[pomegranate]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Shinefang made his way back into camp as quietly as he could following his secret meeting with Auroraflame. Much to his surprise, when he approached the medicine cat den, there was his apprentice peeking out. She spotted him before he had a chance to do anything and he cleared his throat. "Dirtplace," he said simply, hoping this would be enough to keep the younger cat from asking any difficult questions. "Looks like today is a quiet one. What do you say we take advantage and have a lesson or two?"

The old tom shook out his matted, yellow pelt and headed for his herb stores. With a cursory sniff, he found an herb that he didn't use often but that he had a rare abundance of thanks to the trek into the Dusk Syndicate's abandoned territory. He took a piece of the bark in his teeth, and laid it down on the den floor."This is Alder bark," Shinefang said. "Notice the color on the inside. Red as blood. The red part is the part that touched the tree, while the outside is white. It's easier to spot in snowy weather because the upper layer of bark shrivels and you can see some of the red. The trees themselves tend to grow in boggy, wet places. So it's not something we really have in Skyclan territory. We happen to have a lot now and that's mainly because alder bark is really only good for one thing: toothaches. If a cat chews the bark, it'll help sooth the pain...and that's it. Also, they should spit the bark out after. It's not dangerous or anything unless they ate a lot of it. Mostly it's just only helpful while being chewed, so there's no point in swallowing the gritty stuff."

Ringpaw tilted her head in confusion at his answer. Shinefang had been at the Dirtplace for a while, but he was getting pretty old... she had never been aware of his age until a while ago, but she could see why he had chosen her of all the cats out there. She was young, so maybe that’s why.
As soon as he mentioned a lesson, her thoughts were shooed back into the confines of her ‘to be considered later’ file. ”Of course! It has been a bit slow around here.” She agreed with a nod of her head. “I mean, that’s a good thing. Don’t want any injuries! We’ve had enough trouble lately with Riverclan that I’m just grateful for the peace.” Even if it’s short-lived, She added inwardly, not knowing if she’d be scolded for that sly addition or not if she voiced it aloud. A wide smiled cracked her face, a grin tilting up the corners of her eyes in joy. She hadn’t gotten a lesson in a while, but she was glad to have one today on such a slow afternoon.

——

Ringpaw sat down on the dusty ground inside the medicine den. Still grinning, she glanced in anticipation towards her mentor. Lately she had grown accustomed to the earthy smell of the den, rich tangs of bark and stalky herbs, along with the sharp and ‘in your face!’ bunches of marigold and other strong smelling flowers and plants. Bending over, she craned her to neck to assess her pelt. It was covered in scraps of moss from her nest; if Ringpaw didn’t watch herself she’d slowly turn into a plant! Quickly running her barbed tongue over her shoulder, she dislodged the lichen scraps before whipping her head around to watch as Shinefang approached her with a chunk of white bark hanging from his jaws.
When he laid it in front of her, she patted it with one plump black paw. It was an off-shade of white, with flecks of red showing through from the inside. He was right, it looked as red as a juniper berry, but with a more vibrant hue to it that made it look like a rosey sunset color. “It’s pretty! I wish I was that color. Then I’d be really pretty. My fur’s boring.” She remarked. She wondered what she would look like. Ringpaw, the bright red cat with holly eyes. She really would look like a berry!
As he explained what it was for, she nodded her head. “No wonder. I haven’t had a toothache but I’ve heard it’s painful. Have you had one?” She asked, mentally tucking away it’s uses. Every herb she tried to memorize got harder and harder. Comfrey and death berries, those were the main ones she could remember. And now Alder bark? Maybe if she remembered the color. That would help. Bright red bark with a snow shell. Good for toothaches, but don’t swallow it. Apparently it’s not the most appetizing. How does he remember all of this? Ringpaw bent down to sniff it, nudging it softly with her nose as it wobbled back and forth. It had a distinct woody scent, one she hadn’t really smelled before. It was more exotic than the oaks of Skyclan, but not as sharp as the pines in Shadowclan.
“By the way,” She began, worry creeping into her usual peppy and chatty tone. “Are you feeling alright? I mean, I know with age comes wisdom and also more trips to the dirtplace, but you were a bit longer than usual. Don’t want the medicine cat getting sick,” She joked, her pep coming back in but not exactly. I wouldn’t know what to do if Shinefang got sick.