[Justice]

Leafbare again. Kits in the nursery, apprentices learning the snows, heavily pregnant queens to fuss over. He was busy. He hadn't left the territory since Honeysong had delivered her litter. There hadn't been time. Honeysong's smallest kit was fragile at first and then as she'd grown he'd realized the horrible truth of it all. At this point in time, little Lilykit couldn't see. It was possible her sight would come a little later, as her birth had been difficult, but as time went on and the kits otherwise flourished he began to doubt this. And now there was a fresh litter in the nursery, with Mockingbird's newest kits. So many that needed his immediate and frequent attention. As medicine cat he found it impossible to keep from checking in on the queens and kits in the nursery less than once a day. The lilac furred she-cat that raised him thought it was alternatively funny and annoying, depending on when he popped his head in there. But he could fuss.

It meant that Herondive was put at lowest of his priorities once again, and he wondered if he ought just stop going altogether. He loved her, he truly did, but she deserved a tom that could devote his time to her, not divided not only between clan loyalty and her, but his duties as a medicine cat. But...he wanted to see her, at least one final time. To make a clean break of it if he had to at last. Their situation had never been ideal, but it was time to let it end. He couldn't keep doing this to her, to himself. He missed her, and it killed him that he couldn't be with her, but his clan needed him. Even if he had a trained apprentice ready to step up for him TreeClan was his home.

The large tom sighed deeply and padded out into camp. He couldn't keep doing this by himself. He needed an apprentice. Something he'd never done before. So, perhaps this was a good time to talk to those that had dealt with this before and move forward. Lionstar had trained many apprentices successfully, and he was the leader. Balancing duties and an apprentice was one thing he worried about. Even as his apprentice was training to be a healer, he would have to push that aside in an emergency. At least in the earliest of days. Also, perhaps Gorsetail. Though not as busy as their leader, the deputy had also managed his duties and training an apprentice successfully. So, that would be where he started.

He looked for the other tom only for a few moments before spotting him. "Gorsetail, might I have a word?"

Fawn
Phoenix

[Phoenix]

Gorsetail

Deputy of TreeClan

i wish everyone was loved tonight
and somehow stop this endless fight

Deputyship was like a piece of clothing. When it had been offered to him, he had hesitated, citing both the well-worn and comfortable coat resting easily on his shoulders and the insecurity he felt toward such a change. What if purchasing the new coat was a mistake? Nevertheless, the counsel of his closest friends had convinced him to try it on and then leave the store with it, and after the initial adjustment period where he had to relearn where the pockets were, he found, much to his surprise, that it ultimately fit him well. While he might never have stepped up without the support of others let alone have foreseen this future for himself even in his wildest dreams, he had adapted fairly successfully to the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, and moons of acting as Lionstar’s right hand man had given him a quiet confidence in his own abilities and ideas.

Gorsetail was happy as deputy, an adjective that he never thought would have described him in any position of power that demanded he step into the spotlight. In taking the title, he had lost whatever anonymity he might have had as a warrior, and heads turned when he walked by – but he was, nevertheless, content with his lot in life.

Despite the added pressure of hunting for a nursery full of young bellies to fill, the clan was faring well; StarClan had decided to grant them a mild leaf-bare, sparing them the worst of the season’s brutality. For that, he was thankful. While he tried not to play favorites between the two litters, the deputy admittedly looked at Lionstar’s and Honeysong’s kits with a touch more fondness; how could he help himself when they were proof that his good friend and former mentor had found happiness? Despite the beginnings of an overprotective parent that he saw in the leader, Gorsetail had faith in the delighted tom’s capabilities as a father and looked forward to seeing him raise his young family.

Falconstorm’s approach and question interrupted these musings as he nosed through fresh-kill pile for a mouse, and having just found one of acceptable quality, he turned to offer the other tom a smile. ”Of course, Falconstorm. I was just about to patch up a hole in the elder’s den and add some insulation.” He gestured to the unassuming wad of pine needles, feathers, and moss by his paws; the mouse was an offering to bring to them, for he figured that he might as well spare a poor apprentice the duty since he would be headed in that direction anyway. Unless… ”Would you care to join me or would you prefer to go back to your den to talk?” If it was vital, of course, he would leave his current task to another feline, but Falconstorm didn’t seem to have an air urgency about him.

Justice

better days | background image

[Justice]

"I will join you. No reason to delay you when I just need to talk." He padded along with Gorsetail as he headed towards the elder's den to finish his task. "I've been considering taking an apprentice come newleaf. My main concern is that I've never trained anyone before and I'm not sure how to balance the training with my duties as medicine cat. But I need help, if we had another sickness take the clan I wouldn't survive. I'd run myself into the ground, just like I did with the greencough epidemic." And he didn't need to go as Bluejay did, overwrought, sick, and exhausted to the point that her body just gave out.

He sighed, tail lashing behind him as he pad along quietly. As quietly as he could with snow crunching under his heavy set body. "How do you balance your duties as deputy with giving an apprentice enough attention and training? And when is it acceptable to send them away?" Because he knew an adult apprentice was likely unrealistic. A young cat would be ideal, and he knew that every young cat had a breaking point, had a point when their stamina just gave out. He knew the signs of exhaustion as a medicine cat, but how did one send away an apprentice training to be a medicine cat?

Phoenix

[Phoenix]

Gorsetail

Deputy of TreeClan

i wish everyone was loved tonight
and somehow stop this endless fight

With the mouse in his jaws and the moss tucked under his chin, all Gorsetail could do as they made their way across camp to the elder’s den was listen, but while Falconstorm voiced his initial concerns, that was all he needed to do. In stepping up as deputy rather than medicine cat, he’d had it a little easier, he realized after a moment; by necessity, he must have already trained an apprentice, so he had already had experience in that particular area by the time he had to take on both his administrative duties and those as a mentor. Also, the clan did not initially rely on him in the same way that they relied on their medicine cat. If something went wrong, they always had Lionstar, but not so with Falconstorm. The death of an apprentice-less medicine cat had happened once before and left TreeClan stranded, which was a particular circumstance that he would very much like to avoid. Falconstorm’s decision to take on an apprentice was a wise one, but his reservations were equally valid.

Having reached the den, he let his bundle fall to the ground before stepping over it to bring the mouse to the relic curled up in her nest. ”How are you today, Patchfur?” He asked pleasantly, and upon receiving a slightly politer response from the normally grouchy elder, added, ”I came along to fix that hole and thought you might be hungry.”

“First the leader’s spending all his time in the nursery. Now the deputy and the medicine cat are doing apprentice work? This clan is falling apart…”

Ignoring her muttered comment, Gorsetail retrieved the moss and set to work. ”I think it’ll be good for you to find an apprentice after leaf-bare,” The tabby tom agreed, lingering guilt and regret for words not said flickering through him as he pictured a blue-gray she-cat and her albino sister standing among the stars. At least they were reunited again, even if it was in StarClan – and there he was, still down in the forest, looking after the son and nephew they’d left behind. Green eyes found Falconstorm’s blue. ”I’ve found that many of my duties overlap with what I cover when training an apprentice. Beyond the initial introduction of the basics, a lot of training is exposure and practice, with some correction on my part, of course; patrols, for example, are a good opportunity for them to learn by experience and practice what they’ve been taught.” Striped shoulders lifted slightly in a shrug. ”I imagine it would be similar with you? At the beginning, you’ll have to be very involved with making sure your apprentice learns to identify herbs correctly, but it’s worth remembering that every time you’re treating someone, you’ll also be teaching them.”

As for knowing when to give the younger cat a break? Well, he did his best to balance the learning with some fun and relaxation, but there were times when it was clear that no more information was sinking in. He had figured out that occasionally giving his apprentice time off while he dealt with deputy matters was a good solution to the problem. Granted, the situation was a little more delicate with medicine cat training, but, he had added while voicing these thoughts to Falconstorm, there would always be another cat to treat. Or if the particular patient required long term treatments, his apprentice could always attend a later session.

Justice

better days | background image

[Justice]

Well, since he was here...Falconstorm stepped into the elder's den and checked on everyone, touching his nose cats in greeting and just quietly talking to them. Those, like Patchfur, that got a little snippy, he just smiled at. "I hardly call coming to check on our esteemed elders an apprentice's work. I just happened to need to talk to Gorsetail as well." He may have had terrible nestside manner at times, but he could be charming when he set his mind to it.

He still got grumbled at, but at least the outburst stopped. He sighed and finished a circuit of the den before heading back out to continue their conversation outside. Or, to talk while Gorsetail finished his task. His thoughts on apprenticeship caused the large tom to tip his head as he considered everything.

"I'm used to being able to come and go as I need to and please. Sometimes I travel far from home looking for herbs. I know we need a medicine cat apprentice, I don't want to leave this clan without someone to tend to them when I either retire or pass on to StarClan." He sighed, looking to meet the other tom's gaze. "I didn't want an apprentice, Gorsetail. I had no intention of having one until much later in my time as medicine cat. But...we have so many queens right now, and so many little kits. I run myself ragged on tasks that I could just send a decently trained apprentice to do. I guess I just wonder if I'll know who its going to be."

He paced outside the den, tail lashing again. "I don't feel the sense of any of the young ones right now as being meant for my life. StarClan knows I didn't think I was made for it." He was and would likely always be, a warrior first.

Phoenix
Notes : SAFE!