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Post by Leopardstar on Jun 26, 2012 13:04:34 GMT -5
Leopardstar decided she wanted to talk to her good friend, and medicine cat, Oakpelt. She knew she could always trust him, and she had nothing better to do in her boring camp where almost every cat was out doing something. She slowly walked across the camp to where the medicine cat's den lie. There was a cool Green-Leaf breeze blowing, which felt good in the hot sun.
Leopardstar entered the den with narrowed eyes, trying to get used to the slight darkneess. "Oakpelt, are you in here?", she meowed in a hushed ut bright tone.
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Post by Oakpelt on Jun 26, 2012 14:09:11 GMT -5
The light brown tabby tom padded across the grassy clearing and squeezed through the large crack in the standing rock at the den’s edge—no easy task, with his broad shoulders! But he wasn’t here to take a nap in his nest. Instead, he padded toward the rock’s far side, where time had gouged small niches perfect for storing herbs. Oakpelt bent his head and took a large bundle of feverfew in his jaws, trying not to bite down on it. He’d learned the hard way that feverfew was incredibly bitter, and he didn’t want to repeat the lesson. The tom turned around and padded out of his den-and-herb-store, heading toward the pool. He placed the feverfew about a tail-length from the small pool’s edge, right next to the marigold. He’d been checking his herb-stores all morning, and now he was nearly finished… Maybe he would be able to take a break soon and get some fresh-kill.
The tom carefully sniffed the marigold, then prodded at it with one white paw. Good, still fresh—and there was plenty. Thank StarClan for that! He was about to turn his attention to the feverfew when a noise caught his attention. His large ears pricked up; by that swishing, it sounded like a cat was entering the fern tunnel…
”Oakpelt, are you in here?”
He knew that voice! The tom gave his pelt a quick shake, trying to rid it of the herb-scraps that clung to his short fur, then clambered to his paws and padded over to greet his leader. Of course, Leopardstar was more than a leader—she was one of the few cats that he could really call a friend.
“Morning, Leopardstar,” he mewed, dipping his head respectfully to the leopard-like she cat. “Anything you need?”
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Post by Leopardstar on Jun 26, 2012 17:33:48 GMT -5
Leopardstar watched from the entrance of the den, as Oakpelt came padding up to her. She stepped fully into the den and sat down, waiting for the dark tabby to sit as well. Her tail neatly currled around her paws. She opened her eys fully when her eyes adjsted to the darker den. Ah, it's so much better in here than in the harsh sunlight.
“Anything you need?”
Leopardstar gave the tom a warm smile. "No, not at the moment. I just came to talk. Camp these days is quite boring." She sighed as she said the last part. There was nothing for her to do with so many new warriors and apprentices. She longed for the days when she would lead the patrols. And she didn't want to go out in the forest for fun, for it was too hot out for any cat, even her with her light pelt.
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Post by Oakpelt on Jun 26, 2012 19:09:53 GMT -5
Oakpelt sat down beside her, curling his long, white-tipped tail around his forepaws. For a few heartbeats, he didn’t say anything. He bent his head slightly and gave his chest-fur a few swift licks, trying to rid it of some scraps of herbs that had stubbornly clung to his pelt. Not that he really minded if his pelt got a bit mussed—Oakpelt had never been a particularly fussy tom—but it was too hot to let something like that go. Even if the medicine cat’s den was a bit cooler than other parts of camp, the breeze didn’t reach in here quite as much as he would like.
“True,” he meowed, whiskers twitching. “It’s too hot…”
Of course, he wasn’t quite sure if Leopardstar was referring just to the green-leaf heat. It had to be tough for her, dealing with new duties… And having to give up old ones, maybe? He tilted his head thoughtfully. For him, things were…different, yes, but perhaps not quite in the same way as they were for her. While it was hard since his mentor went to hunt with StarClan a few moons ago, Oakpelt knew what his duties were and how to fulfill them. He’d been training for this ever since he was six moons. And his duties hadn’t really changed, so there was nothing to miss… Nothing except his mentor. But he couldn’t dwell on death. The Clan needed a medicine cat, so he stepped up to the challenge. All he had to do was keep pushing forward and have faith, as he had always done. Things would work out.
“But at least this green-leaf has been a kind one so far, besides the heat,” Oakpelt continued, returning her smile. "And...thanks. For visiting like this."
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Post by Leopardstar on Jun 26, 2012 19:50:35 GMT -5
Leopardstar kept her smile on and started to purr. She loved the smell of the medicine cat den. It just felt...right. Her gaze driffted to the neatness of Oakpelt's roomy den. I would never be able to keep this den as clean as Oakpelt does... Her ears picked up the scent of a tounge raspin over fur. She looked down and saw the medicine cat licking tiny bits of herbs from his chest. Ew, I wouldn't blame him for keeping super clean in this heat. She also listened to Oakpelt meow a few words.
"Ah, yes. Hopfully you didn't jinx this Green-Leaf!" She smirked, purring even louder now. It was so peacful in here. If only it could always be like this, she thought with dismay. Although, if there was always peacefullness, there would be no fun, or action in the clans' life.
"And...thanks. For visiting like this."
She looked at him in the eyes now, and brushed her pelt against his. It was always nice to have a friend like this, even if you did already have a mate. "Anytime. Feel free to visit me too when you have a chance." She looked around the empty den, trying to be dramatic. "From the looks of it though, you probably won't!"
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Post by Oakpelt on Jun 27, 2012 18:46:42 GMT -5
“I hope not,” he said, a purr rumbling in his throat. And the words were sincere—the young medicine cat hated the thought of calamity befalling ThunderClan. …Or any Clan, for that matter. It was true that hardships made them stronger. Leaf-bare winds thickened their fur, battle made Clanmates’ claws sharper and their hearts bolder. Poor hunting gave cats a drive to be better, because every scrap of prey they caught would keep them alive. But for his part, Oakpelt enjoyed some peace now and again. There was nothing like sharing tongues with a friend at sun-high, or going herb-hunting (or regular hunting!) with a Clanmate without having to worry about what was lurking in the undergrowth. In fact, peace was made all the sweeter thanks to the bends and turns that life took…
His purr grew louder still at the friendly gesture, and the tom affectionately butted his head against his leader-friend’s flank. Even if they didn’t have as much time to talk now, it was still nice when they could. Besides, it was kind of fitting that the Clan leader and medicine cat got along so well. A mrrrow of amusement slipped from his mouth, and the tom’s whiskers twitched at her comment.
“You know I will. Though finding the time with such a full den might be hard,” he joked.
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Post by Leopardstar on Jun 27, 2012 19:36:58 GMT -5
Leopardstar smiled, absorbing Oakpelt's head butt, and purred so hard she was probably vibrating. She looked down at his head, and saw it come back up. She twitched her ears as he spoke again.
“You know I will. Though finding the time with such a full den might be hard.”
Leopardstar looked around at nothing in particular, not wanting to think of what might happen later in Leaf-Bare. But quickly smiled, one, not wanting to worry Oakpelt even more, and two, he made a joke. "Oh, I'm sure you'll fin time!" She returned his head butt. The leader stood up and stretched then arching her back. "Sitting in your cool den is nice, but do you want to get some fresh air and hunt?" It didn't matter whether they ate or not while hunting, because the fresh kill pile was so hevily stocked.
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Post by Oakpelt on Jun 27, 2012 21:41:20 GMT -5
He had to admit, it was strange for the den to be so empty… He still wasn’t quite used to sleeping in the hole in the rock, even though it had been a few moons now. After all, his nest had been closer to the fern-tunnel entrance, and he’d slept there ever since he’d been named as an apprentice. Of course, Oakpelt didn’t want his den to be full of sick or injured Clanmates… While it was nice to feel useful, to make a difference, he didn’t want any ThunderClan cat to suffer.
“For a friend, I can make time,” he meowed, uncurling his white-tipped tail from his paws. His stomach yowled loudly; Oakpelt ducked his head and licked at the patch of white on his chest again, this time in an effort to cover his own embarrassment. That’s right, he hadn’t had any fresh-kill yet today—he’d been preoccupied with herb-sorting. Well, surely it couldn’t hurt to get something to eat?
"Sitting in your cool den is nice, but do you want to get some fresh air and hunt?"
“Sounds good,” he meowed, green eyes shining. A chance to stretch his legs, spend time with a friend, and hopefully get some fresh-kill? What was not to like about that plan? So, he clambered to his paws—taking a couple heartbeats to stretch—and then paused, gaze shifting to the bundle of marigold and feverfew a tail-length from the pool.
Tail flicking, the medicine cat headed over to the herbs, pawsteps quick and quiet. He took the marigold carefully in his jaws, squeezed into the hole in the rock that was his den and herb-store, and placed the precious plant in its original spot. He then did the same with the feverfew—once again, trying not to bite down on the bitter herb. He didn’t think that any Clanmates would enter his den while he was away, but the thought of leaving herbs out like that didn’t sit very well with him. With that done, he padded back over to Leopardstar.
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Post by Leopardstar on Jun 27, 2012 21:53:47 GMT -5
Leopardstar smiled and nodded to the medicine cat's reply. She watched as he got up and stretched, and padded to the herbs he left by the pool near his sleeping den. She assumed it was also his herb store, because he brought both bundles of them into there.
"All set?" The she-cat asked in a casual tone, still purring and smiling. She didn't take time to wait for his response, and she could tell he was because he had walked back over to her. She turned and walked back through the fern tunnel of the medicine den.
(OOC: One of us should start a new thread in the forest. You can pick a spot where you want to hunt if you would like cuz I'm going to bed!)
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