Sorting herbs, the new apprentice (open)

[Deleted]

A blue-gray tom cat sighed, enjoying the quiet that had finally come to the medicine den. "Finally. I have the time to clean up the herb stocks and see what we're low on." The male's blue and green eyes were concentrated on the herbs as he watched the herbs. "Hmm...Comfry pile seems ok.....but we could use some horsetail, and we're nearly out of poppy seeds....." The tom continued to mumbled to himself, his lighter left paw sorting and digging through the herbs as he cleaned the den out. "Rainwing will be happy to see a cleaner den." The cat smiled. This blue tom was the new medicine cat apprentice, Cloudpaw, and he was already enjoying his time in the medicine den. Cloudpaw had jumped right into his new role and had already memorized half of what he needed to know.

[Deleted]

"Who are you?"
Another voice spoke up, a she-cat's by the sound of it and by the scent, not Thunderclan. It belonged to Featherpaw as she was standing at the entrance of the medicine cat's den. Her multi-colored eyes studied him curiously, but guarded. She was here to see Icepaw, as usual, but with this new face in the den she was wary. And she knew Icepaw was probably on edge with him around to.
"Where's Icepaw?"

[Deleted]

"Over here," came a mumbled voice from the back corner of the medicine den. The outline of the tom's head could be seen rising up from where he lay in the mossy nest, the faint gleam of his eyes dim in the lighting. His ears had told the pale tabby tom who the familiar voice belonged to instantly, and he welcomed it with relief.

The RiverClan apprentice had been cooped up in the ThunderClan medicine den for moons, now, due to a boarder conflict with the deputy that had resulted in his leg being broken. But now it was just about healed, and the young tom was more than ready to return home. Every day had made his leg stronger, and he was sure that in just a couple more days he would be able to return. But the last few days seemed excruciatingly painful to Icepaw- he had wanted to be out three moons earlier.

Getting to see Featherpaw had helped, though. She was the only Clanmate he'd been able to see during his time in the ThunderClan camp, due to a special agreement between Clan leaders. Talking with her made the stay a little more bearable.

And yet, all the same, there was a face in the den that Icepaw wasn't so keen on seeing. There was a new apprentice hoping across the den. Seeing this tom in the den made the tom even more prickly than usual. He'd been fond of the last apprentice, Twitchpaw. Well, at least she had been alright. Now this cat was taking her place, and the pale tabby didn't like it one bit. He knew of course that it wasn't his place to say so, or to object in any way, but his feeling on the matter wasn't about to change.

Putting the blue tom out of his mind, Icepaw refocused his attention on Featherpaw. "Hey. I think I'll be out of here in a few days. Then I'll be able to go back with you." His mew was much more positive as he spoke. His eyes even showed it. He couldn't wait for the 'visit' to be over at last.

[Deleted]

Cloudpaw sighed, his silence broken. "My name is Cloudpaw. I am Rainwing's apprentice." The male padded over to Icepaw and sniffed the tom's leg. "I don't know the whole story of the two of you, but I do know that Icepaw seems to be recovered enough that I could ask Rainwing to try something. That way your clan mate will have strong legs when he leaves." The blue-gray tom was talking to Featherpaw, but His two-tone eyes focused on Icepaw for the last part. "What do you say to swimming? The water will be cold, but it will help your leg get strong so that you can use it again." Cloudpaw gently touched Icepaw's leg with his light paw to see what the male's reaction would be. "Hmm....Is it hurting you or just tender?" The apprentice asked.

[Deleted]

When the medicine cat apprentice began speaking, Icepaw immediately shot the tom a hostile look. Why couldn’t this tom just stay out of his conversation? This cat was the medicine cat, of course, and that meant he would be involved with the patients, but this cat wasn’t his medicine cat, Clanmate, or anything. The pale tabby wanted little to do with him as possible.

At the suggestion of the swimming idea, the tom rolled his eyes in irritation. “Seriously? I’m from RiverClan. I know how to swim perfectly fine, and if I feel like doing so, I’ll do it in a couple days when I go home.” He wrinkled his nose at the apprentice. “And my leg is fine, too. I’ve been here moons, and it’s healed well enough by now. I’m not going to stay around any longer that I absolutely have to. And leave off my leg!” When the blue tom had reached out with his paw to touch it, Icepaw pulled it back away. ”It’s fine.” The RiverClan apprentice felt particularly bitter at the moment.

[Deleted]

Cloudpaw jumped away from Icepaw. "you don't have to like me, but you could be more hospitable." The blue tom sighed, shaking his head. "I can see why you got your leg broken. You act like you've got brambles in your fur. I wouldn't be amazed if you said something that started the fight." The tom sighed as he continued with his herbs. "When rainwing gets back, I'll ask him to let you go if you're strong enough to snap at me. Then you can be snappy with your own clanmates." Cloudpaw may have been a small tom, but he wasn't a push over.

[Deleted]

"It's alright Cloudpaw, this is typical for Icepaw. Don't let it get to you." The medicine cat they had been speaking of padded in through the den's entrance. He yawned, apparently just having woken from a short nap in the sunny camp clearing before his ears had caught onto the bickering apprentices. Rainwing looked around, smiling in some appreciation. "The den looks great, thank you Cloudpaw." He then started to look through the herbs to find something to show the two Riverclan cats. "Yes, Icepaw you should be able to get out of here in a day or two. And swimming is not a bad recommendation, make sure you excercise that leg some way each day or it may get stiff." He said, wincing at his one stiff back leg, speaking from experience.

"That's great news Icepaw!" Featherpaw said with a smile, padding over to him. The white she-cat had been visiting her friend as much as possible and it would be great to finally be able to train and hunt with him. She watched the exchange of words between him and Cloudpaw, frowning. She knew Icepaw could be prickly at times, but this tom didn't. She decided to try and make it a bit better. "I'm Featherpaw...nice to meet you, Cloudpaw was it?"

[Deleted]

Cloudpaw jumped when Rainwing entered and den and nodded. "Thank you. I figured it would be good to clean out the den and get the herbs sorted again."
The blue tom looked back at Featherpaw. "It's nice to meet you too, Featherpaw." Cloudpaw's blue-and-green eyes were kind as he watched the white she-cat. "I have a sneaking suspicion that he'd be worse if you wern't around, so thank you for that." The tom teased, smiling.
Cloudpaw looked back at Rainwing. "Rainwing? Does this furball eve get out of the den?" The small tom asked. "Perhaps he should take a walk or at least get some sun. It might do him good." He blinked at his mentor and then to icepaw. "What do you think about that?"

[Deleted]

Icepaw just narrowed his eyes at the medicine cat apprentice and glared when he mentioned the fight. This cat didn't know anything about that. But maybe he could give him a few swipes to show him a thing or two about it. He opened his mouth to hiss a retort at the blue tom, but Rainwing's entrance distracted him from doing so. At the medicine cat's first words, Icepaw just snuffed and turned his glare to the earth floor. He listened half-tuned to the tabby tom's words: Getting out of here would be great, but he was fed up with having to do whatever these cats said. Even if swimming would help, Icepaw was set on being uncooperative.

Hearing Featherpaw speak up wasn't such a pain, though. These ThunderClan voices were like claws against stone. But Featherpaw was a friend and Clanmate, and unlike these cats, she didn't annoy him. He glanced up at her with a grimace to show his dislike, and then almost immediately after returned a heated gaze to Cloudpaw. This apprentice was getting on his last nerve. "I get out often enough! But when all you can do is wander around the camp, there isn't much else to do."

[Deleted]

Cloudpaw looked at Icepaw. "Did I say Stay in the camp? Perhaps I could as a warrior to take the two of you to the training hallow to excerise that leg." The tom looked over at Rainwing. "What do you think, Rainwing? Would it be a good idea? They can do some of the gentler moves and train to keep his leg working." Cloudpaw looked over at Icepaw. "Unless he WANTS to stay in here for one or two more days without getting out of the camp." The smaller tom's blue-and-green eyes looked back at Rainwing, giving a haf-innocent look. "If he doesn't want to train, He and Featherpaw can help me gather the herbs that are low."

[Deleted]

Icepaw lashed his tail in frustration. What did he have to do to get it through to these cats that he didn’t want to spend any more time with them than what was absolutely necessary? The two options that the medicine cat apprentice was recommending both shoved against that desire. The pale tabby didn’t want to be lead around the ThunderClan territory like a kit and be treated like a real cripple. And he especially didn’t want to have to go about looking for plants. There couldn’t be anything more boring than that to begin with, and having to go with Cloudpaw wasn’t about to make that situation any more appealing. He opened his mouth to say just that, but a sudden thought made it close again.

Of course he wasn’t going to want to look for herbs all day. But maybe if he agreed to the idea where he and Featherpaw could go train in ThunderClan’s training grounds, they could both catch a glimpse on how ThunderClan warriors fought. They could learn some of the Clan’s secrets to fighting! Then they would be able to find each offensive’s weak spot, and use that knowledge to RiverClan’s advantage. Perhaps he could even put the information to use if he had to cross claws with the deputy again… At this point, the idea had become very appealing.

The apprentice shrugged, keeping the unhappy grimace on his face. “I’d rather care for elders than go around trying to find plants. But going out to train might not be so bad. I could use a good refresher course.” Icepaw then stood to his paws and stretched out, placing his bad paw on the ground, but as light as he could in order to retain his disposition. He looked over to Featherpaw and flicked his tail-tip. “How about it?”

[Deleted]

Featherpaw knew if she didn't get Icepaw out of the den soon, he was going to claw Cloudpaw's ears off, and then they would be in some deep trouble. She too, wasn't really into either idea: One because, just like any warrior, herbs bored her greatly. Two, the training sounded alright but she was afraid Cloudpaw would overexert himself too soon and make his injury worse not better. She glanced over to Icepaw, seeing the wheels turning in his head as he started on the idea of training. Well, she could keep and eye on him to make sure.. "Alright, doesn't sound too bad to me." She said, looking to Cloudpaw and Rainwing.

Rainwing shrugged, not in the mood to fight with the Riverclan tom today. "Sounds fine. Cloudpaw, find some warriors please. Thank you."

[Deleted]

Icepaw flicked his tail to Featherpaw, acknowledging the fact that they were both in agreement of the training idea. But he was wondering if she had the same intentions as he did. Probably not. But that wouldn’t matter. And trying to ask if she did might get him in trouble if a ThunderClan cat overheard. So the tom decided to just go with it all, and then looked to Cloudpaw and Rainwing in wait.

“So can we get going pretty soon? If we’re gonna do this, I’d like to get as much time in as I can.” The pale tabby looked from one medicine cat to the next, still twitching the tip of his tail side to side.

[Deleted]

((It was sunFLASH, right?)) Cloudpaw dipped his head to Rainwing. "Right away." The blue tom answered, glad to get the riverclan 'paw out of his fur. The male turned his two-tone eyes to Icepaw and then padded away, out of the den in search for warriors.

Aftera few moments, the blue apprentice padded back in, two warriors with him. "I brought Foxflight and Sunflash." He announced, turning to the older two cats. "Thanks for helping Icepaw and Featherpaw get some exercise and time away from the camp. It should do them both quite a bit of good." The tom's mew was light, hiding the fact that he was actually thanking the warriors for gettingone annoying furball out from under his paws. Well, Icepaw wasn't really in Cloudpaw's way, he was just annoying to the blue 'paw. "If eather of you see ay horsetail on your way back, could you please bring some in? Any herbs that we find during this season are important, no matter how small the amount." Cloudpaw asked respectfully.

[Deleted]

The orange and white male saunterred in with the leader's closest friend. Cloudpaw had found him and had asked if he wished to help out and take some young 'paws out. When they met up with the other cat Cloupaw had asked, Foxflight couldn't help, but smirk to hold back a laugh. The Fates were toying with him, but he welcomed to challenge. It was about time he settled the ordeal between him and the other tom. Trust was a major issue in his scheme and if the advisor of Tanglestar wasn't too happy with him that was a bad thing. If only the attack hadn't failed! It unnerved him that a cat cooperating with him would just vanish, assuming no responsibility.

His white paws stopped when he was all the way in the den. Foxflight's eyes followed Cloudpaw's attention and realized they would be taking out Icepaw and Featherpaw. These were the two young cats he'd spoke to before and they were quite cunning. He'd relish a few more minutes with them. 'Paws were always so mischevious and easy-going. The warrior loved that attribute and couldn't wait to take them out.

At Cloudpaw's instructions and thanks, Foxflight mewed a welcome and nodded his head that he understood. His eyes dared the two young cats to come with them and have fun. When they flashed towards his partner, they seemed to change the tone of the daring. It was as if he was daring the male to critisize that he wasn't a good cat, but rather a fox-hearted one. "Well, come one Icepaw and Featherpaw. I bet your all cranky just sitting here like fat pidgeons," he teased with a playful tail flick.