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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2017 19:01:46 GMT -5
Clouds will rage in, Storms will race in,
But you will be safe in my arms.
Firebird rose early, she had always been an early riser and retirement hasn't changed that, hoping to stretch her legs with a little time out of camp while also avoiding much of the heat of the day. She may have slowed down, her joints stiffer and a little achy at times, but she was still fairly energetic for an elder. And now that the greencough epidemic had finally come to an end, she had her daughter back in camp. It had been quite a while since the two of them had spent time together, and she had been around long enough to know that after an epidemic of such proportions as the valley had just endured, the medicine cats were likely lacking in plenty of herbs.
As she arched her back in a stretch, she glanced over at Blazefang, tempted to wake the much younger tom and ask if he would like to help Kindleflare with her today as well. He was having such a hard time adjusting to not being a warrior, feeling useless... but she allowed herself to be selfish today. She wanted to spend some quality time with Kindleflare, without any other cat to get between them. Kindleflare would likely still need help tomorrow, it was safe to say that the two of them were not going to completely restock her ravaged stores in one day, perhaps Blazefang would want to help then.
She looked fondly back at Darkcloud as she carefully stepped from their shared nest, and couldn't help but turn back to give him a gentle lick on the head before turning to leave. She headed to the freshkill pile first, to see what was left from the previous day. It would be a little time yet before the first hunting patrols went out, but she wanted to make sure she and Kindleflare had a proper meal before heading out herb hunting. She nudged the small rabbit that seemed to be all that was left, only to spot bright yellow feathers that had previously been hidden. How lucky! With a delighted purr, she snatched up the little bird and trotted over to the medicine cat's den.
Ducking inside, she headed straight for Kindleflare's nest and set the finch at her paws as she leaned down to rasp her tongue over her daughter's ears, purring. “Wake up, Kindleflare, I've brought your favorite!” She took a step back and sat down, curling her tail around her paws as she waited for Kindleflare to wake up properly before she started talking about the plans for the day she hoped her daughter would be agreeable to going along with. Kindleflare had always been an easy going, agreeable she-cat, however, and she loved her family, so she wasn't too worried about possibly annoying her with her intrusion.
Rains will pour down, Waves will crash around,
But you will be safe in my arms. BlooRey DVD
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| Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Jun 15, 2017 18:21:12 GMT -5
 For many moons now, Kindlelfare had been a light sleeper. When the greencough epidemic swept through LightningClan, she'd grown accustomed to the rasping sounds of her patients sleeping, always aware of each of them so that she might react as quickly as possible to a change in their condition. It had been a good few moons since she'd slept well, and evidently her body had chosen to give up the night before. Normally an early riser, the ginger and white medicine cat didn't even hear her mother's pawsteps as the elder sauntered into the medicine cat's den with a finch in her jaws.
No, it wasn't until a familiar tongue rasped over her ear that she was roused from her slumber. One deep amber eye flickered open, though it slowly slid closed again as the effort of staying awake proved much more difficult for the she-cat than waking up in the first place. Jaws parted in a wide yawn, which quickly evolved into a mumbling mishmash of attempted words. "But Momma... No one can stand on one leg and... Balance a tree branch on their nose..." Blinking blearily against the morning light, and apparently completely unaware of what she'd just said, the ginger medicine cat struggled to register the presence in her den.
Confusion melted away to a warm plume of joy as her mother's ginger fur came into focus, Kindleflare somehow organizing her paws enough to half-rise, half-trip out of her nest in search of that wonderfully warm fur. Nuzzling her mother's chest and drawing in the familiar scent that reminded her of simpler days, she could have easily slumped right back to sleep. But her mother was here, and she wanted to treasure the time she got to spend with her today even if it was only brief. "I... I love you, Momma." She mewed tiredly.
Stifling another yawn, Kindleflare reluctantly took a step back. Her amber gaze landed on the bright yellow bird at their paws, triggering an instantaneous pricking of her ginger ears and a rumble from her stomach. "F-Finch! My favorite." She purred happily, letting herself slide back to the ground so she could eat. A thought flickered through her head just as she cleared a path through the feathers to the first bite, and she locked her deep amber eyes on her mother as she chewed thoughtfully. Once certain she was in no danger of choking on feathers, she asked the question on her mind.
"You... You're o-okay, right? You d-don't... Need anyth-thing? No one's s-sick..?" Just the thought of another sick cat made her heart fall heavy in her chest.  |
@zen Note: 46 moons old |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2017 23:50:57 GMT -5
Clouds will rage in, Storms will race in,
But you will be safe in my arms.
Kindleflare stirred, muttering sleepy nonsense, and Firebird purred in amusement. She nuzzled her daughter's head affectionately as she began to wake up, replying softly to her nonsense purely for her own amusement, “Sure they can, so long as they've taken a dip in some moonlight and eaten a few stars.” Her whiskers twitched with mirth, but she didn't think Kindleflare had heard her. She wondered briefly just what her daughter could have been dreaming about to have uttered something so ridiculous, but it didn't seem like the sort of dream one would remember upon waking so she let it go. Besides, there were more important things to discuss.
A full blown purr erupted in her throat as Kindleflare nuzzled into her chest like she was nothing more than a kit again. But her sweet, shy, little Kindleflare was a medicine cat, and every time she thought about it she could feel herself swelling with pride over that fact. Not that she was any less proud of her warrior children, of course. Kindleflare had just always been so quiet and unassuming, not exactly one for heroics and daring, so she was proud not just of the rank her daughter had earned for herself, but that she had found her true calling in life, because the life of the warrior simply hadn't seemed to suit her.
“I love you too, Kindleflare,” she purred, giving her daughter's head a few more licks before she at last noticed the finch. As Kindleflare tucked into the bird, Firebird settled down beside her, her tail draped over her daughter's flank. She closed her eyes to simply enjoy her presence while she waited for her her to finish her meal, but the hint of worry in the medicine cat's voice when she inquired after her health had them opening again. She purred softly and nuzzled her cheek reassuringly, “Everyone is fine, the worst is over. You got us through it, Kindleflare.” She wanted to make sure her daughter knew what she had done, that despite the losses they had endured, more of them would have died without her.
She had been so worried when Kindleflare herself had been ill. She'd had to take care of all those cats on her own when she should have been resting. It could have made her own sickness so much worse, she could have literally worked herself to death, but she'd made it through in the end. Still, it brought up the question. What would she have done... what would LightningClan have done if they'd lost her? Sitting up once more, Firebird gave her chest fur a few quick licks and purred, “Would you mind terribly if padded after you like a lost kit for most of the day? Your herb stores must be low after so much sickness, and you don't have an apprentice yet, so I would really like to help out if I can.”
Rains will pour down, Waves will crash around,
But you will be safe in my arms. BlooRey DVD
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| Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Jun 24, 2017 6:32:01 GMT -5
The ginger and white she-cat relaxed visibly under her mother's words of reassurance. Content to sit beneath the gentle weight of Firebird's tail, Kindleflare continued to eat quietly as her mother murmured gentle words of comfort. Her pelt warmed at the implication that she'd been the one to pull LightningClan from the sickness. For so long, the ginger healer had worried she would fail the Clan. As the lives of her Clanmates slipped from between her claws, she'd felt her heart sink like a stone tossed into the river's waters. It had been heartbreaking, leaving her breathless in a manner that was wholly unpleasant.
Yet Firebird proved capable of mending her shaking soul through the unconditional love of a mother. With her ears tipped back in embarrassed delight, she continued to devour the gifted finch. Her jaws slowed when the ginger elder rose to a sit once more, Kindleflare's dark amber eyes flicking curiously over the she-cat she loved so much. The question Firebird posed ignited a warm fire in her chest, the feeling quickly vocalized through means of a loud purr. Leaning sideways to rub her forehead against her mother's shoulder, the LightningClan medicine cat nearly forgot to answer through her excitement.
"Th-They are, oh StarClan th-they are very low." She confirmed, gaze flicking toward where she kept her herbs. Kindleflare hated to imagine what might have happened had she run out in the middle of the epidemic. Being on her own, opportunities to supplement her stores had been few and far between as the Clan writhed beneath the clutches of the greencough outbreak; she recalled going out once with Harestrike in a rather... Unexpected turn of events. Though he bore no physical wounds, he'd needed a healer then, if only to help soothe his emotional state of mind.
"It would be m-my honor if you acc-ccompanied me today, M-Momma." She mewed earnestly, finally pulling her head away from her mother's fur. With a bright smile, she rose away from the finished finch. Gently collecting it and moving it out of the way to be disposed of properly later, she glanced toward the back of her den. "J-Just... Give me a moment to ref-fresh my memory on the s-state of my stores!" She purred softly, padding through the dim light by memory alone. A soft shuffling sound rose from the depths of the medicine cat's den as Kindleflare nosed her way through the various herbs, quickly noting those with supply either limited or non-existent.
Satisfied with her mental list, she quickly returned to her mother's side, fur brushing comfortingly against the older ginger she-cat. "O-Okay! All s-set. L-Let's go, Momma." Pausing a moment to let Firebird to exit the medicine cat den, Kindleflare quickly fell into step with the elder. Deep amber eyes flicked toward the leader's den, catching sight of the calico LightningClan matriarch. Offering Firestar a timid smile, she noticed the leader dip her head slightly. I-I think she u-understands... She thought to herself hopefully, attention returning to her mother eagerly.
As she quietly directed them toward the Flooded Grasses, Kindleflare glanced shyly at the ginger elder. "M-Momma..?" She started softly, steeling her rapidly beating heart. "After... A-After my e-experience with greencough..." She struggled to find the words to speak, her tail tip twitching from behind her. "Well I-I... I've been th-thinking of... T-Taking an apprentice. I c-can't imagine w-what... Might have h-happened had I..." Trailing off as though incapable of finishing the sentence, Kindleflare swallowed. "But I... I'm n-not Nightstep o-or Brightpool, I'm not a g-good teacher... Wh-what if... What if I do b-bad job or... Or m-my apprentice doesn't l-like m-me?" |
@zen Note: 46 moons old |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2017 1:24:25 GMT -5
Clouds will rage in, Storms will race in,
But you will be safe in my arms.
Firebird remained where she was as Kindleflare moved to check her herb stores, sitting patiently and watching her daughter curiously. With an amused purr, she thought that Kindleflare must have gotten the sharp mind and memory for herbs from her father. She wasn't stupid by any means, but at her age she was aware of her own limitations, and she knew she could never have remembered all the names and uses and places to go to find the many herbs medicine cats used. Darkcloud was a warrior at heart, but she didn't doubt that her mate would have been capable of learning and remembering all that information with ease.
At last Kindleflare turned back, announcing her readiness to set out, and Firebird stood, stretching her legs briefly before slipping out of the den ahead of her daughter. The two of them left camp side by side, and Firebird was content with the quiet company as she allowed Kindleflare to direct their steps in whichever direction lead to the herbs she wanted to collect today. She was about to ask what she should be looking for, but Kindleflare spoke first. Ginger ears pricked with interest, for the tone of her daughter's words indicated a concern of some sort, and that would likely lead to a seeking of advice or reassurance.
After raising four litters, a mother could easily recognize that tone. Yes, four litters... she may have lost one of her own to greencough, but she had gained one at the very same time in her niece's four orphaned sons. Her ears flicked back briefly as Kindleflare again brought the idea of her death to her mother's mind. They had been lucky during this greencough outbreak... so very lucky. They had lost only one member of their family to the sickness. Sunblaze, her brother's last surviving kit. All of her own kits had survived. Mudpelt, Gustclaw, and Blazefang had survived. Her mate was still alive, and she was still alive. She had much to be thankful for after this epidemic.
Taking a half step closer, Firebird let her pelt brush with Kindleflare's, “You constantly underestimate yourself, my dear. You haven't had the chance to be a mentor yet. You can't possibly know what sort of teacher you'll make, and I'm sure you'll do just fine. StarClan has entrusted you with LightningClan's wellbeing. If StarClan can have faith in you and your abilities, then you should be able to do the same, hm?”
She offered her daughter a soft smile, “I only became a mentor after I had already had my own kits, so it wasn't such a big step for me... but I was nervous about my first litter. I think every cat is nervous when they're first entrusted with a young life to shape, and rightly so. It is a big responsibility, after all. But I think we are all much more capable than we tend to give ourselves credit for... you especially, Kindleflare. Have faith in yourself and do your best, and it will be enough.”
Not wanting Kindleflare to dwell on her doubts, she moved the conversation ahead, "Do you have any cat in mind yet, for your apprentice? How... how does that work exactly? Does StarClan send you a sign?" Firebird had honestly never really been too interested in all the details of being a medicine cat, but now that the role was taken by her daughter, and she was an elder with little better to do than wonder about things she had yet to learn, she was rather curious about it all.
Rains will pour down, Waves will crash around,
But you will be safe in my arms. BlooRey DVD
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| Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Jul 1, 2017 6:44:48 GMT -5
She listened quietly to her mother, already feeling the edges of her anxiety ebbing beneath the soothing voice of Firebird. Unable to resist pressing herself against the older ginger she-cat, Kindleflare's deep amber gaze flicked up to the sky above as her mother mentioned StarClan having faith in her. She'd always thought her appointment as medicine cat apprentice to have been some strange coincidence. After all, Rookfrost had simply demanded her aid one day, and she'd been too panicked and nervous to decline. Had there been something greater at work that day, ensuring she'd been the one to walk by at just the right time?
Despite visiting them a pawful of times, Kindleflare still found herself mystified by StarClan's ways. They were unpredictable, in a sense, even if their actions were generally aimed at the well-being of the Clan. With a soft, steadying breath, Kindleflare dropped her eyes from the invisible stars and focused on her mother once more. The LightningClan healer blinked in surprise upon hearing her mother admit to being nervous for her first litter. Firebird had raised several litters since, and Kindleflare had always found herself in awe of the elder's talent for being a strong yet gentle mother to her kits.
Her mother's question caused the ginger she-cat's ears to prick, her paw steps faltering momentarily as she considered this. Bounding forward to catch up again, Kindleflare cast a nervous glance toward her mother. "N-No... I don't h-have anyone in mind r-right now... I g-guess I've been s-so... W-Worked up on the i-idea of an apprentice th-that I've been... Purposely i-ignoring potential c-candidates." She mewed, embarrassed. Keeping her dark gaze on her white paws, she continued without much thought. "S-StarClan might send me a sign a-as to who's best s-suited but... It's n-not uncommon for them to... T-To let a medicine c-cat make their o-own assessment. I could... S-Seek them out once I've made my choice.."
She mused aloud, her tail moving in a slow motion behind her. "I th-think that F-Flameshadow would a-at least tell me what he thought... H-He thinks I sh-should pick an apprentice.. I think he tried to w-warn me before greencough erupted..." She admitted quietly. Perhaps she was revealing too much, but her mother was far too easy to speak to. That, and she doubted her mother would speak to anyone else about this. Kindleflare trusted her mother; she only hoped StarClan wasn't frowning upon her for that trust.
Doing her best to display some sort of confidence, Kindleflare straightened herself. "I'll j-just have to.. K-Keep my eyes open... L-Look out for someone w-who... Has an i-interest in becoming a m-medicine cat, or who i-isn't comfortable in th-their current role." She nodded to herself, jaws parting once more to thank her mother for the mini pep-talk when something caught her eye. With an excited little yelp, Kindleflare darted forward, sliding to a stop near a spattering of green. "Oh thank the s-stars... M-Momma! L-Look at this!" She mewed, gently nosing a small section of jagged-looking leaves.
Though the growth was small, the telltale scent of the herb erased any doubt she might have on the species. "Th-This... This is c-catmint!" She explained. "O-Oh how we c-could have u-used this during the g-greencough outbreak... I-It s-so seldom grows i-in the v-valley though!" She pressed her nose carefully against the dirt surrounding it, her tail dancing enthusiastically behind her. "It's b-been so hot r-recently... I have to.. H-Have to make sure it s-stays well hydrated..." She mumbled to herself, fussing over the newfound growth of catmint like a mother to her kits. |
@zen Note: 46 moons old |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2017 10:15:06 GMT -5
Clouds will rage in, Storms will race in,
But you will be safe in my arms.
Listening to her daughter's explanation about her current... lack of an apprentice search, her whiskers twitched. She was about to offer further reassurance, sure that the right cat would present themselves at the right time, but her eldest son's name caught her attention. Her amber gaze snapped to Kindleflare as emotion welled in her chest. Flameshadow visited his sister... he guided her. She hadn't known that. Her reassurance devolved into a rough purr. Flameshadow had died shortly after Emberkit and Cloudkit, but rather than compound her grief, part of her had felt... relief.
Flameshadow was as protective of his family as his father. He was a strong and capable warrior. Although she had certainly grieved her own loss in him, she was comforted by the fact that he was in StarClan, keeping watch over his little brother and sister. They had not gone onto StarClan alone. Their brother would protect them. It seemed he watched over his living siblings as well, not that she had ever doubted he would. She only had confirmation now. She wasn't sure if it was appropriate, but she couldn't help herself, “It makes me so happy... to hear that your brother visits with you. Could you... tell him I miss him, next time you see him? Tell him I love him....”
Her voice faltered and she cleared her throat. She was certain he already knew, perhaps he was even walking with them now, listening in on their conversation, but it would be nice to know the message had been received. Perhaps Kindleflare couldn't assure her of that, perhaps it wasn't allowed, this communication between an average little former warrior like her and the spirits of StarClan, but she had to try. She promised herself she wouldn't make a habit of it. It wouldn't do to dwell on her deceased kits, for it was the living that still needed her.
Suddenly Kindleflare darted forward. Firebird had assisted various medicine cats with herb collecting in her time as an apprentice and then warrior, and weathered through enough outbreaks of greencough that she knew very well what the catmint looked like, and so she understood her daughter's excitement. It was one of the few herbs she remembered well, as precious as it was, in case she happened to come across any while hunting or patrolling, so she might inform the medicine cat as to its location.
Still, seeing Kindleflare so ecstatic had her purring softly, padding over to where her daughter was fretting over the plant, “What can I do to help? Should we find some moss to soak in water?” Giving water to plants as though they were sick cats seemed a tad silly in Firebird's mind, but Kindleflare seemed quite concerned about making sure it was hydrated. She tilted her head thoughtfully, “If we left some soaked moss balls around it, the water would drain out slowly... you could wet them again when they dried out.”
Rains will pour down, Waves will crash around,
But you will be safe in my arms. BlooRey DVD
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| Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Jul 2, 2017 21:00:01 GMT -5
She had her nose pressed into the dirt near the herb's base when her mother's voice cut into her thoughts. Despite having been talking to her mother moments before, her excitement brought with it a mind racing to think of ten thousand things at once. Blinking at the older ginger warrior in something akin to confused curiosity, filtering through the words that had just been exchanged between them, Kindleflare's ginger tail slowly weaved from one side to the other behind her. Her senses returned to her with one sharp inhale, and she nearly jumped to her paws.
"Momma! Th-That's genius!" She purred, nuzzling Firebird appreciatively as she hopped from one fore paw to the other. "I-It's been s-so hot recently... B-But we also d-don't want to d-drown the poor thing... The m-moss balls might just g-give it water at the r-right pace to keep it s-strong through the w-worst of the Greenleaf h-heat." With a determined nod, she motioned toward the nearest moss collection spot. "I-It's pretty small right now.. S-So I think t-two good s-sized moss balls sh-should do the trick." Falling silent as she began to pull together a wad of moss, Kindlelfare's ears were trained on the sound of her mother doing the same.
Once they both had a moss ball of decent size, the ginger pelted mother-daughter pair trotted over to a small body of water nearby. Kindleflare paused to let Firebird soak her moss first, before leaning down herself to make sure the moss was appropriately dunked. Moving quickly to avoid wasting too much of the water in dripping trails, the pair returned to the small sprig of catmint. Kindleflare was back on her belly, using careful motions to tuck the moss balls (which were nearly larger than the plant itself) around the base of the undoubtedly thirsty, growing plant.
She didn't want to block its sunlight, so she took extra time to nose its leaves out from under the moss. Once satisfied, she sat back up with an audible purr and pressed herself to Firebird's side. For a moment, she said nothing, just gazing at the little plant wrapped in a protective wall of water-soaked moss. But eventually, she remembered something her mother had said earlier and, leaning against the older she-cat affectionately, she murmured quietly. "I'll... I'll b-be sure to t-tell Flameshadow n-next time I see him. But... L-Like you said, I'm s-sure he already knows."
With a nudge to her mother's shoulder, Kindleflare rose to a proper stand. "W-We.. Have l-lots of ground to cover. If.. If you need anything, i-if anything starts h-hurting... Let me know, o-okay?" |
@zen Note: 46 moons old |
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