The Morning Routine

[Sweetfur]

TINYSTEP MALE MEDICINE CAT SHADOWCLAN

The morning sun filtered through the arches of leaves, leaking their warming touch into the Medicine cat's den. While most cats would find this kind of wake-up-call comforting, Tinystep only grumbled as he felt the light trying to invade his eyes, "Go back to sleep for Starclan's sake..." When the offending sun did not heed his command, he growled and admitted defeat, rolling onto his paws to greet the daylight.


His mornings often started this way, and he gave an unsteady stretch as he rose, he knew that by now there would be more clans rising to greet the day as well, patrols would begin heading out, and every cat within a twenty foxlength radius would be needing his help. He stepped out of his den with his wobbly gait and caught sight of the nursery, smiling gently, but helping his clanmates made dealing with the whiny warriors worth it. He felt a growl in his stomach and chuckled, heading for the fresh kill pile to find breakfast.

LAIKA OF THQ

[shay]

Mottlewhisker pretended to not see the rays of light that were so harshly stinging her just-opened eyes when she awoke. Even though the brambles hung over her head, she couldn't help but complain to herself that she didn't feel protected enough. Not that she was thinking of protection from invading warriors, but protection from the sun. Mottlewhisker was still tired from yesterday's patrolling and hunting, and she so deeply wanted to sleep more. However, she knew she had duties to fulfill as a warrior.

Just as she rose from her warm, inviting nest, she was reminded of yesterday's meal. Her stomach clenched tightly. She hated eating frogs. They were always either dried out and crunchy or slimy and unappetizing. Although... the thought of it being something more serious crossed her mind. Wouldn't hurt to go visit Tinystep instead of going on the morning patrol.

She stepped out of the warrior's den, scanning for the the little ball of joy of a medicine cat Shadowclan had been blessed with. She spotted him heading for the fresh kill pile. In effort to make it seem like she wasn't looking for him, she skillfully walked like she did most mornings. Mottlewhisker (falsely) marched about stiffly and let out a (fake) yawn just as she came up to the medicine cat.

"--Aaaaahey Tinystep. Good to see you today."

[Sweetfur]

TINYSTEP MALE MEDICINE CAT SHADOWCLAN

There was one blessing that came with early morning, the air was cool, with a soft breeze that tickled his whiskers. He knew that once sunhigh approached the heat would seep in, but he could appreciate the cool air while it was here. He approached the fresh kill pile and was about to begin his search when he heard a voice behind him.


"Mottlewhisker, good morning!" He admired the blunt honesty of the she-cat, others might have been put off by it, but he preferred honesty to sugar coating, sometimes it really was the best medicine a cat could offer. He twitched an ear and gave her a slight smile, "Early bird gets the best fresh kill hm?" Though he did notice and off look about her, his time as a medicine cat gave him a good sense when it came to that, "Is everything alright?" He tilted his head slightly in question.

LAIKA OF THQ

[shay]

Mottlewhisker always felt weird around medicine cats, maybe it was because they knew more than her about something totally foreign to her. She was tempted to hesitate, but she knew better. Tinystep wasn't one to take to kindly to beating around the bush. He's a busy guy, or at least acts like one.

"Not really... ever since I ate a frog yesterday it hasn't sat well with me." She admitted."At first.. I thought it was a divine punishment for eating such an ugly creature..." She paused, maybe joking about it isn't really the best idea. Just tell him what he needs to know.

How funny. She thought. I'm embarrassed to talk about having a stomach ache to someone so small compared to myself. I should be the intimidating one.

"Anyways, I figured I needed to come to you for my belly ache."

[Sweetfur]

TINYSTEP MALE MEDICINE CAT SHADOWCLAN

Tinystep looked up at Mottlewhisker as she explained her predicament, nodding his head and giving her an understanding smile, "I get a lot of cats coming to me with belly aches from eating those things." He flicked his tail for her to follow him as he headed for his den, "Some of them secrete a mucus when startled that can give you a nasty stomach ache, harmless, but very unpleasant." He pondered with a scrunched face, "They also turn sour quicker than most prey." He chuckled softly as he led her to the entrance of his den, "But it's nothing a few Juniper Berries can't fix!"


He was only gone for a moment before he reappeared with a few pale blue berries in his mouth, setting them down gingerly in front of Mottlewhisker, "Just chew these up and eat them, they should help." He nodded to the Leader's den, "If you need to, feel free to ask the leader for a little bit of down time, Medicine cat's orders!" Rest and berries usually calmed down a bellyache, and Juniper berries were certainly one of the better tasting remedies.

LAIKA OF THQ

[shay]

Mottlewhisker nodded her head in thanks. She looked down at the berries for a moment cautiously, but then quickly scooped them up in her mouth and began to chew them slowly. At least they aren't as bad as frogs. She reminded herself.

The idea of missing warrior duties for a while sounded nice, but then she realized how boring things could get being left with nothing to do. Watching kits play the same games and hear elders tell the same stories is only so entertaining for so long. She swallowed.

Suddenly she had an idea. "If I'm going to get downtime, would it be alright if I helped you out some? Like.. herb gathering? That's what medicine cats do, right? Sitting around camp being useless doesn't suit me." Mottlewhisker never got the know the small tom well, which was odd considering they're both the same age and seem to be alike in some ways. At least, more alike than some other Shadowclan cats.

[Sweetfur]

TINYSTEP MALE MEDICINE CAT SHADOWCLAN

Tinystep had to bite back a playful jab about how he promised he wasn't trying to poison her, finding his humor in bad taste given his position and her condition. He knew that some of his herbs and remedies tended to taste foul, and often hesitated himself when he had to take his own medicine.

He perked his ears at the mention of helping him with his duties, now there was a surprising offer, it wasn't often that warriors wanted to help him gather herbs, a task that was sometimes given to apprentices who had been naughty. He smiled and nodded thankfully, "Actually, I could use some help gathering Dock and horsetail, it can be difficult for me to carry it by myself so it will save me having to make multiple trips!" He wasn't lazy, and exercise was good, but he tired out faster than some cats due to the extra effort he had to put into walking.

He smiled up at the she-cat, "If you're okay to go, we can head out? I know where some Dock and Horsetail plants are close by!" He was thankful for the warrior's help, if he had an apprentice this would be easier, but no kits or young cats seemed drawn to the medicine den like potential prodigy usually were. He flicked his tail and smiled, "I'll let the leader know when we get back that you were helping me, this should give your belly time to settle!"

LAIKA OF THQ

[shay]

Mottlewhisker was surprised to see how happy Tinystep got when she suggested to help him hunt for herbs. He must barely get offered help at all.The thought made her sad, considering Tinystep's handicap. She tried her best not to pity others, but she couldn't help it sometimes.

She quickly changed her train of thought. Now she had to do her best to help Tinystep out instead of feeling bad for him. "I'm ready when you are...but, a word of warning. You're going to have to show me what to do exactly. I'm as clueless as a kit about plants." She couldn't help but find humor in the sight of someone like Tinystep ordering her around like an apprentice. Mottlewhisker grinned "Be sure to go easy on me, I may be big and tough, but for now I'm going to be your soft and gentle apprentice, Tinystep."

[Sweetfur]

TINYSTEP MALE MEDICINE CAT SHADOWCLAN

The smaller cat chuckled softly, getting a pondering look in his face, "I am a capable cat, but having an extra set of paws is always incredibly welcome, especially when the help is willingly offered!" He smiled good humorously, "Rather than being made to as punishment, as apprentices often are." He shook his head slightly, giving her a genuine smile "So I appreciate your help, Mottlewhisker, thank you."

He smiled and looked ahead as he spoke, watching for obstacles as they walked, "Dock is easy to spot, it has large wavy leaves, and a very tangy smell and taste!" He looked thoughtful a moment as he remembered where he last saw the two plants growing, "And Horsetail is tall and bristly, with thick sectioned stalks, both are very distinctive in their own way!" He chuckled and looked amused at himself, "Listen to me prattling on about plants, still it's useful for any cat to know this in case of emergency. Dock is good for soothing scratches and sore pads, nasty sting though. And Horsetail can treat infections and stop bleeding." He perked his ears and pointed with his tail, "Here we are, both those plants grow thick here!" He wondered if she'd find them on her own, it was good for warriors as well to know some important herbs in case they were too far away from camp for him to get there.

LAIKA OF THQ

[shay]

Mottlewhisker was glad to have brought such a bright look to Tinystep's face, even if it was the result of a particularly poor joke. It felt wrong to give the medicine cat her usual insult-humor, she knew when her jokes were in bad taste.

Mottlewhisker quickly followed behind the small tom, soaking in every word he spoke. She was familiar with dock, she distinctly remembered having it applied to a scratch from a border skirmish. Although, she had an easier time remembering the scolding she got about being more careful and not being so eager for a fight. The cut wasn't even that big. She tried remembering if she was familiar with horsetail, and then it came to her "I remember horsetail! I poked my eyes with some as an apprentice, deadliest wound I ever got. Remember that?" She laughed.

Mottlewhisker thought it was nice how Tinystep seemed to be excited to talk about the importance of herbs. She also thought it was nice how the plants they needed were so nearby. She wondered which to grab first. "Which should I grab? Is there one that's more difficult for you to carry?" She eagerly looked in each direction the different plants were. She was surprised how easily should could recognized them, she felt more learned just by being around Tinystep for a while. She couldn't help but feel like an apprentice again, but not in the humiliating way she had previously imagined this situation to be like.

[Sweetfur]

TINYSTEP MALE MEDICINE CAT SHADOWCLAN

Tinystep's eyes lit up at the memory and he couldn't help a soft snicker, he remembered that one, "Yes! Your mentor was hovering outside my den like a mother hen while I treated the injuries, I admit I was worried for you to!" He chuckled and shook his head, "I remember telling you not to pick fights with herbs!" Speaking of herbs, he looked between the two plants as he addressed her question.

"Horsetail is a bit harder to carry with it's thick stalks, I would appreciate help carrying that! Only the stalk, since leaving the roots will encourage more to grow!" He hobbled over to one of the dock plants and began gently chewing the leaves from the plant, smiling as he worked, he enjoyed the help, and the company was very nice as well, giving him even more longing for his own apprentice.

LAIKA OF THQ

[shay]

Mottlewhisker nodded, and quickly padded towards the Horsetail, being cautious as to not poke her eyes. Heeding Tinystep's words on how to properly pick the herb, she leaned forward and gnawed the bottom with her teeth. The first few were hard to chew through and left a weird residue in her mouth, but she soon got a feel for it. She quickly collected several stalks in her maw. It became rather hard to maneuver between the plants with the stalks in her mouth dragging along. She was glad to help Tinystep, it really must be hard on his own.

She glanced over at him, and saw him crouching over the dock leaves. He was turned away from her, so part of his face was out of view. She swore she saw him smile for a moment, but this his expression turned stern for a moment. The dissatisfied expression wasn't uncommon for the small cat, but her instincts told her he was thinking about something. "Yew..okey?" She meowed without thought, and her words were a little distorted because of the horsetail between her jaws.

[Sweetfur]

TINYSTEP MALE MEDICINE CAT SHADOWCLAN

Tinystep sat back a moment and patted down a nice sized pile of Dock leaves, making sure not to take so much that the plants might die, he could leave half of these in the sun to dry, and keep the rest in the shade of his den to keep the fresh longer, they could be used both ways, so it would be useful to have some fresh and dried.

He perked his ears and looked back at her, smiling at the amount of Horsetail clenched in her jaws, "Ah that will last me a good while! Thank you!" He flicked his tail and chuckled softly, "Ah...I was just thinking, I haven't spotted any kits that might make for potential apprentices, as their selection is often different, they tend to be drawn to my den." He chuckled and looked down, "Or something happens where they have no other option, the former is preferable." He smiled and got to his feet, "I would enjoy having an apprentice one day, someone to pass my knowledge to." He stretched and then picked up his bundle, smiling as he spoke through the herbs, "The day will come, I'm sure, Let's head back to camp!" He gave her a curious and concerned look, "How is your belly?"

LAIKA OF THQ

[shay]

Mottlewhisker was glad to have pleased Tinystep with her work. Picking the plants wasn't the hard part, but carrying it definitely was. She made sure to keep her jaws firm on the stalks so they wouldn't tumble out onto the cool ground.

Mottlewhisker listened attentively as Tinystep spoke, and she could definitely relate to how he felt. Sure, Mottlewhisker's future apprentice wouldn't necessarily choose to be her apprentice, but in a way, all we preordained by Starclan, right? It was definitely comforting to believe in fate like that. She wanted to say that she hoped that both of them would eventually have apprentices, but she kept her teeth clamped on the horsetail. Mottlewhisker wasn't surprised by Tinystep's sudden subject change, hoping for something so much that you forget the present moment wasn't a good behavior to have. Besides, Tinystep was right, it will happen eventually.

"S'good" She breathed through the green plant in her maw. She thought to herself about how she would train her future apprentice while they walked back to camp. When they arrived back at camp, Mottlestep trotted over to the medicine cat den, and dropped the horsetail in front of the two resting rocks. She looked to Tinystep, with a warm look in her eyes. "Hey, Tinystep, if you ever need any help again. Don't hesitate to ask. It was nice helping you out this morning." She was sincere, she did find the medicine cat's presence calming, and wasn't so intimidated by him so much. She also felt less afraid of his knowledge, and more so in awe of his ability to know plants so well.

[Sweetfur]

TINYSTEP MALE MEDICINE CAT SHADOWCLAN

Tinystep looked happy as they made they way back to camp, checking now and then to see if Mottlewhisker might need any assistance, Horsetail was hard to carry for any cat, so having an extra set of jaws was always good when it came to harvesting the stuff, they didn't have long until they made it back to camp anyway.


As he saw camp come back into view he turned to her, giving her a sincere look, "You're a good warrior, and I have no doubt you will pass that onto your future apprentices, they will grow into fine cats." He smiled as they walked through the entrance, nodding contently when she said her belly was feeling better, as they made it to the den and dropped off the herbs, he gave a genuine smile and nodded at the warrior, "I will, and thank you, I really did appreciate your help, you are a true friend." He nodded towards the fresh kill pile, "Do you feel up to eating? It would probably be good to get something down, if your belly is up for it!" He knew that having strength that a good meal would provide would help when she returned to her duties.

LAIKA OF THQ