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Post by Oakpelt on Jun 16, 2012 12:28:56 GMT -5
The light brown tabby tom licked a forepaw and drew it over his ears, movements slow and deliberate. He wasn’t quite sure why, but grooming himself in the morning seemed to help him get ready to face the day. And now that he had an apprentice, he would certainly need to be ready. There was so much to teach, so much to learn… More than just herbs. And while it was true that a medicine cat apprentice’s training may sometimes last longer than that of a warrior apprentice’s, it was important to start quickly. There was no sense in wasting time—every day was a blessing, a chance to learn and grow. So why not take that chance in your jaws? Cloudwhisker had always said that, and Oakpelt had done his best to take his former mentor’s words to heart.
The medicine cat padded over to the large gray rock at the den’s side, near the small pool. Inside the cracks in the rock, he’d carefully sorted and stored herbs. Each herb was in its place, so that he could find it easily. And maybe that would help Nearpaw, if every herb was in its own spot. Once his apprentice learned the scents, it might be easier for him.
“Nearpaw,” he meowed, “It’s time for your first lesson.”
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Post by Nearpaw on Jun 16, 2012 22:34:05 GMT -5
Nearpaw pricked up an ear, he could hear his mentor well from in the den. Not quite surprising, he was a cat, after all, and all cats had super hearing.
The small white apprentice followed his mentor's scent trail, beside the pool, he knew. There was also a heavy smell of herbs in the air, some bitter smelling, some sweet and yet others a bit tangy and peculiar.
"Herb identification, today?" Nearpaw asked his mentor, his tail perked up, near perpendicular to the ground, the only indication of his inner interest and excitement. He couldn't help himself--he was naturally born with an innate instinct not to show too much emotion, or be too attached to anything.
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Post by Oakpelt on Jun 17, 2012 13:21:55 GMT -5
“Yes,” Oakpelt meowed, green eyes shining as he noted how Nearpaw’s tail was perked up. Perhaps the white tom wasn’t quite so disinterested as he seemed to act? At any rate, the medicine cat took that as a good sign. If a cat was eager to learn, the learning typically went easier… It stood to reason, after all. The light brown tabby glanced toward the herb-rock, trying to think of what herbs to teach Nearpaw about today. The common ones, of course… Things that were easy to tell from one another. Poppy seeds were a must, as well as marigold…
“Today, you’ll be learning about some of the more common herbs, as well as their uses,” he continued. With that, he padded over to the herb-rock and scanned the crack for a heartbeat. There, right next to the honey… He reached in and grabbed the bundle of feverfew, then headed back toward Nearpaw with the herb dangling in his jaws. There would be no sense in speaking if he couldn’t be understood, so Oakpelt placed the feverfew down so that it touched his apprentice’s forepaws.
“This is called feverfew,” he explained, sitting down and wrapping his white-tipped tail neatly around his forepaws. “The flower part looks like a daisy, but you can tell them apart thanks to feverfew’s large leaves—they smell different than a daisy’s, and they’re jagged to the touch.” Oakpelt paused for a moment, and added with an amused mrrrow, “Besides, I don’t think that a daisy would taste nearly so bitter!”
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Post by Nearpaw on Jun 17, 2012 17:10:29 GMT -5
Nearpaw leaned down and nuzzled the herb, taking in it's scent, and, well, everything. The leaves were certainly jagged around the edges and bigger than what he had expected.
Nearpaw commited the scent to memory, and noted the amused way Oakpelt added that daisies weren't so bitter. Nearpaw narrowed his blue-gray eyes. "Is that one of those medicine cat jokes?" He asked. "You guys have a weird sense of humour. I don't think a bitter tasting plant is something to laugh about--it makes it harder for cats to chew."
Unless... Nearpaw's nose twitched. There was a familiar sweet scent in the air...
Of course. "Unless, you mix it up with honey." Nearpaw mewed.
Oh. Speaking of things you put in your mouth. "Mister Oakpelt, yesterday the wind kinda talked to me and Snowstar told me to tell you about it."
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Post by Oakpelt on Jun 17, 2012 20:20:19 GMT -5
Well, now… Oakpelt had to admit, he was impressed. Nearpaw was certainly quick to the mark! Perhaps mixing honey and feverfew together was just common sense, but still… He remembered that he hadn’t been quite so sure of himself at his first lesson. Yes, he’d learned quickly enough—and Cloudwhisker had been a patient mentor—but on that first day, everything had seemed so vast, so confusing. Honestly, there had been a time when he wondered if he would ever learn everything he needed to know. Thank StarClan, Nearpaw didn’t seem to be quite like that…
“You’re right,” he meowed, glancing at his apprentice. “Both about the joke and using honey, actually. You can probably guess from the name, but eating feverfew leaves will help cool a cat down if they’re suffering from high fevers or chills.”
"Mister Oakpelt, yesterday the wind kinda talked to me and Snowstar told me to tell you about it."
“What did it say?” he asked, tilting his head slightly to one side. To some cats, that would probably have sounded like some mouse-brained kit’s tale. But to a medicine cat, something like that was nothing to dismiss. He’d never had a prophecy from StarClan—though they did visit his dreams—and Oakpelt had a suspicion that there was more to it than the wind. Their warrior ancestors often spoke in dreams, though Cloudwhisker had sometimes received signs from them in the wind or water, clouds, maybe even a piece of fresh-kill once. This was important…
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Post by Nearpaw on Jun 18, 2012 6:22:48 GMT -5
Nearpaw brushed the plant one more time, the soft petals tickling his pink nose. "Feverfew. For fevers." He repeated, locking the information in his mind, though honestly, it wasn't that hard to remember. Even a dumb cat could probably tell what feverfew was for. It was the other herbs he was worried about.
"I don't suppose the other herbs are called stuff like 'tummyacheleaf', or 'infectionstop', or 'sleepquick' are they?" He asked, completely serious, even though it might sound to some like a witty quip or a joke.
The wind incident was a bit weird, considering the young apprentice had no previous experience with prophecies or signs of any kind--but he was sure he heard the voice in the wind. Either that was a sign from Starclan, or some cat spiked his thrush with catmint. "The wind kept repeating fire over and over again. Then it said something like... 'Beware of the blazing fire of red in the wind. Homes will be destroyed, four will become two, and war against wrong enemies shall ensue', or something." He paused, and followed his nose over towards where the honey was kept. The smell was thick and sweet. Nearpaw flicked an ear over at Oakpelt's general direction, much like a normal cat would glance with their eyes. "Sounds kinda ominous, don't you think, sir?"
Oh honey. You sweet, delicious thing... Nearpaw couldn't help himself. He liked food. A LOT. And honey was certainly a treat.
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