RiverClan Medicine Cat's Den

[Kunaisoul]

Nightpaw walked in “snakeheart” she said. “I wanted to apologize..” she said. “I found a pretty flower and thought you would like it.” She layed down a wonderful purple lilac. @Rani

[Dizerel]

As she was being forced to confess, she felt nervous. Her ears getting hot, stamping her paws on the ground and shifting her weight back and forth. This couldn't be a good thing, to admit what she had done. She didn't want him to think any less of her because of it. Thinking back to what she had admitted to Starlingflight and Kestrelwing, though, made her feel a fair bit less weighed down by it.

"Alright. But you promise not to tell anyone, ok?" She said. "I... did something wrong. Something cruel. I was supposed to go to the the thunderclan border with a patrol to refresh the markers and check for any trace of coyote left. When we got there, the patrol split off, and I was left near the coyote's old den. Inside was a deceased mother and a small little pup, only a few days old by the look of it. At the time I was thinking a lot about the stress I had gone through, and how the coyotes almost took Kestrelwing away from me. Normally I am very very good about rising above my emotions and acting reasonably. I decided to let my emotions guide me for this, though. I did.... the unspeakable to that poor thing. Tortured, flayed, crushed, I took my time listening to it slowly die. It didnt even make me feel better afterwards. I was left there with a pile of mush, blood, and broken bones, and I wept to the stars for what I had done. Even though I have spoken about it with friends... it still makes me feel uneasy to think about. I dont want to be like that. I dont want my clanmates to think that I am like that."

For anyone that knew her, the behavior that she described was the complete opposite of how she usually acted. If she had to fight cats from other clans, she would always be tentative to unsheathe her claws, trying for diplomacy even when she was being torn into ribbons. The almost overwhelming and overbearing amount of love she showed to every single cat she met made this confession seem almost impossible.

[Feathercreek]

Originally Posted by Rani

Kit in his den. A kit in his den who appeared uninjured. How annoying, he'd just picked up this kit and bodily tossed them out if he didnt recognise this kit, it was that deaf one Silentkit. Hmmm how to deal this one... Tapping his paw on the ground in front of the kit to gain the toms attention he clearly and loudly spoke "What are you doing in here? There's nothing to play with in here, this is no place for a kit."

Silentkit looked up. Someone saw him, and it was the medicine cat! Smiling weakly, he padded out of the medicine den.

[Rani]

Another day another poppy.... He really didnt even need the seeds right now he already had like 12 but its not like Snakeheart would just throw the flowers he was given out. They could come to use even if he was drowning in seeds here. Hmmm maybe he could start just giving them to annoying cats as a policy so he could treat their sleeping bodies without noise.... Something to think of. Last time he shook the flowers individually but it took time so this time he just bundled them all together over a leaf and shook them together coming up with a happy pile of 12 poppyseeds. Alrighty with that done the medicine cat piled up his haul and placed them back in the storage before cleaning up the area.

[BristleFrost]

Riverkit walks into the medicine cats den. "Snakeheart, I want to be a medicine cat like you. Can I be your apprentice?" Riverkit mewed.

[Rani]

Originally Posted by Kunaiskrill

Nightpaw walked in “snakeheart” she said. “I wanted to apologize..” she said. “I found a pretty flower and thought you would like it.” She layed down a wonderful purple lilac. @Rani

The medicine cats ears flicked as the tom rose poking as the flower before grabbing it to place it among some of the buds and petals he'd placed around the den to cheer the place up. "If youre making an honest effort to be better and learn than theres nothing to apologise for. You've already done so before anyway. Im going on a herb patrol soon, if I take you will you stop with all this and put it behind you." At this point Snakeheart wasnt even mad anymore the anger had passed to vague irritation that was his standard view of his clanmates. At this point keeping bringing it up would do more harm than good, the event had passed and such. Still he had a patrol planned soon and did need paws so if Nightpaw needed to settle her conscious the option was open.

Originally Posted by Dizerel

As she was being forced to confess, she felt nervous. Her ears getting hot, stamping her paws on the ground and shifting her weight back and forth. This couldn't be a good thing, to admit what she had done. She didn't want him to think any less of her because of it. Thinking back to what she had admitted to Starlingflight and Kestrelwing, though, made her feel a fair bit less weighed down by it.

"Alright. But you promise not to tell anyone, ok?" She said. "I... did something wrong. Something cruel. I was supposed to go to the the thunderclan border with a patrol to refresh the markers and check for any trace of coyote left. When we got there, the patrol split off, and I was left near the coyote's old den. Inside was a deceased mother and a small little pup, only a few days old by the look of it. At the time I was thinking a lot about the stress I had gone through, and how the coyotes almost took Kestrelwing away from me. Normally I am very very good about rising above my emotions and acting reasonably. I decided to let my emotions guide me for this, though. I did.... the unspeakable to that poor thing. Tortured, flayed, crushed, I took my time listening to it slowly die. It didnt even make me feel better afterwards. I was left there with a pile of mush, blood, and broken bones, and I wept to the stars for what I had done. Even though I have spoken about it with friends... it still makes me feel uneasy to think about. I dont want to be like that. I dont want my clanmates to think that I am like that."

For anyone that knew her, the behavior that she described was the complete opposite of how she usually acted. If she had to fight cats from other clans, she would always be tentative to unsheathe her claws, trying for diplomacy even when she was being torn into ribbons. The almost overwhelming and overbearing amount of love she showed to every single cat she met made this confession seem almost impossible.

Snakeheart was growing more and more tense as the tale progressed a darkness clouding his head as Junipersong explained she'd done something horrible. He remained silent as promised nothing as he frowned wondering if he might have to put down the friend of a friend for the safety of the clan. Except....

"Wait this is about a coyote pup? God damn it Junipersong I was terrified you'd killed a border crosser and started a war or something!" He sighed and relaxed rubbing his head as he took in the story with a new lens without his prior worries.
"While its worrisome that you snapped like this and I would recommend seeking coping mechanisms to avoid these outburst being violent when you dont want them to be, maybe breathing methods or spars to vent the excess energy when needed, I dont think this is as horrid as you view. It may have been a young pup that you tormented but... Wouldnt the coyotes do the same to you? To our own clans kits? They would main and kill us horribly and while we arent beasts and should be better we are wild too. We're not soft kittypets we fight with all out hearts for our clan and its understandable if that becomes too much." Quite frankly he had respect that Junipersong was capable of killing a pup, most of the clan would be too soft to act leading to the risk of the canine coming back full grown for revenge.

"You feel regret you can take steps to change should you want to but even if you went a bit too far you did what was necessary. Take heart in that. 'Sides that kind of emotional power could be a saving grace for you or a clanmate in a battle and its healthy to feel emotions my recommendation is to hone it not suppress it. Either way though I wont judge you for killing a coyote that killed one of ours."
He'd judge non action, he'd judge refusal to do everything one could for the clan, but he wouldnt judge going to far. Not given his current plans to defend them should things with thunderclan worsen.

Originally Posted by Feathercreek

Silentkit looked up. Someone saw him, and it was the medicine cat! Smiling weakly, he padded out of the medicine den.

..... He'd talked to the kit and the little thing had walked away. What a strange little thing. Well whatever happened to the deaf kit Snakeheart wished him well internally as he turned back to cleaning the den.

Originally Posted by BristleFrost

Riverkit walks into the medicine cats den. "Snakeheart, I want to be a medicine cat like you. Can I be your apprentice?" Riverkit mewed.

The young medicine cat was frustratedly checking his herb stores growling as he tried to move his giant pile of poppyseeds to the side to actually reach his other supplies when the kit wandered in. Giving up his task for a time he turned to the kit judgementally silently raising a single eyebrow as he looked over Riverkit. His response was short harsh and blunt. "No. I dont care if you want to be a medicine cat I didnt want to be myself so you'll quickly find 'wants' dont matter. Im not looking to train someone right now so unless you have some reason to be here Im going to get back to my duties." The kit was young and probably hadnt heard of Snakehearts trademark snippy attitude but the tom wasnt known to be soft to even kits unless the situation was dire. He'd be perfectly honest and blunt to the kit if asked but softening the words and reaction was not in the cards.

[Dizerel]

Originally Posted by Rani

Snakeheart was growing more and more tense as the tale progressed a darkness clouding his head as Junipersong explained she'd done something horrible. He remained silent as promised nothing as he frowned wondering if he might have to put down the friend of a friend for the safety of the clan. Except....

"Wait this is about a coyote pup? God damn it Junipersong I was terrified you'd killed a border crosser and started a war or something!" He sighed and relaxed rubbing his head as he took in the story with a new lens without his prior worries.
"While its worrisome that you snapped like this and I would recommend seeking coping mechanisms to avoid these outburst being violent when you dont want them to be, maybe breathing methods or spars to vent the excess energy when needed, I dont think this is as horrid as you view. It may have been a young pup that you tormented but... Wouldnt the coyotes do the same to you? To our own clans kits? They would main and kill us horribly and while we arent beasts and should be better we are wild too. We're not soft kittypets we fight with all out hearts for our clan and its understandable if that becomes too much." Quite frankly he had respect that Junipersong was capable of killing a pup, most of the clan would be too soft to act leading to the risk of the canine coming back full grown for revenge.

"You feel regret you can take steps to change should you want to but even if you went a bit too far you did what was necessary. Take heart in that. 'Sides that kind of emotional power could be a saving grace for you or a clanmate in a battle and its healthy to feel emotions my recommendation is to hone it not suppress it. Either way though I wont judge you for killing a coyote that killed one of ours."
He'd judge non action, he'd judge refusal to do everything one could for the clan, but he wouldnt judge going to far. Not given his current plans to defend them should things with thunderclan worsen.

"What? No I would never raise a claw against another cat unless it was in defense of a clanmate!" When she said that, she meant that. Not even in self defense would she try and draw the blood of another cat, as her combat style was much more focused on blunt force and using her weight to overpower the enemy. Even if she was in a fierce battle with another clan, she didnt want to hurt the other cat more than she had to. Only if unsheathing her claws would lead to protecting her clanmate's lives would she ever do so.

However, against a coyote, some of that inhibition was lost. Still, it felt wrong to do it to a pup. Sure, the thing likely had to die. She wasnt arguing that. But killing it swiftly was much different than drawing out its suffering for her own crude entertainment. Coyotes would kill her just to eat her. They wouldnt intentionally draw out her suffering. Stooping so low made her feel like she was less than a coyote. What was she if she wasnt capable of mercy? Of course, this entire time, her inner voice was telling her that the pup deserved it, and she of course responded with a sharp bite back at her mental self, as listening to those thoughts is what got her into this situation to begin with.

Snakeheart's indifference towards the fate of the coyote pup left Junipersong feeling hollow. It felt like the same dogma that drove most of her clanmates, the same principles that she had to consciously fight day-by-day. The thing she was trying to teach her apprentice to avoid in hopes that someone may be able to break out of the cycle of hatred. That someone could rise above it and be better. If everyone in the clan just hated who they were told to hate and tolerated who they were told to tolerate.... was that living? Was that even a society? Or was it a collective hivemind? Junipersong held no resentment towards Thunderclan or Shadowclan, despite what most of her clanmates wanted out of her. To everyone else who followed that hivemind way of thinking, Juniper's actions probably didn't seem to bad. To them, it was all about the collective. Do whatever helps the group. Junipersong didnt see it as a collective. She saw every cat for what they were. She valued her clanmates not because they were Riverclan. She valued them because she wanted to see the best in each and every one of them. Its why she tried so hard to soften up Kestrelwing and Snakeheart. To someone who saw things in the same way she did, betraying one's own sense of morality was worse than death.


She paused for a very long time, thinking through it all. Finally she brought her gaze to meet Snakeheart's. "What are we, if not beasts? What makes us better than the coyote's? What gives us more a right to live than them? Than anyone? I want to think that we are better than that. Capable of more than just acting on instinct. We may not all have powers, but starclan gives everyone a gift. A gift that I see so bright and beautiful inside every cat. I just wish that more of us were able to see it, too." She said solemnly, hanging her head low. Turning towards the exit of the den and starting to pad that way, even though she hadn't been entirely cleaned off and examined by Snakeheart yet.

[Kunaisoul]

“Ok, I’m sorry. I just thought you would like the flower.” She dropped it next to him and left. @Rani

[BristleFrost]

The young medicine cat was frustratedly checking his herb stores growling as he tried to move his giant pile of poppyseeds to the side to actually reach his other supplies when the kit wandered in. Giving up his task for a time he turned to the kit judgementally silently raising a single eyebrow as he looked over Riverkit. His response was short harsh and blunt. "No. I dont care if you want to be a medicine cat I didnt want to be myself so you'll quickly find 'wants' dont matter. Im not looking to train someone right now so unless you have some reason to be here Im going to get back to my duties." The kit was young and probably hadnt heard of Snakehearts trademark snippy attitude but the tom wasnt known to be soft to even kits unless the situation was dire. He'd be perfectly honest and blunt to the kit if asked but softening the words and reaction was not in the cards.

"But why not? Your so inspiring, and I want to be like you, and able to help my clanmates," mewed Riverkit sadly. He gets up and starts to walk out.

[Galaxy_]

Oakleaf walks in with a wound on her hid-leg.