Primroses and Beech trees

Primrosepaw had just returned from a long day of training with Smokefeather when she spotted her sister Beechpaw sitting alone outside their makeshift den. Recently, the fluffy grey she-cat had been very busy with her warrior training and medicine cat training, which she was somehow switching between. She didn't envy the amount of work she had to do, but now she looked worn out and in need of comfort. The idea of being a medicine cat had once appealed to her, but now she was driven to become a warrior. She didn't want to be set aside from her siblings, be treated differently, even if it was with the great respect that the clans' medicine cats received. It was silly, really, that she didn't want respect, but Primrosepaw still felt a little alienated from her clan by the loss of her vision, no matter how hard her mother tried to help her through it.

"Hi Beechpaw!" she cheerfully mewed before sitting down beside her sister, "How's your double life going? Are you tired out yet?" the young she-cat looked as if she needed to relax and cheer up and (lucky for her) that was Primrosepaw's speciality.

Beechpaw had gone on a herb hunt with Sagelight and Bloodstrike earlier, and it had been... Something. She still wasn't sure what to make of any of this. Sagelight was teaching her herbs and their uses, but the information felt alien to the large apprentice. Scars and muscle mostly hidden by Beechpaw's long, fluffy fur were further evidence that she was more suited to the life of a warrior rather than a healer. Beechpaw still didn't understand the reasoning for it, but she'd agreed to it, and would just have to do her part.

The big apprentice had settled into a quiet corner just outside of the makeshift camp, away from most of the others. She was done with her training for the day, both warrior training and medicine cat... things. Now her thoughts wandered, but not for long, as of late they always returned to what she didn't particularly want to think about.

A voice broke into her thoughts now, and Beechpaw lifted her head. Primrosepaw.

"Hey, Primrosepaw." Beechpaw struggled to force her voice into cheerfulness, and what she'd managed to muster for her sister promptly evaporated at her question. She hadn't been the only one to ask her about training, and Beechpaw wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Training's... Fine? I guess...?" Yes, that was perfectly believable. "I went on a herb hunt with Sagelight and dad earlier. I don't know how Sagelight keeps track of which herbs do what, honestly." The large apprentice shifted slightly, claws absently tearing at a stray leaf on the ground.

"What have you been up to?" Time to change the subject. Primrosepaw would have something more interesting to share, she was certain. She and Smokefeather seemed to work well together, too.

"Me neither! There's so many! Some of them do the same things as each other, but some do it better, or something." she said. Her sister seemed to be a little unhappy by the way she was destroying the leaf below her. "You'll get there someday, I promise. It might just take a while." Beechpaw's sudden change of subject made Primrosepaw's earlier suspicions feel confirmed. "Oh you know, learning to navigate Twolegplace, hunting, a bit of sparring. And we did a scent trail a few sunrises ago." The last few sunrises had been fairly busy for her, as even though SkyClan had been in Twolegplace for a while, it still - like the forest - was not made to be easily navigated by blind cats. Just as she had begun to get familiar with her old territory, it had been burned to a crisp by the fire that had made the clan relocate.

"When do you think we'll be able to go home?" she asked Beechpaw, "I miss the old forest - everything here's so unnatural. "I mean I know we'll be able to come back someday, just how soon do you think?" It was another question that had been on her mind recently: she had already asked Smokefeather, but now she had taken to asking many different cats because each usually had different answers. Many had said something a long the lines of 'I'm sure it will be soon'. If another cat had asked her, the cream apprentice probably would reply, 'hopefully as soon as possibly'. Not much different to others answers, but still a little more optimistic.

"Or something," Beechpaw scoffed, "it makes hunting around here look so much easier than it actually is." Which was saying something, because hunting in twolegplace sucked. Really. Primrosepaw seemed to be doing okay, or at least, she didn't seem to be letting the situation get to her like some of the other cats had. The abrupt change must have been even harder for her.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later." She commented. When... If Skyclan could go back to their own territory seemed to be a popular discussion topic among their clanmates. "We missed the gathering, I wonder what that must've been like?" The fire had happened the night before the gathering, and Sagelight had also been unable to attend the medicine cat meeting at highstones. Being in twolegplace with injured clanmates meant that the medicine cat had more pressing concerns than going to the moonstone, be it for the meeting or for Skyclan's apprentices to take another step on the path to becoming a warrior.

Primrosepaw smiled at her sister's optimism - it was refreshing to have someone else shed light. "Yeah, it was our first gathering as well. They're probably super busy though and it must be really easy to get lost." She shuddered a little. At least most the sighted cats would be a little disorientated by the darkness. It would be fine, she convinced herself, I wonder if there's any other blind cats in the other clans? Maybe they have some tips. Truthfully, Primrosepaw and Smokefeather were coping quite well, but more help would always be welcomed by both she-cats. "Do you reckon there are any other blind cats we could meet at the gathering? I know mum and dad mentioned a WindClan warrior, but do you think there's anyone else?" Just like her previous question, she was interested in what Beechpaw would respond with. "You'll also be able to meet the other medicine cats and see what they think of the job. Maybe it'll help you decide." The cream apprentice didn't completely understand why her sister had two jobs. Something about the Moonstone or something? she thought, why doesn't she just become Sagelight's apprentice or not? Without all the information on the situation, Primrosepaw struggled a little to understand it.

"Yeah, I think I'm okay not being in crowds." Smokefeather had spoken of one she went to as an apprentice, once. Beechpaw hadn't much liked the idea of being around so many cats either.

"I'm sure there are others.... They mentioned a Windclan cat? Really?" That had caught Beechpaw's attention. With everything the way it was now she hadn't really had much chance to catch up with her siblings, or even her parents. Smokefeather was almost always running around hunting or training or something, the fluffy warrior didn't seem like she was capable of sitting still for long. And Bloodstrike, well... Bloodstrike worried her. He too, had his own apprentice to train, and the only time they'd really spent together recently was because Sagelight had brought them along to look for herbs. There hadn't been much in the way of conversation, given all three cats had been exhausted and Bloodstrike himself had looked dead on his paws. Beechpaw made a mental note to check on her father later. Still, at least Primrosepaw seemed to be doing well, all things considered.

"I hadn't thought of meeting the other medicine cats at the gathering," she admitted. Sagelight had told her he wanted her as an apprentice, and then the fire had happened that night. It had given her a chance to think it over for longer... Or perhaps overthink was a better word. "Though I don't think Sagelight is going to give me much of a choice. He doesn't want to risk the journey to the moonstone when we have injured cats and enough problems as it is right now, but when things are calmer? He needs an apprentice, even the kits can realize that much. I just don't understand why it has to be me of all cats. Wolfcall and I thought he was joking, but he's dead serious and I don't know..." That Beechpaw thought the old medicine cat was senile was probably very evident in her derisive tone, but this time she managed to not blurt the words aloud. The overworked medicine cat was respected, but Beechpaw didn't have to respect the fact that he was out of his mind if he thought she would make a decent medicine cat.

"True, you can tell he's not as young as he used to be, and it must be a lot of work, caring for a whole clan like he does." she nodded. Before the fire, she had spent a fair amount of time in the medicine den with Sagelight. They had tried to give her her sight back, but had quickly realised that there was nothing that could be done. Smokefeather had found it quite hard to accept, but now it was almost normal for them (of course, apart from the whole territory going up in smoke). She turned to her sister, a sudden seriousness in her eyes and voice. "Beechpaw, just remember that it's your choice. It's true, we need another medicine cat, but you won't be as effective if you don't want to do it. Do what you think is right." For a blind cat, she made startling eye contact. She wasn't normally one for giving serious advice, but Beechpaw's decision would change her life from here, and it wasn't something she could go back on.

Beechpaw blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in her sister's tone. Lighthearted, optimistic Primrosepaw, who suddenly sounded a lot more like Wolfcall had as she seemed to echo his own sentiments. Beechpaw had to admit that she was right, much as she didn't want to. Still, she couldn't shake her unease at the entire situation.

"And if I make the wrong choice?" She countered, tail tip twitching in agitation. "What if I mess up when a cat is really counting on my help? It's not like hunting, where I'll just miss catching a squirrel or something." Yet if she remained on the path of a warrior, that left Sagelight without an apprentice. He needed an apprentice, she knew, his last one had simply vanished on him. Primrosepaw was right that he took care of the entire clan and wasn't as young as he once was.

Beechpaw enjoyed her life as it was, well, as much as one could enjoy anything given the circumstances. Hunting and fighting were things she knew well. Things Beechpaw was good at. She knew how to make an opponent bleed. She didn't know how to use herbs or heal injuries and sickness. Was it selfish to want to remain where she was, despite knowing that Sagelight needed an apprentice and knowing the current conditions of her clanmates?

"...I don't know," Beechpaw shook her head in silent, indecisive frustration.

((OOC: I hope it's ok if I wrap this up!))

Primrosepaw was completely clueless as to what would be best for Beechpaw: her sister made a good warrior, but the clan desperately needed a medicine cat apprentice. "I know that what's currently going on is bad for everyone - you've had so much time to overthink it. I really don't know either." Then, with much difficulty, she rested her head on the large she-cat. Licking her soothingly between the ears, she to the time to try and comfort her frustrated sister. "Sis, I know that you'll make the right decision, remember that."

Much to her disappointment, the cream apprentice scented Smokefeather returning to their makeshift camp. They had already planned to train later, and Primrosepaw guessed that 'later' was know. She was enjoying spending time with her sister, but she had to consider her own training. Her loss of vision had set her back from becoming a warrior, so she didn't want to delay it any longer. "Sorry, I've got to go; me and Smokefeather are training in a bit I think." Slowly, she rose from where she was lying, "It may be hard to, but try not to dwell on this too much. Enjoy what you can while it's there." There. Her whole attitude to almost everything had been perfectly summed up in one sentence with out her even realising. With that, she headed to go meet Smokefeather, leaving Beechpaw alone.

"Overthink is one way to put it." Beechpaw's whiskers twitched and she managed a small smile despite herself. She had missed talking to her sister, always the levelheaded, sensible one out of their siblings. The large she-cat ducked slightly, allowing the much shorter Primrosepaw to reach her head as an affectionate purr rumbled in her throat.

"Thanks, sis." Beechpaw said quietly, resting her cheek against Primrosepaw's soft fur for a moment longer.

"We can catch up later, best not keep Smokefeather waiting." A hint of amusement was in her voice now, Beechpaw knew full well that her mother wasn't one for waiting around on others if she could help it. Part of her worried that Smokefeather was purposely doing as much as she could for the clan to avoid thinking about their current situation. She'd been oddly chipper lately, but something about it had felt more than a bit forced. Not that mom would admit to anything being wrong, especially not towards her kits.

With a sigh, Beechpaw stood up, affectionately resting her tail across Primrosepaw's shoulders for a moment before turning. Perhaps she'd go hunt as a distraction from her current thoughts, herself.