[Ginger]

Foxfur twitched his ears lazily, walking back into the camp with a rabbit that he had happened upon during one of his walks. Dropping the rabbit onto the fresh-kill pile, Foxfur glanced up at the sky. Sun-high. Foxfur, thanks to recent tensions arising with Nightclan, had been asked to escort Falconstorm out during sun-high while the medicine cat gathered herbs. The Somali warrior didn't exactly get why Falconstorm needed an escort, especially Foxfur, who was smaller than the large medicine cat. It was quite a sight to see Foxfur trailing along behind Falconstorm. Anyone who didn't know who was who would probably assume Falconstorm was the one protecting Foxfur. Plus, Foxfur was missing prime lounge time by going out at sun-high with a cat he didn't know very well. Oh well. New friends are cool, too. 

Foxfur looked in the medicine den, not really expecting to find Falconstorm in there, but still hoping. Falconstorm was always on the move, and Foxfur did not enjoy the added work of trying to figure out where the busy medicine cat was before escorting him out of the camp. Flashing smiles at she-cats as he walked around the camp searching for the fawn-furred cat, Foxfur almost considered yowling Falconstorm's name as loudly as possible to get his attention. 

After scanning the camp thoroughly, Foxfur spotted a large figure walking about. How did I not see him initially? Foxfur shrugged and ran over to Falconstorm. "Hey!" he started, attempting to get the medicine cat's attention. Upon reaching Falconstorm, Foxfur puffed his chest out to make himself seem a little more big and 'protector-like.' "I'm here to 'protect' you while you gather herbs for the day," he said jokingly, partly aware of Falconstorm's dislike for escorts from the last time he accompanied him to gather herbs.

---

300 words
Justice

[Justice]

The sturdy built tom had hoped he could sneak out of camp without an escort today, but given the speed which Foxfur approached him, that didn't seem to be happening. It didn't help the others disposition grated his nerves very much. He gave him a hostile glare when he used the word 'protect' even though it was likely sarcastic.

"Joy. Just stay out of my way and don't bother me." He didn't need a cat asking a million questions while he was trying to find the herbs he needed. He'd have plenty of that when he finally picked an apprentice, and didn't want to deal with it before hand.

"And for StarClan's sake, don't touch or eat anything you don't know what it is. The last thing I need is to deal with a fool messing with herbs they have no knowledge of." And with that he stalked away, keeping his pace swift and brutal as he went out to look for what he needed.

Ginger

[Ginger]

As usual, Falconstorm was curt and unwelcoming, but Foxfur shrugged it off. He figured that Treeclan's medicine cat had a lot of work to do in the face of a coming war. Especially since he doesn't have an apprentice. Despite his multitude of friends of different personalities and backgrounds, Foxfur was by no means a superficial cat. He just understood others in a way that many struggled with.

The Somali tom slinked along behind Falconstorm, attempting to give him some space to do his thing. Foxfur watched with a lazy interest as the medicine cat went from plant to plant, inspecting and collecting. As the fawn-colored cat continued to work, Foxfur eventually gave up on trying to decipher what each plant was for, an immense feeling of boredom taking over.

With a sigh, Foxfur looked from Falconstorm to the plants he had collected. Here we go. The Somali padded a little closer to the working cat, stopping still a slight distance away to allow Falconstorm his personal space. "Do you need any help carrying anything? I'd love to help in whatever way a fool can." Foxfur offered a joking smile, playing on the words the fawn-colored cat had used earlier.

---

200 words
Justice

[Justice]

He gave the other tom a black look and used a paw to tug the pile of herbs he'd started making towards him. He fluffed his tail up, carrying himself in full form like a warrior, and promptly ignored the other. If he wanted to pick at him then he wasn't going to deign him with a response.

Falconstorm was already at wits end just keeping up with his normal duties, now he had to add preparing for a war to everything else, and lose the freedom to come and go as he pleased. No, Lionstar was right at the edge of having his medicine cat put something foul smelling in his nest if he didn't back off the 'protection' soon.

He watched other cats, he knew the way their body language explained their feelings and sometimes thoughts. It seemed to him the other tom would rather be anywhere else, which was fine with him. He wasn't here to entertain dung brained warriors with no concept of just how much work it took to do what he did, and how much will power it took for Falconstorm, a warrior by disposition, not to shred the cats that were annoying him so much.

It was probably why Honeysong had been coming to see him so often lately, usually to plop her pale pelted body on his tail and refusing to get up until he calmed down. She seemed to have radar on his more volatile moods.

Ginger

[Ginger]

Almost immediately, Foxfur realized he had messed up. Falconstom had no interest in the Somali tom, especially when it came to his herb gathering. Confused, the warrior looked upon the medicine cat with a greater interest. Usually, cats seemed to bend over backwards in the hopes of getting to befriend Foxfur. This was new. This was uncomfortable.

How could anyone not like me? Foxfur blinked irritatedly. I mean, I'm me! Usually his jokes got through to everyone. Falconstorm didn't seem to appreciate the humor at all. But then again, other cats did not have such a huge burden placed on their shoulders as Treeclan's lone medicine cat. A war was approaching, and Falconstorm only had himself to prepare for it. It must be so difficult. The Somali tom felt a sudden pang of guilt stab at his sides. 

"I can't imagine how much pressure is on you." That was Foxfur's best apology. He didn't want to sound overly sappy for the fawn-colored medicine cat - he had a feeling that Falconstorm wouldn't appreciate it. "You probably hate having a constant escort more than I hate missing nap time." 

Foxfur had no idea how to approach Falconstorm in a way that would not make the medicine cat feel more negatively towards him. This was new territory, trying to feel out the other cat's personality while simultaneously attempting to create some sort of amicability. Almost too much effort for the laid back tom.

---

240 words
Justice

[Justice]

The medicine cat took a deep breath and told himself to calm down before he flattened this idiot. "No, you can't." He turned to the other, tail still curled around his herbs. "You worry about missing nap time. That's you're biggest worry when we are on the edge of war? My worries are running out of herbs, running myself to exhaustion because Lionstar is courting war with NightClan. While I understand why this is inevitable I can't help as much as I want. I'm a warrior trapped in the role as a healer. I only have myself, no apprentice is going to pick me up when I collapse." His tail lashed and his pelt stood out on end.

"I don't like you. I don't want to be your friend and I don't want to talk more with you. So guard me, do your job, and don't complain to me about missing your nap time when I'm preparing for war, when I have to prep myself to explain to parents and mates, to kits why it is that their family member won't be coming home when this war starts taking lives that I just can't save."

There was so much rage inside him now, the heartache that he'd only just started to have heal scraped raw as he was pushed to the edge of his composure in his preparation for this StarClan forsaken war.

Ginger

[Ginger]

Foxfur raised his eyebrows, shocked at Falconstorm's outburst. It was not uncharacteristic for the medicine cat to be grumpy, but the Somali tom had never caught him in this bad of a mood before. The tension is felt everywhere...

Ever since Foxfur's dear friend, Brackenstride, had been almost killed by Darksto-Darkstar, nothing had been the same at Treeclan. Brackenstride didn't have the same lightheartedness to him, and he woke up almost every night from nightmares. His other clanmates constantly seemed on edge, and a constant tone of hatred had infected every single mind in the clan. 

And now, Treeclan's own medicine cat was filled with that same mood that the rest of the clan had been infected with. Rather than be angry at the words that Falconstorm had practically spat at him, Foxfur instead felt sad for the large fawn-colored tom. Not particularly sad about the things that were said -- nothing ever really got under Foxfur's skin -- but sad that the events of one awful border patrol could change a clan's way of life forever. 

He knew Falconstorm didn't care to hear it. But now, Foxfur was feeling an overwhelming sense of grief. No longer for just Falconstorm; it had spread as the ginger warrior continued to think about how far-reaching this negativity had to be. Foxfur was known for making friends, and the tom even had chatted up a few cats on the "wrong" side of Deer Path. One cat in particular, Privetshade, had once held a riveting conversation with him, and the two cats parted the meeting as friends.

But now, did his friend speak poorly of him? Did he see Foxfur the same way that his clanmates saw the rest of Treeclan? Would Foxfur one day have to fight the friends he had made back in simpler times?

"Trust me. I don't want this war any more than you do." Foxfur's tone was much different from usual. There was a genuine sadness hiding behind his words, the facade of friendliness stripped away. Maybe it was with the cats that liked him the least that he could be the most honest with. He didn't have to try to appease Falconstorm because nothing would ever work. So he had no excuse to be anything but genuine. "At least you'll be trying to save cats. I'll be trying to do the exact opposite." It was a revolting thought. At least Falconstorm got to help cats, safe from the guilt of knowing he had personally caused the suffering of another clan. Of another family. 

That was what Foxfur truly dreaded. He had no quarrels with hunting for his clan, with protecting his clan, with even the occasional border scuffle to keep his clan safe. But to actively go to war? To create more pain? It was a lot to think about, and way above Foxfur's level.

There was nothing he could do to make Falconstorm like him. It was a painful truth. But he would not have the medicine cat believe that he didn't care about the upcoming war.

Foxfur sighed: he didn't want to add to Falconstorm's stress any more than he already had. "I'll be quiet if it helps you focus. Just let me know if you need anything." With that, he took a few steps back from Treeclan's healer, giving him the space he needed to work.

 

---

559 words
Justice

[Justice]

At this point he was so fed up with this cat that he tuned him out. He didn't care to be placated by empty words from an empty headed tom who only said what he thought others wanted to hear. The other only changed his tune when he seemed to realize that Falconstorm truly didn't like him. Any cat that changed their moods with the moods of another was not a cat he wanted to associate himself with.

Falconstorm sighed. He wanted to go and see Kindleflare. At least she made him feel better, unlike those in TreeClan. More and more, he wondered if it would just be better for him to leave. He hated it here, hated having his life planned for him by StarClan, hated how those passed on could control the lives of the living, and when they protested cut them off. Even though he'd had a terrible dream from StarClan most recently, he still didn't feel their presence. Fine by him.

All he could do now is concentrate on his herbs and hope he could sneak out sometime before the fighting started to visit with Kindleflare and her shy apprentice. At least this fool had figured out that he needed his space.

Ginger