We're going to the other side [p]

[Beaan]

- Wolfpaw -
- He/Him - 9 Moons - ThunderClan Medicine Cat -
- A large dark brown tom with a darker back and lighter underbelly, a missing hind leg -

The tom yawned as the moon hung high in the clearing. This was a sign to go to bed. He avoided going to sleep in the den he hated for as long as possible, but he had to sleep eventually. The tripod hobbled into his nest, circling in it before laying down. He underestimated just how tired he was. Within a few moments of laying down and shutting his eyes, the brown tom had passed out.

Now normally, the medicine cat's night would be sleepless, but there was an occasional dream. This time was different. He awoke in a starry place. StarClan? He wasn't dead, he knew that. He knew because a, he was fine when he went to bed and b, he didn't have stars in his pelt. He had seen StarClan cats before, and he knew stars littered their pelt. So who the hell brought him here. The brown tom looked around, green eyes scanning. "Hello? Who's there. If yer not showin up, just send me back so I can sleep," he called out. It wasn't every day he had a StarClan dream, but they were going to get the same treatment as his clanmates.

[ @BEAR. ]

[BEAR.]

It wasn't every day someone showed up on his side of the woods. And even less common was a cat so young.. it reminded him of a young lady who once traversed this world; he hadn't seen her in eons. Good company, though. He hoped fate treated her kindly. (Spoilers: it ended in early deaths, not that he would know.)

Aconiteheart took a second before he disembarked from his spot in a tree. He sprang down from it effortlessly, landing near Wolfpaw with a shake of his pelt. "Hello to you too!!!" This cat seemed like they wanted out FAST - and it brought forth a burst of anxiety. They just got here! "Come on now, there's no need to be so hasty. You're sleeping no matter what we do here; time passes the same regardless so why not make the most of it?" The more he talked, the more he hoped something would stick. An interest, something to pique so they didn't leave--- (he didnt like being alone, the last one made him remember that)

"I'm Aconiteheart." It was said as he plopped in the dirt unceremoniously. "What's your name?"

[ @Beaan ]

[Beaan]

- Wolfpaw -
- He/Him - 9 Moons - ThunderClan Medicine Cat -
- A large dark brown tom with a darker back and lighter underbelly, a missing hind leg -

Okay, who was this guy. The tripod fell to his back as he was attempting to back up from the stranger. The medicine cat rolled over to get to a laying position before standing up again. His green eyes were laced with suspicion as the other cat began speaking. Of course, yet another cat getting on him about how nicer he could be. He didn't caaareeee!!! They wouldn't get treated like that if they weren't bothering Wolfpaw!! And plu-

wait what did he say his name was? "Ac..aconite?" he said, butchering the pronunciation. "The hell is an aconite? Ya know what, don't answer me. I'm wolfpaw, ThunderClan's medicine cat. If I'm stuck here with you, do you at least have anything to teach me? herbs and whatnot?" he inquired, furrowing his brows. He was still thinking about the name, however. The hell was an aconite!?!?

[ @BEAR. ]

[BEAR.]

"... You might be better off saying Acanineheart, like your last friend." Aconiteheart didn't mind the butchering but figured it'd just be easier on the kid! Besides, names didn't really matter when one was dead. They were for the living.

The question on what an aconite was made his tail thump excitedly. "It's a root! ... I've never seen one myself, but an old SkyClan legend talked about them. They said an old healer used one to poison a mighty lynx in order to keep our Clan safe. ..I was named after how they apparently look, brown with spots, but.." If they weren't around, it was naught but a legend. Still, he took pride in his namesake maybe being used to protect SkyClan. Poisons had a bad rep, but could be useful in a pinch. ".. You mean apprentice?"

Paws typically were that, not the full thing. Though, ...as he reflected on the past, he remembered Ebonypaw. Ebonyfrost. His kid, in spirit - a lonely apprentice left to take on the mantle of full medicine cat with no training. Another soul who had disappeared, and he missed deeply. "... Sorry for that assumption, it's not super common for apprentices to take charge by themselves. But it does happen." im sorry, dont leave. "What a journey it must've been to get you to this point."

Training was easy-peasy, and not something Aconiteheart was going to stress over. "Well, you've come to the right ghost at least! I just so-happen to know some things, courtesy of having been a medicine cat myself. What've you got so far - is it a lot?" A baseline would tell him where to start and prevent repetition.

[ @Beaan ]

[Beaan]

- Wolfpaw -
- He/Him - 9 Moons - ThunderClan Medicine Cat -
- A large dark brown tom with a darker back and lighter underbelly, a missing hind leg -

A canine heart. Alright. Wolfpaw decided to ignore the 'other friend' part for the time being. He nodded his head, that would probably be for the best. A root? And a poison one at that, okay, yeah, that was a weird thing to be named after. But it was cool hearing a SkyClan legend. In his entire life, Wolfpaw had only vaguely heard of SkyClan.

"...You mean apprentice?"

"I wish," the tripod muttered. "S complicated. Old medicine cat got swooped up by n owl without takin an apprentice and our leader had a prophecy and chose me," he explained, leaving hollow out of it just in case this guy were to spill it to someone else. "Don't worry, everyone says that. s fine," he muttered, laying down so that way he didn't have to balance himself the entire time while talking to aconiteheart.

Well, thank the stars, it was his lucky day today. "You were a medicine cat?" he asked, his eyes lighting up. This was perfect! "Uh... I know... Burdock, catmint, cobwebs, horsetail, marigold - or the fact they heal infections, that's all I was told about them, so dunno if that's their only use or if there's more, - Poppy seeds, tansy, wild garlic, and briefly how to amputate... for uh, obvious reasons," he said, chuckling nervously before using his tail to cover his stub as he always did.

[ @BEAR. ]

[BEAR.]

"Yeesh, that isn't easy, filling those pawsteps! Has that medicine cat visited you any to help out?" Stormlight hadn't been able to help Ebonypaw; that was why Aconiteheart stepped in. He hoped Wolfpaw had a better experience than that.

Once, many lifetimes ago. Aconiteheart could reminisce but it just hurt, lost in the abyss of time and memory. Between them laid layers of The Dead, countless skeletons that divided them to past and future.

It probably wouldn't make sense to Wolfpaw if he spoke of this, of far-gone days. "You've got some work cut out for you, don't you?" It wasn't BAD, in the sense it was better than nothing. But there was so much left for hum to learn. "A lot of my knowledge is what every medicine cat should know, but it's not comprehensive. You'll find there is more to learn in this world than just what is taught to you, whether it be by me or another."

Now onto ... Aconiteheart guessed marigold, as Wolfpaw mentioned it as only for infections. "Most herbs will have more than one use, it's just not always obvious. Marigold for example can be used to help soothe inflammed or stiff joints - similar to applying it to a wound, you'll want to apply the poultice against the affected area. Some cats just squeeze the juice, others use it as a paste, regardless the result should be the same."

[ @Beaan ]

[Beaan]

- Wolfpaw -
- He/Him - 9 Moons - ThunderClan Medicine Cat -
- A large dark brown tom with a darker back and lighter underbelly, a missing hind leg -

"...its complicated. She's not dead at all, just a traitor. Hasn't taught me anythin either," wolfpaw explained bitterly to aconiteheart. He listened, staying silent as the old medicine cat spoke. They moved on to the other uses of marigold as well - inflammation and stiff joints, noted. The tom knew he was going to learn a lot, but he was prepared. "Uh, before ya move on, what does poultice and paste mean?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

[ @BEAR. ]

[BEAR.]

Hold on, that didn't sound right. Aconiteheart paused, trying to process. "I think I might be missing some details there. Surviving an owl and becoming a traitor...? Wild stuff." He didn't need all the information, deciding it wasn't really his business. Situations were often complex and had more to it than met the eye. "Anyway... what? Has no one told you what those are??" Several of the herbs Wolfpaw listed required them in some form, so the news was shocking. "Incredible how in the dark they've left you! How unusual...

"A poultice is what you get once you chew certain herbs, usually ones with leaves or petals. A paste is similar, and usually come from roots or nuts. ..Don't chew nuts on a whim, you can break your teeth." Aconiteheart beckoned him to join him as he waved his tail, conjuring dream-adjacent marigold and burdock. "Just to showcase so you can see the difference, when you chew marigold.." He demonstrated that, and spat it onto his paw. "It cuts it up into small pieces, allowing the petals and stem to seep their juices out. If you put this on a scratch with cobwebs to keep it in place, it will help protect the scratch from dirt and keep it damp, which helps it heal better. If the wound is small and won't have issues healing, you can squeeze the juice onto it instead so it doesn't leave as much residue.

"As for burdock, we primarily use the root to heal. Now, I'm not sure you've actually used this.." given he didn't use the terms before? "but when you chew it, your mouth goes numb. That's why it's very effective in wound treatment and pain management." Did spirits have nerves? One way to find out! Aconiteheart plopped the root in his mouth and crunched down until the root was reduced to a paste. Then, on his other paw he spat it. "Root paste is usually lighter in color from poultice, and has less obvious bits in it.. But fundamentally it works similar, you just won't be able to squeeze it for juice all that well so I'd just slather it on."

He'd reach to bop Wolfpaw in the head with the paste, but regardless the substances would disappear into dream history before making actual contact. "All that make sense?"

[ @Beaan ]