Posts by HEATHERMOON

It hadn't taken her long to get to the RiverClan border. It wasn't far from where ThunderClan had moved their camp to. Small blue paws thrummed against the ground softly, guiding her. Heatherpaw's eyes would open every once in a while to make sure she wasn't going to run into anything, but mostly she tried to allow her other senses to guide her. The aroma of the herbs that bloomed near the river, the gurgling of the water that marked the border of the territory, and the soft ground beneath her paws. It all brought her closer without hardly having to use her eyesight.

When her eyelids lifted to reveal her beautiful blue gaze, they focused on the blue water in front of her and the flowers sprouting around it. Newleaf was coming and that meant more herbs would be growing. Something the young medicine cat apprentice would be thankful for. Heatherpaw was currently on the hunt for marigold, feverfew, and fennel. Her stock was running short on these and she wanted to gather some before the other medicine cats started hunting for it. Stepping closer to the river, she began to pluck the herbs from the ground and placing them gently into a larger leaf for travel.

VixenSong~

""

Only for a moment, Heatherpaw's heart sunk thinking of Asphodelpaw. Normally, she tried to picture him safe and healthy somewhere far off - that he had escaped whatever had attacked him and that even if he wasn't in ThunderClan with his family, that he was fine somewhere else. It was really the only thing that would get her through the grief of his passing, especially since he had never visited her in her dreams. Did that mean he and StarClan were rejecting her life as the medicine cat apprentice? Surely not. Despite all the things she had gone through, she still had faith in her ancestors and that they were guiding her paws on the path she was meant to take.

The sadness dissipated as she focused her eyes back on her mother's silvery face. Something that was Asphodelpaw's that would be passed on to her ... by her mother - Heatherpaw knew it was going to be perfect, whatever it was. Her matching deep blue orbs were bright with curiosity and her paws itching to see what it was. When her mother began to pad out of the camp, the blue point's head tilted softly, wondering where they could possibly be going. After hesitating for a quarter second, the small she-cat bounded after her mother, falling in step beside her and letting her cream flank brush against Moonwatcher's striped one.

Once they arrived, Heatherpaw looked noticeably confused, eyes narrowing to try to figure out what was so special about the charred plant in front of them. When Moonwatcher parted it, though, her eyes lit up and maw dropped. The young medicine cat apprentice was at a loss for words and she could only stare, mouth gaping at the little garden in front of her. Tears threaten to overflow at her soft words about giving this space to Asphodelpaw. Finally closing her mouth and composing herself, Heatherpaw would turn to her mother.

"Mom ... I love it. Thank you so much..." Her words were choppy, throat thick with the overwhelming emotions. Although she didn't share the medicine cat den with another medicine cat, there was always a flow of cats in and out - never somewhere where she could have complete privacy, alone with her thoughts while still getting things done. She was still in awe. Turning back to Moonwatcher, she jumped forward, aiming to wrap her forelegs around her mother's neck in a loving embrace.

""

The voice that emerged from seemingly nowhere startled the she-cat. Jumping back and dropping the herbs she held softly in her mouth, Heatherpaw blinked rapidly to compose herself. Although inwardly panicking, she tried her best to take a few deep breaths and be diplomatic and not let on how truly nervous she actually was. The tom before her didn't seem threatening but also didn't exactly sound friendly. After only about two to three seconds, the blue point's breath had returned to it's normal rhythm, though her heart was still drumming wildly in her chest. Could he hear that?

"Hello," she mumbled, quietly at first until she cleared her throat. Her right forepaw tapped the ground twice while she greeted. "Yes, I am. Who are you?" Several more taps. Her tone was much more polite than his came across though it was more diplomatic and cool than friendly. Realizing that she had forgotten to properly introduce herself she dipped her head. "Uh, sorry ... my name is Heatherpaw."

""

She, too, had been far too absent in her role around camp - something she never wanted to become. Heatherpaw's wish was to make ThunderClan thrive and she was apart of that now. She refused to be a bump on a log for their medicine cat. Preparing to step outside of her den to meet some new faces, her mother's call hit her ears. Blue eyes brightened at the idea of not having to socialize alone and she padded out to sit next to Moonwatcher.

Brushing her creamy fur against the deputy's, Heatherpaw waited for her to finish before she would continue, "Um, hi everyone!" She forced a little chirp into her sentence, attempting to hide how truly nervous she was. "I'm Heatherpaw, your medicine cat. I'm a little shy but I do like making new friends and I always welcome a friendly face popping into my den whenever you'd like!"

""

Heatherpaw padded forward out of her den, taking a seat near the opening. She looked much older than she was, forced maturity having aged her face a great deal, her mouth automatically set into a line as she watched Blackstar atop the rock, waiting for the meeting to begin. The stress of this job was undoubtedly taking a toll on her and she knew that she needed to find a partner - fast. Perhaps she would speak with Blackstar about it.

""

Hearing the call for help, Heatherpaw was awoken abruptly from her sleep and she bolted into the camp to see what the problem was. Of all things she was expecting to see, an injured Rustsky and two large rats had not been one of them. She paused for a moment, trying to process what was going on and then turned on her heel to disappear into her den again.

When she emerged, she was carrying a good amount of burdock root and cobwebs and then placed it in front of the young warrior. Rat bites was not something that were common, but the treatment of them was fairly simple. Chew the burdock root into a pulp and apply - try to keep them clean and free from infection. Easy enough.

Approaching the disheveled she-cat on soft paws, Heatherpaw placed the herbs on the ground between them. "Rustsky," she murmured in a calming voice, hoping the fiery pelted warrior would allow her to treat her. Her paw thumped in an attempt to keep herself calm while she spoke to the young feline. "Can you tell me what happened?" As she spoke softly, she moved forward, getting a better view of the injuries. She began to chew the root into a pulp while she waited for her response and then moved forward, attempting to press it into the multiple bites on Rustsky. Heatherpaw would place a patch of cobwebs over each bite covered in pulp to hold it in place.

""

The voice of the she-cat interrupted the work she was doing on her injuries. The medicine cat apprentice was methodically cleaning and applying burdock root to the she-cat's rat bites, not wanting an infection to set in. At Rustsky's question, Heatherpaw's head lifted, eyes narrowing. It saddened her to see the fiery she-cat so upset about the crutch that was her leg.

After giving it a quick glance, the blue point sighed, exhaustion filling the air around them as she let the breath out. It was true - her leg would cause problems for the rest of her life. Especially if the feeling never returned to it. "Can you remind me again what the original injury was?" She knew the young warrior had been having problems with it for a while but couldn't remember how it had all started. I guess the stress was getting to her mind and making her more forgetful than normal.

"There are always options, Rustsky," Heatherpaw murmured softly to the warrior as she worked her paws to apply to pulp of the herb gently. "You could always become a den mother like Snow and work with the queens and the kits. If that doesn't suit you, there is always the option of taking early retirement ..." She knew that was not what she would want to hear so the medic continued quickly, "If you are determined to still serve your Clan, there are always ways to do so. Maybe you will have to train again or work harder than other warriors but it may be possible to continue altered duties."

""

The small she-cat was standing by her mother's side, yet visibly uncomfortable among those that held the most power such as Nightstar, Twistedtail, Sorrelstar, Blackstar, and Moonwatcher. It felt wrong to be sitting there like she was even as important as them. Though, she supposed, as ThunderClan's medicine cat she was allowed a place and an opinion.

An opinion that she wouldn't hesitate to give, like she had so many times before. Heatherpaw wasn't sure what to think about BloodClan attending the gathering. The hatred for the savages ran deep through her Clan and she held a bitterness towards them for the hurt ThunderClan had to go through and the stress she and Heatherbloom were under for so many moons trying to heal and Clan that was suffering because of the actions of one tom from BloodClan.

A flash of her childhood appeared behind her closed lids - playing with her parents and siblings, blissful in her freedom and happiness at being able to grow up in ThunderClan. What if she had been born in BloodClan? The image shifted to intense training, bloodshed, anger, brawls, war. Would she be different if she had been born and raised there? Was she only this way because she was lucky enough to be born in one of the forest Clans instead? Her heart pitied those that weren't given the same opportunities.

Nightstar's announcement went about as she expected. RiverClan would be sitting out the gatherings and they wanted ThunderClan and ShadowClan to follow behind them as well until BloodClan stopped coming. Heatherpaw's ears twitched as she watched the ebony leader, understanding the she-cat's reasonings. What shocked her, though, was Blackstar's announcement. ThunderClan would not be sitting out. The surprise didn't necessarily come from her disagreeing, but more so just not what she expected her leader to say.

Was it the right call? A certain RiverClan warrior didn't think so. The medic wasn't sure. Stepping forward with her mouth pressed into a line, Heatherpaw cleared her throat and prepared herself to speak. She allowed her right forepaw to tap lightly on the ground a few times before she started. "Not that I'm disagreeing with either leader's choice..." she wanted to make that very clear - she wasn't entirely sure which she sided with, "...but what is the endgame? BloodClan will always be here. We can beat them back and try to 'send them a message' but what are you expecting? That by refusing to gather each moon they will understand and leave us be? It will never happen." When she stepped back to take a seat, her legs were shaking and her eyes were wide from the anxiety pulsing through her.

""

Per Blackstar and Moonwatcher's orders, she wasn't really supposed to be traveling out of ThunderClan's camp by herself due to the threat of the ever growing rat population. However, this was a sacred place and something only she could attend.

Stepping into the crowd, Heatherpaw felt very alone. The blue point was the only one representing ThunderClan and the anxiety of being alone was taking over. Her body was shaking slightly and she could feel her throat swelling. Tapping her paw numerous times calmed her slightly. Heatherbloom, I wish you were here to help me... Hoping that maybe she would see her late mentor at the Moonstone, she smiled slightly.

After the DarkClan medicine cat had finished speaking, the young she-cat stood. "I'm Heatherpaw, from ThunderClan."

""

Heatherpaw's nose was to the ground, trying to find the spot for a specific herb in the dimly lit den. It was one that wasn't needed very often so she kept it closer to the back. Now that she was able to start replenishing her stores, she was having a hard time finding the assigned place for some herbs. When she finally found out she muttered a small cheer to herself before placing it on the ground gently.

A voice interrupted her ever-busy mind and her head lifted slowly to see who it was. Lightpaw? She and her brother had never been extremely close, but she loved him with her whole heart. Her family was dwindling and she was desperate to keep them close and safe. Growing up heading down different paths with their lives caused them to naturally drift apart, but it didn't change the love she held for him and the others.

"Oh hey, Lightpaw!" Her face was pulled into a tired smile but her voice didn't shake from nerves like it normally did. He was family. She was comfortable around family. "You're just in time, actually. Now that it is newleaf I've been able to replenish my stores and they desperately need to be organized!"

""

Voices outside her den woke Heatherpaw from her light sleep. Standing and stretching her legs out behind her, the medicine cat's tongue lolled lazily. It had been days since she had a good rest and she felt oddly relaxed for the first time in what seemed like moons. Without Heatherbloom, everything had fallen on her shoulders and she would be lying if she said she wasn't stressed all day every day. But she was thankful for the brief moments of rest and the young she-cat was ready to get back to work.

Stepping into the light, the blue point's attention was drawn to the kit. Before her sleepy eyes even settled on his face, she knew he didn't belong to ThunderClan. Had he been left at the border? From what she could gather from the conversation and Blackstar and Snow's hovering forms, they had taken him in. Putting on a smile, Heatherpaw made her way closer.

"Hello," she murmured softly, not wanting to disturb the young kit who was drifting off. She could relate to the feeling of exhaustion. "How can I help?" The question was directed at Snow, as she was holding and grooming him.

""