[Deleted]

fernpaw.

In absolute darkness, the young medicine cat apprentice was nudged awake and pushed to her paws. It was not the sun's friendly and insistent rays that urged her to begin her day, but routine forged in necessity. The past season had turned the blind she-cat on edge. Fernpaw had been apprenticed to Swanfeather at the worst -- or oppositely, best, time. In the midst of her training, a vicious epidemic of green cough had tried her retention and short term memory skills. Herbs that the she-cat had just learned were put in use -- catmint at first, then chickweed and feverfew when their stores of catmint had run dry. The RainClanners ran out of catmint quite quickly, and Fernpaw's work changed from healing the sick to ensuring that those ill were as comfortable as they could be in death's grip. In the past moon, waking up from a night's sleep meant a time to see who had managed to survive the night.

Those days had passed. The announcement of Newleaf had chased away illness and left the ravaged clan shaky on their feet. The return of the sun brought Fernpaw joy and excitement for what she could learn in the days to come. "Swanfeather?" Fernpaw's quiet voice resounded in the den with curious insistence. Though Fernpaw had adjusted to life without sight, sometimes it was easier to ask about things rather than discover for herself. The apprentice had no idea whether Swanfeather was in the den with her or had already stepped out for the morning.

Fernpaw sat calmly, lengthy translucent whiskers twitching slightly in interest. She had gotten used to this waiting. What had once brought her a sense of impending helplessness was now just the beginning of a new day. As she waited a few moments longer, Fernpaw's mind skimmed over Swanfeather's intense blue eyes.

She'd never forget what it was like to see.

The sky is clearing and the night has gone out. The sun, he comes, the world is all full of light. Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on

---

thread 1/6 ::

intended for heli with swanfeather and anyone else interested ::

carry on by crosby, stills, and nash ::

350 words ::

[Hellion]

Swanfeather

---

The pain of loss and the joy of redemption had turned over a new life for Swanfeather but it wasn't that much of a different leaf. The pain of Frostfang's death still affected her but not to the extend that it had before. Watching and unable to help all those cats had her wanting to better herself, stop being the bitter she-cat that wanted to be alone, instead she turned her affections toward her clan as a hole, Frostfang just a secret memory for her to hold on those dark and lonely nights. She had wanted to take Fernpaw out to look around in the new leaf air for some different herbs that grew in the freshness of the season. Flicking her tail she nudged Fernpaw awake before exiting her den and greeting the warm sun with a purr of contentment.

The seal pointed she-cat had full expected for Fenrpaw to follow her out of the den but when she didn't right away, the medicine cat turned and re-entered the den. Fernpaw's blindness had progressed but it wasn't too difficult to help her and in a way Swanfeather felt even more important just until Fernpaw was able to travel around camp without trouble and possibly get around the territory without too much difficultly but her mentor had required if ever she left without her that she have an escort.

Flicking her tail softly over the nose of the apprentice she brought Fernpaw's attention to her. "I'm right here time to get up and we can do something not restricting us to his den." She mewed kindly using her tail to guide the apprentice before she exited again. The day was young and felt fresh on Swanfeather's pelt. She wanted first to run through the territory but that could wait, it was important Fernpaw got some attention that wasn't filled with tension as another cat got sick and was on death's door. "We can either stretch our legs and travel along the borders so you can get a better feel for all important land markers or we can look for some fresh new leaf herbs you can choose." Swanfeather added to her earlier comment as he waited for Fernpaw to voice her choice.

---

Give me love like never before,
'Cause lately I've been craving more,
And it's been a while but I still feel the same,
Maybe I should let you go,

Word Count:: 408
Tag::@sparrow
Notes:: 001

[Deleted]

fernpaw.

Fernpaw hadn't been alerted of Swanfeather's presence from the nudge -- having been as deep in slumber as she was, there has been a lapse in what had actually occurred and what forced its way into her conscious mind. As far as Fernpaw could tell, Swanfeather was no where to be found, her scent recent but not recent enough to necessarily announce her presence beside her in the den. Was it her stepping out that woke me? the she-cat wondered as she waited for a sign that she wasn't alone.

Fernpaw wasn't particularly fond of waiting. Though her basic senses -- save for sight -- had sharpened as her world grew dark, her patience was always at a disadvantage. No amount of scenting or listening could ever alert her of another cat's presence as quickly or as accurately as sight could. It left Fernpaw in the dark figuratively as well as literally. The waiting game was something Fernpaw never agreed to play.

The gray and white apprentice was about to head for the den opening -- the place where the warm sun caressed her face -- when her ears caught gentle steps pressing and crunching against the grainy ground. The she-cat's muscles relaxed just in time to feel Swanfeather's furry tail at her nose.

'I'm right here time to get up and we can do something not restricting us to his den'

The apprentice had already quickly pulled herself up to her paws at the sound of Swanfeather's strict but kind voice. The last thing that she wanted to do was look like a fool or look useless in front of her mentor. This ... blindness won't define me. Ever. The fluffy Fernpaw stood on edge, tail tip twitching and muscles rolling back and forth between levels of tensity. 

"We can either stretch our legs and travel along the borders so you can get a better feel for all important land markers or we can look for some fresh new leaf herbs you can choose."

Hearing the medicine cat's voice at the den's entrance already, Fernpaw scampered up to meet her. "I'm up, I'm up," the apprentice said good naturedly, her fluffy tail batting her mentor lightly on the side. "We probably need fresh herbs after everything that's been going on here. Maybe we can look by the borders for herbs? That'd knock out two things we need to get done at once," the she-cat meowed happily, feeling pleased as usual at her problem solving skills. 

The sky is clearing and the night has gone out. The sun, he comes, the world is all full of light. Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on

---

thread 1/6 ::

intended for heli with swanfeather and anyone else interested ::

carry on by crosby, stills, and nash ::

410 words ::

[Hellion]

Swanfeather

---

A soft smile covered Swanfeather's face as she nodded to Fernpaw's choice. It was something to be admired in the young she-cat. Despite being blind the apprentice was able to see the bigger picture to better serve her clan. Carefully Swanfeather took a few steps away from the medicine cat in training and headed toward the fresh-kill pile. It felt it had been moons since she ate a meal that didn't taste like herbs. Picking up a small water vole for herself and a small fish for Fernpaw, the seal pointed she-cat returned to her apprentice.

"Eat this before we go I need you to have a bit more strength." She said to Fernpaw before sitting down to eat her own meal quickly and drawing a few paw swipes over haw maw to clean herself. There she waited for a little while to allow Fernpaw the chance to eat her meal before once again getting to her all fours and taking a slight lead. "It is fairly easy to get lost in the reeds without being able to see. I suggest you stay close and call out if you don't feel me near you. Don't wander off." Swanfeather was not gentle when concerning her apprentice's disability it wasn't something to dwell on and feel bad about but embrace it and get over it. Swanfeather hadn't even been the type to give pity and Fernpaw wouldn't ever gain it from her mentor. Sight or no sight she was expected to do as she was told and learn all that she could, it could mean life or death. "Lets go" Came her meow before flicking her tail over Fernpaw's nose to give her a sense of direction before heading out of the camp and turning toward the StoneClan border.

---

Give me love like never before,
'Cause lately I've been craving more,
And it's been a while but I still feel the same,
Maybe I should let you go,

Word Count:: ---
Tag::@sparrow
Notes:: ---