Sticks and Stones {Minty}

[Wolfy]

**ShADedpAw

Knowledge has an odd way of finding cats. It pokes at their pelt and seeps in through their ears, their claws, and their eyes. Impractical really, but it's true. It's like something you've got to get because it's so unnatural that you're just so unnaturally curious. Funny how things work, isn't it?

Light filtered through the tattered brambles of the apprentices' den. A small, bundled up grey she-cat slept soundly, purring with a rise of her chest and her fluffy coat producing warmth. Yet, the peeking of the sun shone right on her eyes, fluttering them open. Green sparked color throughout the dull, boring den as Shadedpaw let out a long yawn and grumbled at the sun through the den. Sometimes she let her thoughts dabble out her mouth and tell her she should patch up the den, no more light should be interrupting her sleep. Only warriors should be telling her to move it. But she earned this sleep. She had worked hard the past few days and she was worn out. Shadedpaw clawed her way up from her warm nest and stretched out her limbs. It felt good, she'd admit, to actually get up and stretch, but now she just needed something to do...sleep wasn't an option anymore.

Only a moon had passed since her mother, Barklace, was taken by the sickness that had snuck up on ZephyrClan. She died before Toxicwinter, the new medicine cat, entered their lives. Shadedpaw missed her mother now more than ever and only a day had passed till her brother, Rustlepaw, was taken into the medicine den because he too was infected. Rustlepaw was just so little, how would he survive? The thought killed Shadedpaw's heart, but she knew she couldn't just sit around and wait for death to take it's toll. Rustlepaw would survive. She had to believe that. Shadedpaw trotted out of the den and breathed in a fresh breath of air. ZephyrClan, home of the winds. It was her lifestyle, but what she craved more than anything, was knowledge. She wanted to learn so much, but sometimes she wondered if there was ever enough time. Knowledge is the greatest gift and pleasure for her and she was determined to learn as much as she can in as much time she can use up.

Training, leadership, deputyship, battling, hunting, medicine, clans, history, there was just so much to learn! Shadedpaw began licking down her ragged pieces of fur that lay on her shoulders and along her spine. That wouldn't look too polite, starting the day with bed head. Feeling her stomach vibrate under her paw, she headed over to the fresh-kill pile. She found, luckily enough, a rabbit and two small mice. She licked her chops and picked them all up carefully before heading over to the medicine cat den. She began tripping over the rabbit by the time she got there, but she did her best not to let it drag in the dirt. Toxicwinter was a strange cat that entered the Clan not too long ago. When he brought Rustlepaw back to camp, under the watchful eyes of Paintedstar, he took such care for Shadedpaw's brother. She approved of him from then and now she respected him very well even if she didn't know him good enough. It was still nice to have him around. In fact, the business of her coming to see him was first yes of course, to see if Rustlepaw had gotten worse (she'd pass that information onto Firepaw, her other brother), but the second reason was to ask Toxicwinter if he'd teach her basic herb usage in case she ever really needed it or if he needed help. She wasn't destined to be a medicine cat, she knew that for certain, but maybe...just maybe...she was destined to be leader one day. She wanted her knowledge so that she could do anything in her power to help and protect and save her Clan. She had a better laid out plan than Firepaw did, and she intended to go through with it.

"Um,"[/color] Shadedpaw cleared her throat and set down the rabbit in front of Toxicwinter before stepping back, "Toxicwinter, I brought you this rabbit. I thought you might be hungry." Shadedpaw had confidence by far, but she still respected the cats that deserved to be respected, like older warriors for instance. Toxicwinter wasn't all bad, and from what she could tell, he was only misunderstood. And he reminded her of someone. Someone in disguise. Toxicwinter reminded her of Rustlepaw. And it wast time Shadedpaw learned what he had to offer.

[MiNTY♥]

And through the rising and falling apart, We discover who we are

The sleeping giant was woken by a cat clearing their throat just above his head. He jumped to his paws and narrowed his eyes as he didn’t like being caught in any sort of vulnerable position and growled at the warrior. That was before he realised the warrior had brought him fresh moss that had been soaked in water, a necessity for his patient. Nodding his thanks to the warrior he dismissed him with a flick of his tail and padded over to the pile of moss. Taking two pieces he padded over to where Rustlepaw lay and crouched over the small tabby tom. Using his claw to gently part the toms mouth he squeezed the moss just above the apprentices mouth, making sure that most of the water went down his throat. Satisfied he discarded the used moss at the entrance to his den knowing that it would be fetched later by a warrior or apprentice. Admittedly he did like having other cats wait on him hand and foot by order of Paintedstar, much to their dislike. No clan cat liked accepting a loner and some never were accepted but the fact was he was the only thing keeping Rustlepaw, and their other sick cats, alive so they owed him big time.

On the other hand the fact they were fetching everything for him was frowned upon. Toxicwinter liked to think of himself as a self-sufficient tom that could look after himself. Had he been in Zephyrclan longer then he would have had time to get used to the territory and know all of the perfect spots to pick up herbs and other useful items, but he had barely any time to leave his den. Finding herbs was the worst task of all, he had to rely on his nose and the descriptions other warriors gave him of where they had seen a plant similar to the one he was looking for. Usually he never found the right plants and he had to waste time searching the territory with his eyes and nose, making sure not to miss any details. Sending the warriors out for herbs never worked, they usually brought back some sort of useless green leaves which made the tom want to drown himself. He knew that he had been trained long and hard to become what he was but it surely wasn’t too difficult to find a bloody plant.

Padding back into his store he looked doubtfully at the herbs before him and tried to think of what could potentially help the sick. The illness was undoubtedly lethal and he was fighting time trying to find a cure for it, each day trying different combinations of herbs in the hopes of more improvement. Saying that it wouldn’t be impossible to heal Rustlepaw, there was potential there and he was still young so in some areas he was stronger than an older cat. If he could just get the tom more time by using any herbs that would make a slight difference to his condition. Firstly he had been trying the more common herbs and none of them had seemed to make any significant difference. Poppy seeds had kept him in minimal pain and forcing water down his throat always helped to flush illness out of the system. Hooking up a few leaves of chervil with his paw he frowned at it. The tom couldn’t seem to keep food down so maybe something that helped belly ache would make some sort of difference. Chewing the chervil up with some daisy leaves he added a few poppy seeds into the poultice and placed it by Rustlepaw’s head just as he heard another joining him.

”Thanks um-.” He started to say but then trailed off when he realised he had no idea who the cat was and pulled the rabbit closer to him. Maybe if he had some honey to mix through the rabbit it would become easier for Rustlepaw to swallow. Staring at the tom in puzzlement he realised that the young female was still in the den with him and he looked over at her. ”Can I help you?” He asked. He couldn’t see any reason for the cat to remain here after bringing him some prey. Tearing the rabbit’s fur with his large claws he tore chunks from it and began to chew them until the meat was more of a mushy looking red mass rather than a meal. Wrapping it in an oak leaf he placed it behind the medicine that lay by Rustlepaw’s head. If he didn’t wake up soon he would have to force the young tom to eat it.

WORDS// 777
NOTES// Sorry it took so long.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Wolfy]

**ShADedpAw
Can I trust in my own heart?
Or am I just one part of some big plan?


Shadedpaw stood perfectly still, her head raised slightly as she prepared herself for asking the new medicine cat her question. She probably stood out of bounds in her training, especially since Paintedstar hadn't been too kind to let him in properly. No one liked a stranger on their territory, but Toxicwinter was diligent to keep Rustlepaw from dying out in the open of ZephyrClan land. Shadedpaw thanked him over and over again in her heart that he had mildly saved her brother, now it was time for her to help him in return, whatever she needed to do-it was time she learned.

The little grey apprentice stayed where she was when she spoke, "Hello," she began slowly, but surely, "My name is Shadedpaw, Rustlepaw's my brother. Not only did I come to ask if I could see him for a split second, but I also wanted to know if you could teach me. Teach me herbs." She spoke with such a distinct voice, very different from her brothers. Firepaw, the boundless excited ball of fluff, always wanting to fight and to win victories. Rustlepaw, the quiet, soft spoken tom, too afraid of everything to let out his real courage. Shadedpaw, quiet, but thoughtful. She wanted to learn and she wanted to help. Sticks and stones baby...sticks and stones.

Calmly sitting down, Shadedpaw began again, "I don't want to be a medicine cat, but I do however want to gain the knowledge of herbs so that I may help my clan in any way I can. It must be odd to you, that I want so much more than just my normal apprentice duties. I don't want to be the best warrior I can be-I want to be the best leader I can, however much that happens. If you can't teach me herbs, I will learn at some point, I'll make sure I learn. But please, hear me out. It's a goal of mine, I can't let cats die if I can do anything for them," her eyes drifted over to her limp brother in his nest. If Rustlepaw died, she didn't think she could compose herself. It was up to her to keep him safe. She took the liberty of doing that. She could clearly see him through and through - he had enough courage and bravery to do anything he wanted, he just had to leave behind some of his worries.

Shadedpaw glanced back to Toxicwinter and let her eyes remain level, she would not be afraid of him. He was just like them, a cat. He wasn't anything different. Him? Them? He is them. It was only a matter of time before someone else would see it too.