Medicine and Conversation (closed for kjSage)

Ashpaw parted from her brother and made her way to the medicine den.  She needed to get her wounds healed, because, even though she assumed she would get used to it, she had never really got injured like that before.  She knew that when she was a warrior she would just have to suck it up and keep on going, but she thought she got hurt enough for today and each step reminded her of that.  The wind was not much help either.  She was also excited, for she would get to see her busy sister again.  She strode over to the front of the den.

"Beechpaw!" She exclaimed happily.  A second later, her happiness slightly vanished and she flinched as another chilly wind flowed against her bleeding wounds.

Hearing her younger sister's voice, Beechpaw lifted her head from where she'd been sorting herbs. All her younger siblings were becoming apprentices, slowly but surely, and the feeling was an odd one. Soon enough, Beechpaw would be taking them to the moonstone, and they'd become warriors.

"What did you get into?" A flash of temper lit in her eyes upon seeing the blood on Ashpaw's pelt. Whatever had clawed up her sister had better be dead, or she'd make it a point to go after it herself. Or, more likely, her parents would growl at Beechpaw to stay put and they'd go after it. If whatever did that wasn't dead already, it wasn't long for this world, she'd make sure of it.

"Sit." She told Ashpaw, voice somewhat sharper than she'd intended. With a huff, Beechpaw turned to her herbs, carefully picking out some paracress and oak leaves. The wounds were fresh and still bleeding, so this had been recent. The oak leaves would prevent any infection from setting in, hopefully.

She set to work making the poultice, sharp gaze settling onto Ashpaw's form once more as she waited for a response to her question.

"This will numb some of the pain and help prevent infection. It'll sting but you need to keep it there. Got it?" She asked, stepping towards the injured tabby to carefully apply the poultice to the wounds in question.

Ashpaw flinched as her sister pressed the leaves against her still bleeding wounds.  It stung, slightly more than the wound had stung originally.  She could tell Beechpaw was a little worried about her.  Her golden yellow eyes looked up at her sister.

"I fought an owl today," she answered Beechpaw's earlier question.  "Don't worry, I killed it.  Dawnhawk was very helpful though."  Ashpaw loved to see her older siblings and she was happy she got to spend time individually with both of them.  She gave her sister a pleasant smile.  "So," she paused for a moment, trying to figure out what else to say.  "How was your day?" She spoke awkwardly and glanced down at her paws.

"Sorry, sorry..." Beechpaw muttered, "I know it stings, just... stay still." Once the poultice had been applied, Beechpaw turned for some cobwebs and began carefully placing those over it. They would keep the poultice in place and help stop the bleeding, which had already slowed.

An owl, which was dead. Good, She thought. She wasn't thrilled that her little sister was already fighting things on her first day of training, but she wouldn't be the first apprentice to do so, nor would she be the last.

"Dawnhawk was helpful? Are you sure about that?" She half-joked. Her disdain for her brother was fairly obvious in how she avoided him like most cats would avoid a nest full of wasps, but she tried to be civil. Mostly.

At Ashpaw's question, Beechpaw shrugged. "Sorting herbs can only be entertaining for so long before it becomes mindless. Sounds like your day was more exciting than mine, sister."

Ashpaw smiled at her sister's joke.  She knew that Beechpaw and Dawnhawk did not have a great relationship and that she probably should not have mentioned him.  She could clearly see why someone would not like him, but she did wish that all her siblings got along so she could do stuff with both of them.  Ashpaw loved all her siblings and if there was something she could do to make everyone get along, she would do it, but for right now she decided it probably was not the best time to bring something like that up.

The cobwebs felt uncomfortable on her wounds, but not that bad, just a strange sticky feeling she was not used to yet.  She looked around the medicine den.

"Is it hard?" She asked.  "Being the only medicine cat in Skyclan, I mean.  Is that hard?

Beechpaw knew the cobwebs weren't exactly comfortable, but chose not to comment on it. The bleeding had slowed, which was good.

At her question, she shrugged, though it did take Beechpaw a moment to respond as she thought about it.

"Finding the right herbs can be difficult, especially after the fire and with leafbare approaching. It's not like hunting prey." Beechpaw could've said more, said how this responsibility wasn't one she had ever wanted, how she missed hunting and fighting... But she had to let it go at some point. She was still resentful, but her current place in the clan was slowly becoming normal to her.

Whenever someone mentioned the fire Ashpaw got uncomfortable.  She knew her dad named her and there was nothing she could do about it.  She never understood why her father gave her the name.  The fire caused death and destruction and that was the last thing she wanted to do.  The only reason she wanted to be a warrior was to help bring peace.  She had learned how to hide how uncomfortable she was and instead smiled at her sister.

"Well, you are amazing at it.".She mumbled to Beechpaw.  "I couldn't think of anyone else in the clan that would be as good a medicine cat as you."

Beechpaw had noticed her sister's shift in demeanor, though she tried to hide it with a smile. Still, Beechpaw figured it wasn't quite her place to pry into the cause of it.

"I wish I had the confidence you and others seem to have in me. It doesn't feel that way most of the time." Beechpaw responded, a faint, almost bitter smile crossed her expression briefly, but the large tabby shook her head.

"You should go rest, you must be tired after today." Beechpaw said after a moment, fluffy tail lightly brushing her sister's side. "Just come to me in the morning so I can check on your wounds. Unless you'd rather stay here for the night?" The medicine den was almost certain to be quieter than the apprentice den, at the very least.

Ashpaw smiled at her sister's offer.  "I would love to stay the night," she exclaimed gleefully.  She turned around to look outside, realizing that the moon was already climbing its way to the middle of the sky.  Darkness of the sky was beginning to cover the every inch of the forest.  She turned around again towards Beechpaw.  "Thank you," she meowed.  Yawning, she began to lay near the entrance of the cave.  Curling herself up until she was in a tight circle, putting her fluffy tail on the outside of her to provide extra warmth.

"Goodnight, Beechpaw," she spoke with a yawn.

Then her eyes shut and she felt into a blissful sleep.  No dreams came into her mind that night, just the soft state of deep sleep.

The cold, early morning wind flowed into the cave, waking Ashpaw up with a chill.  Slowly, she unraveled herself.  She got on her paws and noticed her sister was still asleep.  She quietly went out of the medicine den, so that she would not wake up her sister.  Ashpaw was going to come back when the sun came up so her sister could check her wounds, but at least she could give her sister a little more time to sleep.  The only thing she wished was different about Beechpaw, was that she saw how great of a cat that she was.  Ashpaw traveled outside the den and let the cool breeze flow through her fur.  She did not enjoy it when she was asleep, but was slightly pleasant when she was awake.  Ashpaw walked towards the apprentice den, but before she got there she sat down and looked at the moon, thinking of how fast the last day had gone and how excited she was for the days ahead.