Lending a Helping Paw

Mossbloom trotted towards the SkyClan border, looking forward to the task of the day. A few sunrises before, she had run into Sagelight in passing, and when they parted ways it was with the promise to meet by the Fallen Oak to gather herbs together. She had requested that he brought his apprentice along, it had been moons since she had truly gotten to speak with the two SkyClan cats, and it would be so reminiscent of the first herb gathering patrol she had with Sagelight, when she had been training him. It would be nice to have that time again, and see how his own apprentice was coming along.

Just the day before though, the news had come from a returning border patrol that Sagelight had fallen ill and would be unable to make it for the gathering. She had been disappointed, but had hoped that Honeypaw would still be able to make it. Already purring at the thought of it, she realized she had arrived earlier than their agreed upon sunhigh time, and she waited several tail lengths away from the gnarled roots of the upturned tree, trying to ignore it and the memories that accompanied them. Hopefully Honeypaw wouldn't be long, and soon they would be away from the spot where her father's blood had soaked the ground. Stars, she felt like she could still smell the scent of it, but that was impossible after all this time. There she waited, tail tucked over her paws as she silently fought with her memories.

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Herb Hunt Results
6 : Oak Leaf, Poppy Seeds, Stinging Nettle
4-5 : Borage, Cob Nuts, Dock, Tansy
2-3 : Catchweed, Celandine, Mint, Rosemary, Wild Garlic, Wintergreen
1 : Nothing or Foxglove Seeds or Holly Berries

The sounds of a small cat rushing through the underbrush startled a few nearby songbirds into flight, and Honeypaw broke through the clumps of ferns, panting quite heavily. She had feared checking over Sagelight one last time before she left would have made her late for her meeting with Mossbloom, but it seemed she had made it on time. With a small cough, Honeypaw looked up sheepishly at the pretty ThunderClan medicine cat, her ears tilting back a little. "S-Sorry!..." she squeaked apologetically. "I-I didn't mean to be noisy. I-I just didn't wanna be late. I was just trying to make sure Sagelight would be okay, I-I promise I didn't forget or think about not showing up!" She yelped softly, realizing she was rambling. She dipped her head. "S-Sorry...."

A big racket sounded from deeper in SkyClan territory, and though her ears perked she remained where she sat, staring in the direction of the noise. No predator would be that loud, so it must be another cat, but even most warriors and apprentices wouldn't be so loud... As the pale she-cat stepped into the opening in front of Mossbloom, she smiled. "Hi, Honeypaw. That's alright, you have nothing to apologize for! I understand completely. How is he doing? Is there anything more I can do to help?" She purred kindly, standing and reaching out her nose if the apprentice should wish to touch it with her own. While Honeypaw was not her own apprentice, she was her old apprentice's, and their was an odd sense of kinship through that bond. She remembered, however, how jumpy Honeypaw had been as a kit, and didn't want to overstep if Honeypaw didn't wish it.

The SkyClan medicine cat apprentice smiled shyly up at the beautiful molly, deciding to tentatively lean in to touch noses together. The older she-cat smelled so sweet, it reminded her of her own mother. With a small little spurt of a purr, she meowed in response, "H-He's doing okay. Um, I think all he needs is a little rest, a-at least for now. I can, uh, let you know if I need anymore help, though. Thank you, Mossbloom." She dipped her head gratefully to her before looking back up, eyes shining with excitement. She had been looking forward to herb hunting with the ThunderClan medicine cat again. Just the idea of it brought back so many good memories of her kithood. "Um, so, are you ready to begin? I am whenever you are."

Purring lightly as the apprentice reached to touch her nose to hers, even tentatively, Mossbloom smiled as she heard Honeypaw's own purr. "That's good to hear, I'm sure he just pushed himself a little too hard. With some rest he'll be back on his paws in no time! Of course, I'm happy to help." She looked around quickly to make sure there wasn't any unwelcome visitors lingering before nodding. "I am, let's get started!" Setting off down the SkyClan and ThunderClan border, Mossbloom kept a sharp eye out for any herbs that may be growing among the undergrowth. After several heartbeats of silence, she broke it with a quiet mew. "The half-moon meetings have certainly been different recently... Ever since the meeting in leaf-bare, when I received the prophecy that I discovered was in regards to Torrentstar and Thornstar's.... Relationship, things have been a mess. 'Those chosen by the stars to guide paws are meant to share only skies, not nests.' That's all they told me... And then they expected me to lay it all out in front of the clans at the next Gathering, to piece everything together just like that.... And then the next, with Owlstar, one of the members of the Righteous Few. Has Sagelight told you what he told us, before the stars went silent?" As she had been talking, she found herself in front of a hazel tree. The fallen nuts of the tree were strewn across the ground, and she absently began to paw them into a pile with a white paw.

Mossbloom found cob nuts!

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

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'Effect Dice' : 5

Honeypaw looked up at Mossbloom. She remembered when the stars weren’t as silent as they are now, but just barely. She had still been quite young when it had happened. At her question, the medicine cat apprentice shook her head. ”No, I don’t think so. Or if he did ... I-I don’t remember what he said.” She tilted her ears back sheepishly. She had been so distracted, she almost collided into a few tall stems. She took a few quick paces back to observe what she had almost run into, and she recognized it to be catchweed. She had been using quite a few of these lately to keep poultices from falling off, so she figured collecting some more would be a smart idea. She began carefully plucking off the green burrs and placing them in a small pile.

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

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'Effect Dice' : 3

Mossbloom nodded, noting the catchweed the apprentice had found. "'Shadow, Wind, River, Thunder, Sky: separate and defined. So it always has been and always shall be. Those who choose to cross these sacred lines betray all those who worked to raise them and protect them. Blood traitors, all of you, dismantling clans and kin for your own selfish desires. You were not made to run moorland with your webbed paws, nor can you climb the trees with your marsh-sodden coat. Behold the power of StarClan, and be weakened. Without the strength of your clan's ancestors pulsing through your blood, do you think this new clan will want you? They do not care for you, they do not know who you are. We do. If the leaders of the earthen ground will not punish your treason, you will face the wrath of the stars. You have been warned.' That was their warning. This came the half-moon after the revealing of Torrentstar's and Thornstar's short-lived relationship. I wonder what would have been if they hadn't done what they did... But it's also unfair to place the blame on their shoulders."

Mossbloom turned, looking back towards the Fallen Oak. She swore she could still see the blood splatters over the dirt and gnarled roots. Flintfang had betrayed his clan, and yet, he had been ThunderClan through and through... At least, as far as she knew. Yet here she was, without an whisker of clan blood running through her veins, as the clan's medicine cat, having upheld the code. "What do you think of the Righteous Few, Honeypaw? Be honest with me, our conversation will remain between us."

Honeypaw had never heard of that prophecy. She had been with Sagelight, as was her duty as a medicine cat apprentice, when he relayed the message to Spottedstar. But she still hadn’t ever heard the full prophecy until just now. It was true, StarClan was punishing them for their own selfish desires, abandoning the warrior code and what essentially made them Clan cats. She couldn’t help but feel immensely guilty. She herself had developed a crush on a cat outside of her Clan as well, before she had been chosen to be the next medicine cat of SkyClan. If it hadn’t been for that....

”I ... I’m scared of them,” she mewed softly in response to Mosspelt’s question, looking down at her paws. ”But ... I-I can understand where they’re coming from. If a cat has an affair with one from another Clan, um, they could very well be throwing away their only chance at doing something grand for their own Clan. I....” She gulped nervously, then braved a look up at the ThunderClan medicine cat. She had said this conversation would remain between the two of them. She could trust her. ”...Before I became Sagelight’s apprentice, I ... I had developed a crush on a ShadowClan cat. Um ... a ShadowClan she-cat. She was mind and determined and strong. I really wanted to get to know her better. But ... my dream had been to become a medicine cat ever since I was a kit. It hadn’t been just because I was scared of battle — which I was, and still am — but also because I wanted to help my Clan. I love SkyClan so much, and I care about every one of my Clanmates as if they were kin. I ... I knew that I had to choose to follow either my passion or my emotions.”

Honeypaw suddenly seemed to stand a little straighter. ”I had chosen to follow my passion, and I refrained from getting to know Sparkfire. A moon later, I had begun training under Sagelight. And with Sagelight so ill right now, it was a very good thing I had chosen to remain loyal to my Clan, or else no one would have been able to heal Blossompaw’s snake bite, or tend to Wrenpaw’s broken tail. Um, I-I’m sorry for rambling on,” she apologized with a nervous flick of her ears. ”I guess what I’m saying is ... I agree with the intentions of the Righteous Few. I just ... don’t agree with how they’re handling it. It’s not right to hurt these cats. I’m sure they could’ve found a way to handle everything in a more, um ... pacifistic manner. We may have been given teeth and claws for battle ... but we had also been given tongues for communication. That’s, uh, how I see it anyway.”

Mossbloom nodded slightly at Honeypaw's words, understanding her reasoning. "That's understandable. We don't know what all they're capable of right now, but clearly it's a lot. I see what they're trying to do, but.... Well, they had their chance to be in charge, to make the rules. And they're going about this all wrong, I feel." As Honeypaw spoke of a ShadowClan she-cat, Mossbloom remained quiet, only moving closer to the apprentice's side. "I see. Have you talked to Sagelight about it? I encourage you to do so, he is your mentor, but I will not speak of this to him or anyone else if you choose not to. I'm glad to hear that you're happy with your choice, and that you are still confident in it, I know you'll make a fantastic medicine cat. You're right, there are much better ways they could have gone about this." Already the sky was starting to darken, and she looked up as she noticed the shadows to see the sun starting it's descent. "It's been good to look for herbs with you, but we should both get home. I don't want you caught after dark out here, would you like me to escort you home?"