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Post by Fawn on May 29, 2017 13:00:26 GMT -5
48 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior Berrypaw had been in the apprentices' den for four days straight. What had started off as a little cough, had rapidly turned into something much, much worse. Russethawk's ears pinned back as sounds of sickness and misery reached him from Ottersplash's den. He had asked the stressed, exhausted medicine cats if visiting her would be possible.
They had not permitted him to actually enter the den, but he could speak to her through the thin enclosure of reeds and ferns that acted as the den's walls. "Hey Berrypaw, it's Russethawk." The ruddy tom mewed gently, keeping his voice warm - upbeat. She was probably scared, and in a great deal of pain. His heart hurt for the tortoiseshell kitten - though she was hardly a kitten any more.
It wasn't fair to her that her ceremony would not happen for a while yet. This illness had come out of nowhere... Russethawk had been confident they could have gotten her to a point where even Stormstar would be impressed, but he would never compromise her health just to meet some sort of schedule. It was the norm for apprentices to be made warriors at 12 moons, but Russethawk didn't care about the norm.
He cared about her. He cared about her getting better, regaining her confidence and her strength. Not here to pester her about training, Russethawk sat, calling in to give her updates on what she was missing. "Echoshade's kits are getting big enough to walk around without falling over so much. And I saw your brothers fishing the other day. They're getting really good." Did his smile come through in his tone? He hoped so.
"Don't worry about answering, Berrypaw. Just rest, okay? The sooner you get better, the sooner we can go for a swim. I'll show you how to battle enemies from the water. You'll do great." That was the thing about Berrypaw; she started off uncertain, but usually became great at something through sheer effort alone. He could relate to that - it was how he'd gotten through his apprenticeship too. Of course, he'd also had a belligerent, hard-to-impress mentor which had helped.
Word Count: 353 Words Tags: @minxxy @jet
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2017 13:26:49 GMT -5
BerrypawThe days had begun stretching into one long thread of nightmares for Berrypaw. Ever since greencough had affected her, she found herself isolated in the apprentice den, in an extreme agony. She left out a small terrible croak, as she rolled over in her bedding, matted with sweat and tears.
It could have hours or minutes since she had woken up from the graphic nightmares that haunted her shallow rests, but something clawed at the back of her mind. She shifted awake, her body letting out a series of complaints as she moved, the soreness of her muscles threatening to drag her back down into her nest, and yet she managed. Sitting in the den, she took a moment to look around, a depression dawning over her as she realized she might be dying.
Thankfully, he was there to save her from her own thoughts, a deep voice filling her entire realm of focus. "Hey Berrypaw, it's Russethawk." Berrypaw couldn't help but let out a small cry, although it came out strained and broken, a the sound of her mentor. She closed her eyes, burning from the constant strain of greencough and found herself hanging on her mentor's words.
The apprentice, couldn't help but usher the smallest smile, despite her illness as she listened to Russethawk talk beyond the confines of her den. She hoped to soon be able to see the kits as they made their way through the camp, full of life as she recalled Frogkit, Goldkit and herself once doing. The thought of her brothers, the two cats she cared most for, brought forward a surge of emotions. She was relieved that they wouldn't have to experience the pain that rippled across her body with every breath.
Berrypaw listened as Russethawk's words came to an end and despite his words about her keeping silence the apprentice couldn't help but try and reply. Her voice, came out shaky at first after days of not being used, but as she found the words they began to flow more freely, despite the sickness echoing through them. "I don't want to be left behind."
There was a second of silence before she continued, a new optimism brewing deep inside her shallow breaths. "I'm going to get better, and I'm going to work five times harder than Goldpaw and Frogpaw combined... Please don't lose faith in me..." Berry let out a small whimper before continuing. "I want to be a warrior.. I want to make you proud."
@fawntastic
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Post by Fawn on May 29, 2017 16:49:59 GMT -5
48 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior Russethawk had to strain to catch Berrypaw's weak whimpers. When it registered what she was saying to him, the ruddy tom was on his paws, trying not to push through the reed and fern walls just to see her. "I won't lose faith in you, Berrypaw. I promise to StarClan." She was trying so hard, and he heard the fear in her voice - the fear of failure, the fear of death - and he rebelled against it.
He couldn't let her stay afraid.
The ruddy warrior threw an apologetic look at Ottersplash and slipped inside as soon as the medicine cat left to get a much-needed drink of water. Moving carefully through the gloomy, sickly interior, Russethawk's pelt prickled with unease. But his raw determination to comfort her outweighed any self-preservation instincts. He found the dilute tortoiseshell near the back, looking sorry and alone in a messy heap upon her moss bed.
Russethawk forced a purr, trying not to inhale too much of the fear scent emanating from the other patients. "How about instead of five times as hard, you work only three times as hard instead?" Russethawk licked the smaller cat's ears. "We don't want Frogpaw and Goldpaw getting self-conscious, do we?" An easy grin, a winsome smile that showed his teeth, lit up the warrior's face.
"And I'm already proud of you, Berrypaw. You're a great apprentice. I mean it, and you're going to be a great warrior." I promise. He would see her have her ceremony before Stormstar. No matter how long it took. No matter how many setbacks.
Before he could get yelled at for being in the way, Russethawk threw a cautious glance over his shoulder, and then leaned in closer, keeping his voice low so the medicine cats wouldn't catch him. "Want me to bring you anything? Some water? Your favorite fish? Tell me you want a trout as big as your head, and I'll get it for you." Stay strong. You're gonna get through this.
Russethawk gave himself no room for doubt. If he believed that wholeheartedly, down to every hair, whisker and claw in his body, it had to be true. He didn't accept the alternative.
Word Count: 362 Words Tags: @minxxy Hellion (for a roll) Notes: omg this thread and my feels. Someone get the tissues!
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2017 22:35:15 GMT -5
Berrypaw"I won't lose faith in you, Berrypaw. I promise to StarClan." Berrypaw's breathing instantly caught in her throat, followed by smallest whimper as tears began to surface at the edge of her bloodshot eyes. The apprentice was absorbed in the kindness of her mentor's words, to the point of almost not even paying attention to the rustling at the entrance of the apprentice den. Almost.
Berrypaw's attention diverted anew as a warrior entered the den, that she very quickly identified as her mentor. At first an intense happiness welled up inside the apprentice at the sight of Russethawk, however the comfort and joy was quickly circumvented by an overwhelming rush of concern for the older cat. Berrypaw instantly tried to push herself out of her nest, but midway, she found her haunches buckling under her, so instead she settled on sitting slightly alert. She listened intently to Russethawk speak of her brothers and couldn't help but the smallest grin at her mentors words, followed by a small nod.
"I Promise." Berrypaw found herself holding her breath, concern for her mentor making way for an overwhelming urge to comfort her mentor, and yet the better part of her held back, trying to avoid passing her illness to Russethawk. Her family, the purists, had always spoken ill of Rainclan and yet in that moment, all of her doubts were washed away by the actions of her mentor. She felt emotions pressing against her throat as she threatened to burst into tears at the sheer amount of respect and affection, she had for the tom in front of her.
Slowly, Berrypaw looked up, gratitude shining in her tear laden eyes. She nodded her head feebly as Russethawk asked if she would need anything, and licked her dry lips slightly before speaking, trying as hard as she could to keep the words clear, despite the hoarseness in her throat. "Honestly, I wasn't hungry, but if I'm to surpass my brothers I'm sure I'll need my energy. I could go for trout, if it isn't too much hassle." Berrypaw managed a very sincere smile, as well as a furrow of her brow as she added. "I'd also like you to try and avoid getting greencough yourself. I need you.." She trailed off, turning her head down towards her bedding and letting out a hoarse series of coughs, before returning to look at her mentor, a new found fire in her eyes.
"I will get better. I Promise."
@fawntastic
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Post by Fawn on May 30, 2017 23:40:20 GMT -5
48 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior "I'm not gonna get sick," said Russethawk with an absurd amount of certainty he hoped no one else heard. He smiled at Berrypaw. "I've been around a lot longer than you - I'm almost an elder -" adopting a comically 'old tom cat' voice, he joked "- back in my day, we didn't have greencough. We just had 'cough. I never caught that either."
It might have sounded a lot like boasting, but Russethawk honestly couldn't remember actually getting greencough or any of it's variations. The worst thing that had ever happened to him was smacking his jaw off a stepping stone when he lost his balance as an apprentice, and then the usual rough and ragged pains leftover from battle.
Russethawk purred as strongly as he could without attracting any more attention from the other sick cats, or Ottersplash. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Just concentrate on recovering, Berrypaw. Trout, you said? Give me a few heartbeats, I'll be back before you can say splash."
Intending to fully make good on his promise to bring her whatever she wanted, Russethawk turned, his tail raised so as not to brush it over the wheezing, coughing bodies cluttered every where you looked. He almost made it to the entrance without incident.
Almost. Bumping right into Ottersplash, he startled the nervous-looking tabby nearly out of his fur.
"Sorry, had to check up on Berrypaw. She's hungry, so I'm getting her a trout." It wasn't the best excuse - probably because it was the truth - but Russethawk had said it, and fixed the ruffled medicine cat with keen emerald eyes.
Ottersplash looked both annoyed and mildly pleased. "She has an ap-appetite? Good. But leave the trout by the den entrance."
Russethawk wanted to argue, but he finally noticed just how worn out Ottersplash looked. Even with Swanfeather's help, the young tom was looking exhausted - and sick, too. Russethawk glanced back into the den, catching Berrypaw's eye. He smiled encouragingly, and mouthed the words 'get well soon', regretting that he couldn't spend more time with her.
But he had warrior duties to attend to.
As Ottersplash went in to tend to his patients, Russsethawk went to the fresh kill pile, and managed to grab a trout and a dace by their tails, awkwardly carrying both to the den entrance. Ottersplash saw his arrival and nodded gratefully.
The second fish was for the medicine cat.
Craning his neck to see past Ottersplash to Berrypaw, he tried to catch her eye again, but she was obscured from view. Get some rest, Berrypaw. He'd be back first thing in the morning.
Word Count: 432 Words Tags: @minxxy
Notes: xD StarClan's on Russethawk's side. Rolled a six (even number), so no greencough for him! <3 thread can be finished. In two on-site days, Berrypaw will have recovered. (Newleaf 31st)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2017 10:00:50 GMT -5
She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice. It was supposed to make you feel something. Berrypaw watched helplessly as her mentor left the den, wistfully wishing to be able to chase him out and finally really dive into her warrior training. However, she felt it in her weary muscles that that day would not be today. The she-cat let out a sigh and then turned her attention to her nest.
The nest, cluttered and messy, called to Berrypaw as a series of wracking pains echoed through her body. She slowly laid down her head, the rest of her sore and aching body following, and settled her eyes on the entrance to the apprentice den, she caught sight of Ottersplash and wondered where the medicine cat had been during her mentor's entire visit.
She rolled over in her nest and quietly began stretching her muscles as she waited. And she waited. Time began to stretch out in front of the young cat and she worries began to settle in. Had Russethawk gotten sick? Deep in her mind Berrypaw knew this was nonsense, but she couldn't help but worry.
Her thoughts were interrupted as a trout landed in front of her bed. Despite her sickness and her lacking appetite, Berrypaw stared down the prey intently and slowly made her way to eat it. The apprentice, first peeled skin off of the flank of the fresh kill and then quickly started taking bites, eager to get better and start her training again. Despite her body's complaints, Berrypaw didn't stop until the fish was just a pile of bones on the ground. She let out a small purr and curled up in her nest, before forcing herself to rest.
"Soon." Berrypaw, RainClan || Apprentice || She-cat || 12 moons 302 || Fawn || Thread End. (:
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