Closed Territory WC keep on keepin' on ✿ — herb patrol

[Meadowpaw]

MEADOWPAW

x

The early light of dawn spilled across the fields, igniting a path through the tall grass. Meadowpaw shuffled awkwardly ahead of the two warriors accompanying her. Having two warriors with her still felt like overkill, but it was better than the usual large patrol that usually came with. A smaller group meant fewer distractions and hopefully quicker progress. She wouldn't have to keep an eye on as many cats, which would've been difficult without Gladebloom's help.

Determination creased her brow as she searched. The chill of leaf-fall hung in the air, creeping in just a little more each day. If they didn't get serious about restocking the medicine stores soon, they'd pay for it come leaf-bare. With so many cats showing up injured lately, the pressure was on. Plus, she still wanted to give RiverClan some herbs too...

"Please keep an eye out for anything that looks useful." The apprentice called over her shoulder. "B-but be careful picking herbs you don't recognize. Some of them can be harmful." She still remembered when Fowl had shown up with mystery herbs smeared across their wounds. Learning about plants might seem boring to most cats, but even a little knowledge could help. At least enough to be safe with herbs.

She stopped, green eyes landing on something nestled in the grass. Meadowpaw hobbled forward and emerged with a stick. Not exactly what she'd been hoping for, but it could still be useful. They couldn't afford to be picky right now anyway.

Coin Flip: Heads → Success → Sticks

There is no posting order, and you can post multiple times in succession, but please only do one post per herb. You cannot roll multiple herbs and cram in into the same post. Either use the Herb Scavenger or complete rolls manually. Don't forget to take a screenshot and post it in #-scarlets-attic or #-karmens-kitkats on discord!

@Solacewhisper @STAGGERDANCE

x

I BELIEVE THAT THERES COURAGE

BUT ITS BURNIN' LIKE ASH IN THE WIND

x

WINDCLAN

MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE

10 MOONS

SHE/HER

Meadowpaw values kindness and remembrance. As a kit, she internalized her mother's lessons, but questioned whether her way is the only way. She has broken free from the heavy burden of her mother's expectations due to their estrangement after the fire. She remains kind and soft-spoken through all she's endured, but is not afraid to speak out for what she believes is right.

Meadow works tirelessly at any task she undertakes, desperate to prove herself capable and worthy despite her disability. Without her mother's guidance, she finds new ways to express herself.

In conversations, she is gentle, thoughtful, and withdrawn, often hiding her struggles, fearing others seeing her as incapable. She continues to have a strong bond not only with her sister, but with her adopted family as well. Meadow uses her new freedom to support and deepen the bonds with her clanmates. Additionally, she has started to explore the more spiritual side of herself…

Her worldview is a complicated mix of hope and frustration. She wants to believe that there's hope at the end of all the suffering, but feels trapped by her limitations. With enough time and support, she may find a way to overcome her limitations and accept herself.

 

[Talonpaw Talonpaw]

One thing he didn't really consider, was that his sight was much worse than it used to be. With one available eye, it left him feeling unprotected- like an easy target. In order to see to the left, his head had to turn. His eye was gone and with it, the feeling of never being the same or normal again left him depleted. Yet, he pushed forward despite the discomfort, following further back from the warriors- and back into the safety of what he knew- back to allow the festering of loneliness and comfort sink back into his bones.

Because that was safety- leaving the others ahead, to talk upon themselves, while he watched with his blue gaze, and made sure he was safe. Though... Their backs would be covered as well. He still meant what he said, he'd help if needed. If it came to that, which, he really hoped it didn't.

But, even with others in close proximity, the open endless fields were too open. He could not conceal into shadows, could not leap from branches- instead, it was head on battle and brute strength. The shadows were his friends, his allies, but now, now he had nothing.

His ear flickered, hearing Meadowpaw speak, and his blue gaze recalled the herbs, vaguely. He knew no names- tansy, he chewed on. Cobwebs wrapped his face, wrapped the different coloured flowers against his forever shut eyelid. But that is all he knew. He tried to not eavesdrop into conversations that were not his own, and perhaps, maybe sometimes he should. It would help now, at least.

he wandered, swaying to the groups left flank, blue eye able to see while they were left in the blankness of his right side. it wasn't trusting them, ears swiveled to hear from both sides- but rather reluctantly trying to be useful. Purple flowers blossomed here, a tall bushel, with green leaves protruding the sides and in between blossoms. He didn't know this, didn't recognize it- and so he paused, head turning to the group. "Meadowpaw?" He called, but said nothing more, blue gaze turning back to the bush.

//Found Mallow but doesn't recognize it with limited knowledge, so is calling meadowpaw to see if it is useful!
​

 

[STAGGERDANCE]

Staggerdance was no good with plants. They'd always thought of it as twoleg business, with how zealous their old folk were with theirs, but what good would it do to tell off Meadowpaw? The poor thing couldn't be going off flower-picking or what-have-you on her own; not with coyotes out and about... alas, there they were, having joined her out of worry rather than want. It didn't stop them from voicing their complaints, however. "'M afraid I ain't recognizin' much 'sides green," they said in half-jest. The longer they mulled over it, however, the more guilt they felt about not helping out, so they sighed and began sniffing the ground below.

It wasn't long before something soft and damp brushed their whiskers. Moss... that ought to be useful, right? They gingerly scraped it off the ground with their teeth and clumped it together, then re-united with the rest of the patrol to show off their find.

OOC: mobile post, will pretty up later

 

[Meadowpaw]

MEADOWPAW

x

There was one cat Meadowpaw knew she'd have to keep a closer eye on, though he might've preferred otherwise. Even if Talon insisted he was fine, his injury still concerned her. It might've only been an eye wound, but that was more than enough to worry about. He would have to adjust to being one-eyed. Plus, he was still very much in recovery. So far, he seemed to be doing all right, but Meadowpaw would stay vigilant.

Talon called out his find to them. The mallow's purple flowers are hard to mistake. "That's mallow. Good find!" Meadowpaw offers an encouraging smile before turning back to her search. He seemed eager to get back to work too and she took that as a good sign.

Staggerdance's comment makes her giggle. Not every cat had a love for herbs the way she did, and that was okay. Maybe she was the odd one for finding joy in something most found tedious, but Gladebloom had helped her turn that interest into something that could be used to help others. "I think you might have a greener paw than you give yourself credit for."

Something prickly rubs against her leg, and she turns to have a look. Those jagged leaves and fuzzy-looking stems give it away. Not a plant to grab carelessly because its sting would leave itchy welts on her paws and muzzle if she wasn't careful. That was a lesson she'd learned the hard way as a kit. Avoiding its sting was impossible, but there were some things she could do to avoid that.

Luckily, Staggerdance had already brought just what she needed. "Do you mind if I borrow that moss to collect this, Staggerdance?" She didn't want to just up and snatch it from them. All the herbs were going to the same place, but it was ultimately their find to share with her.

Coin Flip: Heads → Success → Stinging Nettle

// Talking to Talon and Staggerdance

x

I BELIEVE THAT THERES COURAGE

BUT ITS BURNIN' LIKE ASH IN THE WIND

x

WINDCLAN

MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE

10 MOONS

SHE/HER

Meadowpaw values kindness and remembrance. As a kit, she internalized her mother's lessons, but questioned whether her way is the only way. She has broken free from the heavy burden of her mother's expectations due to their estrangement after the fire. She remains kind and soft-spoken through all she's endured, but is not afraid to speak out for what she believes is right.

Meadow works tirelessly at any task she undertakes, desperate to prove herself capable and worthy despite her disability. Without her mother's guidance, she finds new ways to express herself.

In conversations, she is gentle, thoughtful, and withdrawn, often hiding her struggles, fearing others seeing her as incapable. She continues to have a strong bond not only with her sister, but with her adopted family as well. Meadow uses her new freedom to support and deepen the bonds with her clanmates. Additionally, she has started to explore the more spiritual side of herself…

Her worldview is a complicated mix of hope and frustration. She wants to believe that there's hope at the end of all the suffering, but feels trapped by her limitations. With enough time and support, she may find a way to overcome her limitations and accept herself.

 

[Talonpaw Talonpaw]

His head would bow a bit, lower in the affirmations that the plant was in fact useful. He stared at it for a long moment, examining, before wrinkling his lips as he pushed his head to nip his teeth at the base, roughly jerking his head pulling some roots with it, before rejoining the group from behind, watching- carefully.

They spoke, the one Expressing their lack of ability in recognizing, but meadowpaw continued with her eagerness, expressing what he thought to be gratitude nonetheless. His blue gaze scanned the moor, drifting- when large leaves caught interest. Whatever she found, she didn't want to touch- so setting down the stem of flowers and roots, he'd nab the large leaf through the strands of grass, and bring it over.

"Maybe this leaf would suffice instead of beddin' " he offered the dock, not meaning to sound rude, but it seemed better to him. If she didn't want to touch it, he was sure she didn't want someone drinking off of it or sleeping on something it touched.

//Found dock!
​

 

[Meadowpaw]

MEADOWPAW

x

Talon offered a dock leaf instead of the moss. Soaking the moss to remove any lingering sting wouldn't have been a problem, but she didn't want to turn him down. He was trying to help, and Meadowpaw supposed she could soak the dock leaf the same way too.

"O-oh, that's a good idea. Thank you. She accepted the leaf with a nod of appreciation. Turning back to the stinging nettle, she carefully pinched off a few leaves. A day when she didn't return to camp with welts on her gums was a good one.

After placing them with the other herbs, she spotted a cluster of vibrant purple flowers tucked into the grass. Lovely, yes—but she knew better. One time she picked some to show Gladebloom and was scolded for being careless. Since then, she was careful picking herbs she didn't know and steered clear of harmful ones. No matter how beautiful, they weren't safe to bring into camp. Especially not with so many curious kits around.

Meadowpaw gave the flowers a wide berth. "If you see any white and pink flowers, please leave them be." Her warning was a stern one. "They're very poisonous." Hopefully, they would listen. So far, she hadn't made anyone vomit up poison and she would very much like to keep it that way.

Coin Flip: Heads → Success → Meadow Saffron → Chose to avoid picking it.

// Talking to Talon

x

I BELIEVE THAT THERES COURAGE

BUT ITS BURNIN' LIKE ASH IN THE WIND

x

WINDCLAN

MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE

12 MOONS

SHE/HER

Meadowpaw values kindness and remembrance. As a kit, she internalized her mother's lessons, but questioned whether her way is the only way. She has broken free from the heavy burden of her mother's expectations due to their estrangement after the fire. She remains kind and soft-spoken through all she's endured, but is not afraid to speak out for what she believes is right.

Meadow works tirelessly at any task she undertakes, desperate to prove herself capable and worthy despite her disability. Without her mother's guidance, she finds new ways to express herself.

In conversations, she is gentle, thoughtful, and withdrawn, often hiding her struggles, fearing others seeing her as incapable. She continues to have a strong bond not only with her sister, but with her adopted family as well. Meadow uses her new freedom to support and deepen the bonds with her clanmates. Additionally, she has started to explore the more spiritual side of herself…

Her worldview is a complicated mix of hope and frustration. She wants to believe that there's hope at the end of all the suffering, but feels trapped by her limitations. With enough time and support, she may find a way to overcome her limitations and accept herself.

 

[STAGGERDANCE]

STAGGERDANCE
​ So you're gunning for best of three... ​

"Glad t' hear!"

Staggerdance meowed, though they were, for once, wholly convinced this field of expertise was well beyond them. It did not bruise their ego, however: they already knew that much, and the many other things they were better suited for... at the very least in their imagination. That was part of why they let the other kid (Talon, they reckoned) offer his find to Meadowpaw. The rest was obvious, so obvious it didn't even cross their mind—why attempt to compete with someone half their age?

Although...

"What's the nettle for?"

It must have some kind of use to make all the fanfare worth it, surely, but Staggerdance couldn't figure it out on their own. Neither could they dillucidate how the flowers the calico came across could be so dangerous, but alas, that was what different ranks were for, wasn't it? They acknowledged her warning with a flick of their ear and began rummaging through the grassy fields again. This time, however, they were as empty-pawed as they expected to be from the get-go. Again, as far as they were concerned, their little patrol was adrift in a verdant sea...

"Pst, kid. You sure we haven't plucked every plant yet?"

The tunneler kept their distance from the medicine cat apprentice, but nevertheless leaned their body towards her.

AND YOU'RE GUNNING FOR IT ALL

✦

MAY THE KING FALL!

• OOC: late as fuck sorry (failed herb patrol roll; found nothing)
• KEY:
  

  "speech"

  
  

  'thoughts'

  
  attempted action
  

  "other character's speech"

  
  
• 
  

  Click on the image to see my full
  reference sheet!​

  Staggerdance is a short, scarred black ticked tabby with amber eyes. They have a torn ear and are missing two toes on their left forepaw. The stripes on their face form a "mask" around their eyes.
  Maverique, any pronouns
  21 moons, ages every 27th
  NPC x NPC — older sibling to Wormpaw and Snailpaw
  Mentoring none
  Closed to romantic interactions
  

 

[Talonpaw Talonpaw]

Talon dipped his head, blue eye slowly blinking before turning to sniff for the sweet herb and flowery essence they were hunting. It felt a bit different, because it really wasn't hunting. It was survival, but in a different way than he had or ever could consider. It was relaxing in an unnerving way. But he still dealt easily visible as he moved along the shaggy grass. A torn ear flicked as she spoke about something of pink and white flowers.

"If they're dangerous... Why keep 'em around?" He asked, eyebrows knitting together to spot the pink and white flowers she spoke of. It was hard to tell from this angle and position, and he'd roll his shoulders before pushing forward, nose moving strands of tall grass aside before finding bright purple flowers. Sniffing it gently, it smelled nothing like other smells. Usually their aromas were strong, but this one was melancholy comparatively.

Staggerdance spoke then, and he shook his head. "There's more, y' see?" He called, pressing his paw down on the long strands of grass before moving to clamp teeth around the stem.

//Hey this dummy found a different shade of meadow saffrons :3

​

 

[Meadowpaw]

MEADOWPAW

x

An ear swiveled to catch what Staggerdance asked. "Wounds mostly. Especially if it gets mucky and infected. You can make a poultice from the leaves to bring down the swelling b-but touching it hurts, so you have to soak them first." Her eyes brighten as they land on a patch of moss clinging to the shaded underside of a rock. It wasn't much, but enough to soak up some water or line a nest. After peeling it off, she adds it to the growing pile. "Plucked every plant?" Staggerdance's comment makes her giggle. "There are probably more plants out here than we know how to do with. You can take a break if you want." Not everyone had an eye for herbs. She supposed that for a warrior, scavenging wasn't very fun either.

"I don't, for one it's too dangerous to..." She casts a glance over at Talon and her heart stops. "No, no, no!" The words tumble out as she bounds toward him, dropping the moss in her haste. "Leave it now!" The panic turns her voice shrill and far harsher than she intended. The apprentice skids to a halt, nearly tripping over her paws in her desperation. She makes the last-minute choice not to rip it from his grasp. Even if it is tempting, if he bit down and accidentally swallowed some, then what? Nothing they gathered was capable of making him throw up, and only she knew what to grab from camp. Meadowpaw would have to rush to get herbs, and she wasn't the quickest on her paws anymore.

Coin Flip: Heads → Success → Moss

x

I BELIEVE THAT THERES COURAGE

BUT ITS BURNIN' LIKE ASH IN THE WIND

x

WINDCLAN

MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE

12 MOONS

SHE/HER

Meadowpaw values kindness and remembrance. As a kit, she internalized her mother's lessons, but questioned whether her way is the only way. She has broken free from the heavy burden of her mother's expectations due to their estrangement after the fire. She remains kind and soft-spoken through all she's endured, but is not afraid to speak out for what she believes is right.

Meadow works tirelessly at any task she undertakes, desperate to prove herself capable and worthy despite her disability. Without her mother's guidance, she finds new ways to express herself.

In conversations, she is gentle, thoughtful, and withdrawn, often hiding her struggles, fearing others seeing her as incapable. She continues to have a strong bond not only with her sister, but with her adopted family as well. Meadow uses her new freedom to support and deepen the bonds with her clanmates. Additionally, she has started to explore the more spiritual side of herself…

Her worldview is a complicated mix of hope and frustration. She wants to believe that there's hope at the end of all the suffering, but feels trapped by her limitations. With enough time and support, she may find a way to overcome her limitations and accept herself.

 

[Talonpaw Talonpaw]

Nettle helps with wounds when they're infected... He'd remember this. It was a survival tactic. Once Windclan found no use for him, he expected the disband to be harsh, but nonetheless helpful. He'd learn everything he could before then. He wouldn't be unprepared. He couldn't be. He'd know how to help himself, he'd know how to feed himself, and he'd be better off. He wouldn't have to worry about anyone except himself, and he wouldn't have to be an extra belly to feed... But...

No no no! The shrill yell, and suddenly the boy was spiraling. His head turned fast. Fur pricked into spikes, and his jaw distorted into an ugly snarl as a body came running towards him. There was a narrowing tunnel in his vision as obsidian claws dug into the dirt, throwing him backwards away from the incoming cat and bracing for impact. His heart thudded in his torn ears, flattened against his skull as claws gripped into thick grass and dirt.

Her paws skidded to a stop, and his tail lashed behind him, ice blue eye slitted and slowly starting to reveal meadowpaw a pace or two from him where he was prior. His breath panted, and his tail a bottlebrush behind him- stiff as he gritted teeth together.

A breath.

Two.

"Y' could've gotten hurt!" He suddenly said, voice cracking, scraping against his throat. It was louder than he expected, a warning. "I would've stopped! Y' cant- y can't RUN at me- yell at me- y' - " his breathing was uneasy, a fluttering in his chest. I could've hurt you. His gaze drifted to the yellow flowers, but he couldn't see the other ones. He couldn't compare, he couldn't tell. They just looked like flowers. " 'm sorry. What did I do. What do I do. Tell me."

He wanted to know. He wanted Meadowpaw to tell him it was okay- but his blue eye fell, his claws wouldn't undig from the caverns they had dug into the dirt. He had noticed that his limbs would not stop shaking. He hadn't even noticed they were shaking in the first place. His breath wasn't even- in, out, in out. It was quickened. His heart thudded loudly in his chest. And when he looked up, when he met Meadowpaws gaze- those... That water welled at the edges.

Tears.

He had made her cry. If she had said anything, he couldn't hear it. Thin wirey tail swung as suddenly he found himself turning. His body stuck in a mode he didn't understand, his head was loud. You fool. You hurt her. But he didn't even touch her. It's more like, my ego. But he didn't even touch her, and he hurt her. What even was ego- what was anything right now? He hadn't really realized he was running, dry dirt kicking behind him in clouds of dust. Claws extended raking through grass, propelling him further- faster.

When did it get so hard to breathe?

​

Talon he/him, windclan 8 moons old.
black tabby with dark greyish brown undercoat and white underbelly. white crest on chest, and scars lining left side of face, blinding his right eye. icey blue eyes and white that is slowly starting to streak his features. Back scars non-existent for now.
mentored by Merrystalk // mentoring none
littermate to none
NPC x NPC / father/mother to none / mated to none
"speech" // "thoughts"
penned by Deidre ↛ deidre on discord, feel free to dm for plots. Art by PurpleCandyCorn.