duty calls;;

[vixen.]

The young calico twitched her ears against the light bugs as she made her way through the grassland. The way the ferns and plants rubbed against her legs make her feel right at home with the world around her. The air was fresh with the newly budding herbs that always came with newleaf.  Today, the sun was high in the sky and the patrols were already out and about. This made it a big deal for the calico to get out of the camp and gather the fresh herbs for her piles in her den, and leave room for more to bud in the heart of the season. This time, she was out looking for any cob-webs, burnet, and burdock root. All of which could be found in large quantities in the grassy areas. 

Her paws moved slowly, a giant beech leaf hanging from her mouth so that she would be able to take all of the herbs back in one run, so that she could head over to other parts of the territory to stock up on other herbs. It was times like these that she longed for an apprentice of her own. Of course, she wasn't that old yet, but it would help to have the extra set of paws and someone of her own to teach. Still, in the end she knew that a cat with herbal knowledge and the ability to keep all that learned information was hard to find. She also knew that starclan would send her the apprentice when they felt the time was right. Letting out a small snort as a fly landed on her nose, Dawncloud gave her head a shake and pushed forward, casting away anymore thoughts about an apprentice. 

Allowing her jaws to remain parted against the breeze, she finally caught the scent of burnet Its oval shaped leaves and indents, as well as the giant patches it grew in was impossible to miss. The medicine cat set down her beech leaf and gently plucked at the plant with her teeth, being sure to leave the roots intact so that the plant would grow back  further into the season. Dawncloud set her bundle in the large leaf before lifting it in her mouth gently and continuing on to find the remaining herbs on her list.

"I am speaking."

open to anyone!

credit to nat of adoxography.

Read more: awarriorshaven.proboards.com/thread/90/all-jazz?page=1#ixzz3aXuITine

[envy]

i'll raise you like a phoenix

fogstar

it had only been roughly a moon since the lithe tom had been named leader of sunclan. so many things had happened to lead him to this day, and it was still a completely alien feeling for the pale grey sunclan cat. there were definitely other warriors who were probably much more capable of handling the duties and responsibilities that being leader entailed, and while he was honoured to be now known as fogstar, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of doubt in himself and his abilities. needless to say, it wasn’t a very good feeling to have constantly weighing on you no matter where you went. then again, maybe this was just another challenge he needed to overcome. and anyone who knew the brute would know that he never backed down from a challenge.

with these thoughts whirling around in his brilliant mind, small paws padded along the grassy ground trying to clear said thoughts. he’d been wandering for the better part of an hour, judging by the way the sun had moved across the sky, warming the cool new-leaf air. the scent of his clanmates assaulted his senses and he was pleased that they were out doing their duties to hopefully, the best of their abilities. it sent a wave of pride coursing through his body, a slight purr erupting from his lithe frame. despite the change in leadership, it was refreshing to see that the clan was still functioning well. it definitely took a little bit of the pressure off of his mind. that, of course, could be accredited to his amazing deputy, petalfrost. she seemed to know what she was doing even when he was falling short. without her support, he hadn’t a clue where he would be. letting out a sigh at thought of the she-cat, a scent that he had not noticed only moments before struck him and pricked his ears.

apparently all the cats were out of the camp today. he hadn’t had many opportunities to speak with the medicine cat, but as far as he could tell, she had things under control. intrigued by the prospect of a conversation, fogstar made his way in the direction of where her scent had carried from and was greeted by the smell of herbs as well. herb hunting. he thought briefly as she came into view, a large leaf hanging from her jaws. under any other circumstances, the sight would be rather amusing, but he knew that it wouldn’t be very professional to laugh at her. he was coming up to her from her left side, and he wasn’t sure if she would be able to notice his scent over the wad of herbs encased within the leaf. to announce his presence, he cleared his throat loudly.

“hello dawncloud.” he said softly, his voice a few decibels lower than that of normal speech. it had been difficult addressing the clan with his natural quiet voice, and he had yet to perfect this particular skill. “how are you today?” fogstar wasn’t overly skilled in the art of conversation, but at least he hadn’t asked her about the weather.

TAG: vixen. | WORDS: 523 | NOTES: x

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY

[vixen.]

think about

so,goodnight moon and goodnight you, when you're all that I

The medicine cats jaws remained tight against her bundle as she continued to make her way through the grassland. It took her quite a while before she found the burdock root she had been looking for. Once again, she set down her leaf, being careful not to crush or spill the herbs that she had already placed inside. She then lowered herself into a crouch much similar to that of the hunters, but instead, she unsheathed her claws and dug into the dirt. She absolutely hated the feeling of dirt getting crammed into the inside of her paws, but she knew it had to be done. Once she had gotten deep enough into the dirt to see the roots below, she stuck her nose down and clamped her teeth tightly around the herb, tugging back and using her sharp teeth to bite break off the burdock from the rest of the ground. The she cat had pulled so hard that when the root gave in, she stumbled back a few steps. She shook her head and let out a small purr of amusement before she set the stack of roots into her bundle and caught the other at scent on the wind. hello dawncloud, how are you today? The voice came from their newer leader of the clan; Fogstar. He was new to the throne, but Dawncloud could sense that he had all the potential in the world. A small smile curled onto the calico's face and she dipped her head in a respectful greeting. "Greetings, Fogstar." She meowed politely, her voice as sweet as the scent that rolled off her pelt. After a few moments after her greeting and finishing up the sorting of her herbs into the bundle, she lowered her haunches to sit down a couple of tail lengths from the tom. Her eyes were shining - the two of them didn't really have times where they could talk, and it was very important to the medicine cat to be close to her leaders. It was traditional, and simply a good connection to have. If it was really thought about, the two of them were the most important of the clan - the leader and the healer. They couldn't have one without the other and continue to be successful. Realizing she had been quiet for quite a long time, she gave her chest fur a few embarrassed licks. "I am good, thank you for asking." She meowed rather awkwardly, but then caught herself and stood just a bit taller. There was no need to be so nervous around a cat she had known for pretty much her whole life. "How about you?" She meowed, picking up just a bit on his nerves. She had to understand, being thrown into the higher role was something she could empathize with, as that had happened to her when her mentor died. Therefore, the two of them had quite the understanding. Maybe it's something we can bond from. Her mind purred and once again, the she cats eyes lit up as she waited for a reply from the gray tom.

• 535 words • "I'm speaking." • envy • i love fogstar, awe!

♥︎

[envy]

i'll raise you like a pheonix

fogstar

tail flicking behind him ever so slightly, he a let a small smile rest upon his maw as she dipped her head in greeting. he was fascinated by the prospect of gathering herbs and the healing properties which each of them held. the uses of them went way over his head, and he knew that even with all his brain power, he would never be able to be successful as a medicine cat. he admired the way the medicine cats could store all that knowledge within their minds, and very rarely make mistakes, if any. he had a hard enough time remembering all of his clanmates names, let alone the names and medicinal qualities of each herb. his pale ochre eyes didn’t blink as she sorted the herbs, coming to a resting position upon the grass. he followed suit, though his hind end hovered a few inches above the ground not fully wanting to commit to the idea of sitting. there were far too many things going on in his mind to truly be able to relax. smirkng lightly as she licked her chest, his ears flicked self-consciously as her tone came out with undeniable awkwardness.

it was strange for the two cats who held the positions of their stature to be awkward in one anothers presence. he didn’t like it one bit. it was definitely a sign that the two of them needed to get better acquainted. it would be odd if the two of them showed up at the next gathering with an air of awkwardness around them. the other clans would definintely pick up on that. the leaders of the other clans may not be as smart as fogstar – in his boldest opinion – but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t pick up on any kind of tension between the newly appointed leader and his medicine cat. a flutter of nerves kicked up in his gut at the thought of the next gathering and having to address the other clans. he had been appointed a few nights after the last gathering, so the ominious gathering was not something he was looking forward to. maybe dawncloud would help him to address the clans in an objective manner. he made a note in the back of his mind to ask her at some point, if it didn’t come up in conversation today.

“I’m pleased to hear you are doing well.” the tom purred in his usual soft tone, none of his internal conflicts breaking the surface and making their way into his voice. he noticed a flicker in her eyes, and he found himself sinking all the way to the ground, some of the tension within his body floating away in the presence of his medicine cat. that was something he would never have – the ability to calm others simply by giving them a kind look. “I’m not too bad myself. I just figured there was no real point in being in the camp if the majority of my clan is out roaming the territory.” it was a lie, but it was better than admitting what was really weighing on his mind. he had a feeling however that his calm exterior didn’t fool the calico femme. and why should it? she was the medicine cat, she was supposed to have an unearthly intuition about these kinds of things. his gaze fell from her face to the herbs once again, and he shuffled his paws. “what kind of herbs have you gathered?” he asked gently, genuine interested in the she-cats activities.

TAG: vixen. | WORDS: 589 | NOTES: HERE

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY

[vixen.]

think about

so,goodnight moon and goodnight you, when you're all that I

The main thing that kept passing through the medicine cats mind was how bad that she wanted to build her bond with the tom cat beside her. It was critical that they have a strong relationship so that they could grow with the clan and be able to give them the best amount of leadership they could. When Fogstar began to speak up again, she swiveled her ears in his direction, turning her green-eyed gaze back to the gray leader. Dawncloud flicked her ears, listening as the other cat explained that he was glad that she was doing well and that he was good as well, just exploring the land. Though the she cat doubted what he was telling her, it wasn't her business to dig around and see what was bothering him. When he wanted to talk about it, she was more than ready to listen. When the tom spoke up again, he was shuffling his paws and asking her about the herbs she was collecting. For a moment, she figured he was just trying to change the topic, but his eyes told her that he was genuinely curious. A small smile passed the she cats muzzle and gently gripped the giant leaf and dragged it so that it was in front of them. Her ears flicked at the sweet scent that always seemed to comfort her no matter how she was feeling or what was on her mind. Silently, she was hoping that the same thing would help the tom. She was well aware that being a leader brought a lot of stress on one. Especially to a cat as young as Fogstar. Her eyes skimmed over her bundle and she gently picked up a burnet root, placing it in front of the tom like she would an apprentice she was teaching how to use the herbs. But, then again, it was critical for their relationship to be strong, but also for Fogstar to have even the slightest bit of knowledge on herbs if they were out on patrol and something happened where Dawncloud couldn't get to them on time. She flicked her tail, indicating that she wanted him to sniff at the herb before she spoke up once more. "This is called Burnet. Basically, it's what us medicine cats call a traveling herb. I would give it to a cat that was going on a long journey to keep their strength up." Her tail gave a small swish and her eyes were bright. She loved being able to teach her leader about the stuff she spent her life learning about. Next, she pulled out the burdock root she had just got. Like before, she placed it in front of him and waited for him to sniff at it, hoping he would be able to remember the scent. "Burdock root." She meowed, remembering how she had to dig her claws into the dirt to get it. Yuck! Her mind murmured and she let out a muffled purr of amusement at herself. "It's used to prevent infection if one of our clan mates is to get bit by a rat or some other kind of prey that we won't catch because of the diseases they carry." A small smile and she flicked her ears once more before returning to her paws. "Now, I just need to find cobwebs - which are self-explanatory. They stop bleeding from open wounds." Her green eyes danced playfully as she picked up her herbs and flicked the tom on the nose with her tail before bounding off to find the rest of her herbs.

• 617 words • "I'm speaking." • envy • notes:

♥︎

[envy]

i'll raise you like a pheonix

fogstar

pricking his ears as a small smile made its way onto the calico’s mouth, his eyes widened as she grabbed the bundle of herbs and then presented it to him. he wasn’t sure what she wanted him to do. was she going to get him to try and identify the herbs? he knew what cobwebs were, they were a staple in the clan but the other herbs? he didn’t know what any of them were, and he felt his ears grow hot as she flicked her tail to indicate she wanted him to smell the herbs in front of him. looking at her quizzically, he dropped his head and took a deep breath in. the scent was rich, and sweet and it brought a smile to his face. drawing his head back from the bundle, he listened intently to what she was describing. he nodded slightly, trying to memorize what he herb looked like so that he could know it when he saw it next. after a few moments of staring at it, fogstar blinked as she pulled another herb in front of him. he sniffed this one as well and returned to his seating position. burnet, and burdock root. making a mental note to keep those two names fresh in his memory, he flicked his ears. finally, as she said she needed cobwebs, he smiled.

“so, burnet is for travelling, burdock root is for infection, and cobwebs are used to stop bleeding. gotcha.” he twitched as her tail touched his nose and he stared at her with a wide mouthed expression. she was already a good distance away from him before he got his wits about him and followed her. he felt all the tension and dark thoughts leave as the wind whipped through his pelt and he caught the she-cats scent on the wind. this may have been unconventional bonding, but it was working nonetheless. fogstar had already decided that the tension between them was dwindling, and he was going to accredit it totally to dawncloud. the pale grey tom wasn’t exactly the greatest cat at making good friends, but who better to have on your side than the medicine cat? “so what is the best way to find cobwebs? is there a specific place you go to find them? or do you just hope you stumble upon them?” he was desperately trying to keep the conversation alive.

TAG: vixen. | WORDS: 400 | NOTES: HERE

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY

[vixen.]

think about

so,goodnight moon and goodnight you, when you're all that I

The she cat felt alive as ever as her paws drug her across the grassland at a high speed. She had been running out of her fur, truly, her mind somewhere off that she almost completely forgot why she had been running. It took Fogstar catching up with her and asking her about cob-webs to get her to snap back into reality. Dawncloud slowed her pace down to a comfortable walk, waiting for her step to fall in sync with the gray tom's before she spoke up to answer his question. "Cobweb's can be found just about everywhere." She meowed politely, though there was a tint of amusement in her voice. Did the leader of the clan truly care about such silly things, or did he just want to keep the conversation going? The calico didn't ask the question out loud, and instead, turned her gaze back to the world ahead of them before speaking up to the tom once more. "Mostly, they can be found in tight places. Like, under rocks or inside the holes of trees. If it looks like insects could build a home there, you will find cob-webs." A small smile curled back onto her muzzle. Her mind was buzzing with why the leader of the clan would want to spend the morning with her. She flicked her ears and tried to work the thought out herself before she actually mustered up the courage to ask him. "So, why are you really out here, helping the medicine cat fetch her herbs?" There was a purr to the calico's voice, though she was pretty sure the reason wasn't as simple as he just wanted to get out of the camp. Dawncloud continued her pace, only pausing to set down her beech leaf and flip a rock to scoop out the cobwebs with a paw and place it in her group of herbs before picking it up and continuing to walk on. Her eyes were glued to where she was going, but her inside ear was tilted toward the tom, waiting for him to answer her question if he was going to. But, if he chose to remain in silence, she broke it with another friendly purr from deep in her chest. "At least new-leaf is finally here." She purred. "Hopefully some of the she cats will be coming into the nursery with plump bellies full of kits. We could use the new life." Her words were soft and friendly, though she meant what she was talking about. Much like Fogstar, she truly just wanted to keep the conversation flowing.

• 450 words • "I'm speaking." • envy • no worries, my muse sucks today. >.<

♥︎

[envy]

i'll raise you like a pheonix

fogstar

contentment washed over his face as the two trotted along easily, side by side. her response was polite, and he felt a little silly now that he had asked it. if his memory served him right, he could remember seeing cobwebs almost everywhere he went during a hunt, or during a border patrol. dawncloud must think he was a dimwit, asking where cobwebs could be found. the ear closest to the calico femme flicked as she spoke again, going into a little bit more depth about how to find them. it made sense, of course, and had he taken the chance to think it through, he probably could’ve figured it out himself. he glanced at her as she set her eyes on her destination and a wave of admiration swept through his body. she was so involved in her duties, and he respected her for it. his step faltered as she proposed a question to him, and he inwardly cursed himself for thinking that she wouldn’t pick up on anything. intuitive and a hard worker.

“you saw right through that, didn’t you?” he said lightly with a chuckle, trying to organize his thoughts in a way that he could tell her what was going on without sounding like a whiny kit. he released a sigh, and slowed watching her scoop the cobwebs out and into the large leaf she had been carrying around. “i’m just a little overwhelmed with everything.” as the words flowed out of his mouth he felt a rush of relief. keeping something like that in for over a moon had really weighed on his mind, and had disturbed his sleeping patterns. “I didn’t expect to be named leader so soon, and I wasn’t really prepared for all of the responsibilities. I don’t think that I will be a bad leader, but there’s always that little bit of doubt, you know?” his voice felt strained from all the talking, and the fact that he was raising his voice slightly higher than normal. he cleared his throat and nodded. “the clan could definitely use more kits. more kits equals more warriors, and more warriors means a strong clan.” purring as he concluded his agreement, he gave his medicine cat a smile.

TAG: vixen. | WORDS: 373 | NOTES: x

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY