[iliri]

Gladepaw
long-furred, scarred, dark brown classic tabby with amber eyes
purrks: n/a
she/they | rc apprentice | 6 moons

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She flinched a little when Berryshine touched her paw, not because it hurt more (though stars, it did), but because it meant this was really happening. There was no backing out once someone else was involved. She held her breath as the medicine cat examined her pad, trying not to squirm or make a sound, even when the muscles in her leg tensed on their own. But when Berryshine spoke, her voice didn’t carry the imposing weight Gladepaw had been bracing for. There was no acerbity, no exasperation, no “you should’ve come sooner” or “what were you thinking?”. Just warmth, kindness, and patience. That, somehow, made her eyes sting a little more than the pain did. She nodded slowly at the warning, a tight, jerky motion that betrayed her nerves. Her ears flattened slightly at the mention of pain, but she didn’t pull away. “O-okay,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rustle of moss and herbs around them. Her tail curled tighter around her flank, and she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing as if for an incoming blow. Then… sharp. A bite of pain that bloomed bright and fast before beginning to dull. Her breath caught in her throat with a soft hiss, but she didn’t cry out. She just clamped her jaw shut, shoulders tight and rigid, trying to focus on anything else: the smell of herbal mixtures in the air, the distant chatter from the clearing, the coolness of stone beneath her good paw.

And then… it was over. Just like that. The pressure of the moss against her pad was surprising, but not unwelcome. It grounded her, somehow, the soft, cool texture almost soothing in contrast to the heat still flaring in her paw. She cracked her eyes open again, cautiously glancing down at the wound and the bit of crimson soaking into the moss. Her ears twitched, her toes flexing themselves instinctively as if to check to see if they were still moveable. “I-it... I-It didn’t hurt too much,” she mumbled, as if she had to reassure Berryshine more than herself. She glanced up quickly, then back down again, her face hot. “T-thank you…” Her voice trailed off into the quiet of the den, but the words still felt too loud in her mouth. Like maybe she wasn’t supposed to say them. Like maybe gratitude was something you earned the right to give. She sat still for a moment longer, letting herself breathe now that the worst part was over. The pain had dulled to a manageable throb, and the swelling already felt less sharp with the pressure of the moss. A moment passed before she found the courage to speak again. Her voice was quieter, though. Less from pain, and more from thought. “W-were you... d-doing something i-important?” she asked, ears angling back slightly, as if afraid of the answer. She glanced toward the back of the den, where bundles of herbs were neatly arranged in rows and tucked into nooks along the walls.

“I-I didn’t mean to interrupt. I j-just… I wasn’t sure what else t-to do.” She didn’t know why she asked. Maybe it was just easier to talk about what Berryshine was doing than to sit in silence with her own embarrassment. She studied the herbs for a moment, eyes flicking from one bundle to the next. She didn’t know what any of them were called, not the way Berryshine must. But it was clear how much care went into the work. Everything was clean and ordered, like a system she couldn’t quite see but felt in the way the air moved around the place. It smelled like sharp herbs and damp moss and something a little spicy that made her nose twitch. “H-how do you know what each one does?” she asked suddenly, blinking owlishly up at Berryshine. The question had slipped out before she could stop it. “I mean… there’s s-so many. D-don’t they all k-kind of look the s-s-same after a wh-while?” Her voice was still hesitant, but there was a flicker of genuine curiosity behind it. A small thread of wonder. She didn’t usually ask questions like that - didn’t want to sound stupid - but Berryshine didn’t make her feel stupid. Not even a little.

@squidz ( )