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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2017 9:57:51 GMT -5
HONEYWHISKER 
Honeywhisker emerged from the warriors' den, a small cavern led away from the main cave by a small tunnel. She stretched each long, ghost-white leg in turn - her amber eyes squinting as they adjusted to the sunlight streaming in from the entrance like liquid gold. Raising a hindpaw, she scratched herself pleasantly behind the ear - staring around the camp with idle curiosity.
Few cats were up and about but Honeywhisker couldn't focus on their pelts enough to name them; her thoughts were stuck on the Lightningclan fire like flies in tree sap. She could smell the smoke from the Treeclan border and near fell out of the tree she climbed in shock when she saw a large patch of charred black ground where there used to be trees - an ugly scar staining the moorland.
The fire had worried her relentlessly. What on earth would Nightclan do if their forest caught fire? They'd be safe within the caverns, stone didn't burn and smoke always rose upwards, but the dense pine forest could be an easy place for fire to devour everything in its path. In honesty, it was smoke that worried Honeywhisker the most. The acrid stench burned the nostrils, making tracking prey near impossible. The toxic fumes could damage a cat's lungs, especially a kit's, making it harder and harder for them to breathe.
An idea flickered in her head. The Branch Trail always had bees in greenleaf! She remembered honeys soothing texture in the throat way back, sometime during her apprenticeship. Honeywhisker shoved herself to her paws and took a few steps towards the entrance before she paused - turning her tabby striped head to look at a familiar sleek dark-brown pelt.
"Shadowpaw!" She yelled, startling a few cats as she bounded towards him. Honeywhisker skidded to a halt, her hindquarters near slipping on the stone beneath her paws. The tabby wondered if he had the same idea. "Where are you going?"
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Post by Fawn on Aug 16, 2017 16:03:17 GMT -5
curiosity is not a sin... ...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity Shadowpaw Shadowpaw couldn't sleep. Though much of the Clan slept the days away - especially in greenleaf - the fire raging through LightningClan's territory and parts of TreeClan had left him feeling wary. He thought of Kindleflare, and prayed to StarClan that there were few to no casualties, and that she had enough herbs to take care of any injuries.
Being so young, it was the first fire he'd ever heard of striking the valley. The elders and the older warriors claimed it happened before, and despite how dry NightClan's territory was right now, they were in no danger of catching ablaze themselves. Despite these reassurances, Shadowpaw wanted to be prepared. The future could be unpredictable.
While Smokefur checked on the queens (Lilyfrost seemed due any day now), Shadowpaw quietly slipped out of camp, destination firmly rooted in his mind. A quick look in the branch trail won't hurt. Maybe a hive's fallen? That way he could safely harvest some honeycomb in case of sore throats from the smoke.
"Shadowpaw!"
One of his Clanmates yowled his name, and Shadowpaw instinctively stopped, one paw caught mid-raise to take another step. The slender brown-black tom's whiskers twitched with surprise to see a senior warrior bounding towards him exuberantly. It was Honeywhisker - a she-cat that was three or four times his age, but had probably twice his energy. Shadowpaw dipped his head politely, always minding his manners. "I was going to the branch trail to collect honey. Do you need my help?" If not, he wouldn't mind the company.
Two cats could carry back more honeycomb than just one. medicine cat apprentice of nightclan |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2017 17:35:57 GMT -5
HONEYWHISKER
Honeywhisker purred, amused by Shadowpaw's formality. She might've been older but she still felt as spry and giddy as she had done in her apprentice days. Despite being a 'senior warrior', she still wasn't used to the occasional politeness she encountered. It was probably because she rarely showed such gestures when she was younger - always having to be corrected by those around her. Formalities were such a hassle.
"No, but would you like mine? I don't mind sticky paws." The she-cat took a few steps to the exit, her paws bouncing slightly on the stone as if they were springs, before pausing - deciding to wait and follow the apprentice instead. "You should lead the way." Honeywhisker meowed. The silver tabby didn't want to accidentally insult the apprentice by seeming like she assumed he didn't know his way around his own territory.
Shadowpaw might be a 'paw but medicine cat apprentices were different to warrior ones. They always seemed more patient and knowledgable; being able to learn all those herbs, deal will all those sick cats and dream with Starclan. She briefly wondered if Starclan cats appeared whole or kept their wounds in spirit form. That would be gross - but cool.
"I saw the smoke from the fire when I was hunting near the border so I climbed a tree to check it out. The flames were huge! Like a big red fox eating the moorland." She chattered a bit before shutting her jaws, realizing that she must be tweeting like a sparrow. Obviously Shadowpaw knew about the fire. Why else would he want to collect honey?
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Post by Fawn on Aug 19, 2017 15:17:57 GMT -5
curiosity is not a sin... ...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity Shadowpaw Honeywhisker's company was a welcome change; ask any warrior to go wandering out into NightClan territory in greenleaf heat and they'd probably roll their eyes or grumble under their breath. That Honeywhisker had volunteered said a lot about who she was. Shadowpaw blinked gratefully when she gave him the opportunity to lead, and the black-brown tom wove through the trees and the bushes, stepping easily over root, mushroom and grass tuft that he happened across.
"The flames were huge! Like a big red fox eating the moorland."
Shadowpaw's tail flicked, and a worrisome glance was spared in the direction of LightningClan. They didn't share a border - he'd have to cross StarClan's Claws to offer them any aid - but he didn't need to cross into their territory to know they didn't have any trees. Maybe one or two, but what were the chances those trees would attract bees, and those bees would build a hive there?
"LightningClan won't have any honey," Shadowpaw paused in his walking, thoughtfully considering the fire and the consequences of it. "And Kindleflare's herb supply might have been damaged by the fire. We should visit, provide some assistance if they need it." Did Kindleflare take an apprentice since the last meeting? Shadowpaw hoped so - and not just for the selfish reason of wanting more cats his own age to talk to.
She must have had her paws full, and Shadowpaw's compassionate nature had his paws itching to go help. If Smokefur was okay with the idea (and he hoped she was), Shadowpaw wanted to pay LightningClan a visit; he didn't want to wait until the next gathering to hear any news.
Realizing he'd stopped walking and talking altogether, Shadowpaw put on a smile to hide his troubles. "Sorry, I get lost in my own head sometimes." Though his pace started up again, Shadowpaw began to move slower this time, the swivel and twitch of his ears indicating he was listening hard through the birdsong and the cicada-droning.
I hear them. The sound of bees. Many of them. The trouble was... How did they get the honey out of the hive without getting stung a million times? Shadowpaw approached the problem like a puzzle, his dark face set firmly with concentration. One of us could climb the hive and knock it down. That they were destroying the home of hundreds of bees wasn't something he was going to lose sleep over - but Shadowpaw still winced a little at the plan formalizing in his brain. medicine cat apprentice of nightclan |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2017 12:27:27 GMT -5
HONEYWHISKER
Honeywhisker glanced down at Shadowpaw as he spoke about Lightningclan's lack of the syrup they were going to fetch, taking a few strides before slowing down to a stop - her golden gaze flooding with concern for the apprentice. She nodded in agreement at his suggestion to help, a clan shouldn't suffer when others are nearby that can easily give support.
"I agree, but we might have to be careful of Treeclan if we go to help. They might see it as an alliance, since we and Lightningclan are both kinda pressing on their borders." She paused in thought, realizing that Treeclan were probably on extra high alert after the fire. The hunting in Lightningclan was likely to be poor due to their scarred territory but Treeclan were mostly unharmed. "If you don't want to wait until the gathering to sneak some herbs to Kindlefire, then we should wait until dark."
Her tail bushed up as she realised that it might sound like she was planning to sneak into their territory. "With Smokefur and Pinestar's permission, of course..." She trailed off, pondering whether or not it would be wise to go and help anyway if the two cats said no - shaking her head harshly afterwards to clear that idea from her head.
"Sorry, I get lost in my own head sometimes."
Honeywhisker gave a brief purr, taking small steps to keep in pace with Shadowpaw's slower strides. "Every cat does, it's normal when you're worrying about friends." Friends... it was such a strange concept that Shadowpaw viewed other clan cats as his friends and even wanted to help them. Although she didn't want anyone to suffer, Honeywhisker wouldn't consider them friends. Medicine cats were so strange.
Her ears tickling from the unmistakable buzz of bees and she followed Shadowpaw's pathway without question, staring up at the trees with a concentrated frown as she looked for hives. Still staring upwards, Honeywhisker mewed to Shadowpaw. "What's the plan? I have thick fur if that helps."
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Post by Fawn on Sept 6, 2017 9:02:41 GMT -5
curiosity is not a sin... ...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity Shadowpaw "If you don't want to wait until the gathering to sneak some herbs to Kindlefire, then we should wait until dark."
Sneaking. Shadowpaw had to remind himself that he should have felt hesitant to go sneaking into another Clan's territory (even if his intentions were good). Perhaps it was the NightClan cat in him, feeling comfortable in the darkness and on a clandestine mission. But did Honeywhisker mean he sneak out of his own accord - or did she mean that he and Smokefur should both go?
She quickly clarified, and Shadowpaw's skepticism over the senior warrior's meaning vanished. He smiled softly, "Maybe Pinestar will let you be our escort." If that's where the plan went, that is.
The hive, unmistakable for it's strange shape and flurry of activity, grew against the side of a tall oak tree like a mushroom or a wart on an elder's pelt. It was a little unsightly, in Shadowpaw's opinion, but if the hive was anything other than useful, then it made for a good metaphor. Even the roughest, oddest looking exteriors could hide something sweet and worth-sharing on the inside.
StarClan was on their side today. Shadowpaw's ears pricked. "Some of it's already fallen down, look!" A thin dark tail snaked up to point at a chunk of the hive that had been knocked down recently. He could practically smell the honey oozing from the comb, but so too could he imagine the ferocious retaliation they were going to get if they came any closer.
"What's the plan? I have thick fur if that helps."
Thick fur is good. If only you had a shell like a turtle, Honeywhisker. Then she'd never have to worry about getting stung. With that comical imagery in his head, Shadowpaw's whiskers quivered as an idea took root, watered by the growing chance that it just might work. "I'm sorry Honeywhisker, but you're going to have to roll around in some mud. That should prevent most of the bees from stinging you," golden eyes looked apologetic, but supportive, aware that he was maybe asking too much of her. "And I'll be right here with some blackberry leaves, just in case."
Actually, he had to dash back to camp to fetch some (it didn't grow in NightClan's territory), but that would take but a few heartbeats. He could swiftly return to Smokefur's den while Honeywhisker found the mud they needed. medicine cat apprentice of nightclan |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2017 17:37:22 GMT -5
HONEYWHISKER
Honeywhisker squinted at the fallen chunks of honey comb. She could make out the golden chambers and glistening syrup they contained, unfortunately she could also see small but speedy shapes of yellow and black darting back and forth. Such a sweet treat, tightly guarded by bumbling balls of hate and pain. Medicine cats had it harder than she thought...
Her honey-toned gaze swiveled patiently down toward Shadowpaw as he thought up a plan. The smaller black tom stared at the hive - Honeywhisker could almost see the gears turning in his dawn-coloured eyes.
"I'm sorry Honeywhisker, but you're going to have to roll around in some mud. That should prevent most of the bees from stinging you."
The tabby's ears twitched in surprise as Shadowpaw apologized, nodding in realization that he wasn't giving up but saying sorry for the state she'd have to get herself in. Honeywhisker purred at the apprentice, blinking softly to let him know she didn't mind getting a bit dirty. What kind of warrior fussed over a dirty pelt? Pft.
"And I'll be right here with some blackberry leaves, just in case."
Honeywhisker nodded again, comforted by his preparedness, looking about for a place that should be hiding some mud. "It's no problem Shadowpaw. If you want things to go your way, then you might need to get a lil' bit dirty." She meowed as she walked away. Wandering over to a cat-sized fallen log, the warrioress heaved her body weight against it - attempting to roll it over. Thankfully, the log was on a slight slope and obligingly slid across a few paw steps before rolling to a halt.
Testing the ground with a paw, Honeywhisker purred in satisfaction as the mud resisted but then squelched grossly. She held in a breath and flopped onto her side like a fish, wriggling about in the wet sloppy mud - near burying herself in it - until she resembled a different cat completely. Standing back up, she stomped over to Shadowpaw and gave him a grin. "I don't do things by halves~."
Her confidence faltered a little bit as she stared at the bees and heard their ominous hum, and she took a few hesitant steps forward before looking back to Shadowpaw for reassurance. "I just run up, grab the comb and run back, right?" Honeywhisker mewed, her ear and tail tip twitching out of nervousness.
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Post by Fawn on Sept 19, 2017 21:22:30 GMT -5
curiosity is not a sin... ...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity Shadowpaw Shadowpaw laughed. Not because she was covered in mud from nose to tail-tip, but because of her spirits. She was confident and warm, a friendly presence to be around. The tom sent a quick prayer to StarClan that his plan would work; he did not want her to be hurt. "Yes, but please wait for me to get the leaves first." If Honeywhisker did get stung, then making her wait around while he went to fetch the right herbs was an unnecessary, pointless stress.
A prepared medicine cat was twice as effective as one who simply went along with what happened, right? Shadowpaw embraced that ideology as he swiftly trotted away from their site, the rolling hum of bees and other insects fading from Shadowpaw's sensitive ears as he moved. It took a short while, but Shadowpaw recovered a small collection of blackberry leaves - three ought to be enough - from their stores. Slipping back out of camp, he returned to Honeywhisker a little breathlessly, not wanting to have kept her waiting.
"Okay," said Shadowpaw once the leaves were set aside with care. "Go ahead. Be careful." Could a cat die from too many bee stings? He had heard the elders briefly say something about an apprentice who had been allergic, and died from a single bee-sting. However, Honeywhisker had to be twice his age, and had encountered plenty of bees before. If she was particularly sensitive to their venom, they would have known this by now.
Shadowpaw watched keenly, never taking his eyes off of the warrior, his body perched on the tips of his toes as if he could run in and shield her if things proved too dangerous. An encouraging smile softened the intense shade of gold in his eyes, his blackish-brown body a mixture of tensed and prepared.
medicine cat apprentice of nightclan |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2017 12:24:27 GMT -5
HONEYWHISKER
Honeywhisker smiled at Shadowpaw's encouraging glance and turned, trotting towards the pieces of honeycomb like it was no big deal. However, as she neared the golden chunks, the buzzing got louder and her instincts made her paws itch uncomfortably - her mind wanting to flee from the painful insects.
Swallowing down her fear, Honeywhisker slowly edged forward, being careful to make her movements as slow and predictable as possible - so as not to upset the bees. Glancing around her, the tabby knew that it would be stupid to try and steal the largest piece of comb since it had what seemed like an entire army of bees crawling all over it. She looked back to Shadowpaw and approached a small piece of comb that the bees didn't seem interested in.
Picking it up carefully in her jaws, Honeywhisker flinched as she thought the buzzing was getting louder. She moved backwards in what she hoped seemed like a calm manner, placing the honeycomb onto the ground a few foxlengths away from the main grouping.
She looked at Shadowpaw and gave him a tense smile, her ears flicking back as she moved back towards the honeycomb. The tabby decided to go for a larger piece this time and carefully grabbed the very edge of a honey-soaked chunk that was a couple of paw-prints in size. Honeywhisker dragged it back to the other piece and paused, staring back at the bees.
She spotted something. A very large chunk of honeycomb, almost the size of her head, oozing an unbelievable amount of syrup, right below the hive that seemed to have no bees at all. Apart from the large cloud that buzzed around the broken hole in the hive, the workers busily trying to fix the damage. They probably wouldn't like it if she tried to grab it... "Starclan protect me." Honeywhisker muttered as she stalked towards the large chunk.
"It's okay, bees," She murmured, shakily placing paw after paw, "I'm not gonna hurt you, I just want your leftovers..." The tabby choked back a whimper as she felt small bodies land on her mud-soaked back, praying that they didn't decide to sting and start a swarm. Flicking her ears flat against her head and narrowing her eyes, Honeywhisker reached the fallen chunk and dared to glance upwards.
For such small insects, the sight was terrifying. She could barely see the hive as it was covered in an army of bees, presumably on alert since she had the audacity to approach. Squishing down the fear that rose in her throat, Honeywhisker moved as slowly as possible and grabbed the chunk - placing a paw on the other end so it didn't fall apart.
The buzzing sounded like a war cry, her ears unable to hear anything through the grumpy insects. The tabby moved backwards as if she were underwater; desperately trying to not upset the enraged insects any further and trying not to break the honeycomb.
That caution went right out of the window when one of the bees perched directly on her nose.
Scooching backwards in a quickened pace, Honeywhisker screwed her eyes shut as she went. She felt the pressure on her back increase, as though the bees were trying to sting her. Thankfully, she felt no pain! Shadowpaw's idea must have worked! Feeling a back paw touch her mound of comb, Honeywhisker crouched low to the ground and swiftly covered her eyes and nose with her front paws. The angry whirring lasted for a few more moments but faded to a halt and Honeywhisker peeped past her pads.
Exhaling shakily, Honeywhisker turned to look at Shadowpaw and gave him a grin. "I-I didn't get stung!" She purred, right before a stray bee landed on her cheek... and stung her. "OW!"
NOTES: she jinxed herself Fawn |
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Post by Fawn on Sept 21, 2017 7:01:27 GMT -5
curiosity is not a sin... ...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity Shadowpaw Great StarClan, she's brave! Shadowpaw would have been content to settle with one or two pieces of comb from the fallen hive - but the senior warrior had gone above and beyond his expectations. With wide eyes, Shadowpaw took a halting step forward. "Honeywhisker you don't have to--" but she had already fearlessly set her sights on her newest target, and tiptoed towards it like a warrior of TigerClan.
Shadowpaw snapped his mouth shut as if concerned the sound of his voice would agitate the bees further. As he witnessed Honeywhisker's courage, Shadowpaw began to count the bees that were beginning to land in her coat. Five... six... seven... eight? ... Nine... He really hoped that mud idea was a good one.
He didn't have enough blackberry leaves for nine bee-stings or more.
Shadowpaw briefly entertained the image of walking back to camp with a puffed up Honeywhisker, having to stand before his mentor and explain his frogbrained plan to get the comb. Shadowpaw grimaced. Then the bees, like an angry breeze stirred up by StarClan's wrath, began to buzz more persistently around Honeywhisker. Shadowpaw considered getting a nearby fern leaf to swat the black-and-yellow pests away, but he could recognize a terrible idea when he came up with one.
He had to keep his claws crossed that Honeywhisker would be okay.
She wisely covered her eyes and nose with her paws, and Shadowpaw began to creep closer as the buzzing died off. The bees lost interest as his heart increased in tempo. "You were incredible, Honeywhisker!" He matched her grin, proud to call her a Clanmate. Movement caught his eye. Uh oh, ten. The tenth bee had decided to land right on her face.
Shadowpaw made a noise like a trodden frog and swiped at her - but the lack of battle training and hunting practice had made him too slow. Honeywhisker was stung anyway, and if anything he'd just smacked his Clanmate in the face. "Sorry, I was trying to help! Here, hold still - this will soothe it."
You're a credit to your mentor, Shadowpaw. Why had he thought he could swat the bee away before it did any damage? Chiding himself for such a kittenish reaction, Shadowpaw chewed up the blackberry leaves into a paste, which he spat onto his paw and began to carefully - apologetically - press on Honeywhisker's bee sting. "Thank you, Honeywhisker. Because of you, we have enough honey to last us a full moon." Maybe even longer. medicine cat apprentice of nightclan "Trust me, I'm a doctor--Oops." |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2017 14:57:41 GMT -5
HONEYWHISKER
Honeywhisker glanced up as the black tom made a strange noise, and then promptly slapped her in the face Shadowpaw's whack to her face, along with the bee's sting, was a bit of a shock and Honeywhisker just stood there with a swollen cheek - looking a bit stunned.
"Sorry, I was trying to help! Here, hold still - this will soothe it."
Ah, yes, makes sense. Although Honeywhisker had no clue how slaps helped stings, she was sure that Shadowpaw knew what he was doing. She watched quietly at the apprentice chewed up some leaves into a paste, spat it onto his paw and carefully patted it onto her cheek. The juices started to sooth the heated throbbing and Honeywhisker let out a grateful purr.
"Thank you, Honeywhisker. Because of you, we have enough honey to last us a full moon."
Honeywhisker purred proudly of her achievement. Some warriors boast about fighting other clans, others boast about fighting off foxes and badgers. But behold! Honeywhisker! Conqueror of bees!
"Glad I could help. Your idea for the mud protection worked great!" She smiled at the tom, her golden eyes glinting warmly. Her cheek was beginning to feel a lot better as the herbs did their job and her tail happily curled around her paws.
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Post by Fawn on Sept 23, 2017 8:31:49 GMT -5
curiosity is not a sin... ...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity Shadowpaw Even if he had unintentionally smacked her, Honeywhisker seemed to take everything in stride. If only everyone in the Clan was this agreeable, thought the younger feline with a warm blink. She seemed better after he'd added the blackberry leaves, and though the site of the sting would undoubtedly be a little sore or tender to the touch for the next few sunrises, Shadowpaw was confident she would heal quickly.
Her praise was nice to hear. Shadowpaw didn't do what he did for the gratitude of his Clanmates; his desire to help and to learn were enough to keep him motivated, even in times of great distress. But, Shadowpaw realized quickly, he would never say no to a kind word sent his way. "Ready to go home? Let's grab as much as we can carry, then let the apprentices know where to find the rest." Selecting the largest comb, he waited for Honeywhisker to make her own selection, before he led the way back to camp.
The energy was still buzzing in his blood over that whole endeavor, but Shadowpaw found it pleasant. Honeywhisker had been a good reminder that he didn't have to do everything by himself. Sometimes a friend meant the difference between success and failure. medicine cat apprentice of nightclan Finished! Whoo! |
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