Post by Rainy on Nov 20, 2009 9:44:04 GMT -6
After the cermony was over, the young tom padded towards the medicine cat's den. He stopped outside the fallen log, admiring it and fully taken in the truth. This was his den now, his true home. He bounded inside, his new apprentice spirit surging through him, and breathed in the delightful scents of many different herbs. He padded towards the piles of dried herbs at the back of the log, which was blocked by the edge of the hollow. Soon he would know them all. A few dried balls of moss were close to it. An old nest it looked like. He padded over and sniffed it. Very, very faintly came the last traces of Goldensea's scent. Well, he thought. "Might as well make a new nest for me to sleep in." He pushed the dried moss pieces out of the den, and left to get some fresh moss. He hesitated at the log's entrance, reluctant to leave now that it was finally his. But he would only be gone a little bit...
Bronzepaw returned, a bundle of fresh moss in his jaws. He had dried it as best he could, and grabbed a bit extra. He figured he should keep a nice pile of it for sick cats, to make nests for his patients and soak water into. As he entered the log he smelled something sweet, like the traces of scent from the old moss scraps...
He dropped the moss and gasped. Goldensea was sitting in the den! SHe was pawing through the herbs, murmering to herself... "Catmint, horsetail, marigold, poppy seeds..." She turned around, sea-colored eyes glowing. "You'll have them all memorized before you know it. What they are, what they do, where to find them... I will teach it all to you! First, let's..."
Another voice interrupted her. A tom's voice, coming from outside the log.
"Bronzepaw? Can I come in?"
"Um, sure, Hollowcho!" the young cat responded, turning his head. He looked wildly at Goldensea, but she was already gone. Her scent was already faint.
The gray tom limped into the den. "I stepped on a thorn. I'm a mouse-brain, I know, but I wasn't really paying attention. It's your first day and all, but think you can get it? If not, I'll do it myself."
Bronzepaw closed his eyes, and heard a whisper in his ear. "You can do it, Bronzepaw, I will walk you through step by step."
He blinked open his eyes, and mewed, "Did you say something, Hollowecho?"
"Um, no. Can you do it, Bronzepaw?" The former loner looked puzzled, and looked around the den. "Just you and me. Must be pretty lonely in here, a whole den to yourself. And you want this?"
"Turn his paw slightly, and hold it firmly with your paw. Use your teeth to pull out the thorn, quick but firm. You;ll need to get close to the pad, just don't bite him instead of the thorn!" Goldensea purred, her laugh like a beautiful song. "To stop the bleeding, apply some spiderwebs, and ask Hollowecho if he'd like a poppy seed or two for the pain."
"I got this," the medicine cat apprentice mewed, to both Hollowecho and his invisible mentor. He did exactly as he was told, spitting out the thorn and turning around to collect the named herbs.
"Hey, thanks. Great job," called Hollowecho. "It feels much better already."
"Lick it clean," responded the bronze tom. "Need any poppy seeds for the pain?" he asked, returning with a clump of webs to place over the wound.
"Nah, I fine, thanks. I think you'll make a great medicine cat, Bronzepaw. I don't know much about this healing stuff, but I'm sure it'll come in handy. It's something us loners had to take care of by ourselves, and we don't know much of anything."
Bronzepaw smiled, pride warming through him. But it was all thanks to Goldensea. "You're not a loner anymore, Hollowecho. You're one of us, now, you're a warrior," he told the gray tom, who nodded and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Bronzepaw whispered, "And thank you, Goldensea. How about learning some of those herbs now? Let's take a walk..."
Bronzepaw returned, a bundle of fresh moss in his jaws. He had dried it as best he could, and grabbed a bit extra. He figured he should keep a nice pile of it for sick cats, to make nests for his patients and soak water into. As he entered the log he smelled something sweet, like the traces of scent from the old moss scraps...
He dropped the moss and gasped. Goldensea was sitting in the den! SHe was pawing through the herbs, murmering to herself... "Catmint, horsetail, marigold, poppy seeds..." She turned around, sea-colored eyes glowing. "You'll have them all memorized before you know it. What they are, what they do, where to find them... I will teach it all to you! First, let's..."
Another voice interrupted her. A tom's voice, coming from outside the log.
"Bronzepaw? Can I come in?"
"Um, sure, Hollowcho!" the young cat responded, turning his head. He looked wildly at Goldensea, but she was already gone. Her scent was already faint.
The gray tom limped into the den. "I stepped on a thorn. I'm a mouse-brain, I know, but I wasn't really paying attention. It's your first day and all, but think you can get it? If not, I'll do it myself."
Bronzepaw closed his eyes, and heard a whisper in his ear. "You can do it, Bronzepaw, I will walk you through step by step."
He blinked open his eyes, and mewed, "Did you say something, Hollowecho?"
"Um, no. Can you do it, Bronzepaw?" The former loner looked puzzled, and looked around the den. "Just you and me. Must be pretty lonely in here, a whole den to yourself. And you want this?"
"Turn his paw slightly, and hold it firmly with your paw. Use your teeth to pull out the thorn, quick but firm. You;ll need to get close to the pad, just don't bite him instead of the thorn!" Goldensea purred, her laugh like a beautiful song. "To stop the bleeding, apply some spiderwebs, and ask Hollowecho if he'd like a poppy seed or two for the pain."
"I got this," the medicine cat apprentice mewed, to both Hollowecho and his invisible mentor. He did exactly as he was told, spitting out the thorn and turning around to collect the named herbs.
"Hey, thanks. Great job," called Hollowecho. "It feels much better already."
"Lick it clean," responded the bronze tom. "Need any poppy seeds for the pain?" he asked, returning with a clump of webs to place over the wound.
"Nah, I fine, thanks. I think you'll make a great medicine cat, Bronzepaw. I don't know much about this healing stuff, but I'm sure it'll come in handy. It's something us loners had to take care of by ourselves, and we don't know much of anything."
Bronzepaw smiled, pride warming through him. But it was all thanks to Goldensea. "You're not a loner anymore, Hollowecho. You're one of us, now, you're a warrior," he told the gray tom, who nodded and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Bronzepaw whispered, "And thank you, Goldensea. How about learning some of those herbs now? Let's take a walk..."
