[squidz]

| BERRYSHINE |

small & nimble dark brown she-cat with darker flecks and light, leafy-green eyes | the collector | dreamwalker |

[ riverclan medicine cat | she-cat | 20 moons | timid, kind, hardworking ]

—

Berryshine's gaze was soft as she observed Gladepaw. The poor thing looked shaken but appreciative. She hoped she didn't spook the 'paw too badly, but she seemed alright. She gave Gladepaw a little nod and chewed up a small poultice of herbs — a bit of coltsfoot and marigold, to protect the small cut from any infection and to soothe the pained paw pad. She dipped the clean end of the moss ball into it and dabbed it onto the wound now that the bleeding had stemmed.

"Hm...?" Green eyes flickered up to amber as the apprentice asked her a question. Had she been doing something important? Berryshine smiled warmly, shaking her head. "N-No, no... well, technically yes, b-but nothing that needed to be done right this moment. I was just counting all the herbs t-that the recent patrols brought me, to see how much I have of each. Y-You know, to figure out what I'll send for next time," she explained, her eyes back to Gladepaw's paw as she gently dabbed the moss ball. Once it was properly coated, she took a wad of cobweb, binding it around the paw a few times. Just tight enough that hopefully it'd stay for a bit, even when paws were constantly walked on.

"Be sure to be careful with that paw — try to keep weight off of it, s-so you don't disturb the cobweb. But it s-should be fine to have off after you sleep on it for a day or two," the medic added. Splinter cuts tended to close up pretty fast, but this one had been particularly large; in order for it to heal faster, Gladepaw should probably keep from putting pressure on it whenever she could. But it shouldn't take more than two days to close up, in Berry's mind.

Then, she focused on Gladepaw's next words, and shook her head again with that same smile. "O-Oh, no, you did the right thing. If you're ever unsure, even just a little, y-you should still come to me." The medicine cat flicked her tail as if in confirmation of her words. She was amused and endeared to see the way that the 'paw took in the state of the den: the rows of herbs, the pungent smells, the organization... it was probably overwhelming to the nose for her first time here.

But then, at her other questions, the small brown molly felt her gaze soften a bit more. It was always nice to have a curious patient; she loved answering questions when it came to her main hobby, of course. With a purr, Berryshine nodded knowingly, acknowledging Gladepaw's very real concern over the amount of herbs.

"Y-Yes, there are quite a bit... a-and learning their different names, uses, and even their smells can take awhile," she noted thoughtfully, glancing at the orderly piles of herbs. "There are some that a-are very similar, and it's important to distinguish them by characteristics... as small as something like if their leaves a-are rounded or pointy," she went on, flicking her tail at two herbs in particular: parsley, and chervil. Both of them looked nearly identical except for the slightly different leaf shape.

"That's why it's important to devote t-time and effort into studying them. And... t-thankfully, over time, they don't all start blending together... if they do, t-that's how I know I'm having too long of a day," she added after a moment with a mrrow of amusement. Just a little joke.

[ @iliri ]


[ -0.25 marigold ; -0.25 coltsfoot ; -0.5 cobweb ]