I tell myself, there's only you in a world of broken mirrors. [p] Rootlegs

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    Dry nose, aching joints, well more achy than usual. That's how it had started, then her appetite had gone and again she'd begun to look like that starving kitten from BloodClan again. It was easy to ignore the stuffy nose and painful movements. They were something that had become familiar to the apprentice after she'd been lamed by that BloodClan cat. It was the lack of hunger that had worried her but she was still scared of saying something. What would happen if she tried to tell someone and got them sick too? After a few more days she had started vomiting, what it was she was unsure, as she'd hardly eaten much. The almost hourly trips to the dirt-place made her mind alight with anxiety. What if she died just like that queen did?


    Deciding at last that she'd had enough of the suffering, she attempted to stand. It was feeble and only lasted a few moments before her strength ran out and she fell onto her belly. Using her forepaws, she dragged her again useless lower half towards the medicine den. "Rootlegs, Chasingcomets?" The she-cat mewls into the den, her ordinarily well groomed fur soiled and raising with worry.


    Dia'kendi

    Rootlegs watched yet another Riverclan cat with leg injuries drag herself into the den. Immediately he could see the fear on Polypaw's face and raced over to her. His healing paws guiding him, Rootlegs aided the she-cat into a recently freshed nest for maximum comfort. "Polypaw, you are not looking too well," he stated hoping she could provide more information. During the silence, Rootlegs began to check her over. Lifting her paws to check for sore pads and inspecting her fur for any bites.


    Rootlegs had been awfully worried recently, seeing that the clan had suffered a major loss. Feeling a little inadequate, he spent a lot of the recent hours blaming himself. Often wondering if there was a cat out there that would of seen the signs and known a cure but unfortunately for the clan he did not.

    Polypaw immediately felt slightly calmer at the sight of the tom. He was a medicine cat, he'd know what to do to make her better again. Hopefully... She looked somewhat stupified for a moment before responding at last. "My stomach's all tied in knots. I've been puking too. I thought maybe it was just bad prey. Erm..." She paused for a second, deciding that Rootlegs of all cats wouldn't judge her. "I try and pick the staler or smaller prey off the pile. It just seems like everyone else might need it more. I've felt too sick to eat for a few days." She explains, feeling like he might be even more worried about how skinny she had gotten in such a short amount of time.


    Even without saying it, she knows that he must be aware of how terrified she is. She can't think of any reason why she decided if she ignored the problem it would go away. What if it was too late?

    As he checked her over for any clues for how she obtained her symptoms, Rootlegs couldn't help but neaten out the patches on the she-cat's fur. By now most cats in their clan knew the tom would experience an uncomfortable 'itch' at the sight of some unorganised items which included tufts of fur out of place. His tall dark ears angled towards Polypaw as she spoke of her humble behaviour something Rootlegs found admirable. In his recent search for a meaning in life he had found that living for experiences came up a lot which also included the delicious taste of fresh kill. Now a cat stood on front of him who confidently spoke how she did not need that. Rootlegs couldn't help but smile softly at Polypaw before calmly asking a few questions "you don't feel like eating? Have you been in the river lately or spent any time round Frostbloom or her kits?"


    Rootlegs was not a fan of hiding what he was thinking to his patients whether they were kits or elders. He would express exactly what he thought through related questions. It was quicker this way to diagnose the problem and especially now with the recent events it was important to catch it early.

    "I was in the river about a couple of days ago to exercise my legs." The she-cat mews groggily. Almost feeling like she could fall asleep in the comfy nest. This had been before Chasingcomets had given his warning to avoid the river. Now Polypaw had to wonder if maybe she might have gotten other cats sick. Guilty swam around her feverish thoughts, compelling her to blame herself. "I had been able to walk, albeit shakily until this morning." She adds, not sure if it's relevant to anything other than her loss of strength. At first she's unaware that he's groomed her fur but when she realizes she is almost immediately worried.


    "Careful. What if you get sick?" Maybe it was stupid of her to worry, after all he was a medicine cat. He would know how cats got sick better than some apprentice like her.

    Nodding along the tall tom thought carefully about what she was saying. The fact she had been in the river very recently was cause for concern and the more he heard the more he worried. "I will find something to ease your shaking and replace the nutrients you are missing from eating," he informed Polypaw with a soothing voice. His ears uncontrollably fell back against his skull when he heard her caring words. "Don't you worry about me," he meowed lovingly "we were chosen by Starclan to help those of our clan. They will be looking out for us so we can look out for everyone else." Rootlegs truly believed in Starclan but he was questioning their intentions recently. At one moment it had seem to go all amazingly, he found his half sister (Nightstar) and a beautiful she-cat in Windclan and then the next he had dislocated his shoulder and Frostbloom died of this unknown disease. He had been wondering, why Starclan was sending him mixed messages?

    "Oh, um, the shakiness was just from my injury. My legs are very sore and hard to use most of the time." Polypaw mews gently, nodding when he mentions nutrients. His next words touch her slightly and she smiles a little bit through the pangs of nausea. "I'm sure you here this often enough, but I really appreciate the work you and Chasingcomets do for our clan. I'm sure I'll be back to exercising in no-" The she-cat sneezes, and rasps a soft pink tongue over her nose. "No time." There was no doubt that he would've known what she had meant to say but she still wanted to finish the sentence.

    Taking a step back as the she-cat sneezed, Rootlegs followed up with a bow of his head to show his appreciation to her kind words. He placed his paw on a lilypaw and tore a bit off with his teeth and handed it over to Polypaw. "Bless you," he purred with a slight giggle handing over the lilypaw tissue. His eyes finally settled onto the out-of-order legs that belonged to Polypaw. He'd been meaning to check up on her and do a follow up on how her exercises were going. "Let me get you something for your stomach and joints," he meowed as he hurried to grab his herbs.


    Making his way back and forth the tom sighed as his tiptoed round, Chasingcomet's long fur hairs scattered in the den. "Need to tidy that up after..." he thought to himself, a smile creeping onto his face as he thought about the friendly giant. He took his seat on front of Polypaw and laid out three herbs. "This is Daisy leaf, it's very common and will help with the leg pains. It also will provide some nutrients you're missing out but we need to get more in you which means eating. We'll get you to eat small bites with some herbs infused into your food so you don't have to eat much," he explained to her as he indicated to the leaf of the small white flowers. "I have to ask you before I offer you this," he informed as he pointed to the yellow flower, "is there any chance you can be pregnant? Tansy can be dangerous to Queens and unborn kits." The tom's look turned serious as he waited for a reply.

    "That would be lovely, Rootlegs." The she-cat mews gratefully, dipping her head respectfully to him as he moves about the den. He was definitely a good pick to be a medicine cat. Not only was he polite, but also very approachable and it made her feel silly for not coming into the den earlier. The she-cat sniffed at the leaf but decided it didn't smell too bad. "Daisy, that's a nice name, sounds delicate but strong." His question about pregnancy made her wonder if she'd ever be lucky enough to bear children. Would there ever be a Daisykit? She wondered before snapping back to attention.


    She snickered a little bit. "Gee, I'm a little young for that aren't I?" The question was more of a joke than anything else. Who knew what apprentices were getting up to now. "But, eh, no. As far as I know, I'm not pregnant."

    Rootlegs nodded enthusiastically in agreement, afterall the tom's mother was named Talldaisy. His whiskers twitched in curiosity, wondering if Polypaw knew that. "It's a gorgeous name," he purred whilst briefly closing his eyes to embrace the flooding lobing thoughts of his mother. There were none reminding him of how she lied to him about his father, just good times that filled Rootleg's body with warm.


    Soon he opened his eyes. His dull green orbs shifting back onto the ill apprentice, "you definitely too young but things happen Polypaw. It's not a safe forest out there and even regarding that sometimes we can be careless." His voice was considerate, no hints of judgement. Maybe there was a reason why... he always thought his mother was a little young to have him. Happy with her response he nudged the herbs forward with his nose, indicating for her to chew it up and eat it, or at least the little he had laid out.


    "Now I don't want to overwhelm you with herbs, your system can only take so much but this over here is ragwort leaves. You can eat these with juniper berries to keep your strengths up," he continued to inform her about the herbs. It suddenly dawned on the tom that he was giving her mini lessons with no real thought to why. It was something he just found himself doing, which reminded him to talk to Chasingcomets about the new medicine cat apprentice.

    "It's hard to be reckless when you can't get very far without exhausting yourself." The she-cat jokes to him, seeming to be in a bit better spirits than before she had come into the den. Rootlegs was just pleasant to be around, he kind of reminded her of Asphodelpaw but she didn't sense as much inner turmoil. She sighed for a moment, she really should just forget about when she had been reckless. It might help her if she got a new mentor. It might help her if she had a little more guidance. For now though, she conceded to just try and get better.


    "Ragwort and Juniper for strength. I think my mother knew about catmint, but she wasn't really around long to teach me." She mewed, recalling the few bleary memories she had of her mother. It was easier to remember smells from back then. More times she'd be better off forgetting.


    "Do you think StarClan cares for cats who come from outside the clans?" She asks suddenly, not entirely understanding StarClan yet. She'd asked Asphodelpaw a similar question when she was gravely wounded but he hadn't answered her. "Life is scary sometimes and it would be good to feel a part of something bigger. To know that my life is in more capable paws then my own." If she was more dramatic she would've face-pawed. Goodness, sounded like- Well like an apprentice.


    Being without a mentor since Ashfolly had disappeared, she'd certainly had a lack of guidance in the past moon. "Rambling, sorry." She added quietly, looking somewhat embarrassed.

    The medicine cat couldn't really understand why some of the cats chose to joke about their injuries. Well he knew most of the time it was to make them easier to bare but that didn't mean he truly understood. The tom always thought if he ended up in their situation he'd work non-stop till it was better.


    He listened to Polypaw speak briefly about her mother, feeling a slight pang in his chest he felt and urge to place his tail on the she-cat's shoulder but his awkward nature left him starring sadly at her.


    An intriguing question. Rootlegs never really spared a thought regarding Starclan's views on cats who were not clan born. What happened if they didn't know they were clanborn? Before he could answer, Polypaw continued and Rootlegs happily listened. The apprentice was insightful. Asking the important questions and making Rootlegs' paws tingle. This is what he had been looking for in his search for meaning in life, someone to talk with.


    "From I've experienced Starclan looks after every cat that is willing to respect their ways. Even cats who have done wrong in the past. They will listen and offer guidance accordingly" he meowed in response thinking carefully as he spoke. 'You should not apologise, I enjoy your company very much. I should also add, Starclan cannot control everything... It's still your life. You make it."

    "The feeling's mutual, Rootlegs." Polypaw mewed in response to him, smiling a little. It felt good to know that someone wanted to talk to her. His kind answers to her myriad of questions was a breath of fresh-air and it was good to know that she didn't bother him.


    "It must be very rewarding to do the work you do. Do you think you could tell me a little bit about the herbs you have?" The apprentice asked, usually dull amber eyes alight with curiosity. She had been spending a lot of time around medicine cats and the den. It might be good to have a very general knowledge of herbs.


    "I mean, if you have time." The addendum to the sentence might've seemed odd but she'd never want to be a burden to someone else. Though she figured she might not have to worry about that with Rootlegs.


    [Aah, sorry for shortness and lack of bolding, at school rn and my fingers are cold from the bike ride over so my bluetooth keyboard is only so helpful, haha.]

    The tom felt unusually settled round the apprentice. She had good vibes and sent positive energy even despite her injury. However, it dawned on Rootlegs that there was the small possibility Polypaw had caught this mysterious disease which would mean learning about herbs might prove to be useless.


    Holding in a sigh of distress, he quickly came to the agreement that teaching Polypaw a little bit here and there would cheer her up and that was worth it. "We can go through some every now and then. For now we should focus on improving your health and exercise" he meowed as he stood up and slowly padded over to the exit of the medicine den.


    Glancing over his shoulder and wearing a wide smile he purred over to Polypaw, "come on you, let's go do some stretches in the sun. Being cooped up with Chase's furry mess is no good for me."

    For a moment she was a little disappointed but when he volunteered to help her with her exercises she perked up. Sure, they were uncomfortable, sometimes painful but she'd been getting better. When she'd been at first injured she thought she'd been paralyzed, now it had only been a few days since she was stumbling around. It didn't sound like much, it was an improvement. Breathing in a deep breath, she tried to heave herself to her paws. The strain evident on her face.

    The strain reignited the nausea but she surprised the bile rising in her throat. With a huge grin, she managed to stand on all four paws, albeit wobbly. She figured she may have worried him slightly. It was possible that he didn't think that she should be moving this much, maybe he was right. It didn't matter, she needed to do this.


    The cramping feeling was less than normal and she figured that was because of his herbs. "Rootlegs, those herbs were great. They're not as stiff as I'd expected." She mews to him as they exit the den.

    He noticed the pain on the apprentice's face but restrained from helping her. It was not his place to run to her aid unless she asked for it. He was adamant that a cat like Polypaw could return back to the four-legged life as long as he didn't do things for her. "You're doing great," he meowed some words of encouragement as he took smaller steps beside her. Pausing outside the den the tom had marked two rectangles out of the same size rocks. Taking his place inside one he flicked his long sleek tail, indicating to Polypaw to take a place in the middle of the other.


    "First we'll stretch out all legs, raising slowly onto the toes of out paws and lowering ourselves back down," he instructed as he kept his eyes locked onto a point on the other side of the clan that would keep his mind at peace. It was hard to find a relaxing place in camp but he had made this area, scented with herbs to relax himself. He made an extra "mat" in case Tempestwing or Chasingcomets even wanted to join him.


    // yes they are doing cat yoga XD

    His instructions sounded a little painful but she didn't doubt that he knew what was best for her. "Ouch." She whispered as she strained her legs to work in unison to lift her body as tall as she could. That probably wasn't anywhere near as tall as the tonkinese medicine cat but she was giving it her best. Muscles seemed to tighten and untighten but she managed to lower herself down smoothly. "It smells great out here, I could hardly breath in the apprentice's den." She purrs, feeling moderately better.

    A small tightness still held strong in her chest but it was easy enough to ignore when she was relaxed and breathing this deeply. In fact, she hadn't been this relaxed in a good while. It was nice being able to forget her problems like she used to with Asphodelpaw, before she'd driven him away.


    "It was the scent of water that lead me here when I first came as a starving kitten. There was something about the scent of the river that was pure and clean."


    [Trying really hard to not picture Root with a manbun]

    His tall dark ears twitched when he heard Polypaw's pain. Continuing to look straight he meowed to her in a calm and soothing tone, "breathe through it. Taking deep breaths in and letting it all out. With it, let the stressful energy, the little and big things itching you, the locked feelings in body and mind leave and replace it with refreshing air."


    This was a whole different side to Rootlegs most of the clan hadn't taken the time to recognise. He very much loved his time in meditation, often being one of the only ways he could control his OCD. A few minutes a day help the tom de-stress and keep a clear mind in most situations. If any cat paid attention it was obvious to see when he hadn't taken the time to achieve the blissfulness he found through relaxation.


    "There is a time to deal with the weight on your shoulders but you can't be carrying it around with you wherever you go. So for now, breathe Poly and we can deal with it once our minds are in a better place." He had noticed something was heavy on the apprentice's mind and heart and thought she could do with a break from it all.


    // He's gone full sensei mode o.O

    The lithe she-cat took a deep breath, allowing her mind to drift away from the pain of her joints and her heart. Strong lungs held the breath, locked the oxygen into her bloodstream. Pure air, the air scent of her clanmates and the scent of RiverClan. It was a scent that brought her life back into perspective. Even if she was lamed for now, she had a full belly. That was something she couldn't have said two moons ago when she'd wandered into the territory, delirious from hunger. A pleasurable chill rippled through her delicate smooth orange fur as she released the breath.


    Rootlegs was correct when he'd said that there was a lot on her mind, weighing her down. Guilt was a big part of that right now. Also, nausea, dizzyness but none of those things compared to her yearn for Asphodelpaw. Polypaw let out a huff of frustration, this wasn't the time. She needed to give her body a chance to heal and she wasn't doing that very well if she didn't allow her mind to settle. She thought about her friends, Tempestwing, maybe Chasingcomets, Stormpaw, Salmonkit, Fallowcreek. She was lucky to have people she could relate to.


    A heavy feeling began to develop at the center of her head that quickly grew in magnitude until it was a dull throbbing. White, glaring light seered her vision and her amber eyes rolled into her head as the she-cat fell to the ground in a heap. Small grunting noises escaping her as her body began to jerk and contort against her will, spitting beginning to pool under her head. The bony apprentice's frame appeared especially delicate as her limbs extended outward violently.