tw for death, grief, brief mention of a dead body. also, this takes place some time after this thread
☆ When Rowanpaw wakes up again, she's lying in one of the nests just outside the medicine cat den. Someone must've moved her, but she can't say with certainty who. Her leg is still aching, her heart somehow feeling too big for her chest, and her mother– where is Serpentberry's body…? How long had she been out? They wouldn't bury her without her, would they?
She stands up slowly, having learned her lesson now. She tests her leg gingerly, wincing at the pain. Dammit. How was she supposed to be able to bury her mother like this…? She'd have to ask for help. She remembers, albeit vaguely, that Magnoliapeak had for some reason offered to help, so after chewing some poppy seeds to dull the worst of it, she hobbles out into the camp and finds her.
Together, she, Magnoliapeak, and Juniperstar begin to dig the grave for Serpentberry. Others are bound to join too, and although Rowanpaw would rather be alone with her grief, she knows she cannot. She's not the only one who lost a mother, or someone they loved.
Once the grave is deep enough, they move the body. Rowanpaw, too weak to do much more, sits by the edge, eyes glassy and her ears flat to her head. Her mother does not belong in a hole in the ground, she belongs between the stars.
"Oh, mother…" she whispers.
She should say something, shouldn't she? As the medicine cat? When they buried the three kits' mother, she hadn't said much, but then she didn't know the molly at all, and the molly did not know of Starclan and hence would not go there. But Serpentberry– if Rowanpaw had not been too late– really is among the stars now.
"Serpentberry was–" she starts, trying very hard to keep her voice even– "she was… she was my mother and mentor, and everything I know, I learned from her. May her journey to Starclan's endless hunting grounds be easy, and– and may her memory be a blessing to those who knew her, and may her name be remembered forever as that of Thunderclan's first ever medicine cat."
She stands up slowly, having learned her lesson now. She tests her leg gingerly, wincing at the pain. Dammit. How was she supposed to be able to bury her mother like this…? She'd have to ask for help. She remembers, albeit vaguely, that Magnoliapeak had for some reason offered to help, so after chewing some poppy seeds to dull the worst of it, she hobbles out into the camp and finds her.
Together, she, Magnoliapeak, and Juniperstar begin to dig the grave for Serpentberry. Others are bound to join too, and although Rowanpaw would rather be alone with her grief, she knows she cannot. She's not the only one who lost a mother, or someone they loved.
Once the grave is deep enough, they move the body. Rowanpaw, too weak to do much more, sits by the edge, eyes glassy and her ears flat to her head. Her mother does not belong in a hole in the ground, she belongs between the stars.
"Oh, mother…" she whispers.
She should say something, shouldn't she? As the medicine cat? When they buried the three kits' mother, she hadn't said much, but then she didn't know the molly at all, and the molly did not know of Starclan and hence would not go there. But Serpentberry– if Rowanpaw had not been too late– really is among the stars now.
"Serpentberry was–" she starts, trying very hard to keep her voice even– "she was… she was my mother and mentor, and everything I know, I learned from her. May her journey to Starclan's endless hunting grounds be easy, and– and may her memory be a blessing to those who knew her, and may her name be remembered forever as that of Thunderclan's first ever medicine cat."
☆ ROWANPAW. 14 moons
mentored by serpentberry,
adopted daughter of serpentberry and thornstar
peaceful powerplay allowed
ooc - @Magnoliapeak and @loonstar mentioned
mentored by serpentberry,
adopted daughter of serpentberry and thornstar
peaceful powerplay allowed
ooc - @Magnoliapeak and @loonstar mentioned
