Camp SkyClan its only for the better ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ swallowpaw

[D e s]

Consumed by the darkness they bore
She will never wake up anymore

.

The flowers were a little crumpled by the time she returned to camp. She wasn't sure what kind of flowers, but that didn't matter. These flowers were pretty and smelled nice. Swallowpaw was pretty and smelled nice too.

When she was brought to SkyClan it was Swallowpaw who patched her up. Smeared stuff on her bloody paws and wrapped her tail. Des didn't appreciate it then. The wrap was irritating and the herbs that she had to eat were bitter. She would chew up her bandages and spit out the herbs. Des didn't make Swallowpaw's job any easier, but after a while her tail healed and she grew stronger.

Some things couldn't be fixed. A heart couldn't be mended with cobwebs and herbs. Des didn't know what would happen now that Rowan was gone. She lived in SkyClan, but what did that mean? There were many things that she still struggled to understand.

But even if she didn't know what happened next, Des wanted to show the cats that helped—that were kind—that she was grateful for them. She decided to begin with kind Swallowpaw.

She crept into the medicine den, small paws moving silently over the ground. The kit glanced around just to make sure that no one else was about. Swallowpaw was there, doing something with herbs. Des hovered awkwardly for a long while, large flowers clamped in her mouth, large unblinking eyes observing. She inched closer and took a seat in Swallowpaw's shadow. Des started up at her and waited, not wanting to interrupt what was likely very important work.

@SWALLOWPAW

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

5 MOONS

↟

SKYCLAN

↟

SONG

↟

bio

 

[SWALLOWPAW]

medicine cats are told to treat the entire clan as their own kits. what's that supposed to mean, really; it would've been nice to get some footnotes for the laws. you're not allowed to take a mate or bare children, but you're allowed to care for your 40 moon old clanmate like they're your own. swallowpaw wants to think that it'll come to her when she's older, and her suffix has changed, but she doubts it.

des came to skyclan's doorstep terrified, sick, and covered in her own blood. she acted like a feral cat, clawing violently at the bandages swallowpaw would tightly wound around her tail. des would spit at her and prick her paws with needle-like kitten claws, her strength weakened from malnutrition but it still stung her flesh. swallowpaw knew how to heal most life threatening injuries, however des taught her something new— patience.

at nighttime, after des would tantrum herself to exhaustion, swallowpaw stared at the ripped up herbs, wondering if des would ever change.

eventually, she did, after many sunrises heartache.

her den was empty once more, she got back to work. newleaf shines upon skyclan's territory, blessing their medicine cat with enough herbs to replenish the stock. all she had to do was memorize each one.

swallowpaw didn't see des entering her den at first. the girl sat in her shadow, patiently waiting, behavior that would quickly shock her when she finally noticed. her fawn tipped ears swivel, then her head, to meet the bug eyes staring up at her. "des," she greets warmly, a small smile pulling at the corners of her maw. "what are you carrying?"

ʚɞ

 

[D e s]

Consumed by the darkness they bore
She will never wake up anymore

.

Des didn't move even as Swallowpaw's gaze settled on her. However, she was more aware of the bundle between her small teeth. A cluster of early-blooming wildflowers crumpled and half-squashed.

She didn't answer right away. Just blinked those wide blue eyes, ears twitching at the sound of Swallowpaw's voice. There's something to it that soothes her. Kind and gentle, like waking up to bird song in the morning. Maybe that's why she's named after a type of bird? "Flowers. For you." A few delicate purple petals flake off and gather around her paws when she speaks. Des leans over to place them on the ground, a petal clinging to her mouth. She huffs in an attempt to dislodge it, but it's determined to stay on her face.

The kit blinked and then lowered her eyes, gaze shifting around the den at the many plants—bitter ones—fragrant ones—all were helpful in some way. She knew that now. "I wasn't nice to you when I came here but you still helped." She shifts awkwardly but forces her paws to be still. There was a time when Rowan had made her angry when they played and she bit him really hard. He cried, and she had to tell him she was sorry. Des thinks that then is like now. "I should say I'm sorry and thank you."

Des sat back on her haunches, half-tail wiggling against the ground. She looked up expectantly with petals and bits of grass caught in her cheek fur. Her pelt was cleaner now than it had been when she first ended up in the medicine-den. Though it still stuck up in odd places and gave a place of leaves and burrs to live. It stuck up in odd places and had that half-wild look. "Can you use them to make hurts better? Like my tail?" She says and looks back up at Swallowpaw.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

5 MOONS

↟

SKYCLAN

↟

SONG

↟

bio

 

[SWALLOWPAW]

swallowkit spent her time as a wallflower of the nursery. occasionally she'd find herself by the mouth of the medicine den, peeking in just enough to spy on tigerfoot and meadowlark. she didn't act out, throw tantrums, or bit her siblings too hard— the girl had an average life and grew into a role she can't quite fit herself into. there's nothing she relate too des with, though she understands her position isn't easy. finding an orphan kit by the border isn't uncommon, but the terrified look in her eyes, the distant barking, overwhelming stench of blood is rare.

flower petals pool around des' paws. swallowpaw looks at the one sticking to her face, but doesn't try to reach over and brush it off. "this is uhm, very sweet of you... thank you."

they were both scared. her first injury after tigerfoot's disappearance, her paws shook every time she wrapped the cobwebs. "you went through something traumatic. i never cared." her bedside manners slowly get better by the patient. the tiny scratches on her paws healed quickly. des' appearance is brighter, and fuller, she sits anxiously in her den, but swallowpaw feels proud of her,

swallowpaw reaches out to gingerly pull the bundle closer to her, inspecting it carefully. a pop quiz in the form of an apologetic kitten. "let's see... most of these are weeds and regular flowers, but this uhm, blue plant here." she points at the borage, "i give that to cats when they feel sick."

ʚɞ