Moonfall Lake

[squidz]

| BERRYPAW |

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

[ riverclan mc apprentice | she-cat | 11 moons | timid, kind, hardworking ]

—

Berrypaw listened along as Fawnlight dutifully answered all of her rambling questions, getting a clearer idea of what each of the herbs did and how to use them. She continued to paw them around and sniff them as her ears stayed perked to listen. When the former medicine cat spoke about asking other Clans for help, Berrypaw hummed in thought, looking a bit worried for a moment. They'd been civil at the Gathering, but would any medicine cat actually want to deal with RiverClan? Even if she'd done them no wrong herself? She didn't speak these thoughts aloud, not wanting Fawnlight to think she was fretting too much — because StarClan knows (hah) that she always did.

Flash-freezing was very interesting, and Berrypaw listened attentively, picturing the process in her head. A way to preserve herbs, even in leaf-bare! That was good to know; the 'paw was still young, and hadn't fully experienced her first leaf-bare except as a very young kit where she could hardly remember things, or spent most of her time in the warm nursery (even if she'd mostly been on her own). But she knew they could get harsh... the early leaf-fall chill on the breeze back home told her all she needed to know.

Then Fawnlight moved on to showing her about the splint, and Berrypaw's eyes widened. Oh, there were a few cats that had broken limbs during the raid... Mistyshard had handled them all, so Berry still didn't have a clue. Oh, and burnet and juniper helping with shock was good to know!

"Ooh... okay, okay..." Berrypaw mewed, watching carefully and pawing over a large stick, clumsily lining it up to her own leg. It was the same difficulty on trying to do it herself, but she was getting the idea. Tilting her head, she asked, "For the actual, uh, broken bone itself... h-how exactly do I put it back to where it was? Just... push it? A-And how much, how hard... what if I just make it worse?"

It sounded like a dumb question, and she felt awfully sheepish asking it, but Fawnlight was nothing if not approachable and warm. So it felt a little less silly, especially when maintaining limbs was at stake.

[ @taillow - fawn achy breaky leg ]

[Rose]

She/Her | Purrks Overlook

She wasn't going to spend all her time going in circles. So if she couldn't find the cats she sought, she would make them find her. It had taken Lark a good long while to reach the edge of StarClan's territory. Her limbs ached - specifically her back right leg. It pulsed with pain, throbbing in time with her rapid heartbeat. Oh, that was right. Lark was panting, chest heaving as she drew in ragged breaths.

But she'd found a landmark. A lake, it appeared, though Lark was unhappy to admit how wary she was, standing by the edge of it. Murky water, too much blood, being pulled under, searing pain. Dragged into the depths. Released. Limbs being torn apart. She could still see it. That gruesome sight, blood everywhere, filling her line of sight until she was swimming in it. It had felt surreal then, and it felt surreal still. Ragged gasps escaped Lark as she stood by the edge of Moonfall Lake, amber hues glazed over, nicked ear flicking.

For now, she'd set her own personal camp here. Tomorrow, she'd start digging. Physically, and otherwise. Lark needed to know what mother dearest was doing.