an unexpected meeting [p]

[starry]

MISTYSHARD
she/her | riverclan medicine cat | 37 moons
active purrk(s): dreamwalker

The silver tabby had fallen asleep peacefully. This was one of the first nights, since she had been promoted to medicine cat, that she didn't have any nightmares about failing RiverClan... Failing everyone, being the reason her clanmates died... The world was pretty much just black until an odd feeling forced her to open her eyes. Where was she this time?? As she looked around, she noticed the land was divided. Half of it was sandy and there was a shoreline to a gaping blue ocean. The other half was a dense forest with not much light except for the sun occasionally poking through. Underneath the tall pine trees there were small patches of swampy land. Mistyshard was well aware this wasn't the waking world - she had been in enough dreamvisits to tell StarClan and her own clan's landscape apart. As she stepped closer to the pine-like landscape, she noticed there was a prominent scent. It's almost like ShadowClan territory...

There was a small frown on her maw as she tried to figure out why she was here. Couldn't she sleep peacefully for a single night?! Why was there always some kind of nightmare or a cat deciding to traumatize her even more through dreams? Although last time, Sootkit visited her and taught her about some herbs.. maybe this dream visit would be joyful as well? The one-eyed molly trotted through the forest, looking quite lost until she stumbled upon... who's that? She tilted her head curiously and got closer to the other feline. He seemed vaguely familiar, but not much more than that. A ShadowClan cat, she presumed. Their relationship with ShadowClan had not been too tense lately - maybe this would be a peaceful dreamvisit? What was odd was that the ShadowClanner didn't have the starry aura around him that StarClan cats usually had. He seemed to be almost real and alive..

"...Who are you? Are you one of those StarClan cats trying to teach me herbs? Wait- nevermind. You don't seem very... dead." Her tone was awkward and she stood there in a ready stance. In case something happened she wouldn't hesitate to use her claws and defend herself.

[ @ellie - Mossfreckle ]
[ Sorry if this post is weird, math fried my brain Also decided to add the herb part since I figured that could help them work out that they're both med cats? ]

[ellie]

Content Warning ~ mental turmoil and graphic descriptions of bone alignment as well as amputation on a kit

｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡
ﾟ。 Mossfreckle (ShC)
　ﾟ･｡･ﾟ they/he ~ medicine cat apprentice

Marshy ground shaded by deeply verdant conifer canopies faded away, wisping whispering fogs settling into a deep haze that blotted out the starlit skies above … click click click… claws reverberated against the dark damp stones… click click click… diligent white tipped paws carried him towards the silvery figure that loomed cautiously within the confines of his dreamscapes, mossy hues settled incredulously on the molly as she spoke… yet another Riverclan feline slipping into his mind, seeking herbal knowledge as if he would freely give it to any feline who waltzed into the starry void of his mind… yet… something was different about this feline, something of confidence twinged at the edges of her tattered tones… Starclan… the molly spoke of Starclan as he did, as those granted a connection did, she smelled of herbs and eluded the carful ease of those who had to hold calmness as a facade as they were thrust into a position they both wanted and failed to see themselves in no matter the effort they put in… he had felt that way when he had risen to stand tall in his rank as Lostspark’s apprentice, the right paw of the lithe grey medicine cat. Freckled oriental shaped feline sat, the silvery feline remained fully consumed within the depths of the herbalist’s mossy hues as their tail twitched deep in thought… focus, focus, focus, focus… fog whispered amid the nonsensical taunts that mingled among reassurance, anxiety prickled his pelt as he started at yet another feline who had found him, yet another feline who had been by some means propelled into his mind in the pursuit of the knowledge he harboured within the annals of the very mind they stood in, ”You speak of Starclan as if you know them,” the medicine cat apprentice began in clam tones hinted with distrust but lacking malice, ”You seek herbal knowledge from a Shaodowclan feline while you smell of Riverclan - well, indirectly, you claim Starclan’s will but I have yet to ascend to my place among the stars. However, I am inclined to ask if you have ascended the ranks to fill the pawsteps of Tansypaw after she abandoned your clan - tell me Riverclanner if you bear the title of healer,” Mossfreckle’s words were curt, direct and riddled with philosophical interrogation, polite but to the point. A nod of a silvery head shrouded in a hazed wisping crown of whispering fog, acknowledgment of a preconceived notion, of a fact that both mattered and didn’t, a fact that clashed within itself nonsensically, a danse macabre toeing the line between life and death, ”So be it,” the freckled herbalist meowed in calm detached tones, ”Sit, we might as begin. I’m Mossfreckle by the way, Shadowclan’s medicine cat apprentice.”

Mossfreckle was not too sure where to begin, for an apprentice he would give basic first aid, for his apprentice he would go alphabetically down the list (the alphabet? “the list”?)… focus, focus, focus, focus… a hesitant white tipped paw swept over the cold, darkened stones, mossy hues remained fixated on the bare earth before him as a mangled figure manifested… a writhing star hewn feline lay before them mangled, bones jutted off at odd angles with a slight crunch as the feline flailed and quivered in howling agony - the scene that had once belonged to Swanpaw was nothing more than an apparition now, a tool to teach… he had to witness the pain so they must too, no detail was spared… the scene simply was and wasn’t, an oddly panging and out of tune note in the symphony of reality. A shake of an angular head was the only sign of the herbalist’s aversion to the image which stood starkly against the backdrop of deep hues stones cast in stars and flickering in gruesomely macabre beauty, ”Bone alignment and, hence, a few herbs and a makeshift splint,” a subtle gesture to the apparition with a petite paw, ”administer poppy seeds first and for most, the number is at your discretion based on the ailments severity - now watch,” an explanation would not do, she needed to see and feel and experience the scene as he had. Mossy hues flicked to meet the firery amber orbs of the silvery medicine cat before returning to the illusion, the lesson at paw. A singular white tipped paw braced on the stone beside the star hewn felines head, the other paw pressed down in a quick, meticulous, fluid movement as he had seen Lostspark do a few moons before to relocate the disjointed jaw, secondly was the mangled leg that jutted crookedly and awkwardly out of place like a dead tree that loomed hauntingly and menacingly above, gingerly the medicine cat apprentice placed a paw then another, the motion more smooth and clam than the prior as he set the bone in its natural order once more. Herbs materialised before the feline as he began his next task, comfrey for the to aid with the broken bones healing then a thick stick was bound with cobwebs to keep the mangled - now straightened - limb in place, ”Comfrey for the broken bones and cobwebs and a firm stick make a splint to keep the realigned bones in place, Mossfreckle said plainly, she had watched him perform the task and it wasn’t work degrading her by assuming she had grasp so little of such that he needed to explain in great detail to make up for it.

Although it had panged oddly and out of order within the confines of his starry mind, Mossfreckle had saved the more… colourful… technique for last - well, last of the mainly paws on techniques of the lesson - the wounds still lingered on his mind, on his heart, trails of crimson dripping from his tattered heart and torn up mind but sacrifices had to be made sometimes… sometimes one has to lose a bit of themselves in the process… focus, focus, focus, focus… he hadn’t wanted it to be like that… focus, focus, focus, focus… ”Ampuatations,” the oriental shaped feline forced the words out of his white maw, forced himself to speak against the bile rising in his throat… warm… the limb had still been warm as if life blood still coursed through it… as if Cinderkit’s life hadn’t been so utterly changed as the course veered to darker paths. The first apparition shrunk and shrunk and shrunk until the mangled form of a kit quivered in its place, maybe it was selfish or cruel that he bore the scene in raw reality for the Riverclanner, maybe it was out of spite for some unknown force, maybe he simply wanted another soul to watch in horror as the scene played out once again amongst the stars, ”This Knowledge is… new to me,” the freckled tom continued on with the lesson, pushing the abhorrent emotions deep into his abysmal, starless core, ”I will show you as I was shown, the bones where already shattered so the limb was not able to be saved. I would assume that if the limb is mangled and the bone isn’t broken you may have to break it yourself… then again I am not too sure outside of this sole situation. Firstly you would need to administer poppy seed - enough to numb the inflicted enough… if you are lucky they will be unconscious- but I need you to watch now, I don’t what to have to do this again.” A deep breath… in and out, in and out… the tom filled the paws of Lostspark, took the mothers role in gnawing her own daughters limb off… angular head bobbed down and the medicine cat apprentices sharp canines began the morbid display as he bit and sliced the flesh away form the form as a whole, blood coated his maw even if the scene wasn’t real the moment had been and none of the anguish would be spared… he wouldn’t let her story be censored and sugarcoated for this molly… at last the last of the mangled flesh disconnected the limb pulled away with a crunch of bone and a whisper soft squelch of bloody flesh against moist darkened stones. Glazed mossy hues looked up, the scene fading away the moment his focus was no longer on it and Mossfreckle forced himself to speak once more against the bile rising on his throat… the blood wouldn’t fade, the blood wouldn’t leave his mind but he would deal with the pain later, address the aching in his core later… ”essentially you will need to gnaw the limb off, at least that was how I was thought, apply marigold paste and tightly bind the stub with cobwebs, using a crushed oak leaf in the paste may also be helpful to help the blood clot better,” he would speak no more on the subject as he moved on to lighter topics.

”On to the fist of the herbs then,” the freckled feline chirped as a facade of his calm demeanour snapped down as a mask once again, white tipped feathery tail twitching uneasily as he attempted to purge the macabre scene from his mind once again as he conjured the herbs he would need for the next few bits of knowledge he was compelled to share… focus, focus, focus, focus… an incantation in his mind that fought against the ocean static filling the canals of his angular ears, ”Borage is a drooping plant with reddish hued stems that is covered in prickly white hairs and star shaped flowers that are adorned with brightly green stamens that follow the star shape in reverse and can be found in sunnier locations so you will generally only find it during the sunnier moons from late newleaf to early leaffall,” a pause to allow retention and cementation into the Rivercaln mollies mind before the feline continued on, ”As for uses both the flowers and leaves of Borage can be used to reduce and treat fevers as well as increase a queen’s milk supply.”

Deathberries was up next and once again a tête-à-tête of duty and selfish mistrust panged out of tune in the smooth symphony of the tones that had lilted in the cacophony of sounds that had made of this nights lesson - once again the freckled oriental shaped herbalist was met with the same dreaded apprehension of teaching a Riverclan cat poisons - while he cared little not only as a medicine cat about the goings on of cross clan arguments something was fundamentally vile about resorting to unseen means of torture simply out of spite… what that what it had been or was it simply a delusion of grandeur and power. Mossy hues hardened as wildfires sparked between earth toned hues and fiery passioned orbs, ”Deathberries are the next herb we shall cover, I will not like and say that I am not met with great restraint to teach a Riverclanner poisons, every fiber of my body screams against the thought seeming fundamentally wrong so I offer a sole warning before I begin - if you are truly serious about being a healer of your clan I expect that you will use this knowledge well… unlike some of your clanmates… and if you chose to do the inverse I will personally see to it that you no longer exist to abuse such knowledge - I say this not as a threat but Shadowclan’s safety will always be first and foremost as my concern,” the mood shifted for a moment as the medicine cat apprentice paused do let the weight of his words hang thickly amongst the wisping fog that hazed his starry mind, ”Deathberries are bright red berries that grow on conifer type trees, it is best to simply prevent consumption as these berries while pretty can kill within seconds to minutes, causing the poisoned to vomit may be a someone gambling solution but I am unsure of how well it will help if at all,” Mossfreckle’s words were concise as he fought the urge of leaving this lesson untaught, of leaving the possible blood to coat another felines paws… to have the placed as far away from him if this molly was to take another felines life with the crimson coloured berries.

The third herb was a tad confusing… well, not confusing but it would be important to remember the use of each plant so one did not need to back track and further the strife of their patient, ”The next herb we will cover is Elder flowers and Elder leaves”, Mossfreckle began as white tipped paws shuffled, half pointing the herb in question and half adjusting the freckled form above them, The Elder bush is a tall stalked plant with clusters of white flowers, while similar looking to Boneset, the Elder bush clusters tend to be larger and the leaves are broader. You will mainly be able to find this herb starting in newleaf through Greenleaf, it is a good herb to collect early and preserve for the colder seasons so that you will have access to it if need be,” once again a pause, ”The flowers can be used alongside Boneset to help alleviate congestion and fever, soothe aches, and stimulate appetite while the leaves can be chewed into a poultice to help ease and heal sprains,” the stars in Mossfreckle’s mind twinkled above the medicine cats heads as the starry leaved plants faded and a singular comb of honey remained.

One herb and a technique… a semi-technique… reminded and honey was next in the herbal transaction taking place, ”Honey comes from the hives of bees and is stored in combs, as an herb it is very versatile and has a use in most instances. When added to a poultice honey can promote healing and help wound from drying out too quickly. When eaten - whether solely or mixed into water - it can soothe sore throats and ease coughing, as mentioned honey can be mixed into water as well, a useful technique is soaking a ball of moss in water then after placing it on a broad leaf, dripping honey into it as honey is high in sugar and can be used as a drink to promote hydration and boost energy and if needed herbs can be crushed into the mixture. In addition to its more medical uses, honey can be used as a sweeter to make herbs more palatable for fussy kits,” the tom remained silent for a moment before he moved onto his last lesson in his current medical spiel, the herbalist knew the amount of knowledge he had shared in rapid succession and hoped within the moment of silence the medicine cat would be able to commit it all to the annals of her mind.

”As newleaf settles into full bloom it is important to note that there will be an increase in pregnancies,” the oriental shaped feline began as his Somali shaped mentor had, ”Pregnancy in its beginning stages is hard to determine as it holds the same symptoms as most common ailments so for a while it will be nothing more than a semi-informed assumption of what could be - not what is. Symptoms to note for possible queens are nausea and bloating which can be easily misdiagnosed as a belly ache as well as sleeplessness, restlessness, lethargy, swellings, bloating, gassiness, personality shifts, increased or sometimes decreased appetite, among some less common others. Further along in the pregnancy you will be able to prod gently on the queens belly to feel the heads of the kits growing inside, only then will you know for sure whether or not the molly is pregnant or not,” Mossfreckle had finished the last of his lesson and stood to stretch, freckled form arching into a mountain shape as his white tipped paws pressed resistantly against the dark hues stones that made up the darker parts of the herbalist’s starry mind, ”Do you have any questions?” the oriental shaped feline offered as his freckled form sat once again, his feathery tail curling politely over his petite paws.

{ @starry ~ Mistyshard }
[ whooo !! Enjoy the long post, Mossy stole my keyboard and would not let go ]

[starry]

MISTYSHARD
she/her | riverclan medicine cat | 38 moons
dreamwalker ⦁ beefed up t2

Mistyshard furrowed her brows when the ShadowClanner mentioned her knowing StarClan. It’s not like she hated them or had no trust in them.. Pretty much all her family and friends had settled in the starry realm, and her ancestors had believed in her enough to give her another chance at life. She almost felt like they were supporting her along her journey of becoming a full medicine cat, ensuring she had enough herbal knowledge and was guided by their faint presence. Though maybe she was naive, believing in that and having faith in StarClan, perhaps it would help her one day. The fact that she never gave up on her ancestors no matter how hard times were.

It could be because so many of her loved ones were in StarClan, but still. Faith in something was what kept her going, drove her to do the next step even if it was terrifying. Even if it meant the whole clan would turn out doubting her and would never stand behind her. She knew there were some cats that would. ”Well yes, I would say that I sort of know them, per say. You aren’t the first cat I’ve met in this starry world; most of the time.. They are helpful. I’d say I know more StarClan cats up here and have more family and friends up here than in the living world. So maybe I do know them.”

A thoughtful tilt of her head was met with regret for her words. Did they sound like she was hosting a pity party? She didn’t need anyone to feel bad for her, she’d gotten over her own obstacles and that’s all that mattered. Never had she needed someone else to rely on, and then when she did count on someone, they always disappeared or died. She was so done with that at this point. Her theory was if she did not get too attached to anyone she couldn’t feel too sorrowful when something happened to them.

Amber hues were settled on the tom that reeked from ShadowClan, silver fur blowing in the light breeze. Mistyshard noticed there were many stars above them, shimmering in the deep blue night sky. They felt reassuring. Was Fawnlight in one of those stars? Stormtalon? Blizzardwind? And all the others? Did they all have a star which she was able to see every day but she just didn’t know about it? Either way the glowing shapes above the two felines made her more confident in this. This tomcat did not appear to be especially hostile or out for her blood. Unlike her mother who was also somewhere up here, but instead of being in the beautiful starry realm, she resided in the dark forests that matched her personality.

Anyways, back to the present. The oriental longhair was questioning her, asking if she had assumed the title of RiverClan’s healer. “Indeed I have,” she replied curtly. Wait – how did he know of Tansypaw’s leave? She was pretty sure no one was supposed to know about that, because RiverClan hadn’t been to any recent gatherings and the last one had been with Larkstar and Tansypaw still present. Her eyes narrowed with slight suspicion but also curiosity. ”..Why do you know of Tansypaw abandoning RiverClan? I’m pretty sure no one except RiverClan is supposed to know that yet.” Her brow quirked upwards as she waited for an answer. It was a bit odd and gave her an unsettling feeling.. but oh well. If he'd teach her herbs surely he didn't have bad intentions?

Oh, so his name was Mossfreckle and he had assumed the rank of ShadowClan's medicine cat apprentice. While they hadn't been to a gathering in a while, the herbal aura around him and the ShadowClan scents had almost made her predict that. "Well then, it's nice to meet someone of the same nature as me. My name is Mistyshard, by the way," she mewed with a curt nod. It was true; she felt a bit lonely in the past moon with her new rank, but meeting someone who dealt with the same things comforted her ever so slightly. Her single amber eye was fixated on him, curiosity evident in her gaze. Wait.. what? Why.. was there a broken, mangled body in front of her? The pace of her breathing picked up and her tail flicked from side to side anxiously.

Birdsnow.. or rather Birdpaw, back then..

Stormtalon..

Fawnlight..

Was that how they'd all looked before they died? And she had not been there to save them. Especially Birdsnow. They literally had been on the same patrol, kidnapped together.. and yet she let her little Birdy fly without her. Noticing that her eye was wide open she quickly forced it to be relaxed and took deep breaths. In.. out. In.. out. She couldn't let these mental blocks she had show. Especially not in front of ShadowClan's medicine cat apprentice - that would make her, and RiverClan, appear week and vulnerable. "Apologies, I got a little sidetracked with my past there," she huffed. "We can start."

Bone alignement, okay. She had a feeling this would not be very joyful to watch. Amber hues were strongly fixated on Mossfreckle. There was an odd feeling weighing down her shoulders but she pushed it away - she could not let herself be constantly defined by her past. This was her job now so she had to get over everything that happened once upon a time. Her lips were pursed in concentration. This might get a little complex and she couldn't miss any of it. Mistyshard's face distorted a bit as the bone cracked back into place, the sickly sound ringing in her ear over and over again. Then Mossy realigned the other bone... she bobbed her head thoughtfully, making sure to remember everything closely. The way he was teaching was painting a vivid picture in her mind which would surely stick to her long term memory.

Next appeared some herbs, which she recognized as comfrey as well as there being a stick wrapped in cobwebs. So comfrey, cobwebs and a stick would serve to keep the bones in place.. a splint. Alright, that all made sense. She had the way he moved his paws still repeating in her mind. She really wanted to make sure she remembered this.. once she was certain that this information and technique had traveled into her long term memory, she waited for him to continue. The shock from the mangled body had long passed and she was ready to learn more. Getting over her own emotions was a process she'd mastered over her many moons of living. "That makes sense, thank you," she mewed with a nod.

So now it was time for amputations. The knowledge was new to Mossfreckle - that meant they had another thing in common. Anyways, apparently when the ShadowClanner was shown, the bones had already been shattered and the limb beyond saving. If the limb was already mangled but the bones not broken they'd have to be broken by paw, he assumed. Right, that made sense in some way. The patient would need poppy seeds and if lucky, fall unconcious. Mistyshard nodded hastily as he mentioned her watching so that he didn't have to do it again. She would not want to see it again anyways. The view was truly terrible, with Mossfreckle biting off the limb and his muzzle being covered with blood. It's not like she had never killed before, like her fangs had never ripped someone's flesh apart. But yet this scene was.. different.

She supposed it was because helping a cat by hurting them felt weird, and killing someone by tearing them apart was mainly fueled by hatred. She didn't have that hatred for.. most of her clanmates. Gnawing the limb off - yes, she had caught that. Then apply marigold past and bind the stub with cobwebs, using a crushed oak leaf which could be helpful for the blood to clot better. Oak leaves... she had no idea what those looked like. "First of all, I'm really grateful for you showing me this. I know it might be hard and disturbing for you so.. thank you for doing this. Also, would you mind describing what oak leaves look like?"

Now it was time for a lighter topic; herbs. The medicine cat curiously looked at Mossfreckle, watching as a borage plant materialized in front of them. Ah, she already knew what it looked like from Coldamber's lesson, and that it helped with fevers. However, she had not been taught the part of it increasing a queen's milk supply, so this was helpful nonetheless.

Next was... deathberries. Mistyshard gazed up at the tom thoughtfully. Poisons were a fickle topic, in her opinion. But she wasn't going to use them in the wrong way unlike some others in her clan probably would. Oh, so he didn't trust her with using the knowledge right. The herbalist could definitely understand why, there were some very.. irrational cats in RiverClan whom would certainly abuse this poisonous herb. "Don't worry. I do not have intentions to poison anyone, nonetheless from your clan. We've already got enough problems as it is." Deathberries were bright red berries, which grew on conifer type trees. It was best to not consume them because they could kill immediately. She supposed the only situation it could be used in was if a patient was beyong being saved and requested the poison themselves.

Now, elder flowers and elder leaves. The lanky silver feline stared as the herb appeared; a tall plant with clustered of white flowers which looked similar to a plant she'd seen before but couldn't quite identify that he labeled as boneset. The bush clusters were large with wide leaves. It could be found from newleaf to greenleaf and it would be good to collect it and preserve it for colder seasons. The flowers could be used alongside boneset to help with congestion and fever, sooth aches and cause someone to have appetite. The leaves could be chewed into a poultice to ease and heal sprains.

Then the plants disappeared and there was only a single one left. So that was honey. It looked.. interesting, the yellow comb, that was for sure. It could promote healing whne added to poultices and assist with keeping wounds from draying out. When it was consumed it could soothe sore throats and help with coughing, as well as being able to be mixed into water. A ball of moss could be soaked in water then placed onto a broad leaf, then honey could be trickled onto it to promote hydration and increase energy. It could also be used as a sweetener to make herbs more enjoyable for picky kits.

Now came the last thing. An increase of pregnancies during newleaf... that was good, RiverClan could use the additions to their ranks. Hopefully some of them would turn out to be more competent than most of their current warriors. It was hard to determine at the beginning, but some symptoms were nausea, bloating, sleeplessness, restlessness, lethargy, swellings, blaoting, gassiness and personality shifts. Gosh, the list went on and on. Increased or decreased appetite, which was uncommon among some. When the pregnancy was further along prodding genty on the queen's belly could result in feeling the heads of the kits growing inside. Then it could be told for sure if the shecat was pregnant.

That was a lot to take in. Questions.. yes she did have one. "You mentioned boneset a few times. Do you think you could teach me what it does? Also, maybe I could try to teach you a herb or two. I don't know too many at the moment. But the less comonly known ones I'm aware of is horsetail and how to treat burns, if you need that?" she questioned.

[ @ellie - I lost motivation and gave up halfway so sorry if this is messy ]