things left to learn.

Now in the field, which was considerably less barren than a moon ago, Aspenheart could smell the symphony of grassy aromas. Herbs were all around them. "You don't need my help, Softpaw," he hummed encouragingly. "You know what to do. If you find tansy, I might have to clean your nest for three moons. All this greencough has us fresh out."

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OOC: We're both new to this system, so let's see how it goes. Link for good measure.

Roll effect dice!

1: Nothing is found. :(
2-3: Cobwebs, Daisy Leaf, Burnet, or Poppy Seeds
4-5: Comfrey Root, Goldenrod, or Chervil
6: Chickweed or Tansy

Softpaw padded gently into the field, placing each paw down delicately. She hadn't been here since Barleytuft... Since he had died. Was he watching her now, making flower crowns as often as he pleased? She nodded to Aspenheart as he explained what they were doing. Part of her wanted to growl and tell him that she'd always need him; the other part knew that was hopeless, as convincing Aspenheart of something was as easy as moving the Great Rock in Fourtrees; impossible.

Trying to lighten the mood, she purred with amusement, "Is that three moons per tansy stem?" She teased, swatting her tail over his ear in good humor. They'd managed to rekindle their bond, their flame of friendship stubbornly refusing to fan out, despite Downpaw's attempts to severe it. She was grateful for both toms; Aspenheart and Downpaw. Even if Downpaw had been increasingly hostile and protective over her. "I'll be ready for Newleaf," she murmured, "Hopefully, Spotlake will be better by then."

Bounding away, she stopped as a familiar and well loved scent hit her. Tansy! "Looks like you're cleaning my nest, Aspenheart!" She called, glancing at the tom with amusement in her eyes as she bent down to nibble off a few stalks of the precious herb.

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OOC: alrighty! We're learning something new, bois. I'm sure we'll be able to manage ;D
let's roll the magic dice and see what we get~
hah, this is the bot's karma for Aspen-

The member 'Stormy' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 6

Aspenheart sputtered, his world-weary eyes stirring at the delicate yellow flowers in Softpaw's jaws. "You're kidding!" he half-groaned. The medicine cat stumbled back, gawking, his rump nearly hitting the ground in shock. "Well, I didn't know you were going to find it on the first try! It's so early!"

He hobbled forward, nose pitched to the ground, and eyes half-lidded in thought. His skill was not in his foraging, but instead his extensive knowledge of herb location and abundance. Leaf-Bare falling away would be a chance to track the growth patterns of herbs once more, but until then, he would have to guess and check. There were no markers to go off of. There was only scent. A small patch of white flowers protruded from rocks and hardened ground. Chickweed was returning to the moors. Aspenheart sighed with relief, feeling the metaphorical boulder being lifted from his spine. What he perceived as his own folly had lead to the deaths of warriors and kits alike, and he had learned his lesson. The medicinal stockpile began today. Aspenheart somberly plucked up a few sprigs of chickweed and poked his head up to find Softpaw.

She was no weak little apprentice, that was for sure. For all that she had suffered lately, she never let anybody see the cracks in the wall. Aspenheart knew better than to assume that she was doing fine, but emotional comfort wasn't exactly in his skillset. He was good for advice and knocking some good-old-fashioned sense into wayward cats. Not much else. He wasn't even really sure what Softpaw needed. It was weird to talk to her without feeling like he didn't deserve to be butting in. He had created a mess he was incapable of cleaning up on his own. Aspenheart scuffed his paws in the ground, only somewhat registering the grinding of his molars in his mouth. Maybe it was selfish, or maybe he was just inept, but it was terribly difficult to be there for her. "H-how are you... I dunno," he groaned, scrambling for sentences that contained actual meaning. "Are you... are you fine? Is everything... okay in there? After... what happened?"

Aspenheart fought the urge to roll his eyes at himself. "I'm sorry. If I could have somebody else mentor you, I would. Your father... He would've done anything for you. I wish I understood how he blindly threw his loyalty to his kin. No offense to your kin, anyway. I never had that. My sister died young. So did my mother. I was nursed by another queen, and I never knew my father. WindClan raised me. I'm only loyal to WindClan. I should've known that... Barleytuft's actual kin would always come first. Not a fake-brother, anyway. I should've known that I had to also apologize to him. It almost feels like... like I let it happen." His ears flicked. He regarded the wetness in his eyes with morbid curiosity, like watching a bug struggle to swim in a puddle. "My failure doesn't reflect your abilities. You will be a better medicine cat than I ever was... the same way I am better than Mintwhisker. The same way whoever you choose will be better than you. But most importantly, you will be great. Barleytuft knew that before you were even born. I wish I had understood sooner."

The member 'Grizzly' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 6

"Of course I'm fine!" She chirped though probably a bit too happily. As Aspenheart stammered through the rest of his sentence she groaned, inwardly, of course. While she easily was able to talk about sentimentals of other cats, her own she struggled with. She preferred to hide her flaws self-consciously, sheltering them as if they were feathers waiting to be blown away by the wind. She was stubborn in this way, keeping the broken and heartache tucked away whilst going about her day as if there was nothing more than sunshine inside her.

But that was a facade, a mere illusion, created by her and displayed at all times. Only the prying paws of her dear brother had ever been able to escape her illusive barrier of obsidian. It was so much easier to hide her true self than to reveal it. While not strong in the traditional sense, she was a strong as any warrior in all ways that counted. Her heart held a tender loving gentleness for all creatures, while her mind held remedies of poultices and leaves that would baffle the most experienced warrior. Her spirit carried that much like the wind; gentle in nature, but quick to turn hostile if provoked.

She was young, yet her heart carried the many scars and chips of experience. It had been blackened and bruised and hurt beyond repair, yet it still refused to reveal its tortured state. Her obligation to her Clan had assisted her desire to keep sentimental emotions inside, as she focused on the needs of others. But now there was no shields to be put up. Alone, with her friend and mentor, she could not hide behind doors of perfection and ease. The windows were open, and her pain was in the air, exposed and vulnerable. "I-"

Her voice quivered, and she breathed deeply to steady herself. "You know I've forgiven you, Aspenheart. Barleytuft... Dad loved you, really.. I remember the nursery tales he and Clovertwist would tell Downpaw and I... B-barelytuft.." She paused, shuddering, grief for her father still strong. "Barelytuft always thought of you as his brother." Softpaw looked over her shoulder at the gray tom and she padded towards small bell shaped flowers, noticing a useful bundle of comfrey. She slowly duck a couple roots up as she continued, "I-I.. I just miss him so, so much.." She whispered, more to herself than Aspenheart. As the breeze fluttered by, it picked and carried two droplets of tears away, never to be seen again.

"Don't talk like that, Aspenheart.. You'll be around for plenty more moons. You're a wonderful medicine cat." She assured him, padding back over to him, comfrey root in tow. "But.." She trailed off, not wanting to risk the peaceful setting.

"I'm... Worried. About the prophecy, I mean. WindClan has the most cats from other Clans. Dappleshine, Swallowflight, Lightfang... And what about Raventail? What will they do to him, or Zinnia and Patrick? Or Ferretdance and Olivestone? And Minkpaw, Haykit? Or Mossbloom? Even though she's ThunderClan, she's a medicine cat, and was born a kittypet. And Oakstar? So many cats are at risk... And what if they hurt Finchstar for his rebellion? I support him, and love, but StarClan clearly doesn't... What are we going to do?"

The member 'Stormy' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 4

As Aspenheart moved up to Softpaw's side, he offered her a gentle nudge of his cheek. It was more than his haphazard words could achieve. A gesture he had reserved for no other cat, except maybe Finchstar. His physical affection was more sparse than any other form. He managed a smile at his apprentice, who was filled with compassion and wisdom that he could not often manage. There were certain traits that he really would never come by. Yeah, she'll do just fine.

Softpaw's worries were a common one for WindClan now. Aspenheart felt barely equipped to handle it, but there was some solace he could give her... hopefully. "Kit, I've lived through some insanity. I've lived through the Great Flood, dog infestations, wars, and plague — Don't start guessing my age, you already know I'm decrepit — and somehow, some way, the clans always survived. We will get through this the same way we get through everything in these woods. A well-mixed poultice of dumb luck and great stubbornness. Just the way I like it!" Aspenheart's eyes flickered to the left, trained after a familiar smell. Daisies were growing just past the pair, the aroma warm and sweet off of the white petals. He crossed Softpaw to pluck the daisy leaves off of the ground. The collection they were accumulating was a diverse one. He considered it a good omen for the Newleaf crop ahead.

"If you really want my opinion, I'm starting to see some merit in Finchstar's approach," he hummed. "There's something not right about this whole thing, and while I don't think he should be acting so passionately, I can't fault him for his own nature. I think we should be up on our toes and ready for anything, because the StarClan I know doesn't do things like this. It's sneaky and sinister and not straight-forward. I don't like it. All you need to do, Softpaw, is hope for the best. You leave the preparing for the worst bit to me. It's what I do. There's a day to every night."

The member 'Grizzly' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 3