[Deleted]

Come on now
I hear you're feeling down
Well, I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again

---

Since the meeting of the Medicine cats, the small sandy tom figured he might as well start his apprentice's training sometime soon. So why not start now, his training would be unorthodox, considering he didn't speak much as well as not knowing how to exactly train a cat in the ways he had been trained since his mentor was of Starclan. However, he had an idea of how to start out the first training of her apprenticeship.

Berries.

That would be her first lesson. Berries and seeds, anyhow. He had set out a line of the different berries and seeds that she would end up using throughout her new life when healing cats of her clan. Bundles of each had been set up in a row, and he would tell her the name of them and see what she thought each was used for before he told her the purpose of them, including the effects and everything each was used for and in what ways.

Today would be rather long, but he assumed it would be a good first start, because tomorrow he would show her were to find each berry and seed before moving on to something different, like flowers and herbs. He also realized that sometime soon, she would also have to learn to defend herself, a small requirement, but several medicine cats were attacked throughout clan histories and he wasn't about to let Honeypaw be stuck down for lack of training. It'd be illogical not to teach her.

After his collect was lined up, the small brown tom sat down, letting his tail curl around his paws as he called out in his high pitched voice, "Honeypaw." One word, her name and that was all the calling he was going to give her. His eerie teal eyes looked at the den they shared before looking down at the herbs, the sound of her paws notified him and so he decided to start as she was making her way over to sit down.

Littletimber's tail flickered before he pointed to a patch of purple berries in-front of him. "Juniper Berries." He said, his ears flicking before he continued. "What do you think it's used for?" His question rang from his muzzle as he watched his apprentice with his piercing eyes.

---

Relax

I'll need some information first

Just the basic facts

Can you show me where it hurts?

[Deleted]

been dreaming of this since a kit
i’m on top of the world

She heard movement from within the den but brushed it off, enjoying the warm day and the remains of her meal. The last bites of bird finding their way into her mouth, the young apprentice rose and stretched, carrying the remains outside of camp to bury. She returned to her spot next to the medicine den, cleaning her long fur and basking in the newness of newleaf.

The rustles behind her stopped, and she wondered what Littletimber was up to. Honeypaw's mentor was a peculiar cat, yes, but she was eager to learn from him. She couldn't wait to learn how to heal other cats and discover more ways to help them. Her mind turned back to medicine cat meeting of a few days ago.

Just thinking of Sta.rClan caused shivers to run up and down her body. She smoothed the fur again with a few brisk licks, remembering what it felt like to join her ancestors and share tongues with them as a full medicine cat apprentice.

"Honeypaw."

Littletimber's voice pierced her thoughts, dragging her back down from the sky and into TreeClan camp once more. She scurried into their den, eyes blinking as they adjusted to the dimmer atmosphere. She saw him sitting in front of a neat row of different berries and seeds. Training! Her pulse quickened, excitement flooding her as she realized she would start learning now. She opened her mouth to say something, but her mentor had already begun the lesson.

"Juniper Berries. What do you think it's used for?"

She looked at the little berries. Purple. Small. And very, very familiar. "I recognize these!" she finally mewed. "You gave them to one of the other kits in the nursery a while ago." Honeypaw wracked her memory, trying to remember why the kit needed medicine in the first place.

If her memory served her correctly, the kit had trouble sleeping one night. The next morning, even though he was hungry, he couldn't keep any food down and couldn't even have a single bite of mouse. After drinking some water and trying again, he complained of stomach pains, so his mother asked Littletimber for something. That something looked pretty much like the juniper berries in front of her.

"Do they help with bellyache?" she finally asked. "I think that's the only thing they treat, too. Unless they're something else unrelated to bellyache. The kit you gave them to only had a problem with stomach pains."

She waited, then, for her mentor's response. It was impossible to tell his reaction to her answer; she still didn't know how to read him. Her only option was patience.

honeypaw § medicine cat apprentice § treeclan
ghostie: littletimber § tagged
450 § wordcount
back to training § notes
i'm on top of the world § lyrics

[Deleted]

Come on now
I hear you're feeling down
Well, I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again

---

The fact that his apprentice had so quickly responded to his call, would please a normal cat, but gave him no emotional feeling. The fact that his apprentice wanted to learn, and came straight away was enough for the small tom to realize that his pick in apprentice out-weighed him not wishing to take one.

He could see that Honeypaw was over-joyed to be training with something new today, as today would technically mark her first real day as the Medicine Cat Apprentice after her travels to meet with Starclan.

An ear flicked as he listened to Honeypaw mumble on about a kit of whom he healed with the berry that he had asked her to name the meaning for. She was not wrong in her memory. While Littletimber did cure that kit of a belly ache those moons ago, the kit did not survive the green-cough that plagued the entire valley, wiping out several from each clan.

Not that the eerie tom dwelt on the past, but it was enough of a memory to make him remember the kit that Honeypaw had indeed been speaking of before she continued on with what she presumed the usage of Juniper Berries were for. This particular berry, Littletimber had learned as a warrior apprentice when Rockfoot had told him of it. His long past mentor said to remember it so they could come back and grab some from the Medicine Cat who once lived in the den that he now occupied with Honeypaw.

Bellyaches.

So, Honeypaw finally came to the conclusion of what she believed Juniper Berries were used for, after such a rather long story to go with them. Despite the fact that Littletimber had drifted away from his apprentice's story, and not because he was mean, but because he was only looking for the use, he let a flick of his tail be the only sign he gave that she was correct.

"Bellyaches are the main use for Juniper Berries." He said after a moment, letting his teal eyes run over the purple berries before he continued, "They can also be used when a cat has trouble breathing."

A quick flash of his small sandy colored paw and the small tom moved the Juniper Berries away from the others in his line of herbs. "They are scarce in our territory, but we don't have much problems with cats coming to us with belly aches." He figured he should probably add more about the berries, even though he preferred not to speak that much, but for Honeypaw's sake of learning, the more added the better. It was just the logical thing to do.

Emotionless ocean colored orbs turned to look at a pile of small, black seeds that had rested next to the Juniper berries and a couple of small, blood red berries. "Poppy Seeds." His high pitched voice sounded as his eyes raised up to look at his apprentice once more, waiting her response to his statement, rather than question. 

---

Relax

I'll need some information first

Just the basic facts

Can you show me where it hurts?

[Fate Admin]

Ears flat against her head, Pinkpaw limped into camp, trying very hard to look like she wasn’t limping. She really didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention or bother anyone about it, but it really hurt! Gorsetail had been assigned to a border patrol and she had been assigned to a hunting patrol with Bloodtalon and Walnutpelt. To say the patrol had been awkward would be an understatement. She barely knew Bloodtalon but for the reputation he had in battle that some cats liked to talk about and knew next to nothing about Walnutpelt. Not to mention they were both much larger than her and rather intimidating, especially Bloodtalon with his claws always half unsheathed like that. Some apprentices had been gossiping about him and how his claws were too big for his paws or something. How scary was that!?

And besides that… there was something really strange between Bloodtalon and Walnutpelt. Bloodtalon hadn’t really done anything to make her think that, but… Walnutpelt kept giving Bloodtalon these odd looks when the other tom wasn’t paying attention. It was confusing and just… weird. Not to mention the sun was out in full blaze today and she kept messing up because the sun got in her eyes. The last straw had been when she was creeping through some bushes, trying to avoid the sunlight, and suddenly she had yowled from pain and surprise and Bloodtalon and Walnutpelt had both come running to see what was wrong. She’d stepped on a thorn and scared all the prey from the area away with her stupid yowl. Bloodtalon had sounded really annoyed when he’d ordered her back to camp to see Littletimber.

So she had limped on home by herself, feeling miserable about how awfully she had done hunting. She was going to make Gorsetail look like a bad mentor! She padded warily into the medicine den, hesitating as she heard voices drifting out. Did Littletimber already have a patient? She took a few more cautious steps to see him sitting in front of Honeypaw with some seeds and berries between them. Her ears flicked back and she lingered near the entrance, not wanting to interrupt. Clearly Honeypaw was doing medicine cat training with her mentor, and medicine cat stuff was really important. Her tail flicked back and forth as she held up her injured forepaw, unsure if she should leave or simply wait there for them to finish.

[Deleted]

been dreaming of this since a kit
i’m on top of the world

A small tail flick confirmed her guess. Honeypaw twitched her ears happily, pleased that she got one right.

"They are scarce in our territory, but we don't have much problems with cats coming to us with belly aches."

Green eyes blinked in comprehension as the apprentice filed the information away for later. The cats of TreeClan were used to climbing, so she didn't expect that many cats would come to them with shortness of breath. Still, the berries were obviously useful in the nursery, where kits could have many different problems just because they were kits. She almost wanted to ask Littletimber a question, but he had moved the juniper berries out of the way and replaced the with the next item.

"Poppy Seeds."

Honeypaw stared at the small seeds for a moment, the name rustling some leaves in her mind. "Oh! Those are for pain management!" she suddenly meowed, her energy getting the better of her for a moment. "I don't quite know how you administer them, though. I think the patient just has to eat some?" Her question trailed off as her voice showed her uncertainty. Sure, it was important to learn the different used for each herb or berry, but she needed to learn how to administer them, as well.

Another scent wafted into the den, and Honeypaw opened her mouth slightly so she could identify it. Pinkpaw! I wonder why she's here, the apprentice thought. Turning her head slightly, she noticed the other apprentice waiting at the entrance of the den and gave her a small, encouraging smile while beckoning her into the den with her tail. "Littletimber," she mewed cautiously. "I think there's a cat waiting on us."

honeypaw § medicine cat apprentice § treeclan
ghostie: littletimber; raven:pinkpaw § tagged
288 § wordcount
i can't tell if she sounds too mature for six moons old xD § notes
i'm on top of the world § lyrics

[Deleted]

Come on now
I hear you're feeling down
Well, I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again

---

Once more, the small tom gave a flick from the tip of his sandy brown tail. Should he be a cat who held emotions, he would pick the one that Lionstar displayed almost all the time. The emotion of pride, or pleasure. Should he have been normal, the medicine cat would have been proud of Honeypaw for guessing so quickly and pleased that she was attempting to figure out how to use the Poppy Seeds that were in front of her paws.

Alas, he was not 'normal' and so the flick of his tail was all she received. However, as she Honeypaw was answering Littletimber's question, which was asked more as a statement with his voice being monotone, he had caught onto a scent that had drifted to his nose before it reached the den entrance.

Emotionless, teal eyes looked over Honeypaw's head easily, despite his apprentice being slightly bigger than he, and caught the sight of the sun-shy alabaster apprentice of Treeclan. His tail gave a small flick again as he quickly noticed that Pinkpaw was being tender with one of her four paws, leading him to a quick conclusion of why she was in here.

Though to him, it was rather obvious why most cats came to him, whether they truly needed help or were just being a bunch of kits. Honeypaw's soft mew had Littletimber flickering and ear before returning his unnerving stare to his apprentice. Once more, with his lack of emotions, he was unable to exercise an 'obviously' look towards the younger she-cat. Sarcasm was something that ran along several cats, yet not him.

Sadly.

Though, for Lionstar's sake, perhaps being creepy and sarcastic would be a little too much.

Turning from such a though, Littletimber stood, and passed over the herbs in front of him, his paws seemingly barely touching the ground, as if he were ghosting across the ground. His high pitched voice sounded as he neared the pink eyed she-cat. "Pinkpaw, will you come in or stay out there in pain?" He asked, teal eyes meeting her just as strange ones.

He was aware of how the clan looked at this she-cat, to where in his eyes and mind, she was a normal cat with just a weakness to sun and odd eyes to match his. Those who couldn't understand something, were prone to fear it, and without his lack of emotions, he would have been pleased that Honeypaw so easily accepted her fellow apprentice rather than shy away from her strange looks.

Without waiting for an anwser from the obviously shy she-cat, Littletimber turned back and padded into his den, glancing at Honeypaw as he did so. "Find out what is wrong with her paw, and tell me what you think we should do." This would be her first time assessing something like this, but he figured it would bother Pinkpaw if she stayed in a somewhat shaded den away from the sun and duties for a little while.

Should Littletimber even allow another cat to stay within his den and around his presence besides his own apprentice, Pinkpaw would be another. She was quite and a dutiful worker as he had seen. Perhaps he would send her with Honeypaw to gather some herbs some times. Give his apprentice time to be with another young cat, and for Pinkpaw to be with one that wouldn't judge her.

He gave a nod to allow his apprentice to start.

---

Relax

I'll need some information first

Just the basic facts

Can you show me where it hurts?

[Fate Admin]

Pinkpaw froze like prey under the scrutinizing gaze of a warrior when Littletimber turned his gaze toward her and spoke. “Ah-uh-um… yes… I mean…,” she stuttered, taking a ginger step forward, half hopping, keeping her foreleg suspended so as not to dig the thorn any deeper by stepping on it. She awkwardly made her way farther into the den, ducking her head, “I-I’m… sorry… if I’m… if I’m interrupting… important things….” Her plumed tail twitched nervously behind her and she settled onto her haunches, her forepaw still hanging in the air.

“It… it’s not… it’s not that bad… I can wait if…,” she wasn’t really sure what if, but whatever they were doing was probably more important than a silly thorn in someone’s paw… especially in her paw. If she wasn’t like this, she wouldn’t have been lurking around those thorn bushes, trying to hide from the sun, and then she wouldn’t have stepped on the thorn, and then she wouldn’t have scared away all the prey and made Bloodtalon and Walnutpelt mad at her and been sent back to camp to be where she was right now and…. She sighed, closing her eyes and bowing her head, feeling useless. She had disrupted her hunting patrol and now she was disrupting the medicine cats.

“I’m sorry…,” she murmured, her plumed tail curling tightly around herself as she tried to make herself as small as possible. Today was shaping up to be rather awful. She would have liked nothing more than to slink back to the apprentices’ den and curl up there until tomorrow with the hopes that it would be at all better than today.

[Deleted]

been dreaming of this since a kit
i’m on top of the world

Honeypaw padded over to where Pinkpaw had settled herself, giving the apprentice a warm look before beginning her work. Sniffing the paw, all Honeypaw could smell at first was the sharp tang of blood. That concerned her, but before she went digging for more information, she turned back to Littletimber, almost asking his permission to treat Pinkpaw. A little voice in the back of her head nagged her.

What if you're wrong? What if it's something major and you have no idea what it is?

Honeypaw focused more intently on the forepaw, sniffing past the blood for any more hints. This isn't like the fake leaves and remedies you made as a kit, she told herself. This is important. She noticed something sticking out of Pinkpaw's pad, then, something brown against the gentle pink. She leaned down carefully and nudged it with her teeth, realizing then that it was a thorn.

"You have a thorn stuck in your paw, Pinkpaw," she mewed reassuringly. "That's all. I'm going to pull it out now." Bending her head, she closed her teeth around the offending thorn as best she could and pulled quickly. It followed her head with ease. Spitting it out on the ground beside her, Honeypaw licked at Pinkpaw's pad to stop the little bit of bleeding that followed. Then, she turned to Littletimber.

"Do we need to put any herbs on it to stop infection? Or cobwebs for the bleeding?" She was beaming inside, even though outside she kept on the serious face she thought a medicine cat was supposed to wear. It was only a thorn, but still. She pulled it out cleanly, it barely bled, and Honeypaw was pretty confident that Pinkpaw hadn't felt a thing while she was helping her.

This didn't seem too bad, after all.

honeypaw § medicine cat apprentice § treeclan
ghostie: littletimber; raven: pinkpaw § tagged
305 § wordcount
her first patient~ § notes
i'm on top of the world § lyrics

[Deleted]

Come on now
I hear you're feeling down
Well, I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again

---

Of course, the tom who was trained in medicinal ways, had already pinpointed what was amiss with Pinkpaw when she had walked into his den limping. The blood was a quick smell and put together, it was quite obvious to him, considering many apprentices came to him with thorns stuck in their paws, as apprentices were rather clumsy and oblivious to things around them.

Such as it was, Littletimber was sure that Honeypaw could handle something this small and easy on her own. If not, the eerie tom would have to talk to Whispersong about his apprentice choice. Since the Starclan she-cat figured the two would work well together. Luckily, the young she-cat kept her cool and had a good handle of things when taking care of Pinkpaw's injury.

With the thorn out and a bit of blood still trickling from the alabaster apprentice's paw, Littletimber remained still as Honeypaw addressed the rest of the problem. Should he be strict, he would have instructed his apprentice to rid the den of the thorn that had wedged it's way so finely into Pinkpaw's pad. But, alas he was not strict.

Using his thin, sandy brown tail, the small tom flickered the thorn away from where Pinkpaw and Honeypaw were sitting. No good to have another cat step on it while they were trying to heal one from it effect already. Glancing at his store of herbs, Burdock Root would be the first choice to use in something like this, but they were sorely low on the herb, since he had yet to go out and look for some.

"Dock." He said in his high pitched voice. Moving his emotionless teal eyes from the green leaves back to where the two young she-cats sat staring at him. He noticed the apologetic expression in Pinkpaw's eyes and flicked an ear, he couldn't understand why something like this made her feel so sorry. Young cats made mistakes, and a cat who disliked the sun and tried to hide was bound to make a bit more.

Nothing to pity one's self over. "Chew it up and apply it to her paw before covering it with cobwebs." He finished, though he left out the part where Dock would sting the young she-cat's paws. It didn't seem much of importance to him to let her know, anything would sting and open wound.

"Stay here for the night and let Honeypaw check up on it..." Littletimber continued, he doubted that young Pinkpaw would want to go back out and do training on a sore paw, and this way he could have Honeypaw watch how the healing would work.

The creepy Treeclan Medicine Cat would let Gorsetail know later about his young apprentice.

---

Relax

I'll need some information first

Just the basic facts

Can you show me where it hurts?