Healing For One [Closed]

Driftpaw shook his head, trying to escape the annoying pressure that existed in his nose. The medicine cat apprentice had caught...Something - it had made getting up and interacting with others hard. But he had managed to get over it, raising a paw to rub his nose...Well, mostly. His head felt stuffy, unable to take is mind off of how the inside of his nose felt. But, if anything, it only fueled his desire to keep on top of his job - now that he had a first-paw experience of the annoyances of being sick, he really wanted to help others get over it. At least he was feeling well enough to get back to his duties as he was once again sorting through his herbs - not like he had many other options of how to pass the time when he didn't have anybody to heal.

The early morning sun lit Beetlepaws way back on shaking legs, her fur matted and reeking of the thunderpath and wild garlic. Beetlepaw's chest heaved as she stumbled into the medicine cat's den, her shoulder and sides hurt, but inside she felt triumphant, for despite her loss she had been a formidable opponent in battle against one so much bigger and experienced than her. It took a minute for the young apprentice's eyes to adjust as she searched for the tom. "Driftpaw? You there?" She mewed, pitching her voice low. When she finally found the tom she nodded, "I got into a bit of a scuffle with a fox..." Easy, simple, believable.

It was the thick scent of the Thunderpath that caught Driftpaw's nose first, curling his lips up in confusion as he spared a glance over his shoulder before his eyes widen at the sight of Beetlepaw. "Beetlepaw! What in the Stars..." he didn't have time to finish his question before the she-cat explained that it was a fox, his eyes growing wide as he jumped to his paws to prod her in the direction one of the empty nests he had at the ready. "A fox?" he repeated, his fur prickling. "Y-You...You are lucky to be alive! W-We need to tell Maplestar, if there is a fox loose on our territory..." he drifted off, before he shook his head. "But first I need you get you patched up! We can't have any of those scratches get infected."

He spun and headed to the shelf that his herbs were bundled on, carefully sorting through them as he mumbled the uses for each of them, pulling down a small batches of yellow flowers, along with a bristly plant and some cobwebs. He gently picked them up, bringing them over to Beetlepaw as he started to grind one of the yellow flowers into a poultice. "A fox...I can't believe you ran into a fox," he murmured, having no reason to disbelieve Beetlepaw's story. "...What was it like? Fighting one?" he questioned, pausing to check if he had grinded up the broom enough. "I-I can't imagine fighting in general, I knew I wanted to be a medicine cat since I was a kit."

Beetlepaw was surprised at how quickly and unquestionably he accepted her excuse but was infinitely grateful at that fact, that he was not suspecting she ran off in the night and ended up attacking Thunderclans leader, phew! "Yeah... I'll tell Maplestar when she finds out her apprentice got scuffed up, yikes." Beetlepaw 'smiled' though it was more like a grimace as she settled down in one of the nests with a sigh of relief, her shoulder and sides burning. Dear Starclan he talked a lot, but when she was at the medicine cat apprentices mercy she knew chivalry was the best idea she could ever have, so she answered his question as truthfully as she could for there was no better lie than the truth.

"Hmmm... my heart started really pounding, more than it had ever had, it was seriously scary and thrilling all the same. It was really big and scruffy so it was hard to get at with all its winter fur..." Beetlepaw trailed, thinking and regaining some energy to continue, "I think I was really lucky to get away, I had to toss some bloodied dirt in its eyes to get away!" She huffed, making herself seem just a little smaller, a little more scared. But in truth, she was nothing but excited, nothing but thrilled to launch herself at an opponent and try to shred them, even if she lost.

Driftpaw couldn't help but frown as Beetlepaw described fighting the fox - of it being scary and thrilling. He couldn't imagine it - why would anybody ever want to fight? He didn't mind patching up the injuries - gently dabbing the crushed poultice onto his paw before he started to smear it on Beetlepaw's scratches. "This might sting a little," he meowed quietly - already in the middle of applying it - as a sigh escaped him. "And think you were lucky? Of course you were! I-I've heard horror stories of what foxes can do to skilled warriors. The fact that you took one on your own and managed to escape is..." his ears slicked back, his frown deepening. "I...I can't imagine ever facing down a predator. I don't think I ever want to fight...Anything! I'm lucky that the path of being a medicine cat was there for me..."

Beetlepaw hissed and writhed as the poultice met her scratches and were pressed and smeared into them, her ears flicked back at the late warning. "I must be a pretty great warrior already then! When I'm an actual warrior I'll take on those foxes," Beetlepaw huffed, puffing her chest a little bit and getting a little cocky. What she really wanted to say was: 'I'll take down anyone who threatens Shadowclan, inside or out,' but she kept her mouth shut. Beetlepaw saw Driftpaw's frown and she herself frowned in response, he had nothing to be angry about, she didn't really understand. "Well, I'll be there to protect those vulnerable to predators and other cats alike! I'll be the fiercest warrior yet. I'll protect your path, just as I'll protect Maplestars and my family." Beetlepaw huffed, feeling loyalty well up in her chest. That's right, she'll do anything to protect Shadowclan.

She looked down at her paws, her claws unsheathing as she pulled at her nest half-mindedly. She did not care what she had to do, how hard she had to train, how far she'd go for Shadowclan. She'd protect it. Beetlepaw had to breathe in deeply to match the feeling of her chest filling, it sung as she realized what she was prepared to do, without hesitation, without worry. Yes, she knew now.

Driftpaw smiled weakly as Beetlepaw declared that she would take down the foxes once she was a warrior, before it turned into a proper smile as she promised to protect him along with all of ShadowClan. "...Thanks, I'll keep you in mind the next time I need to go find some herbs," he said softly, giving her a soft purr before he leaned down to start to chew up the last two herbs he had. Once they were ready, he smeared them along her wounds before he swiped up the cobwebs and finally applied them, leaning back to admire his work. "There! That should take care of it. Don't push yourself to hard before they fully heal - if they reopen, its going to be unpleasant. And don't be afraid to stop by again if they start to bother you or if you want the cobwebs changed out for something cleaning," he explained, sweeping up the small mess he had left with his herbs with his tail - he would properly get rid of them later, for now the scraps were going into the corner of his den. "But you are all set to go wow the other apprentices with your story."

Beetlepaw quietly nodded as Driftpaw explained her treatment plan with certainty. Beetlepaw gave herself a minute to think. She didn't particularly LIKE Driftpaw, he talked a lot, though not as much as her sister Splashpaw and seemed naive even to her standards, how could he not know what a warrior did or does when the whole clan is full of them? Beetlepaw thought that perhaps he was a little too sheltered in this den of is, his thoughts clouded by herb-scent and paste tastes. Sure he was knowledgable in how to heal, but when it sacrificed the knowledge to hunt and protect yourself? She wasn't so sure on that one. But at least, Beetlepaw would be able to be here, to protect him, because at least she wouldn't have to worry about not getting out of a scrap alive. So, for her payment, she would protect him just as she would protect Maplestar and Grasssnake, for they were the most worthy of her labor.

"Thank you Driftpaw, in fact I might just go do that." Beetlepaw mewed, calmly as she nodded at him and made her way out. Oh she couldn't wait to prove how much better she was than everyone else.

Driftpaw smiled as Beetlepaw thanked him, swishing his tail as he stepped aside to let her leave. Honestly, he didn't think his lack of knowledge about the duties of the warrior apprentices was odd - but perhaps in truth he was a bit sheltered. For all the confidence he had when he was in his den, he was a bit painfully shy - the idea of talking to a cat outside of ShadowClan, minus his mentor of course, was...Not something he was pleased about. He felt more at home within his den, it was easier to stick in here and sort his herbs where he knew he was safe, where he knew their uses and how to heal. Out there...

He didn't know much, and that scared him.

But, of course, he was blissfully unaware of Beetlepaw's feelings on him. To him, he had done a great job and perhaps made a new friend. He had doubts that he would see much of Beetlepaw thought - she had important things to do, she would only see him for a heal. That...That seemed about right and he tried not to let that get him down. He was a medicine cat, his job was to make sure his Clanmate was healed...And, of course, provide guidance for Maplestar but as he was still only an apprentice that felt out of his reach just yet. Ah well. He turned, giving his pelt a shake as he started to clean up what remained of the herbs he had used on Beetlepaw's wounds, always quick to make sure his den was in tip-top shape for when the next cat would arrive.