PATROLS ARE DUE APRIL 10TH BY 11:59 PM EST
If you need an extension, let me know a maximum of 3 days after the deadline.
If you need to be replaced, please have your character approach Lightningstorm with an in character excuse.
Herb patrols have a maximum of 5 herbs that can be carried per character; 8 herbs for those with The Collector purrk. Please make sure to provide a link to the post where your character gathered the herbs when handing them in or the patrol will be invalidated and your character will be punished.
| Lightningstorm |
Flock Together [Tier 3] - Inactive | Mind Reader - Active
As the others began to move, the medicine cat found her usual position at the base of the Galewood, trying to spot any cat that seemed available enough to go gather some herbs. She would be having no tolerance today for failure. She had injured felines awaiting these herbs. If these cats couldn't deliver when their clanmates' safety was at stake, a demotion would be the least of their worries. She would make certain to give them the same luxury and care that they had all afforded her mentor when he had not noticed the rat that had taken to poisoning their precious herbs. If a cat could be removed from the only home he had ever known for failing to notice another's sabotage, she was fairly certain the same could be applied to whatever cat deemed themselves and their time far too precious to help out in the midst of an emergency. She still understood why Twilightstar had exiled the tom, but it didn't make her any less bitter when it came to how gleeful - how uncaring - some of the WindClan vermin had been when the cat who had dedicated his life to them had been sent away. For how little care had been taken to find the real culprit after he had paid for the crime of innocence thanks to one of the rats that infested his place.
| Marigold and Daisy Leaves |
[ Thunderglade ]
| Bravebird
[ @talle ] | Fallowfeather
[ @Starii ] | Dustypaw
[ @starry ] |
The first cat she took note of made her wince, preferring to send just about anyone else... only to notice deer like ears soon after. Two currently injured cats... cats that had suffered at the claws and fangs of the first wave of mink attacks... and yet Lightningstorm knew that she probably wouldn't be able to count on better cats to understand the gravity of the situation. She needed that marigold...
now. She would also need some cobwebs, of course. The paltry two strands left besides the two catmint leaves would not be enough here, but ensuring no infection set into those wounds was of much more import. With a grimace, she decided to swallow her pride and call out, knowing all too well that no matter what her standing with the warrior was now, she had once considered the lynx point a dependable cat. She might no longer believe her a friend or even an acquaintance, but she was certain the she-cat would make sure to bring in herbs if her clanmates' well being was on the line.
"Bravebird," the spotted molly yowled, her eyes narrowing as she motioned towards herself with her tail.
"I know you and Fallowfeather are still injured, but I trust the two of you understand how swiftly this needs to be solved. That's why I want you both to take Dustypaw with you towards Thunderglade. Find marigold and daisy leaves. Marigold's easy enough, innit? Flower with bright, yellow... orange-y petals. Sweet smelling. Hard to miss. The daisy are simple looking white blooms. It's not the flowers you are after, though. It's the leaves. Dark green with a hairy stem. They are bitter, so try not to stuff your face too full of them."
Staring at the patrol lead, she quirked a brow, knowing full well that Bravebird would understand the jab. Truth be told, she wanted the warrior bothered enough that she felt she had something to prove. She
needed these herbs back. Sending these warriors towards the ThunderClan border was not her most confident idea ever, but with two wounded and an apprentice, she needed them away from any spots potentially infested with minks. Considering that the tyrant from the woods had just given back control of the border to WindClan, she hoped there would at the very least be no trouble from the bloodthirsty clan for now. Assuming Bravebird didn't confuse any ThunderClan rumps for porcupine ones, that was...
| Cobwebs and Broom |
[ Sunset Grove ]
| Scalescar
[ @SpiritWolf_yt ] | Crowtooth
[ @Rani ] | Swiftfire
[ @Tiabirb ] |
Next the wiry framed she-cat spotted one of her most loathed former - as far as she was concerned - clanmates. The heavily scarred, dismissive tom, Scalescar. He had... tried to make amends some moons ago. Tried to befriend her. That had gone nowhere, however, and once the whole clan showed their true colors, Lightningstorm found herself less eager to make nice with the anyone, much less those she had already had less than amicable feelings for in the first place. An emergency such as this, however, was not the time to play favorites... although maybe she would send Crowtooth along if he was up for it. Another of the mink injured felines, but what else could she do at this point? There was a reason there had been a particular group of cats in that first patrol. They were the more dependable felines around. And speaking of which... she could spot another of the formerly injured cats in the clearing. Well... thank goodness they'd had some time to rest, she supposed...
"Scalescar, Crowtooth, Swiftfire... to me," she motioned, calling out the warrior trio.
"I need you three to find me some cobwebs and yellow bells - broom - for the injured cats that just came in. I want you lot to go to Sunset Grove and see what you can find. The more the better. Cobwebs never go bad now, do they? I have heard of no mink scent over at the grove... but be careful. Any musk in the breeze and I want you three out of there faster than a cat with a face full of porcupine quills being chased by a badger. Cobwebs are easy enough for you three I would presume, but yellow bells are small shrubs with even smaller yellow flowers. Good for poultices, and I'm afraid they might not be so readily available once the snow leaves completely. Would appreciate any amount found."
| Mushrooms and Moss |
[ Sedgewater Valley ]
| Fieldspark
[ @mars ] | Dustbunny
[ @Moonraven ] | Caterpillarpaw
[ @Katiethewolfchild ] |
The next patrols sent would need a little bit more finesse. Things with RiverClan had been tense of late, but with the minks running around WindClan's best herb gathering locations, she couldn't very well send cats to gather moss and mushrooms to her preferred location. The mushrooms and moss would be well helpful, too, so it wasn't like she could ignore them either. Especially if mink attacks were going to be coming on a regular now. With a sigh, she spotted a few extra cats and called out to them. She was admittedly not very familiar with Fieldspark or Caterpillarpaw, but Dustbunny she knew was a trusted clan member as far as Twilightstar was concerned. She doubted the leader would consistently give tasks about to cats who couldn't be bothered, after all.
"Fieldspark," she called out to the brown and white tom before turning to the two she-cat's.
"I need you to go out with Dustbunny and Caterpillarpaw towards Sedgewater Valley. I understand there might be some snow drifts left here and there, but I trust the valley to be cleared at this point. Should be good to find moss and mushrooms. I trust you know moss, but the mushrooms are a little trickier. Small, brown, soft pebbles with stems is what they look like. Bring them whole if you can find them. They'll help a fair bit with the minks about."
| Sticks and Borage |
[ WindClan Territory ]
| Cloudburst
[ @Kacey! ] | Foxlight
[ @*_Athena_* ] | Willowleaf
[ @Sand_stripe ] |
Right... with most of the essentials out of the way, Lightningstorm was ready to prep some equally important but hopefully less necessary supplies. Namely sticks and borage. No broken limb would heal well if she didn't have a vast supply of sticks to help set bones, and the borage would help if anyone got infected despite the treatments to reduce fevers. Once more, her eyes soon lay on some felines she was much less familiar with, but she had found that this seemed to be the case more and more often of late. Ever since she had taken to keeping to herself for the most part. She didn't regret her choice. There was no reason to try and play nice with the WindClan rats. They would have her blood at the first try. But it did make it a bit harder to know if she should prepare herself for yet another disappointment or if these felines would be bringing herbs back. Well... if they didn't, she supposed that would be one more reason to forget them... once they joined her mentor in exile, that was.
"Cloudburst, Foxlight, Willowleaf. I want you lot to head out to the territory and find me a good collection of sticks and some borage. Keep your wits about you, and keep to the open spaces. Same as the rest... if you find any mink stench, I want you back here. The minks don't seem to have spread out throughout the territory as a whole just yet, so you should be safe now, shouldn't you? Now, borage... They are small, star shaped purple blooms with dark, hairy green leaves. I want you to bring some around, and bring them whole if you can! The plant and its leaves are well useful, yeah?" she explained, making sure they had understood their orders before heading off to assign the last patrol of the day.
| Goldenrod and Honey |
[ Sky Glade ]
| Hollowfoot
[ @RoboPrism ] | Fallownose
[ @Lillith ] | Winterpaw
[ @zozelen ] |
Now for the last patrol. She couldn't really afford to send out any more after this. Lightningstorm was getting tired as it was, and she had three patients she needed to get to as quickly as possible. In the distance she spotted a familiar gray tom, and she couldn't help but narrow her lapis hues once more as she met his green. As much as the medicine cat distrusted WindClan, there was just something about Hollowfoot that made her distrust him all that much more. She got a bad feeling about him, she just wasn't sure why. Of course, she didn't bloody well trust anybody, so maybe it was just her paranoia flaring up especially around him? Like it or not, however, the tom was a clan cat, and as long as he was around, she would be sending him out to work. Maybe though... maybe she could send Fallownose along. Just to keep an eye on him.
"Hollowfoot. Winterpaw. Over here," the healer cried out, feeling her voice starting to give out from all the talking she'd already done. Stars... had she really been keeping to herself so much that this much socializing was already doing a number on her throat?
"I want you both to accompany Fallownose," she mewed, offering a sideways glance at the deputy as she spoke, a clear
oh right, should have mentioned you are going look in her eyes before she continued,
"Go to Sky Glade. There's a singular tree there, and usually you can find some bees on it. I would like some honey. None of the previous patrols could gather any during leaf-bare, hopefully you lot will have a better go at it. I also want some sunfuzzies - goldenrod - if you can find them. Good for helping wounds stay clean and heal up faster. You can't miss them if you see them. Tall, golden flowers that grow in clumps together. Look like golden sticks from a distance."
Remaining around for some time as she helped settle any doubts among the patrols, Lightningstorm chanced a glance towards the medicine cat's den, watching her patients go inside. Stars alive, what a mess... If she were to be honest, she would have preferred to lead one of these patrols herself. Make sure the necessary herbs made their way to the clan. For now, she would have to trust in the clan. Hope that they would make it back and she would have herbs to treat the wounded. Both those which lay in her den now as well as those who will in the future. With a lash of her tail, she turned towards the sky, wondering if there was any chance at receiving some level of aide from the stars in all this. Frowning, she shook her head, assuming that would probably not be the case. Not for this, anways...