Violets blowing in Soft winds that run Down the moors.

There was a grey shape near the medicine den, very innocent grey fluff. This grey fluff ball was actually the plump apprentice known as Violetpaw. And Violetpaw was excited, very excited, as she jumped towards the den. "Soft?" She mewed in a sing-song voice, stepping towards her and looking around. There was a hole in this open space, big enough for cats to fit through. Realising she was getting distracted again, she stopped sniffing around the hole and shuffled back towards Softbreeze. "Uh, sorry, Soft. I got distracted again..." She muttered nervously, looking down.

The tall apprentice sat down as she lifted her gaze. Why is it so hard to look up at older cats? She thought. "Actually, I was wondering if you had any advice for me?" She sounded needy and impatient, the exact opposite of how she had planned her conversation with her mother. Why does it feel so.. weird to call her mom? There goes her thoughts again, she tried to focus, she even practiced it. So why couldn't she focus on one topic now? Her eyes had a distracted glaze to them, and after a few blinks, she focused again. "Where's Downtuft? I think my mentor should give me advice too.... Mmmm.. Hmmm." She attempted to add 'Mom' at the end but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She turned her head. "Right?" She needed to stay focused, not following a butterfly in her mind. "Uh..." She looked back, forgetting what she was about to say, so she just pretended she wanted to end it like that.

A purr rumbled in her throat as Violetpaw appeared. Downtuft-- her own brother!-- was her mentor,and Softbreeze couldn't help but admire Wildflower's good choice. Her brother had secretly confided his worries in her when he'd visited her to remove a thorn from his paw-- "What if I'm too strict- what if she hates me? I don't want to be too gentle or too harsh, I don't know what to do! Finchstar had always seemed so- so- so in control. I'm going to mess up, just like I did with Wildflower! I'm not good at this, Softy! I can't talk to others like I can with you, I come off mean and harsh and oh stars she'sgonnahatemeIknowit-"-- but she believed the two would work well together. "Violet! It's so nice to see you!" Her whiskers twitched as Violetpaw admitted her distractions.

"Awe, chin up! Being an apprentice is exciting, it's only normal to be antsy. You'll be grand, I know it!" Softbreeze chirped, licking her ears affectionately. "Oh, advice?" She mewed, drawing back, pondering the she-cat's words. "Why, isn't that wise of you! Most apprentices don't listen to their mentors, let alone ask for advice from them!" With an amused glance at her adopted daughter, she whisked her away to a mossy nest, "I'll go find my brother, I'll be right back. Down!"

The inside of Softreeze's den was kept nice and tidy-- so different from how Aspenheart kept it-- with each herb organized by color and use. The travelling herbs, burnet, sorrel, chamomile, and daisy, were neatly folded into beech leaves, each leaf containing the pre-made wraps given to each apprentice on the journey to Highstones. Close by, on more beech leaves, lay a twig, a bundle of borage, cobwebs, chervil, willow bark, a single honeycomb piece, and raspberry leaves. Beside it yet another leaf wrap, this time in an ivy leaf. Herbs used for infection were used and if Violetpaw was a medicine cat she easily would've identified them as horsetail, sweet-sedge, wild garlic, chervil, some marigold, burdock root, catchweed, oak leaf, and honey.

Beside them several neatly wrapped packages in swathes of cobwebs were herbs used on bleeding and open wounds and scratches. Goldenrod, cob nuts, wintergreen, half of the comfrey supply evenly split among them, dock, tansy, catchweed, marigold, willow bark, and a single poppy head. The cracked pads leafwraps stored on a dock leaf, as it was used for cracked pads, which included yarrow and coltsfoot. For severe injuries involving the paws and legs materials to make a splint were gathered into a cobwebby bundle wrapped around a stick, bindweed, rush, comfrey, and stinging nettle wrapped among them. The cures for coughs and the more severe greencough and its counterparts were stored on the other side of these, a little higher up in a dip. Catmint, bright eyes, lovage, tansy, and many more herbs Violetpaw wouldn't know the names of were bundled and stored together in beech leaves.

Mere moments after she'd left, Softbreeze arrived again, with her ginger brother in tow. Downtuft looked as awkward as he felt, "Um, hi."

Violetpaw felt herself smile when her bestest friend called her wise. The medicine cat... called ME wise! She giggled at Softbreeze's comment about most apprentices and she shrugged. "Maybe they get bored of the fun of learning!" The grey apprentice mewed. She raised her tail when Softbreeze left. Moments passed but she kept herself patient, she couldn't just go down into the den without permission!... Couldn't she? Her whiskers twitched the way they do when she's about to investigate something but her ears caught the padding of paws.

Softbreeze returned, followed by her brother who looked nervous. Wait, Downtuft? Nervous? Violetpaw's eyes gleamed with curiosity and worry as the tom approached her. She tilted her head as he greeted her in an awkward way. "What's wrong?" She asked as politely as she could, but her tone seemed demanding. "I..." She shut her mouth, no need to embarrass her mentor. Violetpaw liked him, she didn't want to sound disappointed in him. Plus, he already sounded nervous.

Violetpaw's attention being called upon him made the normally confident tom stand rigid, face contorted in a mixture of shame, shock, and bewilderment. For a solid moment, Downtuft stared in horror at his apprentice. He wasn't angry at her, oh no. He was angry at himself for looking like such a fool! He was her mentor, and yet he was petrified of failing her. "I- er- uh- nothing!" The sandy tom stammered, trying to regain himself.

Downtuft cleared his throat, anxiety weighing him down. Why was he like this? He could normally talk to his clanmates. With his own apprentice he could hardly look at her! Was he that scared of disappointing her? In desperation, he looked at his sister, Softbreeze, who merely shook her head. He was on his own. Taking a deep breath, he shakily met Violetpaw's green gaze. I can do this... I can do this... "So, uh-" I can't do this. I can't do this. "let's um go over the uh basics of....?"

The WindClan warrior trailed and met the calm blue eyes of the Medicine Cat. "Hunting?" She suggested softly, eyes glittering in amusement. "Right! Yes! The basics of hunting!" Downtuft finished, breathing a sigh of relief. I owe you big time, Softy, he thought wryly. "Do you know how to do a hunter's crouch?"

Violetpaw searched his gaze with a worried expression. Was he upset with her? The grey she-cat smiled when the tom finally spoke. She didn't take notice of his stammering and she was glad he was fine. "Good!" She chirped happily. "I can't wait to start!" Her feathery tail flicked as she prepared to begin her first lesson.

When her mentor finally spoke again she smiled. "You can do this." Violetpaw purred calmly. "I know how brave and cool you are!" She tried to give him hope, it was just that the grey cat wasn't good at it. The she-cat attempted to be patient when he trailed off. But her tail was showing the opposite. She smiled nervously at her mother. That still doesn't quite fit. She thought. Her eyes had a dreamy glaze to them as she wondered in her own world.

She only came out of the trance when a question was asked. She looked at her mentor in confusion for a moment, before remembering what he asked. "Oh uh... I've heard of it I guess? I thought we'd be running more, so I really never payed attention when the topic was brought up... if it ever was." She let out a sigh, was she supposed to be listening to those 'conversations'? Her fur rose as she thought about what he said. Is this a test? Am I going to fail because I can't pay attention? She shuffled her paws, trying to bring her mind away from that possibility.