blood on white furs

Deerpaw entered camp, supported by her mentor Swiftheart. after a training for a bit, Deerpaw was about to catch her first catch when a racoon appeared out of no where. the she-cat was still trembling, her eyes wide with fear and her fur was matted with blood. guilt also churned in her stomach. what if the racoon had kits? will the kits starve? what right did she have to end another's life?

Swiftheart panicked slightly, her first time out training with her brand new apprentice and Deerpaw had gotten injured. Swiftheart felt terrible, she wished that the racoon had attacked her instead. She felt so guilty for letting Deerpaw get hurt.

She pushed these thoughts aside best she could. Right now they needed to get help for Deerpaw and fast. She led Deerpaw to the medicine den. BASILBLOOM! Come quickly she called for her sister, friend, and medicine cat.

Frostgaze had, thankfully, been inside Basilbloom's den as Swiftheart called out. He had been looking over their herb stores, trying to remember how to use them. He could remember most of the basic ones, at the very least. Basilbloom had left the herb stores well-stocked before she left, likely trying to lighten the load on him and Batglow. When he heard the yowl, the white tom poked his head out to see Deerpaw, fur matted with blood. "Basilbloom already left for her journey about the flower. What happened, and bring her in here." He immediately began gathering cobwebs on his paws, ready to put them onto Deerpaw's back.

deerpaw dimly noticed the white blur of Frostgaze's pelt, but his words were drowned by the blood roaring in her ears. staggering to her paws, she obediently went into the medicine den. she hadn't been injured so badly... maybe she was, but as long as she could walk she would not accept being a burden on her clan. the white apprentice collapsed onto one of the nests, flanks heaving.

Swiftheart helped her apprentice into the den.

She quickly explained to the deputy what happened, Frostgaze, I am so sorry, we were hunting and a racoon came out of nowhere and attacked deerpaw. she looked at him worried.

She felt so guilty that her apprentice had gotten injured on their first hunting trip... however this had also happened to her on her first trip... not a racoon but an owl. She turned to Frostgaze Basil is gone? she said in shock only now remembering that her sister had indeed left for the flower.

Frostgaze... I know you are not a full medicine cat but you have to help her.

She knelt by her apprentices side and licked at the wounds keeping them as clean as possible to prevent infection... she did not know much about herbs and the like but she knew that much.

Once the wounds had mostly stopped bleeding she quickly ran over and got some prey from the fkp and set it in front of her apprentice here eat it will help keep your strength up

She looked at her apprentices red fur around the wounds... yup that happened to her all the time too the white showed blood so easily. Sighing she did her best to try and clean her apprentice up.

I want you to know how proud of you I am. You stood your ground against that racoon and did well too. she encouraged.

Deerpaw nodded numbly. the pain was starting to subside into a dull ache, although she had no idea if it was for the better or the worse. licking up the bitter, tangy herbs, she tried listening for the rest of the clan. Sootpaw was returning from a hunt with Nightstalker, and Snakekit was playing with Leafkit.

She herself was feeling guilty. if she had been stronger, or sensed the racoon first, the clan wouldn't be wasting its few precious resources on her. and maybe she could have brought home some food to feed the clan. sheadowclan was hungry as it is without an extra apprentice who can't hunt for herself.

she flinched as Swiftheart licked her wounds. it stung like nettle. raising her head, she slowly lapped one of her shoulder wounds. what use was she if she had to be taken care of like a kit? the apprentice conveniently forgot that just a day ago she was a kit.

she starred at the mouse that Swiftheart had dropped in front of her. Why should she eat? the warrior code stated that she must hunt for the clan first, and since she hadn't caught anything, what right did she have to eat this? "Give it to Leafkit and Snakekit." she signed softly, hoping that her younger siblings would make more use of the prey than she. Deerpaw tucked her head under her tail and gave in exhaustion.