I Swear It’s for Science! [P]

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ IVYSNAKE OF SHADOWCLAN ~

Tall, angular, dark brown she-cat with distinctive, ivy-like black stripes and piercing amber eyes.

It was warm today. The sun beat down, its golden rays braving the light-canceling pine trees and dappling the needle-strewn floor. A chill wind blew from the north, but its impact was minor. The day might've been pleasant if Ivysnake cared for such things. She preferred the darkness and the companionship of the shadows, but if the sunlight and warm air meant the prey was running and the marigolds were blooming, she was content. Pine needles crunched beneath her paws as she walked; dappled light and shadow flitted over her. Even where the light chased out darkness, Ivysnake was camouflaged, her dark brown pelt and distinctive black tabby stripes blending into the landscape. Pine needles crunched beneath her paws, and muscles rippled beneath her short fur. Her mouth opened, and she drew air over her scent glands, seeking an odor that was both floral and sharp. Nothing here, she thought with an irritated twitch of her tail-tip.

The medicine cat apprentice turned toward her mentor, Elmshadow. "Can you see or scent any marigolds?" she asked. She looked away from him and continued to taste the air, her piercing amber eyes searching the shadowy terrain for any sign of the orange-and-yellow blooms. Her pointed ears remained angled at Elmshadow in case he said anything. We've been running low on marigolds since the Twolegs destroyed Pinewatch Patch, she reflected, frowning. Her long, sharp claws dug into the slightly muddy earth, glinting in the intrusive sunlight. Cursed creatures. Ivysnake wished she had the power to tear their throats out, but she was far from even considering trying it. Any cat would be a frog-brain to think they could beat a Twoleg in battle. Still, that didn't quench Ivysnake's fury and frustration.

The yellow bells were a good substitute. She wished their discovery hadn't come from a peace-loving she-cat who didn't have the will to remain a medicine cat, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Not that ShadowClan is begging. Gleaning herb knowledge from the other Clans was important. So was finding out where more marigolds grew, which was why she was here today with Elmshadow. They were sure some marigolds would bloom with the sun warming the earth.

@Ravensong @Abyssopelagic (I decided to start the thread - I hope you don't mind! Maybe Elmshadow could pick up Kricket's scent?)

[Pitou]

**Elmshadow**

@TheNyanCatMinecart @Abyssopelagic [Apologies for the kind of chaotic post >< Also, I don't remember if it was covered or not, were they planning to bring Kricket back to camp or experiment out in the territory?]

The dark tom moved easily through the forest he'd called home for all of his forty-four moons. He felt he'd spent more time out traversing these forests than he had even within his own camp and yet he still felt the prickle of constant vigilance tickling his pelt. He was more at ease moving through these forests under the cover of night, his grey pelt lending perfect cover in the moonlit shadows more so than those cast by the sun, but he was still able to move efficiently and expertly. Every pine needle was an extension of him, every breeze felt mingled with his own breath. He didn't bother looking back to Ivysnake, he was confident the other medicine cat was equally as adept in this forest as himself. But the nighttime prophecy he'd received was weighing on him. He'd only recently begun to make sense of it so hadn't had the opportunity yet to voice any of this to Dawnstar or Ivysnake but the heat of the day was an uncomfortable reminder that he hadn't much more time. He slowed, stopping as Ivysnake's voice spoke up about marigold, slightly offsetting his thoughts. He began to shake his head; marigold would wait. The more he thought about it and the warmer the day grew, he felt the prophecy couldn't wait any longer. He opened his mouth to begin but a scent stayed his tongue. His ears twitched backward and his green eyes hardened. "Quiet..." he whispered, taking in a deep breath to pull the scents over his tongue. "Outsider. It's close."

[Abyssopelagic]

The small, wire haired tom huffed as he continued forward.
The various scratches across his body ached and his mangled front paw was too.... twisted and damn near turned to a pulp, impossible to keep using and by far the worst of his injuries.
We're it not for his paw, he'd be healthy enough to keep caring for himself.
But it was far, far worse than he'd ever dealt with.
Kricket, at this point, was trying to find somewhere peaceful to die so that what was left of his family wouldn't have to worry about trying to help him.
The further he wandered, the more his body ached. He felt he might finally be far enough to lay down and let nature over take him, but his spiky pelt bristled at the scent of other cats.
A death at the claws of another would not be a peaceful death, so he paused, instinctively taking a step back and hoping they wouldn't notice him, but alas his own nose and eyes seemed to be failing him, as the two cats were mere fox lengths away from him.

[ @Ravensong , @TheNyanCatMinecart ]

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ IVYSNAKE OF SHADOWCLAN ~

Tall, angular, dark brown she-cat with distinctive, ivy-like black stripes and piercing amber eyes.

Usually, it was challenging to read Elmshadow's expressions. His face was solid as a stone; it hardly changed, save for some minor movements reminiscent of a scratch or chip in the rock. But Ivysnake detected a different air in her mentor today. His green gaze, which tended to be hard and focused, seemed almost... distant. Focused, but not on the shaded green-and-brown pine forest surrounding them. Not seeking the orange-and-yellow blooms that would stop the fever and festering that came with infection. When Ivysnake spoke, Elmshadow slowed, then paused, as though he'd been drawn out of whatever thoughts he'd been indulged in. The shake of his head felt preoccupied, not completely in tune with reality, though some focus had returned to his eyes.

What in the Dark Forest's name is going on with him? Ivysnake's neutral yet focused expression didn't change, but her piercing amber gaze was always observant, searching her mentor. He'd acted this way since this morning. She'd figured he'd had a dream or something was on his mind; he was always a mature, hard worker who never got distracted, and she trusted him. There hadn't been any issues going out to search for the marigolds, and Ivysnake knew Elmshadow wouldn't neglect his work, but he was still acting off. Her tail-tip twitched in annoyance. Sure, she trusted him and knew he cared about his work, but that didn't mean his distractedness wouldn't cause issues. Such as missing a vital flower, which he'd apparently found none of.

She wanted to ask, but Elmshadow opened his mouth to speak first... only to pause. Ivysnake did, too. She'd subconsciously inhaled, searching for the marigolds' scent once more, and detected an intrusive odor on the breeze. The fur along her spine prickled, and her long claws slid out of their sheaths, scraping against the needle-strewn earth. Outsider. Elmshadow voiced his thoughts before Ivysnake could, appearing more focused than he had since yesterday evening. Good. Still, he should've been focused during their whole outing...

Not now. Ivysnake didn't have time to worry about the medicine cat's thoughts. Her ear twitched in response to him; she understood why he'd warned her, but she was observant enough to pick up the unfamiliar scent and smart enough to stay still. She became a statue, her eyes moving while hardly turning her head. Her ears pricked; her nostrils flared. The shadows seemed to hem in on her, becoming her as they settled over her dark brown tabby pelt. They carried a pleasant cool, though the day was warm. Ivysnake silently flexed her claws. She could use a fight. However, depending on the nature of this Outsider... she and Elmshadow had talked about experimentation. Let's see how this goes.

Crunch. Crunch. Thud. There was the sound of pine needles underpaw and a limping gait. An aroma she referred to as "open wounds" - blood mixed with exposed flesh - laced his foreign scent. This cat is hurt, Ivysnake noted. Even better if ShadowClan's medicine cats planned to experiment. His scent grew stronger until a tom dragged himself out of the dappled light-and-dark greenery. The Outsider was a very small Wirehair with gray fur. One of his front paws was twisted to oblivion, hardly more than a pinkish-red pulp. He had other scratches marring his body. Ivysnake cocked her head in interest. This is the perfect opportunity.

The medicine cat apprentice took a step forward. Somehow, the Outsider hadn't spotted them yet, though he was scenting the air. Is he blind? she wondered. His eyes didn't look cloudy. Maybe his wounds were distracting him. Even if you're injured, you should be focused on your surroundings. Did he want to die? Ivysnake made sure to keep some distance between herself and the Outsider, every sense alert in case he made any sudden movements, but she was sure she could defeat him easily if he caused any trouble.

"You," she meowed, raising her tail. Her voice was low yet sharp, not conveying much emotion besides confidence and authority. "Stop right there. You're trespassing on ShadowClan territory, and I don't think you want to get into a fight with us, not in your state." She indicated to Elmshadow with a flick of her tail. Whether the Outsider could see him or not, it didn't matter - surely he'd scented Elmshadow. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She glanced at her mentor and lowered her voice so only he could hear. "Let's not tear his throat out. He could be of use to us."

@Ravensong @Abyssopelagic (Apologies if this isn't the best - motivation and mental state haven't been the best lately, I kinda rushed this, and I wrote it across two different days, which I don't usually do for posts!)

[Pitou]

**Elmshadow**

@TheNyanCatMinecart @Abyssopelagic

The stench of outsider mixed with the tangy scent of blood. Elmshadow's pelt bristled, his green eyes blazing as he prepared for a fight. Until the source stepped into sight. Elmshadow quickly looked over the small grey tom, his wiry pelt marred by cuts and then the most blatant, one of his legs ended in mangled raw flesh. The monochrome medicine cat let his pelt lie flat and rose, the black bridge of his nose wrinkling slightly as he eyed the outsider. Ivysnake's warning to the tom turned into a quieter suggestion beside him. He nodded but didn't look away from the injured cat who'd nearly just walked himself into a much faster death than whatever he was planning currently. Though Elmshadow had no intentions of killing the cat in front of him, there was no honor in killing a cat halfway to death already and thus would only do it out of necessity if the cat refused to comply. He decided to remain quiet, favoring Ivysnake's questions, and simply moved in an arch away from Ivysnake to better position himself in case the outsider attempted to escape. He doubted the injured and seemingly disoriented tom would even try, much less get far in doing so, but the show of intentions that he wasn't going to let the cat simply walk away from this, he hoped, would prevent the cat from even trying, hopefully avoiding exertion that was futile.

[Abyssopelagic]

Kricket's head raised in surprise as Ivysnake hurled questions at him. More than a little out of it, he took just a single step back as he shook his head, trying to fight off the nauseating feels in the pit of his stomach and tried to focus on what was happening around him.
His ears flattened in confusion as he stared at the cats in front of him.
ShadowClan?
He hadn't been in Clan territory in a very long while.
"I apologize for.... trespassing. I hadn't realized.... I just wanted somewhere to die peacefully so my family wouldn't have to see.... the state I'm in."
He panted, the effort of speaking making him more exhausted.
"I can.... leave. I just need.... to know the closest way out."
His head swam and he closed his eyes as he tried to keep himself from swaying in place.

[ @Ravensong ; @TheNyanCatMinecart ]

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ IVYSNAKE OF SHADOWCLAN ~

Tall, angular, dark brown she-cat with distinctive, ivy-like black stripes and piercing amber eyes.

Ivysnake's ear twitched, a movement so slight it barely flicked her ear-tip, as Elmshadow nodded in response to her words. Gray fur flashed in the corner of her vision as her mentor moved with all the silent strength of a cougar, taking up a position to stop the Outsider in case he tried to escape. She didn't turn her head or even acknowledge him with a tail-twitch or another ear-flick. Her sharp, piercing amber gaze remained on the injured Outsider as her long claws flexed in and out. Gouges appeared in the slightly muddy earth beneath them. We won't let him leave, not with this fresh opportunity. Not that it looked like he'd try to, or that he could, but Outsiders could be unpredictable. Especially injured ones. Ivysnake hadn't met many Outsiders - just a kittypet she'd murdered as an apprentice and those pesky Gathering intruders - but she knew that wounded cats could either be compliable or defensive.

If he causes trouble, I'd be inclined to kill him. But he's too injured to do much, and Elmshadow and I must use whatever we can get, she thought, monitoring the small gray tom before her.

His eyes widened, seemingly in... surprise? He took a step back, too, looking unsteady on only three paws. Ivysnake's head, which had tilted curiously to the side, snapped back in place as she tensed. Muscles bulged and rippled beneath her short, thick fur as she prepared herself, though she knew Elmshadow was also watching and trusted the medicine cat to stop the Outsider if he tried anything. The Outsider didn't do anything, though. He only fixed them with a dazed look and flattened his ears against his small head. He's hardly a threat, Ivysnake thought. She snorted quietly and scornfully. He's just an injured wretch. An injured wretch who will be useful to ShadowClan's herb knowledge.

The medicine cat apprentice listened as the Outsider apologized and explained his circumstances. Interesting. She cocked her head slightly to the side again, then stepped forward. It was only a single step, but she moved with deadly grace and power, sleeker than Elmshadow. She didn't want to scare the gray tom away, but she also wanted to convey authority. Strength.

"We don't want you to leave," she meowed in her somewhat deep, dull voice. Yet it held a hint of command. "Your wounds look severe, and it's clear that, without treatment, they will kill you. You say you want to find a place to die - away from this family of yours - but do you really want to forfeit your life? Give it up?" She didn't think Outsiders went anywhere when they died, but she wasn't going to ramble about religion, despite her status.

"Here's the deal, Outsider. First, give me your name." Ivysnake waited for his response, then laid out her - their, she noted, feeling Elmshadow's sturdy presence nearby - terms.

"Alright. You wouldn't know this, but Elmshadow and I-" she flicked her tail at the gray-and-black tom "are interested in herbs. We know quite a bit, but there are some we have yet to experiment with. If you don't want to crawl into a hole and die just yet, let us test the herbs on you. There might be unpleasant consequences, but you could also get better. The risk is better than letting your life slip away." She extended her claws fully, letting them glint in the limited light filtering through the firs. "Speaking of which, if you refuse, my partner and I will kill you on the spot. No crawling away.

"So, which do you choose? A chance at recovery or a violent, bloody death, your pelt used to line the nest of ShadowClan's glorious leader?"

@Ravensong @Abyssopelagic

[Pitou]

**Elmshadow**

@TheNyanCatMinecart @Abyssopelagic

The way out, so the outsider really was that dense. Elmshadow couldn't figure how a cat "accidentally" stumbles into Shadowclan territory, it wasn't like the borders weren't clearly marked for any cat with a nose. And yet this also wasn't the first time he'd run into an outsider "accidentally" over the border. His expression remained neutral as the outsider apologized, uninterested in any of it, it wouldn't change the outcome. He glanced at Ivysnake as she laid out to the outsider the situation he'd apparently walked himself into. "Considerate of you to give him the option. The way I see it, he doesn't have much of an option at all. You have wounds that need healing and we have herbs that need testing. You want to die, I don't care to see your death wasted. So you can be treated as your wounds are now or with a few more to make you more compliant." Beating up on a cat near death sounded like a complete waste of his time and energy but they had herbs and he was running out of ways to test them.

[Abyssopelagic]

Kricket blinked at the two, now extremely intimidating, Medicine Cats, his legs beginning to feel weak beneath him. Whether it was from blood loss, exhaustion, or a distant fear he should be feeling, he didn't know.
He'd never known the Clan's healers to help cats outside of their territory, but perhaps things have changed..... not so vieled threats aside.
He groaned in discomfort as he shifted his weight.
Either way, he was going to die. There wasn't likely much they could do, but maybe he could be of nose before he died. And if they succeeded..... his could see his children again.
With a sigh, he trotted a few steps closer.
"Sure. I'll go with you. You... might need to help me at some point. I feel my legs going weak, but I will try to walk on my own as far as I can."
This was far from usual for the wire haired tom, but he hardly had a choice here. He'd at least be as helpful as he could be, given he would be at these cats mercy. He was too tired to be snarky anyway.

[ @Ravensong ; @TheNyanCatMinecart ]

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ IVYSNAKE OF SHADOWCLAN ~

Tall, angular, dark brown she-cat with distinctive, ivy-like black stripes and piercing amber eyes.

Ivysnake's piercing amber gaze flicked to Elmshadow as he spoke, acknowledging him with a twitch of one ear. Her verdict was simple: promise to be their test rat or die. But, she reflected, as her mentor said, there wasn't much of an option. The two ShadowClan medicine cats were in desperate need of someone to experiment on, and this injured Outsider was the perfect opportunity to do just that. Her claws flexed in and out. She might have a warrior's blood, but her loyalty toward her altered duties would always be in her heart. As much as she wanted to skin this pathetic, dying tom and present his pelt of gray to Dawnstar, he'd be much more useful as a test subject. Her eyes narrowed to slits, surveying the Outsider. If he caused too much trouble, they could kill him, but otherwise, they could make him comply. She and Elmshadow were two halves of the same fresh-kill, as it were. Both clever but with different viewpoints. Her mentor reminded her a bit of Redshrike, yet the two toms were quite different.

Ivysnake refocused on the Outsider, her ear flicking again as she caught his groan of discomfort. He was in a lot of pain and was sure to die soon without treatment. The Dark Forest must've sent him their way. He might die in our care, but that doesn't matter. As long as we've tested plenty of herbs by then. And if one of their remedies killed him, that would be good to know. Better a worthless Outsider than a worthy ShadowClan cat. She watched him closely as he took a few limping steps forward. By darkness, he looked like he could hardly stand. She might've admired how he managed to stay on his paws if he hadn't shown such softness and disrespect for his life.

The black-striped tabby nodded once, a brisk, terse movement, as the Outsider promised to go with them. She felt a prickle of irritation as he refused to give his name. It was a simple order, yet he's too frog-brained to heed it. Her tail flicked, then went still. "We will help you if needed," she meowed in a flat voice - dull, but not uncaring, and certainly not passive. She took a step toward the Outsider, flanking him, all the while keeping a close eye on his teeth and claws. Any sign of movement, and she'd force him to the ground - but not kill him. They needed him alive. For now.

"Tell me your name," she hissed, ire flashing in her sharp amber eyes. She turned toward Elmshadow. She was alert, but the Outsider was too weak to harm her. "Where should we keep him?" she asked. "It'll have to be somewhere easily accessible for us, but I'm not sure if Dawnstar will appreciate us bringing an injured rogue into camp." Her tail-tip twitched. "One of us will have to tell her and see if she approves. Perhaps, until then, we should keep him outside, near camp, with one of us to watch guard. But then we would be away from our duties, and it would be a waste of a warrior to station one... yet our research is important, so not such a waste." Her whiskers twitched irritably. "What do you think? Should we leave the Outsider here or take him into our camp?"

@Ravensong (It wouldn't be IC for Ivysnake not to mention consulting Dawnstar. Maybe she could stay with Kricket off-screen, and Elmshadow can talk to Dawnstar? Unless you and Taker would prefer to just have that interaction off-screen.) @Abyssopelagic @Undertaker (For viewing purposes)