Make it Last [Herb Training]

Greenleaf's incoming arrival, however gradual, meant the increase of heat. It wasn't so bad if you were running around the territory with the wind in your fur--but anytime you stopped, the sun's rays caught up to you. Larchbreeze had fairly long fur compared to the majority of his Clanmates, so he found himself needing to take brief breaks in the shade if he had been assigned any duties that required him to move slowly and bake in the light of day, which it appeared he had plenty of today. So at first, he wasn't too happy about being called up out of his spot in the shade of a hill. However, once he caught sight of Hemlockfox's grumpy face, he decided he didn't mind so much. This was part of their agreement, wasn't it? The medicine cat would teach him the basics of herbs, and he'd catch him rabbits. Given that he now had a warrior name--and a good one, too--surely the former SkyClan tom wouldn't have reason to look down on him anymore.

The flame-orange calico tabby shook out his fur, then made his way over alongside... Leopardwind, was it? A tom far younger than him who had somehow gained his name just as recently. The brother of his new apprentice, if he recalled correctly. Well--he must have been fairly impressive to get his name that quickly. Or maybe it's just because he's Tigerstar's son. That thought, though, would remain in his head. Instead he sat down next to his Clanmate and offered a friendly smile to Hemlockfox. "All right, then. Teach away. Couldn't hurt to learn something new, would it?"

Larchbreeze knew better at this point than to bristle at Hemlockfox's gruffness. It was just how he was. Instead, he briefly raised his eyes skyward when the tom looked away, then returned his attention to the topic at paw. Golden eyes surveyed the collection of half-dried leaves, stems, blossoms, and the lump of cobwebs that the medicine cat spread out before them. He could recall seeing some similar plants in WindClan territory, especially in the flower field, but about half of them were ones he wasn't sure that he could put a name to if asked. Thankfully, the former SkyClan tom picked a fairly easy one to recognize, and named it himself. Marigold. Of course the sunny petals made it easy to remember the name. But their use was a different story entirely. He tilted his head thoughtfully, trying his hardest to remember if Nectarflower had ever mentioned what they did, or--though it made him shudder--if they'd been among the varicolored poultices she'd needed after the dogs attacked. He was pretty sure that he could recall seeing them mashed into an orange, chewed-up pulp, and then placed on some of the worst of her wounds along with a few other mixtures. Leopardwind had little clue, it appeared, so it was up to him.

He cleared his throat. "I know you chew them up," the flame-red calico tabby tom said, "and you place them on wounds instead of eating them. But I don't recall their exact use. If I had to wager a guess, I think they're either meant to stave off infection, or perhaps to lessen the pain." Hopefully he'd hedged his response well enough that he didn't look like an idiot, or like an overconfident fool. He knew that this was a learning exercise, but he'd hate to appear like a complete mouse-brain. Maybe he'd just settle for looking good compared to Leopardwind, though he didn't feel negatively towards the tom.