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Post by burnstar on Apr 23, 2016 8:02:52 GMT 8
"I don't want to!" Burnkit complained as Moonkit begged her to go outside and play. "Come on it will be fun," the calico she-kit begged, pushing her from behind, outside the safety of the nursery. Even though the two kits were littermates, they might as well have been with their closeness and tight bond. Because their were never any other kits to play with and neither had siblings of their own, they played with each other, even though they were opposites. Moonkit always wanted to play and go on adventures, Burnkit never wanted to do any of that stuff and her life was just about work and what she could do to better help her clan. Finally the ginger cat gave up and allowed herself to be led into the camp clearing where the light from outside momentarily blinded her. She squinted as Moonkit bounded ahead of her. "Come on!" She squealed, beckoning with her tail. Burnkit sighed and followed obediently behind her. Moonkit hopped her way over to the freshkill pile, cutting her paw pad on a stick, but not realizing it. Burnkit had no idea she couldn't feel pain, like no other cat realized yet, and Moonkit of course, being to young to realize it, assumed not feeling pain was normal for cats. She tugged a mouse from the pile and threw it over playfully to Burnkit. "Hey!" Burnkit growled, standing protectively over the piece of prey. "The warrior code says prey is not be played with." Burnkit dutifully struggled to pick up the prey and drag it to the pile. Moonkit rolled her eyes. "You sound just like a senior warrior, all business and no play," she teased. Burnkit grunted her annoyance. "Now can we do something that won't offend Starclan?" Burnkit asked, looking around for something to do. Moonkit bounded forward, racing to the warriors' den, still unaware of the blood trickling from her paw and leaving a tiny trail across camp. Burnkit, being a kit, didn't notice it and quickly followed after, nervous of what she expected Moonkit to do. Moonkit shoved her face into the warriors' den in curiosity of what lay behind the walls of the den. "Hello?" She called. "Anyone awake?"
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Post by Leopard on Apr 23, 2016 10:28:07 GMT 8
The white mass of fur nestled deeper into the moss as if he could hide from the shrieks and voices filtering down with the weak dawn light into the den. Slowly the tom rose to sit hunched over in his nest. Mind fogged by sleep he took in the faint smells of stale herbs, the bitterness of fox, lingering after all this time, and the warmth of Cherrypaw’s lingering scent. Another smell, the richness of a brewing storm carried down from outside. It was this smell more than anything that drew him fully into wakefulness. He stretched out his front paws until his belly brushed the floor and then, biting back a last yawn he scrabbled up the gentle slope that served the entrance to his den.
His paws moved silently across the frost bitten ground as he made his way over to the freshkill pile, his stomach sharpened with last night’s hunger growled. The freshkill pile still had a few bits of prey left over from last night. The white tom selected a small mouse and he was just picking it up when he scented blood. Carefully he set the mouse down and there it was a speck of fresh blood. Concern knitted his brow and lightly, not wanting to rouse the camp, he started after the blood trail, heading towards the warrior den.
“Is anyone injured?” He called gently into the bitter air.
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Post by burnstar on Apr 23, 2016 21:13:19 GMT 8
Burnkit opened her mouth ready to respond with no while Moonkit checked herself over quickly and saw the splash of red blood on her left paw. "I am," she interrupted Burnkit. Burnkit swiveled her head around. "Since when?" she demanded. Moonkit shrugged and turned to the medicine cat. "But it's just a small scratch," she protested, "nothing too serious." "I wouldn't be so sure," Burnkit retorted back sharply. "I heard a story from the elders that a small wound can turn serious." Burnkit racked her mind for what that was called but turned up blank. She only remembered the elders telling her a story about a cat who died from a scratch like Moonkit. Fear pricked Burnkit's fur. She didn't want Moonkit to die. "Is there anything you can do?" Burnkit asked on Moonkit's behalf, earning herself a sharp look from the calico.
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Post by Leopard on Apr 23, 2016 21:41:09 GMT 8
The prickling furs at the back of Laurelheart’s neck fell back down, cool relief ebbing through the tom’s body. Just a scratch. He waited, blinking down at the two kits, to see if Moonkit would break down into tears as he had seen so often in injured kits. When the breakdown didn't come he let out a small sigh of releif; that certainly made his job easier.
“Well then, Moonkit, let’s take a look at that over by my den. We don’t want you lot being trampled when the warriors start to wake.” Slowly the white tom padded off towards the entry to his den, beckoning with his tail for the kits to follow.
As expected the kits kept up a steady stream of chatter but sleep still clogged his mind which made the words little more than indistinct blobs on the edge of his hearing. Still the edge to the last words kicked him onto full alert. Anything he could do? Did he need to speak to the elders again about not scaring the kits?
Laughter bubbled from his chest. “You mustn’t have much faith in my skill as a medicine cat Burnkit. As long as we keep and eye on it and it's kept clean Moonkit should make a full recovery.”
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Post by burnstar on Apr 23, 2016 21:52:34 GMT 8
Burnkit purred in relief. Moonkit just rolled her eyes, following quickly behind Laurelheart. Unlike most injured kits, she'd didn't limp, and in fact kept walking on her injured paw. Moonkit thought nothing of it and even forgot that her paw was bleeding, keeping up with the happy chatter with Burnkit. Burnkit wrinkled her nose as they neared the medicine cat den. "Eww, what is that smell?" Burnkit squealed, coming to an abrupt stop. Moonkit shrugged, though the small made her sniff in disgust she also notice the sweet smells too, though she had no idea what those were as she padded into the medicine cat den after Laurelheart and stopped to wait his instruction, putting weight on her injured paw. Burnkit just waited outside, not wanting to get any closer to the smelly den. "I'll just wait out here!" She called. Moonkit huffed and rolled her eyes. Burnkit acted as if the den might kill her. "I think she's been hearing too many stories from the elder," Moonkit groaned under her breath, making sure Burnkit didn't hear.
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Post by Leopard on Apr 23, 2016 22:10:08 GMT 8
Laurelheart nodded in acknowledgement when Burnkit took her leave; fewer distractions suited him fine. He’s slept in his den too long to be alarmed by the medley of scents; herbs, cat and the lingering bitterness of the fox who once called this place home. “That wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.” Laurelheart mewed just as softly with a slight shake to his head. “Now, can you give that paw a good lick for me?”
Back in the hollow near his nest the air grew musty and the lighting dim, but he nosed his way through his small stock of partially dried herbs. Soon he found a sprig of horsetail, his last piece, and carried it away back to the main part of the den. “Now this might sting a little.” With that Laurelheart started chewing the dry, bitter herb into a pulp.
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Post by burnstar on Apr 25, 2016 1:17:27 GMT 8
Moonkit brought her bleeding paw pad to her mouth and gave it a few swift licks. Her rough tongue scraped against it harshly, but still she showed no sign of discomfort or pain. She held it to her chest, not wanting it to get dirty on the ground. She watched as Laurelheart chewed up the herbs. "What is that?" Moonkit asked curiously.
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Post by Leopard on Apr 25, 2016 10:25:40 GMT 8
Laurelheart inched closer, still trying to chew the roughness of the herb into a pulp. It was still a little dry but it would do for a scratch. Unable to answer with his mouth full of herbs he didn’t even try. Bending his head he licked as much pulp as he could onto the paw.
“It’s called horsetail, it helps keep out infection. Just hold it still until for another minute.” No sooner had the tom gotten the words out of his mouth than he was pulling over some torn moss and licking the remainder of the pulp onto it; horsetail wasn’t dangerous but that didn't mean he wanted it in his mouth.
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Post by burnstar on Apr 25, 2016 20:54:34 GMT 8
Moonkit allowed the pulp to be licked on her paw, staring calmly at Laurelheart and feeling none of the sting her promised. Honestly, she didn't get what that word meant. She'd heard it before, but held no concept of the meaning. "It must taste bad," she notice as he spat the rest of the pulp out. She waited a few more moments in silences. "How much longer?" she begged, her voice pleading and her paws itching to move and play.
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Post by Leopard on Apr 26, 2016 13:12:13 GMT 8
The white tom stood poised to give his whole you need to do this to become a warrior speech but it was not necessary; in fact Moonkit seemed completely oblivious to the poultice slathered on the cut. If he had ever treated such a stoic kit he couldn’t place them, normally he had to give the warrior speech two or maybe three times before a kit started putting a brave face on things. Moonkit was yet to hear it once and she hadn’t so much as gritted her teeth. Laurelheart shook his head to clear it and pull himself back into the musty den. He nodded.
“Go on then. You’ll need to come back to see me at sun-down.” He added, making a mental note to pass these instructions and more on to the queens.
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Post by burnstar on Apr 26, 2016 21:54:36 GMT 8
Moonkit shrugged. "That wasn't so bad," she commented. "Not like how the other kits say it is." Burnkit poked her head through the den. "Are you done?" She asked, her tail twitching from side to side in impatience. Her nose was crunched up comically at the bitter smells and when she saw the stuff on Moonkit's paw she jumped back in disgust. "Ewww! What did Laurelheart do to your paw?" "It's Horsetail, it helps stop infection," Moonkit explained happily. "What's infection?" Burnkit asked. Moonkit shrugged and looked over her shoulder back at Laurelheart to explain.
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Post by Leopard on Apr 27, 2016 8:48:35 GMT 8
Laurelheart couldn't help but smile as Burnkit weaselled her way into the den once more. The need to go go go, the way Burnkit seemed not to see the point in dignity; it reminded him of a certain apprentice. It was as if the seasons fell away leaving him with a sharp emptiness in his chest. After a moment his smile returned and he turned back to the question.
"Well Burnkit, sometimes when we get hurt the wound will go bad -- a little bit like how we get sick -- which is why it's important to use herbs like horsetail and marigold to draw out the infection, keep everything nice and clean, and to bring even the smallest scrapes to me so I can look them over." Laurelheart kept his voice light, no use scaring anyone.
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Post by burnstar on Apr 27, 2016 12:49:47 GMT 8
"Ohh! So that's what an infection is," Moonkit mewled, placing her paw back on the ground and not even realizing but putting her full weight on it. "Is that what the elders told me? They said you can die from it," Burnkit asked, her fur pricking up at the thought. She flattened it again when she realized that couldn't happen to Moonkit, she was taken to the medicine cat in time.
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Post by Leopard on Apr 27, 2016 14:18:28 GMT 8
Laurelheart opened his mouth and then closed it; it wasn't like the paw was broken or anything, so a little weight on it couldn't hurt. Then of course Burnkit was vying for his attention once more, he looked her up and down, sensing the brief dash of fear mingling with her scent. Boisterous as she was, Burnkit did genuinely care about her denmate.
"Well, nothing is certain. I have seen Starclan call a cat from as little as a cold. I've also seen cats survive being trampled by monsters. As far as things go a little scratch like this is nothing to worry about. Infection can kill, yes, but for a young, healthy cat who gets medical attention the risks are very very low." He picked over the words carefully -- he made a point of never lying about his craft but he also didn't want the queens after him. "You go easy on that paw now, Moonkit. Pain is nature's way of telling us to be careful so if it starts hurting you come straight back to me."
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Post by burnstar on Apr 28, 2016 2:27:49 GMT 8
Moonkit cocked her head with a quizzical look on her face at the word pain. She opened her mouth about ready to ask what it meant, when Burnkit butted her side. "Come on!" She yelped, dashing out of the den quickly. Moonkit want to laugh at how Burnkit had changed from not wanting to leave the nursery to the excitement of play and impatience, but still she couldn't. She still felt curious by what Laurelheart had meant. "You go on without me!" Moonkit called to her denmate. "Make sure to find something good to play with," she added. Moonkit turned back to the medicine cat, ready to ask her question. "One more thing," the calico began. "I don't get what you said. I understood all of it but one word. What's -pain?" she asked, cocking her head to one curiously.
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