Frozen pawprints (Solo)

Rookpaw stretched out of the medicine den, checking the herbs that ShadowClan needed. During leaf-bare, he needed to ration herbs as much as possible, since herbs were much harder to find here. It seems like we need some... sorrel. Maybe some cobwebs would be nice to have as well. Perhaps today was a good day to go herb hunting. Smirking, the black tuxedo walked out of ShadowClan camp, awaiting his Asylum guard to follow him out.

~~

Spark got out of his den on the outskirts of ShadowClan camp. As soon as he saw Rookpaw leave, the ginger tabby began trailing the medicine cat apprentice - or at least that's what the tom called himself, anyways. Sighing, the Asylum scout followed Rookpaw out of camp. Maybe it would be a good time to tell the black tuxedo that he was considering the tom's feedback... no, that wouldn't be good to do, especially in a time like this.

As the two toms padded deeper into ShadowClan's marshes, Rookpaw spoke. "So, I got a question.," he said. Spark gave the tom a nod, which probably meant that Rookpaw was annoyed by Spark's lack of a verbal response to his question, but he didn't let it slip into his voice. He needed to not run his mouth all that much, especially with Asylum threatening to jail uncompliant cats to their rules. "Remember a couple sunrises ago, when Mistyfalcon and I were talking about how Asylum weren't helping us during leaf-bare? It's probably one of my biggest complaints about them as a group. Could you, when we get back, ask the Asylum to at least help us catch some prey for leaf-bare?"

Spark turned to the ginger tom. The ginger tom nodded at Rookpaw, letting the tom know that he was willing to listen. After the tom spoke his idea, the Asylum scout sighed. That would mean that they would take their eyes off of your clanmates, and who knows what trouble they would cause when the Asylum's not watching. Shaking his head no, the ginger tom continued to watch Rookpaw as the black tuxedo looked for herbs. I'd be a fool to let you just walk away with no qualms.

After Spark shook his head no, the black tuxedo sighed. "I guess you don't trust my clanmates to stay in line. I see. Even with the extra fail-safes you have, you don't even think that you can stop us from fighting back and ruining the plan you have for us." The black tuxedo twisted his head to Spark's. "How 'bout this. You can watch me gather some herbs for ShadowClan, then I will come back here and watch you as you hunt. As an Asylum Scout, hunting is one of your specialties, is it not? Or are your only qualities listening to us and doing nothing?"

Spark blinked. He didn't know what to think of Rookpaw's proposal. On one paw, it was very dangerous to give someone like Rookpaw free reign while the Asylum tom was distracted hunting. On the other paw, Rookpaw was right about the Asylum having... a fail-safe for if someone broke the rules assigned. If Rookpaw got away from Spark, the ginger tom would just report him back to the rest of Asylum. If Rookpaw somehow stayed, however, perhaps it could be the spark (no pun intended) to bring ShadowClan and the Asylum together, showing the power of trust between the two factions. It would be beautiful.

"I will help," Spark said, staring at Rookpaw. "But if you break your word..."

"I'll be in the prison with Murkystrike, I assume." The black tuxedo gave his trademark smirk. "And I promise you, I will not break my word."

Spark gave a curt nod, and the agreement was set.

Rookpaw didn't honestly expect that to work as easily as it did.

Really, he thought that the first no was final, and the case that he was bringing up was really just for show. But it turned out that his case ended up convincing Spark to agree to his terms. At the very least, it does seem like some Asylum cats can be reasoned with. Searching the blanket of snow for sprigs of green, the black tuxedo tom padded his way across ShadowClan's territory. Eventually, he ended up finding some cobwebs, which was always nice to have. After all, cobwebs were used to bind wounds shut, which was always very important.

As his herb-hunting search continued, he had less and less luck. After finding the cobwebs, he found, in sequential order, blackberry leaves, holly berries, and what seemed to be some kind of good herb at first that ended up just being a group of pine needles. Having buried the holly berries in the snow, the tom grabbed the blackberry leaves and the cobwebs and walked back to Spark. "I'm done," he said. "Now it's my turn to wait for you."

~~

Spark had been waiting for Rookpaw to finish collecting herbs for ShadowClan's herb storage. He knew nothing about herbs himself, since only Asylum Standards learned anything about healing. Of course, the ginger tom was fine being an Asylum scout. He hoped that Rookpaw would just stay put and not do anything too reckless. Despite the tom being the effective definition of reckless, the tom didn't seem to be one to break his word, and he did seem honest about his criticisms of the Asylum. Spark nodded at Rookpaw, then turned to where he thought the prey was. Noticing a mouse scurry by, the ginger tom dropped into his hunter's crouch and began tracking it.

As he stepped closer and closer to the mouse, the ginger tom smirked. He hadn't really hunted in what felt like moons, so it was always a nice time to get back to his old habits like catching prey again. As the ginger tom was about to launch himself at the mouse, a raccoon dashed out and grabbed the mouse. Surprised, the ginger tom prepared to fight the raccoon. Flying pelt-first into the raccoon, the Asylum scout slashed into the beast. However, the raccoon was able to land a bite on Spark back, causing him to wince in pain.

Spark used Rending Front Paws on the raccoon, dealing 15 damage and costing 25 stamina.

Raccoon used Iron Bite on Spark, dealing 30 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Spark:
HP: 45/75
SP: 175/200

Raccoon:
HP: 15/30
SP: 280/300

After the raccoon's attack, Spark was dazed, but still able to fight. The ginger tom remembered fighting the fox where he got his pelt from with Lyralei, and now he was ready to finish off this raccoon as soon as he could. Before the raccoon could strike again, he slashed the beast's neck and killed it with one fell swoop.

Spark used Asylum's Mercy on the raccoon, killing it and costing 10 stamina.

Spark:
HP: 45/75
SP: 165/200

Raccoon:
dead

Rookpaw blinked. He didn't expect Spark to take down the raccoon all by his lonesome. I have to admit, that's pretty impressive. Still, he took an injury that wasn't an exciting injury to have. "Let me wrap these cobwebs on your wound." It wasn't much, but at least he could help somewhat. Maybe this was the beginning of an unlikely friendship... or perhaps not; the black tuxedo didn't know what kind of cat Spark was just yet.

Rookpaw used Minor Heal on Spark, healing 3 health and costing 10 stamina.
Rookpaw:
HP: 35/35
SP: 80/90

Spark:
HP: 48/75
SP: 165/200

Still, the cobwebs did seem to keep his wound closed, at least until they could get back to camp. "You should go back to the medicine den now," he said to the ginger tom. "These cobwebs aren't going to last that long. Probably just the trip back. That means that I'll have to take care of you in the medicine den. Let's go." After the ginger tom gave a curt nod to Rookpaw's suggestion - really, it was less of a suggestion and more of a demand - the two toms walked back to ShadowClan camp, each gaining a level of trust for the other.