Lots to Learn

Batsong grabbed some herbs from her storage in the med den and placed them out in little piles all set up. She sat before them all and closed her eyes trying to think of the best way to train Sparrow in all of the medicine cat ways and all the herbs she would need to know.

Batsong never had a formal mentor when she became a med cat. It was all mostly up to her to figure it out. Sure smallbean had been med cat long long ago but he was not her mentor in that sense. She wanted to do the best as possible for Sparrowthorn. She wanted Sparrowthorn to know them all super well. And perhaps she wanted most that Sparrowthorn would never have to feel like Batsong had felt when she first became med cat of not knowing what to do and having the pressure of it all. Perhaps the main thing she wanted was for Sparrowthorn to know that she would always be here if she was unsure as long as she needed that.


"Sparrowthorn? Come on over it's time we got some training in she pointed to the herbs she had out. Before now they had limited time to train so it was okay if Sparrowthorn did not recognize them right away.

"These here are Tormentil see the yellow flowers and the 4 distinct petals that look like clover shaped? It is used to extract poisons and such" she explained "You chew it up into a poultice and use it on the wound." she moved it closer to her apprentice for her to examine. "They can be found in dry and rocky areas. Think about highstones they are everywhere up there.

"smell them. You need to have as many senses active when you are learning them so you remember them best. I also want to get you proficient enough in them that you could identify any of them with your eyes closed. That might take awhile and that is okay."

She waited a bit for Sparrowthorn to have enough time to learn that one before moving on.


"ok next here we have tansy. See this one also has yellow flowers but they are more round and do not have the very classic 4 leaves like the tormentil did. So yes they look similar at first but if you look at their details you can quickly tell them" she let sparrowthorn examain the tansy next. "this one is used on greencough by being eaten. It also acts as a painkiller. You can find it near any twoleg garden just about"


Batsong made sure to leave enough time in between herbs for Sparrowthorn to ask any questions as well.

"ok then here we have Dock leaves they help prevent infection and treat wounds. See the big green leaves? They are found near the gorge or any wet area really. Very distinct plant really cant miss it with these badger sized leaves."

She glanced to Sparrowthorn wondering if this was too much all at once or not.

"oh, and I guess I should have said this first but if you have any questions feel free to stop me for anything. You can also ask me anytime. The most important thing is that you learn them all. It doesnt have to be by any certain date so I dont want you to feel pressured at all.
I rather that we go slower over them and have your really understand them than to go too fast.

Sparrowthorn had been examining the herb stores that Batsong had organized... or whichever cat had organized in the past. How long had the herbs been organized like this? Did Batsong change it when she became the Medicine Cat? Looking back to her nest, she moved it slightly more to the side, bothered by its proximity to Batsong's. She had only ever slept near her brothers... it had been a change. Not one she had appreciated, there had been more sleepless nights than she had cared to admit.

Batsong called to the new apprentice, and Sparrowthorn had an inkling of what it would be about. She had seen her mentor carrying out herbs, placing them into piles. She was finally going to learn more. Good, the sooner the better.

Padding gingerly back out into the light, Sparrowthorn approached the piles, allowing Batsong to begin her explanations. Tormentil, yellow clovers... dry and rocky... She silently reviewed the information in her mind, doing her best to commit it to memory as fast as possible. At Batsong's request, she sniffed the herb, pulling back for a moment before sniffing again. She hadn't expected the pungent odor, but it was an herb, they all had pungent odors. Tansy, yellow and round... "Twoleg gardens. Do you bring warriors with you when you go? Sounds dangerous." Not that she was afraid, hardly. Good practice to know how dangerous a place was though. Dock, massive leaves.

"I have to understand them fast, Shadowclan is practically clawing the territory line with how badly they want to fight us. Cats'll get hurt, I won't let them die." Not because I don't have the ability. "Tormentil for extracting poison, tansy for painkiller or green cough, dock to prevent infection and treat wounds. Keep going."

Batsong thought back to when she had run into beechfang at twolegplace collecting tansy.  She had been alone at the time... but yes sparrow should bring warriors with her when she went which is what the question was more getting at.  "yeah bring warriors" she answered quietly.  "dont go alone like I did... in fact, dont do alot of stuff I did."

Training her apprentice she would be blunt and frank and forward and try her absolute best to be honest with Sparrowthorn areas that she had failed.  Some of them were clearly obvious like the May gathering sure but she wanted to share all the knowledge she had to try and allow Sparrowthron to be as successful as possible.  Just because Batsong had a hard time as a med cat appretncice did not mean sparrow should have to.  And just because Batsong viewed herself as a failed med cat did not mean that she could not try and help sparrowthorn now.  Perhaps the only good thing to come from her being med cat was the training of sparrowthron here and now so any mistakes she made in the past she would warn her appretnice of so that hopefully she would not follow.

"bring warriors even if you want to be alone, there is dangers out there including an older exiled med cat, Beechfang who hangs around there... Beech has no love for windclan.  She has never hurt me before but she could when I went alone.  In all honesty sparrowthorn if you do the opposite of what I have done in most things and follow your instinct you should be pretty golden"

she sighed.  She knew sparrow hated her guts, and to be fair she hated herself alot right too now.  Her apprentice was right, shadowclan was itching to fight and blood would likely be spilt soon even though knowing it was coming it was impossible to stop.

She paused looking over to sparrowthorn as she spoke.

Batsong appreciated her apprentices energy and enthusiasm to learn but she felt she had to clear up one thing sparrowthorn had said.  "I wont let them die" her apprentice had said.  A fine statement sure, but Batsong was worried that it could lead to standards that her apprentice would try and take on. Losing cats happened and Batsong could not really teach how to deal with that. She could try and prepare her though perhaps??

"sparrowthorn?, you are right, it is our duty to try and protect our clanmates the best we can.  But sometimes cats do die, sometimes there is nothing you can do to save them.  I know what you are feeling, and longing to protect them but you also need to understand that it is sometimes out of our paws.  The sooner I can let you know of that the better... I can't teach you what it is like to lose a clanmate and patient. Sadly, you will have to experience that.  But I can tell you how much it hurts and try and prepare you that some things are not preventable." would her apprentice understand that? Maybe, maybe not.


Either way she understood wanting to keep going,

"alright fine... close your eyes this time." batsong said quietly.

"sometimes battle comes in the dead of night with no moon when you cannot see thing at all."  

She rearanged the herbs "this time, using your scent only find me the dock" she instructed.

"then once you have the dock, find me the tansy." Batsong instructed. But here lay the trick of the test.

Batsong had removed the tansy and had replaced it with another similar herb when Sparrowthorn had closed her eyes.  Batsong wanted to see how well Sparrowthorn really knew what was presented so far before moving on to new herbs. She understood sparrow's eagerness wanting to learn all the herbs all at once but she was also not wanting to overwealm the memory. Herbs could be very dangerous if used wrong and she would rather them move slower and really have them understood than to move too quickly

If she got this wrong it was okay, Batsong would take the time to make sure her apprentice learned it the right way.  Yes, she might not have been the best medicine cat ever but she wanted to allow her apprentice to be better, to do better.  The clan at least deserved that.  Batsong never had a med cat mentor, after all her mistakes the training of sparrow at least brought some amount of redemption to her otherwise mostly self loathing view of herself.

[isla, I know I promised you a happier Batsong soon. It just is not yet. One day though, so no worries :) ]