RiverClan Medicine Cat's Den

[AbsurdJinx]

@Hexict @Alphafury

Juniperpaw took her time in turning around to greet whoever had come to see her. She hadn't been very busy - simply gathering the bits of chervil littering the ground from her previous patient. Currently, she carried her used parts of the herb in another leaf, one she unfortunately did not know the name of nor its use, towards her herb store. She set the bundle down beside a pile of usable chervil leaves which she still had to put away in their rightful places. For now, though, Juniperpaw would leave them be and finish with them after her next patient.

The young apprentice found herself facing a feline she recognized oh-so well. Mistfall. Juniperpaw knew who Mistfall was; Geckoleaf had been close with the warrior. ``Oh, hello!`` She chirped a greeting, an inviting smile stretched across her muzzle. Juniperpaw's gaze was drawn to a damp kit dangling from Mistfall's jaws. Immediately, her cheerfulness slipped away and was replaced with professional seriousness. She didn't need an explanation to know what happened; the poor kit was probably freezing to death! Clan-born or not, Juniperpaw wanted to help. ``Start licking her fur the opposite way, and lie around her.``

She remembered an herb that was used for chills. Swimming in the water can lead to chills and as RiverClan's medicine cat Juniperpaw had to learn this herb firstly. It was one of the herbs they had an abundance of, for cases like this one. Juniperpaw padded towards her herb store, not frantically as to avoid frightening both the kit and Mistfall. However, she moved quicker than usual. Losing her first two patients to death had scared her into hurrying her treatments before death could grasp its victim. However, she didn't think the kit was on the brink of death, but that didn't stop Juniperpaw from speed-walking.

The herb which had a sharp, rather gross smell rest in its nick, but Juniperpaw reached up and pulled it from its place. She cautiously held the leaves between her jaws, careful not to pierce them. Finally, she set the herb down at her paws, raising her head to look at the progress Mistfall had made. ``This is feverfew,`` Juniperpaw introduced. She found it a habit to share the name of the herb, to both remind herself what it is and to ease any anxieties about it that the patient may have. She crouched down until she was as level as could be with the kit. ``Hello there, little one. Do you have a name?`` She tried her best to come off as warm and comforting, not wanting to frighten the kit. As she spoke, she began the process the clawing the leaves into smaller bits.

[Alphafury]

@AbsurdJinx @Hexict

The small grey/blue kit laid on her belly, each limb of hers was spread out limply as she remained rather frozen when the new cat cane into her view.

The kit didn’t speak as the white and grey cat explained the situation, she didn’t know these cats. The patched kit cautiously shifted her pale teal gaze between the two with obvious fear lurking in every known follicle of her pelt, they grey she cat did say that she wanted to help but what about this new cat? She looked a bit younger than the last and was her intentions as sincere?
She was immediately startled by the other cats swift and strong actions as she watched her pick up odd leaves or plants in her jaws which caused her to back her small skinny into one of the forelimbs Of Mistfall.

With her limbs pursed shut she quivered slightly as the other cat spoke but didn’t answer back and only seemed to respond with the quick rising and falling of her chest as she contemplated speech. But after a few moments she gathered small amount of courage but responded with a mere head shake as her answer.

[Hexict]

@AbsurdJinx @Alphafury (sorry for the late reply! :c)

The flash of a warmth feeling when Juniperpaw looked pleased to see her was interrupted by the urgency to treat the kit. The warrior was glad that the medicine cat seemed to like her. She was aware that things between the young apprentice and Geckoleaf were... awkward, for lack of a better word. Mistfall had been with the former medicine cat when they witnessed Cricketpaw's murder. She knew how much the death of the apprentice had shaken and affect Geckoleaf, making sure that she would never fully recover. The grey and white molly had been present during Juniperpaw's ceremony, she had witnessed and noted Geckoleaf's and Russetstar's expressions during the time. She felt bad for the two, having to replace somebody that they held so dear to their hearts and had loved - Russetstar had lost a daughter, and Geckoleaf and viewed her as her own daughter as well. But still... Mistfall knew that it also was not fair on Juniperpaw. Having to strive for Geckoleaf's pride and acceptance despite the latter's thoughts always being on Cricketpaw.

It must have been difficult. For the both of them.

But she was broken from her thoughts at Juniperpaw's snap, ordering the warrior what to do in order to help the kit. Mistfall nodded and sprang into actions. She made sure to do as she was ordered. She quickly - and clumsily - began to dry off the kitten. The warrior made sure to lick the fur the opposite way, sure that it would feel strange to the kitten, since Mistfall herself hates when her fur doesn't go the right way. Though her heart sank as the kit was too weak to protest the molly drying her. Mistfall's pale gaze slid over towards the medicine cat, watching her out of the corner of her eye while both of them did as they could to help the kit. She's worried... she lost her first patience, so no why she would be, the warrior thought. She's in a rush, but trying to hide it - is it so we wouldn't panic? It's good that she's thinking about her patients reactions... Mistfall tried to keep herself busy by observing Juniperpaw, though the older cat did continue to lick the freeze water from the loner's pelt.

Mistfall was about finished when Juniperpaw gathered the herbs she would use and made her way back towards them. She got up and moved to the side just a bit, trying not to get in the medicine cat's way. She observed closely as the calico tabby informed them of the name of the herb before using it to treat her young patient. Though the name of the herb did bring some ease to the warrior, it quick escaped Mistfall's grasp, falling into the pile of names and herbs that the warrior would never be able to tell apart. She was grateful that she wasn't a medicine cat - Mistfall did not have the ability to remember all the herbs by name, appearance, and use. Her patients would be doomed. She frowned uncertainly as the kit scooted away from Juniperpaw and huddle near her own foreleg. Mistfall crouched down beside her and gave an encouraging lick on her head. "Don't worry, Juniperpaw knows what she is doing. She is out herb expert: meaning she can heal other cats. She'll make sure that you don't get sick, okay?" The purr and smile was forced, trying to hide her own worry. She didn't know anything about herbs, nor that it seemed as though the kit would be perfectly fine now that she was getting the needed medical attention. So she was worried, but prayed to Starclan that the kit wouldn't catch on, and would accept the herbs that Juniperpaw was offering.

Glancing between the two after Juniperpaw questioned the kit on her name, Mistfall gave another frown to the loner's answer. She was trembling with fear and didn't even bother to raise her head as she shook 'no'. Mistfall offered another lick, trying to comfort the kit. "It's okay, we'll figure everything out after Juniperpaw's help and some rest," looking over the kit, she understood that the loner needed to take a long rest in a warm nest. The kit has been traveling for Starclan knows how long, and that saddened - and worried - the warrior. She then nudged the kit a bit closer to Juniperpaw. "Now, take the - er - herb that Juniperpaw had brought," she'd already forgotten the name. "And then you can sleep in a nice, warm nest, doesn't that sound good?" The grey and white molly attempt to be as motherly and warm to the kit as she could, remembering how queens act with their kits and even thinking of her own mother.

[AbsurdJinx]

@Alphafury @Hexict

Herb expert. Oh, how Juniperpaw wished she was just that. Unfortunately, she knew close to nothing about herbs which is how she lost her first two patients - she'd no clue how to treat them. Luckily, she was aware, though not completely confident, that feverfew was the correct herb to use. However, she wouldn't let Mistfall and the unnamed kit know she wasn't one hundred percent sure in fear of adding to their anxiety. Instead, Juniperpaw continued to warmly gaze at the loner kit, and what she hoped was a comforting purr rumbled in her throat. ``Don't worry, bug, I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you.`` Of course, the kit would not know that, but she'd do everything in her power to convince the little one of that. ``Eat this leaf, okay?`` she meowed softly, carefully nudging a couple bits of the feverfew closer to her patient. ``It tastes kinda gross,`` Juniperpaw's dull green eyes adopted a sympathetic gleam, ``but I promise you it will help you feel better.``

The young feline wondered what brought this poor kit to Riverclan. Where were the parents? Siblings? Why was she in the river? All these questions Juniperpaw yearned to find answers to, but for the kit's sake she was willing to wait. She would not overwhelm the unnamed kit with such questions. First thing's first - get the kit to eat the herb, even if just a nibble. Juniperpaw's eyes brightened as an idea engulfed her. ``Oh, I know... How about you eat these small bits... and then I'll let you have some of the honey I have in store?`` Juniperpaw loved honey. Whenever she had it though, she'd become more hyper than she already was, so it became limited to her. Every now and then, however, she'd sneak just a bit. It was why Juniperpaw always had honey in the den, but she was willing - sometimes - to share it, and this was one of those times.

Yes, the relationship between Juniperpaw and Geckoleaf had been... for lack of a better word, awkward. But just when Juniperpaw was ready to talk things over and make things right, Geckoleaf disappeared. She'd never gotten the chance to resolve things; the last encounter with her mentor had been one of resentment and confusion. She would forever regret that, her poor parting with her mentor. It haunted her daily, but she was sure it was nothing compared to what others were feeling, those who knew Geckoleaf better than herself. And not to mention Russetstar. It was as if Juniperpaw was replacing Cricketpaw, but she wasn't doing it intentionally. Geckoleaf came to her with the offer of medicine cat apprentice, but to this day, Juniperpaw still doesn't know why. She would've declined the offer if she knew what was to come.

[Alphafury]

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx

@Alphafury @Hexict

Herb expert. Oh, how Juniperpaw wished she was just that. Unfortunately, she knew close to nothing about herbs which is how she lost her first two patients - she'd no clue how to treat them. Luckily, she was aware, though not completely confident, that feverfew was the correct herb to use. However, she wouldn't let Mistfall and the unnamed kit know she wasn't one hundred percent sure in fear of adding to their anxiety. Instead, Juniperpaw continued to warmly gaze at the loner kit, and what she hoped was a comforting purr rumbled in her throat. ``Don't worry, bug, I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you.`` Of course, the kit would not know that, but she'd do everything in her power to convince the little one of that. ``Eat this leaf, okay?`` she meowed softly, carefully nudging a couple bits of the feverfew closer to her patient. ``It tastes kinda gross,`` Juniperpaw's dull green eyes adopted a sympathetic gleam, ``but I promise you it will help you feel better.``

The young feline wondered what brought this poor kit to Riverclan. Where were the parents? Siblings? Why was she in the river? All these questions Juniperpaw yearned to find answers to, but for the kit's sake she was willing to wait. She would not overwhelm the unnamed kit with such questions. First thing's first - get the kit to eat the herb, even if just a nibble. Juniperpaw's eyes brightened as an idea engulfed her. ``Oh, I know... How about you eat these small bits... and then I'll let you have some of the honey I have in store?`` Juniperpaw loved honey. Whenever she had it though, she'd become more hyper than she already was, so it became limited to her. Every now and then, however, she'd sneak just a bit. It was why Juniperpaw always had honey in the den, but she was willing - sometimes - to share it, and this was one of those times.

Yes, the relationship between Juniperpaw and Geckoleaf had been... for lack of a better word, awkward. But just when Juniperpaw was ready to talk things over and make things right, Geckoleaf disappeared. She'd never gotten the chance to resolve things; the last encounter with her mentor had been one of resentment and confusion. She would forever regret that, her poor parting with her mentor. It haunted her daily, but she was sure it was nothing compared to what others were feeling, those who knew Geckoleaf better than herself. And not to mention Russetstar. It was as if Juniperpaw was replacing Cricketpaw, but she wasn't doing it intentionally. Geckoleaf came to her with the offer of medicine cat apprentice, but to this day, Juniperpaw still doesn't know why. She would've declined the offer if she knew what was to come.

@AbsurdJinx @Hexict

The small kit shakily looked from both the She-cats nervousnessly But she seemed to catch that the older cats had good intentions but even if they didn’t she couldn’t have done anything against it, she was too tired to as well as confused. She knew nothing about herself nor of what happened before she ran into Mistfall but her best hope was to trust these mysterious cats. She soon looked back at the leaf that was pushed towards her and very cautiously obeyed the medicine cat apprentices words and lowered her head while propping herself up onto her very shaky legs in order to sniff the leaf.

Her legs were spindly to say the least as they shook under her weight and were almost held awkwardly just so that she could stay standing upright. She soon parted her small jaws and took a bite of the leaf before scrunching up her muzzle in disgust at the harsh, foul flavour that now filled her mouth that pushed her to spit it out, but however she was still kind of fearful of these cats and out of fear she swallowed the mouthful and tried her best to devour the last of the putrid tasting plant in order to please them or to hopefully get what had been offered to her.

A place to rest and sleep was what the kit wanted the most after the grey and white cat mentioned it and her aching limbs screamed for it.
After finally finishing the herb the kit allowed her weak legs to give in under her and landed on the ground with a light thud but she didn’t remove her gaze from the two cats as she crained her head to look at them with a cautious look in her eye and wasn’t sure if she should speak or not.

[FadingEchoes]

Ripplepaw strode in cautiously, careful to keep her weight off of her injured paw. She stepped forward into the den, her eyes wide as they surveyed the surrounding area. "Hello? Juniperpaw?" She said uncertainly, limping a bit further to get a better look in the den.
(Writer's block.)
@AbsurdJinx

[AbsurdJinx]

@FadingEchoes

Juniperpaw lifted her head up off her forepaws. She was currently lying in her nest, her haunches tucked against her torso and her forearms crossed. When Ripplepaw entered the den she was brought back to reality from her daydreaming and responded, ``Right here. What's up?`` The medicine cat rose to her paws, padding forward to meet her next patient. She observed the limp in the other she-cat's walk and realized something was wrong with the warrior apprentice's paw. There were no visible injuries, meaning it must've been twisted or sprained. Juniperpaw could deal with a sprain; she knew she could heal that.

[FadingEchoes]

Ripplepaw shrugged slightly, "I just hurt it during my assessment. It's not so bad." She meowed quickly, dipping her head, her tail flicking as she watched Juniperpaw curiously. "I hope it doesn't hurt my chances of being a warrior." Ripplepaw added more quietly, gently placing her injured paw on the ground with a slight wince.
(I'm so sorry I took so long, I didn't notice the mention.)
@AbsurdJinx

[AbsurdJinx]

@FadingEchoes
[ it's okay, so long as you didn't forget c= ]

Juniperpaw didn't even have to further approach Ripplepaw to recognize the injury. ``Ah, don't you worry; you've merely sprained your foot, and it doesn't look too bad. It's definitely not going to ruin your chances at becoming a warrior,`` the young medicine cat purred softly as she spoke, slightly amused that the warrior apprentice believed she'd fail to conquer her dreams. ``I could offer you poppy seeds for the pain, unless you'd rather attempt to fight it on your own? The poppy seeds will also help you sleep, which will do well seeing how you're going to be resting in your nest.``

Juniperpaw felt bad that she'd have to assign Ripplepaw to her nest when the she-cat was so eager to become a warrior, but if the other feline wanted to be a warrior she'd have to heal properly - otherwise she'd never reach her goal. ``Sprains need time to heal. You can do that by resting, and no training for the next few days. Physical activity like that will only further disturb your injury. I'll allow you to walk to the nearest stream - and no further! - so you can dip your paw into the water. If, of course, you can find an area where ice hasn't glazed over.`` Juniperpaw's whiskers twitched and the corners of her lips curled upward slightly.


@Charmer

Juniperpaw wasn't too busy... She had way too much time on her paws and was currently just lying in her nest, staring at the wall of the den. Her back was to the entrance to the den but her ears were erect in an alert manner, in case someone required her assistance. She'd already cleared out all the useless remains of the herbs she'd used today and she'd gone over her training twice today. She wasn't a huge fan of training alone. Taking an herb, staring at it and then giving it a name was so boring! Juniperpaw had been itching to escape herbs all day but the moment she had a break to do just that, exhaustion attacked her and carried her over to her nest. Now that she was resting though, she felt the urge to get up and do something. Groaning loudly to express her boredom to the world, the young feline rolled over, off her nest, and onto the den floor. She stretched her limbs out, adoring the sounds of her muscles adjusting, and then she relaxed. She was now on her side, legs sprawled before her, and her gaze locked on the den entrance while her tail-tip twitched casually.

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx

@FadingEchoes
[ it's okay, so long as you didn't forget c= ]

Juniperpaw didn't even have to further approach Ripplepaw to recognize the injury. ``Ah, don't you worry; you've merely sprained your foot, and it doesn't look too bad. It's definitely not going to ruin your chances at becoming a warrior,`` the young medicine cat purred softly as she spoke, slightly amused that the warrior apprentice believed she'd fail to conquer her dreams. ``I could offer you poppy seeds for the pain, unless you'd rather attempt to fight it on your own? The poppy seeds will also help you sleep, which will do well seeing how you're going to be resting in your nest.``

Juniperpaw felt bad that she'd have to assign Ripplepaw to her nest when the she-cat was so eager to become a warrior, but if the other feline wanted to be a warrior she'd have to heal properly - otherwise she'd never reach her goal. ``Sprains need time to heal. You can do that by resting, and no training for the next few days. Physical activity like that will only further disturb your injury. I'll allow you to walk to the nearest stream - and no further! - so you can dip your paw into the water. If, of course, you can find an area where ice hasn't glazed over.`` Juniperpaw's whiskers twitched and the corners of her lips curled upward slightly.


@Charmer

Juniperpaw wasn't too busy... She had way too much time on her paws and was currently just lying in her nest, staring at the wall of the den. Her back was to the entrance to the den but her ears were erect in an alert manner, in case someone required her assistance. She'd already cleared out all the useless remains of the herbs she'd used today and she'd gone over her training twice today. She wasn't a huge fan of training alone. Taking an herb, staring at it and then giving it a name was so boring! Juniperpaw had been itching to escape herbs all day but the moment she had a break to do just that, exhaustion attacked her and carried her over to her nest. Now that she was resting though, she felt the urge to get up and do something. Groaning loudly to express her boredom to the world, the young feline rolled over, off her nest, and onto the den floor. She stretched her limbs out, adoring the sounds of her muscles adjusting, and then she relaxed. She was now on her side, legs sprawled before her, and her gaze locked on the den entrance while her tail-tip twitched casually.

That morning, Rainpelt had managed to choke down a small perch, which she had promptly vomited back up. She had felt lousy on and off for weeks now, but she had put off visiting Juniperpaw. Every time she decided to, the nausea seemed to subside, become bearable, and thus, deniable. But enough was enough. At this point, she was wasting prey for the clan. The grey, spotted shecat padded gracefully into the den entrance, holding her head high in spite of feeling shaky from wretching. The potent scent of herbs made her want to get sick again, but she swallowed and prowled inside. She fixed her intense, green-eyed gaze on the apprentice in her nest. "Juniperpaw," she greeted the apprentice coldly with a nod, already feeling that this was a bad idea. What could this kit have learned in during her brief time with a mentor that could help her now? But there was no one else to turn to so she launched right into explaining her plight. "I've been nauseated for weeks now. It comes and goes, but yesterday I started vomiting too. What herb can I take?" The shecat asked, not even bothering to sit as if she expected the apprentice to toss her the herbs on the way back out of the den.