Camp the worst is yet to come — meadowpaw

[BENGT]

A sneeze rouses him from his sleep, forcing Bengt to roll from his flank and onto his belly as he returns to the world.

It's been a few days since his arrival, and his time here has been extremely eventful, even though he had been slipping in and out of consciousness. During the hours when he had been awake enough to actually operate his senses, he's learned a few things: he is in the WindClan camp, more specifically the medicine cat's den, and his savior is called Meadowpaw. He had taken note of the few visitors that came and gone for their own set of problems. Even if he has been brought here to be kept alive, Bengt has spent enough time on his own to remember cautiousness. In his mind, he has mapped out the camp as much as he can, just in case he needs to make a swift escape.

So far it's been quite comfortable here. Food is brought to him, fresh and delicious at his paws, and he rejoices in not having to catch—or steal—his own prey for once. The large blind spot on the left side of his face still gives him nausea if he thinks about it too much... so he prefers not to think about it at all. Even the initially sharp scents of the many herbs that Meadowpaw has been using on him with his suggestions and help have become something familiar to his nose; it isn't nearly as distracting anymore.

Bengt tears into the newly deposited mouse. He is positively ravenous now that his pain levels are more manageable and he is able to keep the food down. His ears twitch when he hears Meadowpaw shuffle about on the side, the side that he doesn't see anymore without turning his head, and he addresses her between bites without looking.

"I've made myself quite permanent in your living space, huh?"

Humor returns to him bit by bit. The smirk on his face is audible.

"Regret it yet?"

He's been poking at her to cull his boredom, curious to know what she's like under all that selflessness and goodness. It'd be annoying if those very same qualities had not been the thing that saved him.

@Meadowpaw

 

[Meadowpaw]

MEADOWPAW

x

Her ears perked at the rustle of movement, and she glanced toward the nest where Bengt was shifting upright. Watching him more alert, moving on his own again—it eased one of the many weights bearing down on her shoulders. Those first days after bringing him in had been tense. The risk of infection was high, and he'd been in so much pain. She'd done her best, keeping him comfortable with poppy seeds and insisting on rest, but still, she'd feared it wouldn't be enough.

She turned back to her work, at least until he spoke. "Not at all." A smile twitches on her muzzle. "You might take up half the den, but if I run out of space, I'll just use you for storage." A soft giggle escaped her. She cast a glance over, catching the telltale curve of his smirk even if he wasn't looking directly at her. He was a lot nicer than she would've thought. A bit mischievious, but that wasn't a bad thing. Just because he wasn't from their clan didn't make him a threat by default. There were good cats out there too. He seemed more than 'good' enough to her.

"But really though, " She added with a bit more sincerity. "Bringing you here isn't something I could regret." She met his gaze—his good eye, at least—soft concern peeking through. To think not even a few sunrises ago, he was bleeding out in the moor.

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.

 

[BENGT]

Bengt passes his tongue over his muzzle when he's finished, and promptly rolls to the side a little, laying lopsided as Meadowpaw addresses her. He flicks his head towards his flank, as if to make a point.

"You're in luck then, 'cause there's plenty of space here. Maybe you can decorate my fur with leaves and berries. I could be your portable medicine storage."

A pause.

"Portable, once you let me stretch my legs a little."

He fakes dissatisfaction, but he knows that the limitations Meadowpaw has set for him are for his own good. He isn't about to go against those—when has he ever been anything other than self-serving?

Her voice turns honey-sweet then, and Bengt feels caught up in it. As always, Meadowpaw's sincerity is on full display. He wonders if she is even capable of lying or otherwise pretending.

Bengt decides not to combat it with humor this time. He still cannot wrap his head around the events of the past few days fully, but he supposes he can try to get clear answers instead of deflecting and changing the subject.

"You've put an awful lot of trust in me,"

he points out, searching Meadowpaw's face for anything that may be hidden from view.

"I could've been dangerous to your Clan. To you. But you still healed me without knowing me."

Bengt knows himself quite well, or so he thinks. He understands the depths of his pride and wrath; knows how far he could go for his own self-indulgence; fully controls his claws and teeth when push comes to shove. Meadowpaw doesn't know any of that.

"Why?"