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Post by Snivellus on Aug 13, 2014 23:04:12 GMT
Owlpaw was crouched just inside the Medicine Cat den, an old fox hole which had been made been enough for patients and herbs, not that he needed much space. Their stores were fairly empty this late in leafbare, if any cat came down with greencough they might take the whole clan down with them.
He was tearing into half of a chicken, prey was scarcer than usual and one of the other warriors had stolen from the twolegs. Chickens were stupid prey, but if you underestimated them too much a warrior could get some nasty pecks or scratches before taking the bird down.
He stretched his jaw in a massive yawn and curled his tail tightly next to his body, shivering against the chill. |
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Post by Lemonade on Aug 14, 2014 0:25:28 GMT
It was a tense Leafbare afternoon for Honeypool, and she shook the dewy frost from her whiskers as she carried a scrawny shrew into the medicine cat den, waving her tail in greeting to her apprentice. Leafbare was always the most difficult season for her to struggle through. There was a persistent desperation in the way the hunting patrols stalked around, chattering from the cold, on edge and ready to fight, and Honeypool couldn't stand it. She refused to eat before every other cat had their fill, which often let her starved, and with so many scraps between would-be friends, their already low herb stocks were clearly suffering.
She dropped her shrew next to Owlpaw and flopped on the floor of the den next to him, glad for the minimal warmth emanating off his pelt. "LeafBare is always the hardest," she trilled comfortingly, digging in ravenously.
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Post by Snivellus on Aug 14, 2014 0:37:35 GMT
The tiny tom lashed his tail looking up at his creamy mentor, "I'm not a kit I know what leafbare is." He hissed licking his paws to clean the white fur around his mouth. The truth was that he was too young to remember his last leafbare. And it WAS tough. He was small, with a short, thin coat that did little to keep him warm.
Luckily he was greedy and always took freshkill whenever he could manage, so he always had energy to keep himself going. "When will plants start growing again, at this point we might as well stop being medicine cats when we've got nothing to use." He mewed bitterly.
"Does StarClan want SnowClan to starve? I bet AshClan still has plenty of prey and StoneClan gets to stay safe and warm in the mountains." He complained.
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Post by amunet on Aug 15, 2014 9:17:38 GMT
"StarClan would not let SnowClan starve," mewed a voice from the entrance of the medicine den. Eveningstar soon appeared, her steps careful and silent. Snowflakes dotted her dark fur like stars, and she paused to shake them off. "Would we be called SnowClan if we were not the toughest of the four clans?"
Her voice melted into a purr as she settled in front of the medicine cat and her small apprentice. The tension and stress put on the two was obvious to the seasoned leader, who knew her Clanmates all too well, and she sought to soothe it some.
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Call me Lemon or Zuzu! I'm the co-creator of Faint of Heart!
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Post by Lemonade on Aug 15, 2014 23:18:09 GMT
Honeypool's whiskers twitched with amusement at her wily apprentice's outburst. "That attitude won't save your tail from frostbite," she teased him, leaning over and giving his head a rough, firm lick. "The plants will grow again when it is time for them to grow." There was a time when she had been that stubborn- but constant hunger exhausted her to a point beyond irritability now. The clan needed her happy.
Eveningstar's voice drew Honeypool's eyes to the den entrance, and taking the last couple of bites of her shrew quickly, Honeypool waved her tail at their leader in greeting before rising to her paws. "Good afternoon, Eveningstar!" She said brightly, a little wary as she looked over the she-cat, eyes whisking over every inch as she searched for injuries. Finding none, she settled back on her haunches, settled at the apex of the three cat's triangle. "Eveningstar's right, Owlpaw." She mewed wistfully. "The hunger and the cold we feel now may be greater than any other clan's, but come the spring, we will grow back stronger than any. Its our job to help the clan through that." She gestured around their circle, indicating the collective trinity of leader, medicine cat, and apprentice.
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Post by Snivellus on Aug 15, 2014 23:49:03 GMT
Owlpaw hissed and swiped a paw over his head where his mentor had licked it, ruffling up the fur. I'm not a kit. He didn't dare say it out loud though, especially when Eveningstar was on her way. He rose to his paws. "StarClan should make them grow now." He grumbled before he turned to his leader. "Hello Eveningstar." She didn't look hurt or sick, so this must be a friendly visit.
Owlpaw didn't socialize much with other cats when he could avoid it. He drooped his tail, "I know what my job is Honeypool, I don't need reminding I was only wishing StarClan would make things easier!" He bristled but tried to keep his tone even, not wanting a scolding from either of the she-cats.
He didn't understand why StarClan couldn't do anything about this, or why they hadn't come to him in his dreams yet. "Did you need something Eveningstar?" He asked brusquely, not quite as polite as he should be. |
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Post by amunet on Aug 16, 2014 3:00:46 GMT
Eveningstar's whiskers twitched in amusement as she watched the altercation between mentor and apprentice, reminded of her own days of indignant trouble-making. She nodded at Honeypool's greeting and turned to Owlpaw.
"I need nothing, Owlpaw," she replied to his question. "I am simply here to check on the health of the clan, and more importantly, the health of my favorite medicine cats."
She cast a sidelong glance at Honeypool, whose fur hung from her bony frame--she was thinner than usual. She sighed to herself and made a mental note to remind the medicine cat to eat more. If she died of starvation, the clan would be at a loss. Her eyes softened with concern at the obvious stress the other she-cat was under.
"As for our lack of herbs, Honeypool, have you asked the other medicine cats recently if they have any to spare?"
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Call me Lemon or Zuzu! I'm the co-creator of Faint of Heart!
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Post by Lemonade on Aug 17, 2014 21:54:09 GMT
With all of this talk of StarClan doing things for them, it seemed to Honeypool that Owlpaw hadn't learned a thing in his few moons of apprenticeship. She gave him another fierce lick on the brow, pointedly drawing her tongue firmly between his ears. "StarClan will help when we are in great need, but we fight through this of our own strength, Owlpaw. Don't wish for the grass to grow faster- push back the snow with your own paws and give it space to grow!" That was something they actually should consider doing. Honeypool wondered if it would work. Her eyes listed lazily toward the pile of herbs in the corner. If they perhaps cleared a space of snow and got to the cold earth... could herbs grow even in Leafbare? How much tending would that take?
Her attention was abruptly recaptured by Eveningstar's suggestion that she ask the other medicine cats for herbs. Her ears fluttered back against her head briefly, and the tip of her tail lashed. Pulling herself together, Honeypool gave her chest a few abashed licks. "Leafbare is difficult for every clan," she said slowly. "Even if I asked, I doubt the others would have anything to give. There is no illness here yet- it would be a blow to SnowClan's pride if the other leaders found out we were begging for scraps." Truthfully, it was not unheard of or against the warrior code for medicine cats to lend herbs- they were above the general rules of warriors, and plants were not like prey... but still. There was something in her that made her stingier than the others.
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Post by amunet on Aug 17, 2014 21:59:33 GMT
Eveningstar's expression sobered. "That may be true, Honeypool," she mewed quietly, "but we cannot afford to be prideful in these desperate times. If it were any other season, I would agree, but with prey as scarce as it is... We cannot afford sickness."
She touched her nose to Honeypool's head, then to Owlpaw's, and rose to leave.
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Post by Snivellus on Aug 18, 2014 0:14:20 GMT
Owlpaw looked up at Honeypool with contempt but kept his opinions to himself this time. It wasn't fair that StarClan only helped sometime, if they could cover the moon why couldn't they stop the snow and the cold?
"I don't see what's wrong with asking the other Medicine Cats, especially AshClan's, they probably still have loads of stuff. I bet they wouldn't share anyways though, all the more space for them if SnowClan has to leave the forest." He mewed sourly.
He gave a polite nod to Eveningstar, "I'll ask if Honeypool won't, but I don't expect any of the other clans to be generous." AshClan was greedy, StoneClan seemed far to strict to the code...and he didn't know anything about FogClan except for a few stories elders had told him. |
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Post by amunet on Aug 18, 2014 18:54:11 GMT
"Thank you, Owlpaw," Eveningstar replied. As stubborn and ornery as Owlpaw could be sometimes, Eveningstar still appreciated his willingness to do what his mentor might not in times of need. He will make a truly wonderful medicine cat when the time comes, she thought to herself as she padded out of the medicine den. His intuition is sharp. And with that, she headed for the camp's entrance.
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Call me Lemon or Zuzu! I'm the co-creator of Faint of Heart!
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Post by Lemonade on Aug 20, 2014 5:53:33 GMT
As Eveningstar rose to leave, Honeypool rose to see her go, a frown creasing her brow. She bit back her argument. Pride might not be the thing that got them through Leafbare, but Honeypool was certain that they could make it on their own, even if the snow became deep enough to cover her back. She would wade through it without the help of other clans.
If it did come to that, she was certain that Owlpaw would keep his promise and go running for help. Looking at the apprentice sharply, she again choked back a retort. "Hunt well, Eveningstar!" She called carefully after the leader, then stalked to their herb stocks to count the drying leaves and ration them into cat-portions.
"You might mean well, Owlpaw," she said earnestly, a little offended by their encounter with Eveningstar, "But an apprentice should never do something without consulting their mentor first. When you're the medicine at and I'm dead and buried, you can choose to beg AshClan" she spat the name out, particularly offended by the idea of asking that clan for help, "to share their herbs with you. But as long as I'm alive, we'll do things my way and find another way." Her tail lashed.
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