[Deleted]

Smokefur sneezed softly from just kicking up old dust that had collected in the back of her den. This caused more dust particles to enter the atmosphere around the small grey and black she-cat which caused a hysterical fit of sneezing. After rubbing her nose and eyes with a paw and shaking her head to center herself Smokefur grumbled softly, “Well then that was obnoxious.” However it was very necessary in her line of work because today she was checking her stores. Every so often the young Medicine Cat had to go through all the herbs she had collected in the past seasons and figure out exactly what she had left, what had gone bad and what had staled over time. She snaked a paw into her stores and started pulling out clumps of leaves, she had been in a hurry her last couple of incidents when treated a patient so they weren’t organized horribly well. “Looks like I get to organize them too…” She said in a sarcastic tone, she wasn’t seriously offended by the work as her gentle smile proved. It was quite the opposite actually; Smokefur loved everything about being a medicine cat.

[Fawn]

Snowlark

"Are you talking to anyone?" Called a soft voice from outside.

She had been minding her own business for the most part, really, however, something had been eating away at her a little bit. Normally Snowlark was content with solving her own problems, but with Saffronflower busy on double hunting parties and her other apprentice-turned-warrior friends doing the same, the not-so-busy Snowlark found her only counsel to be herself. Well, maybe. A bit of thoughtless wandering had brought her to the front entrance of Smokefur's den, the she-cat peering in quietly, the sound of the Medicine Cat's voice luring her close.

It might be nice to actually just sit and talk. What had recently been bothering her, however, was two things, actually; however both seemed to involve unrequited love. One issue was the fact that Loudroar had somehow grown fond of her ever since she had joined the Clan so many moons, and while she did like him, it was the kind of 'like' that kind of limited him to the friendship category only. She had never had to let a tom down easy before, and a little bit of advice would be helpful. As for the other issue, that one was more personal and more close to her heart. It would be unusual to tell the Medicine Cat about it - after all, what would a Medicine Cat know of love? - but perhaps after they would agree to keep it between them, Snowlark could find someone to open up to about all of this?

The dappled she-cat looked at Smokefur with beautiful blue eyes, her expression curious and friendly. "If you aren't busy, do you mind chatting with me for a bit?" she mewed, her tail tip twitching. She did look a little busy, and thus Snowlark would understand if she turned her away.

[Deleted]

Smokefur was working when she heard the voice of a she-cat call into her den asking "If you aren't busy, do you mind chatting with me for a bit?" This got a chuckle out of the young medicine cat; if she wasn’t busy what was she? “Of course I am busy dear, it is leafbare and I am a medicine cat. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever have a day off again.” She giggled gently, “However I have an open den policy at all times, so please come in I am capable of listening and helping if I can while I work. I’m talented like that.” Smokefur added in a cute sassy tone. She began to sort through the herbs; it was something she could do in her sleep. For this situation it was good, she pushed the manual labor to the back of her mind as she started mulling over what the other she cat could possibly need to speak to her about. She was preparing herself for anything; she really did feel it was her duty to help the cats of her clan with any ailments that they may acquire not stopping at just the physical.

[Fawn]

Snowlark

Snowlark smiled and came closer, her spotted and striped tail waving through the air to wrap around her small cream-furred paws, blue eyes intent. "I don't normally have these kinds of problems," she started, feeling a little awkward now that she was...getting down to the point of her visit. "but it's...tom related." This confession brought an embarrassed sort of sigh, her teeth showing in a grimace more than a grin. "A friend of mine, he was an apprentice when I got here, seems to have developed feelings for me that go beyond friendship." Blue eyes deflected to their corners to watch the wind almost blow a leaf away, but a quick creamy paw trapped it before it could escape. "I've never had to be in a situation where something like...affection could threaten a friendship. I want to tell him the truth about my feelings - or lack thereof - but I want to stay friends. I"m sure things will be too awkward to be friends but..."

Could they really stay friends? Loudroar was proud and hot tempered, but also very good to have watching your back. He was flawed, yes, but he was still a good friend. Could his pride withstand this kind of gentle let-down? Snowlark, though her heart was leaning towards someone else, still felt personally very guilty for not returning Loudroar's feelings. It made her awkward and uncomfortable in her own fur, and that had nothing to do with their age difference. Though Loadroar was NOTHING like Darkstripe, she was still eerily reminded of him by the situation overall.

Words: 296 Notes: An unpleasant sort of Nostalgia Tags: Smokefur

[Deleted]

Smokefur sat silently sifting through her stores as she had before the she-cat arrived, doing an expert job of handling the drying leaves and herbs as not to ruin ones that could still be used. She would seem utterly focused in her work, but she was listening and mulling over the situation that was presented to her in her mind trying to find a good answer for a rather complex social question. The problem for someone that deals in yes or no solutions though, is that there is not really a right answer in social situations as they are all subjective. She instead thought about the exact goal that Snowlark wished to achieve and decided that would be her answer, or something she could derive it from.


“Well.” Smokefur said a few moments after she had finished speaking just to show her she hadn’t ignored her while she took the time to prepare her opening remarks, “I can see where this problem could cause a bit of discomfort, losing friends is a rather horrible experience and it is very far from fun.” She thought a little more, “I can’t really say there is an easy answer. I think that honesty is the best bet though.” She paused a moment as she started a new pile for herbs that were about to become useless very quickly so she would know to put them to use even if it wasn’t exactly necessary. “I would just be very clear with him, tell him that you care about your friendship and that you really do care about him but the feelings aren’t mutual. Tell him exactly what you want to happen, and make concessions if you think you can as being flexible helps with touchy subjects.”

[Fawn]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color:#eeeeee; width:380px; padding:10px][STYLE=font-size:42px; letter-spacing:3px; font-family:Tangerine; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; border-bottom:1px solid #dddddd]Snowlark[/style][STYLE=font-size:10px; letter-spacing:7px; font-family:arial narrow; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; text-transform:uppercase]37 Moons // NightClan // She-Cat[/style] [STYLE=font-size:9px; text-align:justify; color:##2F4F4F; letter-spacing:1px] The pretty dappled she-cat gave a dip of her head in gratitude to the she-cat's wise words, Snowlark purring, though her belly was still full of discontent. "You are truly wise beyond your years, Smokefur!" Snowlark chirped, smiling at the Medicine Cat with a new found fondness. "It will still be nerve wracking, but honesty is better than leading him on or something awful like that." An off white tail tapped against the ground with quiet thoughtfulness. "His pride is a little troublesome," Snowlark confessed, hiding her worry in a blanket of amusement, "He always...takes negative things pretty hard..." Resisting the urge to sigh, Snowlark's ears suddenly pricked forward as she looked to the Medicine Cat. "Considering your position, have you ever had a situation like this?" It might seem like an odd question, but Snowlark was generally curious. Smokefur was a pretty she-cat, and it was likely that she probably had to turn away a few toms in her younger moons, or even not that long ago - sometimes her fellow warriors needed a little reminder that Medicine Cats were off limits for a reason. "Sorry if that seems like a dumb thing to ask," Snowlark spoke up, curling her thin tail around her paws with a lady's delicacy. "I was just...er...wondering." [/style] [STYLE=margin-top:10px; float:right; height:100px; width:100px; border:1px solid #dddddd; margin-left:6px; padding:3px; background-color:#f2f2f2][/style] [STYLE=font-family:courier new; font-size:13px; text-transform:uppercase; text-align:justify; color:#bbbbbb; margin-top:10px;]Notes: Curiosity~ Word Count: 246 Tags:[/style]

[STYLE=font-size:9px; letter-spacing:2px;]© OXYMORON[/style]

[Deleted]

Smokefur stayed silent after Snowlark asked her about potential suitors taking an interest in her, it was very much against the medicine cat code to take a mate so it would be an awkward situation indeed. She stayed silent up until the she-cat apologized, “No need to say you’re sorry dear, there are no dumb questions and it is interesting to think about.” She gave herself a shake after she stood happy with what she surveyed before her, pushing the old herbs to the side with a paw she gently put the rest of her stores back before she started speaking again. “Even something so black and white like me never being allowed to take a mate, there are grey areas as nothing is as simple as it seems.” She turned to sit in front of the she-cat, “However I have never had to let a tom down, it seems there possibly have been a few that took an interest in me and as I am still rather young still do. I just trust the nature of my job, and the strict rules that every cat is familiar with regarding it to be answer enough.”

[Fawn]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color:#eeeeee; width:380px; padding:10px][STYLE=font-size:42px; letter-spacing:3px; font-family:Tangerine; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; border-bottom:1px solid #dddddd]Snowlark[/style][STYLE=font-size:10px; letter-spacing:7px; font-family:arial narrow; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; text-transform:uppercase]37 Moons // NightClan // She-Cat[/style] [STYLE=font-size:9px; text-align:justify; color:##2F4F4F; letter-spacing:1px] Snowlark found herself to be...well...impressed by the devotion and the sense of commitment Smokefur seemed to hold for her position as NightClan's Medicine Cat. Snowlark purred softly, frost blue eyes full of admiration. A thin-furred tail stopped it's gentle batting, however, as a more personal question rose to the forefront of Snowlark's mind. "Do you ever think about it?" spoke the she-cat, her voice a bit faraway, the chatty creature brought back down to earth once she realized she hadn't really elaborated. "Having a mate and kits, I mean? I suppose you wouldn't, considering how dedicated you are to your job... But I don't think it would be wrong for the thought to cross your mind - once in a blue moon sort of thing." The snow-dappled she-cat wanted for this to be a two way street, this little private conversation of theirs, Snowlark having taken an interest in Smokefur ever since the she-cat had taken over after Dapplecloud. 'Medicine Cat' was a position Snowlark knew she could never ever get used to or possibly perform to a standard that her Clan would consider satisfactory. It was baffling to Snowlark, to think that a she-cat could give up the possibility of having a family in the future. I suppose you view NightClan as your whole family, huh? That was the answer she expected, at least. [/style] [STYLE=margin-top:10px; float:right; height:100px; width:100px; border:1px solid #dddddd; margin-left:6px; padding:3px; background-color:#f2f2f2][/style] [STYLE=font-family:courier new; font-size:13px; text-transform:uppercase; text-align:justify; color:#bbbbbb; margin-top:10px;]Notes: Curiosity~ Word Count: 247 Tags:[/style]

[STYLE=font-size:9px; letter-spacing:2px;]© OXYMORON[/style]

[Deleted]

“Well of course I have thought about it, you think about it before you ever begin to train as a medicine cat apprentice or at least I did.” Smokefur said truthfully turning to face Snowlark after finishing the chore of organizing and cataloging her herb stores. “However this life there is so much you have to justify to yourself and worse yet to others.” She added as she moved to weave around the she-cat and plant herself beside her, neatly wrapping her tail over her paws. “I found a way to justify the cost, although I guess I don’t even like calling it a justification, I’m not trying to make myself feel better about it I think it was the right choice.” She snuggled up a little closer to the she-cat before she continued in a quiet voice, it was becoming a rather personal moment and she wanted it just shared between them. “You just find that something to dedicate yourself to Snowlark, whether it be you being a warrior and starting a family or me filling my life with love for my clanmates and my medicine cats’ code.”

[Fawn]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color:#eeeeee; width:380px; padding:10px][STYLE=font-size:42px; letter-spacing:3px; font-family:Tangerine; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; border-bottom:1px solid #dddddd]Snowlark[/style][STYLE=font-size:10px; letter-spacing:7px; font-family:arial narrow; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; text-transform:uppercase]37 Moons // NightClan // She-Cat[/style] [STYLE=font-size:9px; text-align:justify; color:##2F4F4F; letter-spacing:1px] “I found a way to justify the cost, although I guess I don’t even like calling it a justification, I’m not trying to make myself feel better about it I think it was the right choice.” The wise words of the silvery she-cat in front of her had Snowlark pulling back into her own thoughts for a moment, letting those words sink in. She finally smiled. "I am very glad you are our medicine cat, Smokefur. Anyone who says you're just a healing is obviously a fool," purring loudly, the pretty she-cat felt as though she had made a friend - or perhaps an older sister type? "You do more than just heal wounds. I admire your dedication to your craft, Smokefur. Thank you for all that you've helped me with." Feeling as though she had a little more clarity than before, Snowlark quietly contemplated what she would dedicate herself to. Hopefully a mate and a family in the future, but for now she would concentrate on being the best warrior NightClan had seen - and help the next generation along in the process. "I will start Darkpaw's battle training soon, how would you assess his current condition? I don't want to strain his leg or somehow damage it." added the she-cat, intending to get a little bit of a progress report before she departed. [/style] [STYLE=margin-top:10px; float:right; height:100px; width:100px; border:1px solid #dddddd; margin-left:6px; padding:3px; background-color:#f2f2f2][/style] [STYLE=font-family:courier new; font-size:13px; text-transform:uppercase; text-align:justify; color:#bbbbbb; margin-top:10px;]Notes: Curiosity~ Word Count: 247 Tags:[/style]

[STYLE=font-size:9px; letter-spacing:2px;]© OXYMORON[/style]

[Deleted]

Smokefur dipped her head and drew a few quick licks across her chestfur in embarrassment to Snowlarks’ kind words. They were nice to hear, however it did leave her rather embarrassed as she wasn’t expecting such praise from the she-cat. “You flatter me…” She replied gently before adding, “But I do thank you for your kind words I hope you’ll think of me next time you need help with something.” She moved to sit beside the she-cat taking great comfort her in her presence. She didn’t feel she talked with her clanmates enough on such a personal level. Then she asked about the recently injured apprentice and Smokefur replied quickly, “Oh Darkpaw will be just fine, he just needs to be a little bit careful of his leg. Honestly I wish that he would spend a little time with me, some rehabilitation to his injury would serve to speed up his recovery. Perhaps we can do it together, I’m sure we could see his warrior training progress whilst fixing his leg safely.”

[Fawn]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color:#eeeeee; width:380px; padding:10px][STYLE=font-size:42px; letter-spacing:3px; font-family:Tangerine; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; border-bottom:1px solid #dddddd]Snowlark[/style][STYLE=font-size:10px; letter-spacing:7px; font-family:arial narrow; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; text-transform:uppercase]37 Moons // NightClan // She-Cat[/style] [STYLE=font-size:9px; text-align:justify; color:##2F4F4F; letter-spacing:1px] Again Snowlark found herself nodding to Smokefur in agreement. "Yes! I could use a little help in strengthening his leg. Considering most of our water sources are frozen or too cold to swim in, I am not sure what kind of exercises to have him perform that will put the least amount of strain on his body." The she-cat, utterly stumped on this issue, drew in a small gust of air and let it out in a puzzled sigh, a low 'hmmm' slipping past her muzzle as she sat in quiet thought. Well Smokefur has probably dealt with leg injuries before, and probably during leafbare too considering how slippery and icy things have become... Fixing frost-blue eyes on her newly made friend, the tip of the she-cat's tail twitched with inner annoyance that she was literally so... devoid of a decent answer to her training issues. "What would you suggest, Smokefur? I don't want Darkpaw's ceremony to be delayed any, though his safety is more important to me than anything else." Darkpaw was a good tom. There was no way she was going to let him fall behind! Unless of course, Smokefur decided his dislocated limb needed a little more time to heal... Then she would just have to break the news to him gently, but Snowlark was hoping it wouldn't come to that. [/style] [STYLE=margin-top:10px; float:right; height:100px; width:100px; border:1px solid #dddddd; margin-left:6px; padding:3px; background-color:#f2f2f2][/style] [STYLE=font-family:courier new; font-size:13px; text-transform:uppercase; text-align:justify; color:#bbbbbb; margin-top:10px;]Notes: Curiosity~ Word Count: 242 Tags:[/style]

[STYLE=font-size:9px; letter-spacing:2px;]© OXYMORON[/style]

[Deleted]

“Well…” Smokefur said sitting back and tipping her head as her tail twitched in thought, “I wasn’t going to design a workout just for him the workout is your area of expertise.” She said purring softly as she continued with her train of thought it was clear she was thinking aloud and not talking to Snowlark, “I was thinking that I could teach you more about his injury so you could better understand what kinds of exercises you know would be good for him.” She said simply finishing the thought nodding softly with a gentle twitch of her tail. “There are a few things that you would have to lookout for with a dislocation injury, if you irritate the area it will swell and that can cause problems with blood flow and may cause some long term injuries.” Smokefur explained simply, “However if you treat the wound to gently it will grow weak and you will also get injuries so its all about striking a good balance.”

[Fawn]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color:#eeeeee; width:380px; padding:10px][STYLE=font-size:42px; letter-spacing:3px; font-family:Tangerine; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; border-bottom:1px solid #dddddd]Snowlark[/style][STYLE=font-size:10px; letter-spacing:7px; font-family:arial narrow; color:#aaaaaa; text-align:center; text-transform:uppercase]37 Moons // NightClan // She-Cat[/style] [STYLE=font-size:9px; text-align:justify; color:##2F4F4F; letter-spacing:1px] “There are a few things that you would have to lookout for with a dislocation injury, if you irritate the area it will swell and that can cause problems with blood flow and may cause some long term injuries.” [...]“However if you treat the wound to gently it will grow weak and you will also get injuries so its all about striking a good balance.” Snowlark felt the fur along her tail start to fluff in silent horror, her mind naturally going to the worst case scenario if she wasn't careful with Darkpaw's injured self. Mentally shirking away from the responsibility of having to be so careful out of fear of screwing up horribly and wrecking her young apprentice's bright future, Snowlark drew in a few steadying breaths, eyes full of worry. "Will you...could you attend our training sessions then? When you aren't busy? I really do not want to ruin Darkpaw's leg. I've never had an injured apprentice before." That was the honest truth. Actually, most of Snowlark's apprentices were more or less older apprentices whom tragedy or mismatching had landed them with her instead of their original assigned mentor. Darkpaw had belonged to Hiddenheart before the older tom had contracted greencough, and Snowlark was more or less a stepping stone for Darkpaw to wrap up his apprentice training and make his way into the warrior's den after Frogpaw, his closest friend. Suddenly doubtful of her own abilities, the she-cat wrapped her actively twitching tail around her paws, unable to quiet her nerves down completely. What if she messed things up worse? [/style] [STYLE=margin-top:10px; float:right; height:100px; width:100px; border:1px solid #dddddd; margin-left:6px; padding:3px; background-color:#f2f2f2][/style] [STYLE=font-family:courier new; font-size:13px; text-transform:uppercase; text-align:justify; color:#bbbbbb; margin-top:10px;]Notes: Help! Word Count: 281 Tags:[/style]

[STYLE=font-size:9px; letter-spacing:2px;]© OXYMORON[/style]

[Deleted]

Although Snowlark didn’t say anything truly deep and revealing about her feelings on the situation the silver medicine cat could tell she was having a hard time with the whole situation. Smokefur couldn’t blame her for it at all; it could be a very scary task for her as she probably had little medical training. She was here to help the she-cat feel better about the whole situation though, it wasn’t her fault that he had gotten injured so all they could do was make sure it healed correctly the best way they could. “Of course I will go to all your practice sessions, which was what I was going to suggest anyway.” Smokefur purred gently, “I’ll make sure everything is okay and Ill always be giving input you won’t have to worry about his leg that will be on me you just worry about getting him to his warrior ceremony…” She finished with a soft purr as she walked up and pressed her head into the she-cats side for silent support.