Moonfall Lake

[BEAR.]

Maybe splashing water worked on her as intended, or maybe not. Hawkstar watched her but couldn't read her expression well enough to know. He did hope it left an impression - such conflict was rarely fueled by the work of a single unit. A combination of mistakes, deliberate acts, time and a lack of accountability kindled the flames long before her own transgressions. She played a part, may have tipped the wave over the edge, but it'd been building in advance.

Hawkstar wasn't here to chastise her. Not only had she heard it plenty times before, but he recognized faults and the desire to change and grow from them. Her past did not need to be her future.. and if he could sway it into something brighter, that meant more than hollow, echoed words. His gaze scanned the scar along her shoulder and leg, muzzle twitching. "If it benefited her, she may have. The wounds our Clan have left her run deep. But Twilightstar holds an air of sense about her.. and revenge leaves no one victorious."

A sigh. "There are few in this world whom have such capabilities.. and some mask it better than others. In my case, I was merely a fool." If he had acted, if he hadn't been so passive... but all it was now was ifs. "Any authority you hold within a Clan should not be easy. Every choice you make, every word you say, has an impact on those under your care. You should always act with their best interest at heart, and do your best to consider your choices before implementing them. Your decision.. can make or break your Clan." Even the best choice at the time may not be the right one, but the point of his words was to think before she acted. Put some consideration into it, and understand that this was larger than what she might initially see.

"There's always going to be controversies.. think of your previous leaderships. How many times did you agree with what they were doing? How many times were they questioned, rebelled against? How you handle these disagreements is more telling than the fact they are occurring. You can argue back, you can banish them. You can hear them out and acknowledge their concerns.. or you can ignore it and allow it to fester like a wound within the Clan." A reflection, as he thought of his own era. "I sought to be pacifistic. In a world where our Clan had been in an unending war, of course cats disagreed with me. Had I not been so stubborn in wanting to resolve an age-old feud peacefully, maybe I would have seen they were right. I don't like violence, Dusklion.. but sometimes, it becomes a necessary evil to defend your home." Like those kits, even if the act seemed morally reprehensible. "But because they may have been right for me, that does not mean the same for you. Consider their perspective, and grow from there."

[ @taillow ]

[taillow]

Dusklion - RiverClan Deputy

That was true, and the deputy had seen it first-hand in the battle. Twilightstar's eyes, while clouded with hatred and vitriol, had not been the eyes of a cat who would murder. That alone had been enough to snap something within Dusklion, a sense of understanding that even though it had been her claws responsible for the death of her deputy, the leader didn't want her dead. It would be a comforting thought if the paranoia of it all left her - but it lingered like cobwebs in the corners of her mind. She hadn't quite yet figured out how to shake them entirely.

As the topic shifted to what it had been like to be a leader during his time, Dusklion's full attention shifted to the cat before her. Eyes wide as the full moons on gatherings she peered forward, hanging onto every word. "A... fool?" It was more so spoken quietly under her breath, though not so that Hawkstar couldn't hear it. The deputy blinked as she continued to listen. So it was universal then, that it wasn't easy. Pulling her ears back the dark tabby glanced at her paws briefly, slowly unsheathing her claws in the water, then pulling them back again and looking back up at the former RiverClan leader.

Thinking back to the previous leaderships drew a soft, unintentional snarl from Dusklion. She'd joined under Snowleap's leadership, and while there were some parts that had been... okay, what stood out to her was the pack of dogs that had ravaged their camp at the end - and the death of the shield O/tterfluff who had come back to help them only to die. "I'd handle 'em better than a coward," she muttered quietly in between his words. Looking more attentively back at Hawkstar, she blinked. Pacifistic? That was... unexpected. How could any leader truly be like that - it would mean the Clan would get walked over! But she didn't dare say this outloud, and instead swallowed the opinion down with any other words that might've come out.

"I feel like all I've ever known since comin' into RiverClan is tension. Started with the dogs 'n when Snowleap stepped down, leavin' Beansprout to step up. That's when our issues started with ThunderClan - or, 'm told they started earlier than that too..." Stories of a raid on ThunderClan's camp, the death of Lions 'n former medicine cat Fawnsqueak had sparked it. So much history that sometimes thinking about it all made the anger swell within her at ThunderClan. It was difficult in those moments to remind herself to let it go.

"Can't remember a time where the other Clans weren't at our throats, 'n us theirs. 'Cept maybe now, 'cause they drove us out of our home." Any fight in her words died in her throat as her tone got quieter, ears drawing back again. "...I haven't told anyone this, but... I want revenge. I do. I want... I want 'em all to pay for what they did to us - for drivin' us out. For what... what those shadow rats did to Cobs? To Berries?? The kids that were tortured 'n murdered - that snake of a traitor Minkpaw 'r whatever her name is now - how she - she killed a barely outta the nursery 'paw?!" Eyes ablaze now, the deputy had to pause to reel in her seething anger. It was the first time she had let it out really, so scared of what RiverClan might think if they saw the true desires in her heart - especially so soon after the truth of her involvement in Fallownose's death. They would certainly blame her again for wanting revenge... she couldn't drag them into another war like the one that had cost them their home...

"...But I know that anger... is what got us into this mess in the first place. My brother - he wants revenge just as much as he wants air to breathe. 'N... 'n I do to - but when I looked into Twilightstar's eyes..." Looking at Hawkstar now, almost as if she were praying he... might understand, "...when she spared my life... I got it. I knew why this was happening, 'n that even though we've been doin' what we can, it wasn't enough 'n never... never would be..." Looking to the side, Dusklion heaved a sigh. "I wanna do what's best for RiverClan - always have, 'n always will. But... how will I be able to tell the difference between what I think is best for 'em, 'n what actually is best for 'em?"

[ @BEAR. ]

[taillow]

Fawnlight - Former RiverClan Medicine Cat

Sadness.

The one thing she had hoped would not happen did. Berrypaw, left alone in her role. Memories of when StarClan had appointed her as RiverClan's sole healer flooded her mind. All of the death and despair she'd been pushed through at such a young age. Fawnlight wanted to crumble and cry under the weight of it all. But no - she wasn't the same fragile cat she used to be. She was stronger regardless of whatever that scary spirit said....

Instead of her normal den, the brown dappled she-cat wanted to make sure the young healer felt rested upon waking up. She'd felt the effects of Moonfall Lake when she had woken up here after... after being killed... Hopefully those effects would work on Berrypaw and she would wake up feeling rested and safe.

Closing her eyes she reached herself down into the dreams of the young medicine cat, opening then shortly after to await for her to materialize in the shallow waters of the lake near the shoreline.

[ @squidz - training + restful sleep time! ]

[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 always had trouble falling asleep; her restless mind often plagued her for hours, making it a cumbersome ordeal each time. Not to mention fearful nightmares that would often jolt her awake, though she kept those to herself. Sometimes she'd woken up Mistyshard here or there, but had largely kept silent on those matters, not wanting to show more weakness than she already did in her everyday life.

So when she'd curled up for her sleep tonight, alone in the medicine den, she looked around tiredly. Another long day, which she could handle, but... with no one to talk to... it got rather lonely, and rather fast. She practically sank into her nest, her head resting on her small paws with a sigh. On a very rare occurrence, she found the blissful darkness of sleep taking her quickly this time, perhaps due to her mental and emotional fatigue from the past few moons.

And yet... she didn't meet the typical forests or skirmishes of her dreams, or the vivid memories of the 3v1 that plagued her— stars, no, don't remember how that one cat loomed over her while Cob's leg was... no, it wasn't any of that, the images that typically met her. Now it was... quiet. And she felt an odd sense of something like...

Peace.

When she blinked open her eyes, Berrypaw was startled to find that she was standing in shallow (yet pleasantly warm) water in a strange, mystical-like place. It was unfamiliar, yet immediately comforting; the trees and grass were lush, the environment was tranquil, and the weather was warm and tinged with the sweetish scent of a lovely greenleaf evening. Blinking a few more times in confusion, the little apprentice gazed around, pawing at the water almost timidly. Something about this dream felt a bit more... real, than others she'd had before.

"Ah... h-hello...?" She called out cautiously, scanning her surroundings warily — she didn't want to ruin the serenity of the dream, not used to such an environment, but something stirring in her told her that this was more than just an ordinary dream. And... perhaps that she wasn't alone at the moment.

[ @taillow - fawn <3 ]

[taillow]

Fawnlight - Former RiverClan Medicine Cat

As the young medicine cat materialized before her, a soft smile spread across her dappled face. "Hello, Berrypaw." Her tone was soft as Fawnlight waved her tail to capture the she-cat's attention from where she stood on the shoreline. "It's nice to see you again, under better circumstances." Briefly, she wondered if the young cat would recall her from when she had intervened with Redmire - but just incase... "My name is Fawnlight. I... hope it's alright I've stolen you away for tonight from your regular dreams."

Gesturing with her tail for the young medicine cat to step out of the water, Fawnlight turned and headed further up the bank. Once the ground leveled out a bit she turned and smiled at Berrypaw, blue eyes glimmering with starlight. "I'm sorry that you've found yourself now... alone in the medicine den. I wanted to offer whatever I could to you, to make sure you know you're not alone. Trainings, support... a friend." Once more she gave a smile towards the apprentice, hoping that this would make them feel a little less alone.

[ @squidz - so sorry for the delay! ]

[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's darting green eyes finally focused on the StarClan cat in front of her, almost letting out a squeak of surprise — she'd been so distracted by the incredible surroundings that she'd hardly noticed the starry-pelted feline right there. Sheepishly she ducked her head, recognition flitting across her face.

"O-Oh! Stars... yes, Fawnlight... I remember you! You helped me out with Redmire, and the borage..." she mewed, then realization dawned on her. Oh, that must mean... she was in StarClan? Wow! Amazement shone in her eyes as she gazed around for another moment, taking it in, as Fawnlight made the comment about stealing her away from her dreams. Berrypaw let out a small little (and somewhat somber) laugh and nodded, taking one last gander before returning her gaze to the former medicine cat. "Oh, yes... more than fine... this is much better," she purred, more than grateful for the reprieve from her often-troubled slumbers.

At Fawnlight's gesture, the little brown she-cat stepped out of the water, shaking it from her paws before settling on the pebbly bank and then the soft, lush grass beyond. Berrypaw kept craning her neck, as if trying to see all around Moonfall Lake as she followed the cat before her, amazed into a momentary silence. But once they stopped, her attention flitted back to Fawnlight, meeting her warm and sympathetic blue eyes.

Berrypaw ducked her head a bit at the initial sentence, shuffling her paws in an almost nervous gesture at the indirect mention of Mistyshard's resignation. But at the last few words she lifted her head, a gleam of hope interrupting the nervous, sorrowful look that usually inhabited her eyes.

"T-That would be... amazing!" Berrypaw breathed, nodding immediately in gratitude. "It's been... hard... on my own, after all that's happened with the raid and the mountains... I've been trying to keep it together, to let the Clan know I won't let them down after all we've been through, but stars... i-it gets to me."

A shudder ran through her small, nimble frame as she recalled the horrors of the 3v1, the resulting rush of healing, the arduous journey to the mountains and back... but pushing that aside for now, she returned Fawnlight's smile with a small, sheepish one of her own, something like almost eager anticipation crossing her features. To learn from a StarClan cat in the mystical domain itself! One super nice cat that wanted to help train and support her, and even be a friend...? Berry would say she would think she was dreaming, but... hey, she was. Just turns out that this dream was still 'real'. Heh. She sat now with her tail curled over her paws, a spark of the eagerness she'd used to have before all the trauma incidents happened showing through.

[ @taillow - all good fren! ]

[BEAR.]

Originally Posted by taillow

Dusklion - RiverClan Deputy

That was true, and the deputy had seen it first-hand in the battle. Twilightstar's eyes, while clouded with hatred and vitriol, had not been the eyes of a cat who would murder. That alone had been enough to snap something within Dusklion, a sense of understanding that even though it had been her claws responsible for the death of her deputy, the leader didn't want her dead. It would be a comforting thought if the paranoia of it all left her - but it lingered like cobwebs in the corners of her mind. She hadn't quite yet figured out how to shake them entirely.

As the topic shifted to what it had been like to be a leader during his time, Dusklion's full attention shifted to the cat before her. Eyes wide as the full moons on gatherings she peered forward, hanging onto every word. "A... fool?" It was more so spoken quietly under her breath, though not so that Hawkstar couldn't hear it. The deputy blinked as she continued to listen. So it was universal then, that it wasn't easy. Pulling her ears back the dark tabby glanced at her paws briefly, slowly unsheathing her claws in the water, then pulling them back again and looking back up at the former RiverClan leader.

Thinking back to the previous leaderships drew a soft, unintentional snarl from Dusklion. She'd joined under Snowleap's leadership, and while there were some parts that had been... okay, what stood out to her was the pack of dogs that had ravaged their camp at the end - and the death of the shield O/tterfluff who had come back to help them only to die. "I'd handle 'em better than a coward," she muttered quietly in between his words. Looking more attentively back at Hawkstar, she blinked. Pacifistic? That was... unexpected. How could any leader truly be like that - it would mean the Clan would get walked over! But she didn't dare say this outloud, and instead swallowed the opinion down with any other words that might've come out.

"I feel like all I've ever known since comin' into RiverClan is tension. Started with the dogs 'n when Snowleap stepped down, leavin' Beansprout to step up. That's when our issues started with ThunderClan - or, 'm told they started earlier than that too..." Stories of a raid on ThunderClan's camp, the death of Lions 'n former medicine cat Fawnsqueak had sparked it. So much history that sometimes thinking about it all made the anger swell within her at ThunderClan. It was difficult in those moments to remind herself to let it go.

"Can't remember a time where the other Clans weren't at our throats, 'n us theirs. 'Cept maybe now, 'cause they drove us out of our home." Any fight in her words died in her throat as her tone got quieter, ears drawing back again. "...I haven't told anyone this, but... I want revenge. I do. I want... I want 'em all to pay for what they did to us - for drivin' us out. For what... what those shadow rats did to Cobs? To Berries?? The kids that were tortured 'n murdered - that snake of a traitor Minkpaw 'r whatever her name is now - how she - she killed a barely outta the nursery 'paw?!" Eyes ablaze now, the deputy had to pause to reel in her seething anger. It was the first time she had let it out really, so scared of what RiverClan might think if they saw the true desires in her heart - especially so soon after the truth of her involvement in Fallownose's death. They would certainly blame her again for wanting revenge... she couldn't drag them into another war like the one that had cost them their home...

"...But I know that anger... is what got us into this mess in the first place. My brother - he wants revenge just as much as he wants air to breathe. 'N... 'n I do to - but when I looked into Twilightstar's eyes..." Looking at Hawkstar now, almost as if she were praying he... might understand, "...when she spared my life... I got it. I knew why this was happening, 'n that even though we've been doin' what we can, it wasn't enough 'n never... never would be..." Looking to the side, Dusklion heaved a sigh. "I wanna do what's best for RiverClan - always have, 'n always will. But... how will I be able to tell the difference between what I think is best for 'em, 'n what actually is best for 'em?"

[ @BEAR. ]

"A fool, indeed." And it hurt to confess that, in so many ways. Hawkstar knew he was a fool the second Eternalstrike's claws met his throat - had he been more aggressive, perhaps... But perhaps is all it ever would be. The past could not be erased, though it could be forgotten. "I suppose that part of the story has been lost to the sands of time, but I was tired. Tired of all the needless death that came from a fight neither of us started... and wishful in thinking his son would see it the same. Why continue a war when the ones who started it were dead? Why fight over land when more could be claimed? What value was there in adding to the body counts?

"I am the fool who dreamed of a better future for my Clan. I showed mercy and compassion and received none in return - and that cost us almost everything. The Clans fell in darkness and it took many, many long moons for them to see the light again." It wasn't even that RiverClan got walked all over; it was that the other Clans fell beneath the claws of cruelty and they were enslaved to monsters. RiverClan had just been the stepping stone.

She might handle the controversies better, but only time could tell. "RiverClan.. has struggled for longer than Snowleap and Beanstar; they did not help, but they inherited issues they were not prepared for." One of them added to those issues, for whatever reason. Hawkstar wasn't sure he ever explained himself. "That isn't to defend them, but to remind you RiverClan has been fractured fundamentally for many seasons. Kestrelstar was the last time RiverClan tasted stability, but he had moments where he wavered, and it killed him in the end. ... I suppose he was more similar to Lionstorm than any of us thought." The name was bitter on his tongue. Hawkstar had been fairly involved during Lionsreign, only because he knew his true identity. "Things have not always been so dire, but the choices of those around you have made it difficult to move on."

Ah... revenge. "If this is how you feel... have you thought about how the other Clans felt? To be driven to the point of torture and killing? Poison, torture, murder on the borders... RiverClan only had a few commit these acts, but they left a rippling effect that impacted many in the other Clans - how many of their children do you think were hurt by this? Likewise, the retaliation to that extremity was only done by a few. You have every right to be angry; but if you pursue vengeance even when RiverClan gets back on its paws, the cycle will not end. That's all.. revenge breeds. More pain, more death.

"I don't agree that it will never be enough. ThunderClan struggled for seasons before Bumblestar took charge. Icestar whipped ShadowClan into shape when Windystar failed the Clan, but her death left ShadowClan in pieces that Dawnstar repaired. Even Twilightstar faced many challenges in her leadership when she succeeded Brightsky - your efforts are not in vain, but you will not see results immediately. It takes time to see the effects of your actions; and how you go about your actions and your Clan will determine those outcomes." One could be a tyrant and rule harshly, one could just be stern but fair. One could be more forgiving... there were several possibilities, and where RiverClan would go was very up in the air. "You're making a good step to do what's best for them: question yourself. Think of the possible impact your actions will have on the Clan, and use that to make your judgement calls. If you're unsure even with this - you have other cats whose advice may prove valuable in the moons to come. Whether you heed their words... is another thing."

[taillow]

Fawnlight - Former RiverClan Medicine Cat

A smile stretched across Fawnlight's face as she sat beside Berrypaw and watched her, tail flopping around to rest as a comfort to the younger cat. It was hard, no doubt, to handle everything at such a young age. When she was younger, she had been over the moon about becoming the Clan's medicine cat - feeling chosen by StarClan. But the more time that passed and the more she grew up here, she realized what a true burden it was. At least she had never been alone - and neither would Berrypaw.

"Let's get started then, shall we?" Looking down at the grass there were an assortment of herbs that seemingly had not been there before. The powers of StarClan, she knew, but she glanced at Berrypaw with a soft smile. Watching the wonders in her eyes at StarClan never failed to make her heart happy. Reaching forward the brown dappled she-cat plucked the first herb from the pile, sliding it in front of her. It was a flowering plant with yellow or white flowers that closely resembled a dandelion, and its strong, sweet scent filled the air. "First up is coltsfoot. It grows best in newleaf, but sometimes you can still find some here and there - I usually was able to find some near the streams and throughout the territory. It helps with easing breathing issues, and is safe for even the youngest kittens." She used one paw to trace the outline of the leaves, then passed it to Berrypaw so she could inspect it. "You'll want to have your patients the leaves," she instructed, pointing towards the thick green leaves that sprouted from its stem.

"If you can't find coltsfoot, especially in leaf-bare, another good remedy for coughs is juniper berries." Reaching with a slender paw, Fawnlight pulled the small branch containing several of the blue-purple berries from her little pile. "They grow on dark green, prickly bushes, and often times carrying a stick of them can get you several berries at once. Like with the coltsfoot, you'll want to have your patients eat them. One or two should suffice. They can also help cats with bellyaches - though eating too much can make them sick." Using a claw the former medicine cat plucked one of the berries from the stick and held it up between them. It had a pungent smell, and Fawnlight's gaze flickered from it to Berrypaw before she put it down again after the medicine cat was finished inspecting it.

She allowed a few moments for questions, or anything Berrypaw might want to ask, before moving on to the next parts. She also wanted to give her the chance to familiarize herself with each herb. "This," she began, pulling a medium-sized leaf with bumpy edges, "is called burnet. Mostly they look like this, but sometimes can have spiky, purple flowers near their stem." She pushed the leaf to sit just before the young medicine cat. "Mostly found in sunny areas, though I'm not sure if leaf-bare kills it or not. It's what's known as a "traveling herb", meant for the long journeys to places such as the Starcave or other Clan areas. It provides cats with strength when eaten, and is also good for expecting queens."

"Next to it," Fawnlight continued, poking at the fuzzy-stemmed plant next to the burnet, "is celandine.". It had four yellow petals, with no other color seemingly present. It had a sweet smell to it that was a strong difference between the last herb she had taught her sister. "Believe it or not, a ShadowClan medicine cat was the one who taught me this herb." Elmshadow, the one who hadn't made her feel as frightened, brought a smile to her face. Sure he had been rugged and rough around the edges, but he hadn't really ever made her feel uncomfortable like Ivysnake had. "You'll need to crush the petals into a juice - you can collect it into a leaf - and then trickle the juice into your patient's eye. It will help any weak or damaged eyes. You'll still need to treat it with marigold around the eye to ward off infection though." Using her paw Fawnlight crushed the flower underneath, revealing how it created a watery-like substance. "You can find them throughout the territory, especially where the territory is more wet like near the streams." As the remains of the first celandine melted into the ground, Fawnlight conjured another one and pushed it towards Berrypaw so she could inspect it.

More pausing, more time for any questions or any concerns. Lifting her head in thought after a bit, the former medicine cat tried to see what would be best to learn next. She didn't want to overwhelm Berrypaw, but she knew that it was best to get this teaching done and complete as much as she could. Slender paws drew a small dandelion forward, reminiscing briefly about they had usually been weaved into her nest. "These are called dandelions. They're bright yellow and have really thin petals all around. If you're ever out of poppy seeds, you can have a cat chew this and it acts like a painkiller. The white liquid you get from making it into a poultice can also help alleviate the pain from bee stings, too."

"Next we have catmint, which is probably the most difficult to find. It grows a lot in twoleg dens, but sometimes you can also find it in the forest as well. It's a great remedy for whitecough and greencough." She used a paw to bring forward a tall plant with gray-green leaves that were soft and fuzzy to the touch. The smell was mouthwatering, coming from the pale purple flowers near the top. "Frost will easily kill it, so you likely won't find any in leaf-bare. It's best to try and stock up in the warmer moons since this will be your greatest aide in leaf-bare brought sickness." Fawnlight passed the herb over to Berrypaw for her to look more closely.

One last herb - and then, that would be all the herb knowledge Fawnlight would be able to offer. Part of her heart clenched tightly at the thought, but she knew she would still be there for Berrypaw even after their training ended. She had to be. "Lastly we have goldenrod." Bringing forward a tall plant with bright yellow flowers that were gathered in little clumps near the top, she moved it over to the medicine cat. "It's another good source for cleaning out wounds once you chew it into a poultice and apply it. Not as effective as others but it will help clean out the wound if you don't have anything else. It grows mostly out on moorland - I always managed to find it near Sedgewater Valley."

And... that was all the herbs Fawnlight knew. The former medicine cat fell silent once more, looking at Berrypaw and ready to answer any questions.

[ @squidz ]

[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 was shocked to see the herbs just sorta... materialize right there, out of nowhere. She leaned back as if trying to get a good look at all of them, her green eyes widening as she took in the full display. Some plants she didn't recognize at all, and others she'd definitely seen in the forest before, but just never knew their names or purposes. Ooh... she was going to learn a lot! A prickle of excitement and odd nerves ran through her as she stayed quiet at first, letting Fawnlight begin to instruct her.

First up, coltsfoot. Breathing issues, safe for even the smallest kits... that was good! Berry knew things like poppy seeds were dangerous for younger cats, so knowing more herbs that were guaranteed safe was nice.

Juniper berries... yep, she'd seen those in the medicine den, her pink nose instinctively wrinkling from the pungent smell. But hey, now she knew what they were! And what they did. Coughs and bellyaches... but not too many. Noted. The little brown she-cat listened attentively, her whiskers and tail tip twitching as she made sure to take in every detail, rehearsing them over and over in her head.

"...A-Are juniper berries safe for kits, too?" She asked in the small gap Fawnlight allowed for questions, tilting her head.

Next was burnet, good for long travels and expecting queens for strength... very helpful. She was sure that'd be good for young Daisykit, a cat in the Clan who had a lot of issues related to weakness of her muscles and body. Perhaps burnet could help! Berrypaw silently made a note of it, her mind spinning (in the best way) from the new information.

Celandine... ooh, that seemed like a helpful one. And taught by a ShadowClan medicine cat? Berrypaw couldn't help but let out a slightly amused snort; the idea of ShadowClan being friendly to them was almost funny. Although medicine cats were supposed to be a bit outside of Clan politics, right? Still, after what that Clan had done during the raid... she shivered at the reminder.

Anyways, eyes, yes... Berry had seen a cat around the time of the raid with eye issues, and she hadn't known a thing to help it. Maybe this would be helpful for her! She nodded, pawing the plant like she had the others, memorizing its feel and smell as best she could. Maybe she'd follow up with Dewpaw to see if this herb could help out those eye troubles she'd had...

"...H-How much of it makes enough juice for both eyes? Maybe... one flower? Two?" The apprentice asked, carefully mimicking Fawnlight by pushing her paw onto its petals, seeing how they crumpled and released a watery juice. She didn't imagine pouring too much into a cat's eye would be helpful, but then again, she had no clue about these things.

Okay, keep going... she could do this... it was a lot at once, but the young herbalist was more determined than ever to learn. She was the sole healer of the entire Clan right now... taking in a deep breath, she kept focused, nodding as she listened along.

Dandelions! Berrypaw saw those everywhere. So they actually had a medicinal use? That was great; a plentiful herb like that would be a huge asset. Painkiller and bee stings, got it. A good backup for poppy seeds. Now that was a relief. Especially because it seemed like RiverClan cats really enjoyed getting pretty deep, stinging wounds all the time.

"Do they just chew up the flowers only? O-Or the stems and leaves too?" She asked, running her small paw over the tiny golden flowers.

Catmint... ooh. She'd never seen nor smelled that one before. It made her brain feel a little fuzzy and her mouth watered when she took a deep inhale of it, tilting her head curiously. Good for greencough and whitecough, mostly leaf-bare sicknesses... stars, she prayed a sickness like that wouldn't spread through camp anytime soon. But Berrypaw nodded fervently, making a note to keep an eye out for this peculiar herb next time she went out.

"..Do we just have them eat some of the leaves to help?" She meowed, pawing the fuzzy plant. "And... is there a good way to help them last all leaf-bare? I know sometimes plants can r-rot away really easily..."

Lastly... goldenrod. Berrypaw made the mistake of sticking her nose right up to it and then promptly sneezed, shaking her head to get rid of the small yellow petals. Great, now her nose stung. Good thing it was the last herb she'd have to scent! Blinking away her now-stinging eyes, she nodded to the instructions. Not as effective, but a good backup in case of emergency, and near Sedgewater Valley... good.

The apprentice paused and asked her questions, trying to ignore the embarrassment as another sneeze left her here or there as she listened to Fawnlight's answers.

[ @taillow - Fawnlight THANK YOUU ]

[taillow]

Fawnlight - Former RiverClan Medicine Cat

Safe for kits? To be honest, Fawnlight couldn't recall if she had ever used one on a kit before - oh wait! The barn kitten she had met! Stars, that felt like so long ago. "I wouldn't give more than one, since that could make their symptoms more upset," she purred in thought. "They're usually good to keep out of reach in your stores, since they can taste a bit sweet."

For the celandine, she tried to recall what Elmshadow had told her during the half-moon meeting. "One flower should be enough; depending on its size, and your patient, you could break it in half and have enough for the eye you're treating." The flowers didn't vary all that drastically, but some bloomed stronger than others.

"Just the flowers from what I've found. I didn't get to do much experimenting with herbs during my time as medicine cat. I would assume they don't have the same healing properties as the flower itself, but maybe the other Clan medicine cats know more!" There were a few she had been watching that she figured Berrypaw could go to; Lightningstorm, who was nice enough. She was still unsure about the ShadowClan medicine cat, and ThunderClan's... they were just babies still..

Fawnlight nodded at the catmint question. "The plant is very potent, so you can use one leaf to treat several patients." Taking her paw she split the leaf in half, and then took one of the halves and split it again. "To store them, I actually learned a pretty neat trick. Admittedly, I don't know if it works with catmint, but it did work with other herbs! If you dip it into a cold stream, then leave it on a rock, it'll freeze over - it's called flash-freezing! Some herbs you can bury too, to keep them fresh."

At Berrypaw's sneeze of the last one, Fawnlight couldn't help but quietly laugh. It wasn't done in a teasing way, though. "Kind of tricky, these plants," she purred, "they smell nice but boy, do they make your nose itch!"

With that being the end of herbs, there was one more thing that Fawnlight wanted to teach - something she could've used at the beginning of her training. "Those are all the herbs I know, but there is a remedy I wanna teach you, that I wish I'd had sooner." Pulling together a stick, Fawnlight decided to demonstrate with one of her legs. Sticking it out, she lined the stick up with her leg as best she could. "Whenever cats come in with broken bones, you'll want to make sure to splint them as soon as you can. You can use burnet or juniper berries to help with any shock the cat may have, and to calm them down so they're not moving around as much." Another good double use of the herbs.

"One the stick is lined, you can use leaves and cobwebs to wrap it tight to their leg. You'll want to do it tight to ensure it stays on, but not so much it cuts off any blood flow to the leg." Taking a frond Fawnlight did her best to wrap it around her own leg - though it wasn't as good since she was doing it on herself. "Of course, it'll be easier doing it on a patient, but you can always practice on yourself!"

[ @squidz breaky leg teaching! <3 ]