The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
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Subject: Paw of Salvation [C] Mon 8 Jan 2024 - 10:55
Bearpaw
Gender: Male Rank: Medicine Cat Apprentice
Bearpaw shoved his way out of the makeshift medicine cat den, a bundle of pungent leaves and seeds in his jaws. He was by no means thrilled with his new role in the clan, but by the stars would he try to make the most of his new skills. There was only one thing worse than giving up his future as a warrior and it was being useless. The young tom snorted at the thought as he surveyed the camp for a very specific cat. Useless - him? The mere notion was comical, actually.
Finally, his gaze landed on the gray and white she-cat and a small smile warmed the stony tom's face. Poor Graywind had suffered at the paws of this strange disease for far too long as it was - he wouldn't stand by while his fellow medicine cats further neglected her. Even if he wasn't to remain in this role for long, it didn't hurt to make the most of things. Trotting up to the older she-cat, he cleared his throat to catch her attention before depositing the wrapped delivery of herbs at her paws.
"I have something for you." He nudged a stalk of lavender away from the main bundle and began mashing it between his paws, eyes not leaving Graywind as he did so. "We think it's a cure. So eat up." As usual, he didn't bother elaborating beyond that, focusing instead on crushing the lavender into a fine pulp. He wasn't allowed to use what precious few herbs they had on anyone but the sickest of cats, but once they were feeling better, Wolfblossom was next on his list of clanmates to treat.
Honestly, if it wasn't for the restrictions Smokepetal had placed, he would have gone to her before even Graywind. Despite being kin, he didn't know her terribly well. The same was true of all of Sunfire's littermates. They'd not taken the time to get to know him, presumably busy with their own lives, so why return the favor? At least, that was how he used to feel. With the threat of leaving Skyclan forever looming over his head, Bearpaw quickly realized how much he'd taken for granted.
Subject: Re: Paw of Salvation [C] Mon 8 Jan 2024 - 13:48
Graywind was half-asleep in her nest, head resting on her paws. Her ears twitched at nearby movement though, betraying that sleep was eluding her for the moment, and at a somewhat familiar call she lifted her head. Bearpaw... He'd become Smokepetal's apprentice recently, though Graywind couldn't understand why when he had seemed like such a promising warrior to be.
"Hi Bearpaw," Graywind's voice was still rough from coughing, though the coughing fits weren't quite as bad as they had been before Smokepetal's herbs. She had been more alert recently too, and still being trapped in a nest was slowly but surely driving her mad.
More herbs? She felt like she'd had more herbs given to her than fresh kill lately, and for a moment reluctance shone in her golden eyes. "Are you sure? There's cats worse off than me. Not that I don't appreciate anything that helps this foxdung." She mewed, pushing herself into a sitting position. Her pale fur was a bit ruffled, but not as unkempt as it had been some days before.
"How are you holding up?" She asked after a moment, genuine in her concern, "Becoming medicine cat with... All of this-" her tail flicked "-can't be easy."
Subject: Re: Paw of Salvation [C] Mon 8 Jan 2024 - 14:50
Bearpaw
Gender: Male Rank: Medicine Cat Apprentice
Bearpaw briefly examined Graywind, his nose twitching at the scent of illness that still clung to her fur. She definitely didn't appear to be doing as badly as before - Smokepetal must have given her herbs without him realizing it. He blinked, surprised. Perhaps he shouldn't judge Smokepetal so harshly, then. Regardless, Graywind could still definitely use another dose to make sure she didn't slip back into the harsher stages of disease. He nodded firmly, and loosened the bundle to reveal the fragrant plants nestled carefully within.
"You're doing better than I expected..." He conceded after a moment. "So I won't make you eat too much, but I want to keep you on the mend." Briefly, Bearpaw hesitated as he stared down at the blend of herbs, but it didn't take long for him to identify what he wanted to give to the she-cat. After pulling aside a few leaves and stems to save for later, the young tom looked back up at Graywind with a hum. "Here. These will help." Or, they should, at least.
It wasn't much, but it was at least something. Surely, Graywind would appreciate the gesture, even if it didn't fully cure her. And, well, he already had some lavender crushed up, so he might as well use it. Holding back a sneeze, Bearpaw scooted closer to his aunt and lifted a lavender-slathered paw to her chest. Then, she spoke up and he paused, body stiffening. It was funny she should ask - when she was the one nest-bound and he was perfectly healthy.
After a moment of consideration, the apprentice shrugged and resumed massaging the lavender into her chest and shoulders. "It is nothing I can't handle." He grunted, which was technically the truth. Learning about plants and seeds was nothing in comparison to Sunfire's training. Sure, it was intimidating learning a whole new set of skills, but it came surprisingly easy to him. "Smokepetal is a good mentor..." He trailed off, expression souring, "But the den is a touch cramped with three of us in there." Despite knowing the reason for there being three medicine cats, Bearpaw wasn't thrilled being in such close quarters with Thymepaw.
Subject: Re: Paw of Salvation [C] Wed 10 Jan 2024 - 10:03
It felt like she was a bug being inspected by a curious kit almost, as Bearpaw examined her. The tom finally stepped back, picking through a bundle of herbs and finally settling on some that were offered to her. "Alright... Thank you." Graywind added, lapping up what herbs that were still offered. Bearpaw began to rub something - was it lavender? - into her fur, the scent of it strangely soothing but also strong. She hadn't been able to smell anything for what felt like forever, and she fought back a sneeze, her whiskers twitching. "I can smell again... That stuff's strong." She mewed.
"Three medicine cats is strange, isn't it?" She asked, "Though I guess it was a good thing, considering just how many of us got sick. Handling that seems impossible for one cat, not that Smokepetal isn't skilled at what she does."
Bearpaw withheld a smile at the sight of Graywind's twitching nose, his own tingling slightly from the powerful scent of lavender. It was a pretty potent herb, but a useful one, nonetheless. It was useful for more than just soothing cats or covering undesirable scents. It also helped calm one's breathing and soothe irritation. The tom's nose crinkled as he considered the herb. If it was a bit more powerful, it would be far more sought after rather than being a secondary concern.
With a chuckle, he leaned back from the warrior and rubbed his paws on the ground, amusement bubbling up in his chest. "Sure is. And a good thing too." He sniffed the air for a moment, then fixed a somewhat teasing smirk on Graywind. "Gotta get all of you lazy-bones back on your paws eventually." He meowed lightly. It wasn't often that Bearpaw got to spend time with a cat who he didn't have to walk on eggshells around, so he savored the few peaceful interactions he was allowed. Sunfire always expected his very best - both in his training, and his behavior. And, well, Smokepetal was his new mentor, she obviously wanted him to do well while getting along with everyone, something rather foreign to the tom.
That alone wouldn't be so bad if he didn't also have to keep secrets from nearly everyone important in his life. His sisters, Wolfblossom, his few acquaintances...even Graywind. Though, he felt a little less guilty about keeping Starclan's planning a secret from her. Naturally, things never can be simple, and as Graywind spoke again, Bearpaw could feel his chest constrict. She didn't continue to pry, thankfully, and must not have really seen anything terribly concerning about Skyclan's odd number of medicine cats. Grunting, Bearpaw nodded.
"I'm sure Smokepetal would have managed even with just one apprentice...she is a good medicine cat." It would have been harder on her for sure, though. Maybe that's why Starclan had yet to send him away? Whatever the reason, he sort of wanted them to just get on with it already - all of this anticipation on secret-keeping was slowly killing him. Sweeping his tail across the ground, the brown and white tom blinked thoughtfully at Graywind. She was his aunt...surely she would have some advice or...or something on the matter? "Actually..." In an instant, Bearpaw snapped his jaw shut. No, this was a bad idea, would she even care?
Subject: Re: Paw of Salvation [C] Tue 30 Jan 2024 - 19:09
A rusty purr escaped Graywind at Bearpaw's banter. "Indeed, stars know I'm tired of being in a nest. All this new territory and I haven't seen any of it. What foxdung!" She was frustrated by that, frustrated by her paws remaining idle for so long, frustrated by her continued illness, but she was also improving. Her words were less grumpy than they would have been.
"She is, you and Thymepaw will make great medicine cats too." While it was unusual for sure, and she had always thought of Bearpaw as being a cat more suited to be a warrior, it seemed like he was adjusting well. Not every cat would have had the strength to keep going with their entire life seemingly uprooted by such a change. But Bearpaw was strong and he had his family and clan still.
The apprentice began to speak, but seemed to trail off before saying anything. "What is it, Bearpaw?" She asked, golden eyes watching her nephew.
Bearpaw remained silent for a moment, his shoulders tense. He'd been hoping for a simple chat between kin, but this was quickly shaping up to be something far more complicated than he'd bargained for. Graywind wasn't the only cat that foresaw a brighter future for him as a warrior. He could see in her face that it was what she was thinking. He couldn't blame her, though. Everyone thought that he would make a poor medicine cat, even himself. Smokepetal was hesitant and, if it weren't for the intervention of Starclan, he knew she would have never considered it.
He hesitated, however, to reveal anything to Graywind when he hadn't even burdened his littermates with such information. Sunfire was the only cat he'd told thus far and, unfortunately, even the golden warrior didn't know what to do. Staring curiously at his aunt, Bearpaw tried to puzzle out how much was safe to divulge to her. It wasn't like it was some big secret - he just...hadn't really told many cats. Being more level-headed than Sunfire, though, Graywind would hopefully be able to help him figure out why this was happening.
Drawing in a breath, the fluffy tom began again in a low voice, his tail twitching uncomfortably. "Me becoming a medicine cat...it's more complicated than you think." There was no point in beating around the bush, she would find out sooner or later anyway. And, With any luck, would take it a little smoother than Sunfire had. "Starclan doesn't think I should stay in Skyclan." He muttered. Okay, maybe that wasn't exactly what he'd been told, but it was close enough. For some reason, he had to go to Windclan. Dovefrost had refused to explain why, however, which was nearly the most infuriating part.
