Posts by HEATHERMOON

Every day since she had been granted the gift and curse of this position, Heatherpaw prayed that she would never have to fight to save the life of certain individuals. Moonwatcher, Asphodelpaw, and her brothers. Thankfully, she had never seen Asp's body - had never had to fight to fix him, hoping that he would survive because of the work of her shaking paws. Thankfully, her brothers had stayed out of trouble long enough to avoid injury. So far, Moonwatcher had as well. The young medic prayed to the stars every night that they would stay out of harm's way.

So to hear Shimmerpaw's shaking voice calling to her for help, with the name of her mother slipping from his mouth, Heatherpaw's whole body froze in fear. Rat bites. Something that can be deadly if not treated correctly. Her mother has injuries that, if not treated perfectly by Heatherpaw, would kill her. The blue point cleared her throat, forcing the fear from her mind to try and think.

If she was correct, the water from the river was infected. They would need to get water from somewhere else to clean the wounds. Better safe than sorry. "Shimmerpaw, find some moss and soak it with water and bring it back to me please. Not from the river. Find a shallow puddle somewhere in the territory." She didn't even have time to be nervous about the authority in her tone. All she could think about was that her mother was injured and she needed her help.

Heatherpaw gathered burdock root and raced over to the silver tabby. "Mom, I need you to lay down and tell me what happened." Heatherpaw glanced over the wounds - one on her shoulder and one on her hind leg. Keeping the deputy talking would hopefully distract her from the pain. The medic craned her neck to begin cleaning the fur around the wound while she waited for the moss from Shimmerpaw.

""

Heatherpaw could see the herbs pressed against her mother's wounds, though they needed to be changed out now, and the scent of BloodClan that hung around her. The medicine cat's nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell of the band of felines she hated so much. Although thankful their medic had helped her mother, she still hated BloodClan with every fiber of her being.

Glancing towards Shimmerpaw thankfully, she murmured softly to him, "She'll be fine, don't worry. Thank you for your help." Picking up the moss gently between her teeth, Heatherpaw began pressing it against Moonwatcher's wounds to clean them gently. Next, she chewed the burdock root to create a pulp and worked on forming a paste over the two bites.

"Alright, mom, this should be enough for now. Would you like some poppy seeds for the pain? I'd like you to sleep in my den for at least tonight so I can keep an eye on you. After that, we'll just have to make sure we clean the bites regularly so they don't get infected."

A petite, blue pointed face emerged from the darkness of the medicine cat den at the call of Fuego. It was about time for Eveningwhisper to go into labor, she supposed. Pulling herself back into her den, Heatherpaw headed to a specific corner where she kept herbs and other supplies for kitting. Rootlegs had helped her organize the den when he was finishing up her training. The queen was young and inexperienced and probably shocked at the pain so the she-cat grabbed a stick, some raspberry leaves for the pain, and borage for when the kits were born to help her milk come.

Trotting out of the nursery with the necessary herbs, she dipped her head lightly to the flame-colored tom in thanks before slipping inside the nursery. The medic placed everything done and cooed softly to the young dilute calico. "Hi, Eve, don't worry. I'm here to help you. Snow is here, too. You're going to be fine - just take some deep breaths for me, okay?" She knew instinct would take over soon for Eveningwhisper when the process began but she was a little panicked and Heather wanted to calm her first.

"These are raspberry leaves for the pain and borage for your milk. If the pain is too much and you need something to bite down on, I brought a stick as well. Once the process begins, I can help you clean the kits while you push. Sound good?"

""

Heatherpaw watched from the mouth of her den, shoulders tense and head low. The stress was putting a lot of pressure on her. Soon, her brothers would be getting their warrior names and she wasn't sure when she would ever gain her full name or be able to take on an apprentice. She allowed her blue gaze to wander lazily.

""

The medicine cat kept her paws off of Eveningwhisper, letting her attempt to do it on her own. At the mention of pushing, Heatherpaw was ready to direct, but the queen handled things perfectly. In only a few moments, a tiny kitten was born. The blue point marveled at it for a moment before moving to nip the sack and rasp her tongue over the silver tabby kit.

As Eve began pushing and birthed another, the medic looked to Snow to see if she wanted to participate and help clean the second kit. As den mother, she probably wanted to be involved and Heatherpaw wouldn't object to the help. After she was able to get the first kit cleaned up and warmed with her tongue, she pushed it to the queen's belly, waiting to see if there were any more.

""

As she padded into the group of medics, Heatherpaw never felt so alone. Among those with the same job and similar interests, and she was by herself. There were others whose flanks brushed against their mentors or chattered with their fellow apprentices and she was completely solo. The health of ThunderClan rested solely on her shoulders and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was very, very alone.

Familiar faces were quickly found. Brookfur had been there to help her at the last meeting and Rootlegs had been a stand-in mentor. Giving a small smile to everyone, the cream and blue furred apprentice found her place between the RiverClan medics and the SkyClan medics, even going so far as to settle onto her stomach as she waited for the real conversation to begin. Heatherpaw preferred to observe quietly, aware of the anxiety rising in her chest as her tail tapped nervously against the ground.

""

Hearing the familiar call of her mother, the medicine cat apprentice checked on her patients holed away in her den before padding out to greet her mother. She had given everyone enough medicine to last them until she returned and all she could do was pray that no one else was injured while she was away. That would be the icing on the cake of this stressful week.

As Snow's muzzle touched her cheek, the blue point leaned into it, purring at the touch. She then leaned into her mother's side for comfort. "I'm ready, mother. I sent word to Rootlegs - he is going to accompany me as my stand-in mentor while I receive my name." Hoping that wasn't a problem, the cream and blue furred she-cat began padding to the mouth of the ThunderClan camp.

""

At the mention of asking any questions, Heatherpaw's ears straightened. Actually, there was something that she wanted to ask of the Tonkinese tom. Pushing herself back up to a seated position, the ThunderClan medicine cat apprentice tilted her head, icy gaze trained on the RiverClan medic. "Um ... Rootlegs ... I know you're not my mentor but you're the closest living cat I have to one and I was wondering if you would accompany me to the moonstone this moon to receive my full name." Her voice was shaking violently and her front left paw was tapping against the ground, frantically trying to calm herself. There was no reason to be so nervous - surely he would agree. He had been so kind to mentor her after Heatherbloom passed.

""

Padding along with her mother and Rootlegs, Heatherpaw's heart thumped unevenly. Every trip she had taken to the moonstone had made her feel this way - jittery, anxious, unsure. It was always a fear that she wasn't enough, that StarClan would reject her as ThunderClan's medicine cat. Yet, every time the starry cats welcomed her with open arms, encouraging her and guiding her to grow into her position comfortably.

Touching her nose to the cool stone, Heatherpaw was engulfed by a warm feeling before appearing in the clearing near Rootlegs and Moonwatcher. Her mother would become Moonstar during this visit, and the young she-cat was able to watch it happen ... how amazing.

""

Her mother's announcements droned on as the new ThunderClan medicine cat listened from the mouth of her den. Her soft blue paws were pressing into the soft dirt below her, making patterns in the gritty texture. A particular announcement caught her attention and the she-cat's ears swiveled to catch the leader's words.

If a kit left camp unattended their apprentice ceremony would be postponed indefinitely? Snapping her head up to the silver-furred she-cat, Heathermoon's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. That's a little harsh mom, don't ya think? Indefinitely. How terrible. She understood the need to protect the kits but was that really the best solution? Having a bunch of full grown cats still carrying the suffix 'kit'? Hm.

The second rule she agreed with a little more. These were trying times for loyalty and it made sense to have a newcomer accepted by Moonstar or Flameseeker first. Nodding her head, Heathermoon returned her attention to her patterns on the ground.

""

Like Flameseeker, Heathermoon had been surprised by the sudden call to meeting. With Wildseas there, the medicine cat had already been on edge. As many of her clanmates did, she still held an intense distrust of the city dwelling cats, and hated the idea of their leader being among them. They were dangerous, lacked morals, and didn't have the guidance of StarClan like the other forest Clans.

As she listened to her mother's argument against Flameseeker, the blue point she-cat's nose wrinkled in disagreement. At least RiverClan and ThunderClan had a conscience. Forgiveness could be found there. BloodClan captured and tortured cats for fun. Cats younger than herself were stripped of their claws by their leader. No, this wasn't right.

Heathermoon didn't normally consider herself to have a fiery and bold personality by any means. It was a shock, considering the blood that ran through her veins. Asphodelpaw and Moonstar never shied away from an argument, especially if they believed in it wholeheartedly. That part of the medicine cat was buried. It was deep, but it was there.

Currently, she could feel it bubbling in her chest and her pale blue tail lashed behind her as she struggled to find the words. As ThunderClan's medicine cat what was she supposed to do? Deny her mother's orders and stay behind? Surely Moonstar would not accept that. But she had to stand behind what she thought was right.

"Mother, I'm sorry but this isn't right. BloodClan is vicious. Their own leader has given permission to his band of rogues to run rampant through the forest and capture, torture, and kill cats even younger than myself. For fun. I'm sorry but as a medicine cat of ThunderClan, one who listens to StarClan, I cannot possibly assist a group like that. I will go and make sure their young are attended to, but that is all." Her icy blue eyes were trained on mother's yellow ones, for once her body not shaking with the anxiety that normally consumed her. Heathermoon stood steadfast in her place.

""

It had certainly been a while since Heathermoon had interacted with her Clan. She always felt busy, running around trying to make sure everything was prepared in the case of a disaster or accident. And if she wasn't doing that, she was catching up on much needed sleep. Lately, though, things had been eerily calm and she had more time than usual to rest. All of her emergency kits were gathered, she was fully stocked on most of the herbs, and for a moment, she felt as though she might just be able to sunbathe or go for a walk without being on the hunt for a plant.

Alas, she found something else to add to her to-do list. The petite blue point she-cat stepped out into the sun from her den and took a deep breath, gazing around the camp. Would her voice even extend that far to make the announcement? Might as well just give it her best shot, she supposed. Sucking in some air, Heathermoon let out a loud meow, "Uh, ThunderClan! Can I have your attention?" It was louder than she thought she would get it and she placed her paws stiffly into the dirt to keep herself steady, hoping her voice wasn't shaking. "I'm going to be doing check ups so if everyone could just gather in front of me in a single file line, that would be great!"

She knew she wouldn't catch everybody due to patrols and such, but she hoped she would get a decent amount today.

( if there is something you would like her to find/fix/etc just mention it ooc in your post! <3 )

""

Heathermoon watched the ceremonies take place in a lazy track post, wondering when she would feel comfortable enough to take on her own apprentice.

""