theliaclan - a 1x1

Fernpaw listened intently to Pebblepool as she murmured an explanation. Her mentor did have a good point, one she hadn't thought of herself. Suffering was not necessary if one was to live through painful injuries. After all, Hollyheart had a limb that was sickeningly extended. If she had survived her many injuries, she would have never been the same. It was better for her to be with StarClan than live in agony for the rest of her life. She had served her clan well enough.

"I understand now. I think I will celebrate Hollyheart's life then. It's sad that she passed away, but maybe it is better for her to be with StarClan. Suffering forever would have been awful. No cat deserves to suffer, but I guess we don't choose that," she whispered softly, dipping her head solemnly.

The feeling of her blue-grey mentor's tail on her shoulder comforted Fernpaw. She let out a sigh of relief after the awkward silence. As soon as Dimstar padded away, she wondered who or what the tabby was looking for. Shrikeswoop maybe? she thought, tipping her head to one side. She suddenly noticed Frostfalcon, who was standing among the injured. Isn't that Pebblepool's sister? She must be injured too.

The spotted tabby almost jumped out of her fur when Pebblepool nudged her. "I'm coming!" she mewed, following the medicine cat.

Without thinking, Fernpaw blurted out, "I think I saw Frostfalcon, she must be injured too. She's your sister, right?"

(tags: Feathertalon )

Feeling more at ease with Bearpaw in the medicine cat's den, Fernpaw let out a sigh of relief. She was surprised that she was able to help the Night Guard apprentice into the den despite her small figure. She could feel Bearpaw's unsteadiness when she guided her into the medicine cat's den. Surely she was very dizzy by now, considering the injuries on her face along with the shock. She pondered about what could cause the apprentice's injuries. Many possibilities filled Fernpaw's mind and each one made her feel more unsure. For now she needed to focus on Bearpaw as her patient, not on what could have occured.

The grey spotted tabby didn't spend a lot of time with Bearpaw or any of the other apprentices. She saw and spent time with Pebblepool more than cats her age which she was beginning to prefer. However, whenever she did watch Bearpaw interact with other cats, she was very talkative. If anything, Fernpaw could call her a chatterbox and she stuck out from the other Night Guards who seemed less enthused. She always found it strange that a cat like the brown black apprentice chose such a dangerous role. She wanted to know why many of them were stoic, but she assumed that was due to being a Night Guard. Bearpaw was a breath of fresh air compared to the rest. She liked her a lot because of it.

Hearing the apprentice's meow, Fernpaw turned her attention to her. It was clear that she was struggling with finding words, seeing as she couldn't put a single sentence together. The medicine cat apprentice's heart panged with sympathy while she did her best to listen to Bearpaw. "It's okay if you don't know. I don't expect you to," she mewed, resting her thin tail on the brown black she-cat's shoulder. She hoped she would feel comforted by it. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to either."

Once Bearpaw sat down, the tabby felt a bit more relaxed. At least she wouldn't have to worry about her wobbling around the den anymore. Even as Fernpaw stood in front of her, she wasn't any taller or fluffier. Bearpaw looked more like a full guard, not a guard apprentice. Her ear may be infected and she has a lot of pain. She needs to rest, the apprentice thought. She was trying to organize what she needed for Bearpaw in her head. Poppy seeds, cobwebs, soaked moss, marigold, and the poultice we made. I think I'm missing something. Trying not to frown, she shook her head instead. Hopefully Bearpaw wouldn't think she was ignoring her.

"Okay! I will have to clean your wounds first. Then I can apply a poultice and cobwebs to your face. I can bring you some soaked moss if you want some water?" she explained to her patient. At her question, the grey she-cat wondered if she shouldn't tell Bearpaw everything. She knew Hollyheart was gone, but the others had injuries as well. She wanted to be honest, but not to the point where she overwhelmed the large she-cat.

"Frostfalcon will be okay, Pebblepool is taking care of her leg and wounds. Oakshade and Icetail will be fine too. I think those two won't have to spend much time in here. Their injuries don't look too bad. But what matters most is that you will be okay too! I promise," she meowed, trying to reassure Bearpaw as much as possible.

As Frostfalcon clenched her teeth, dug her claws into the floor, and felt her muscles ripple with anguish that Pebblepool would recognize it. It was agonizing to the point she would howl in discomfort. At this point, she preferred that her littermate would stop treating her wounds. Yet Frostfalcon knew that would not be ideal, especially with the state of her injuries. She would be lucky if they were just superficial, but they were not.

Watching the medicine cat toss the moss ball away, it appeared Pebblepool was focusing on her leg. It was most likely that Frostfalcon's major injury was her limb, the one that looked horrific and feeble. Whether it was broken, sprained, twisted, or even fractured, she wouldn't be walking on it any time soon. As the blue-grey she-cat sniffed at her leg, the guard was sure enough that her sister knew figure it out easily. After all, she was a medicine cat and the best one since Smokedapple. Any cat in the clan knew that.

At the sound of Pebblepool's voice, Frostfalcon turned her head and gazed at her sister. Knowing that the examination of her leg would be painful was to be expected. Despite that, she really wanted to know what was wrong with her leg. Would she be able to carry on with her duties once it healed? Or would she be forever impaired? "Do whatever you need to do. I'll do my best to let you know when it hurts," she responded unhurriedly. She quickly changed her tone once Pebblepool told her how long she would be in the medicine cat's den. She wanted to leap out of the nest and storm out of the den, but she couldn't. "A half moon?! I can't be stuck here for that long. There's no way the Night Guard will be able to do patrols without two of us. Let alone three if Bearpaw's injuries make it impossible for her to patrol. They need me." 

The blue-grey she-cat let out a sigh of frustration before cursing underneath her breath. The moment the medicine cat put her paw on her leg, she glanced at it. She could see that her littermate was focused on her limb whereas she was more focused on Pebblepool. The pulsating pain had yet to cease and Frostfalcon winced multiple times as the blue-grey molly eased her paw up.

She knew she was in no shape to patrol with her clanmates, but she desperately wanted to. Being stuck in the medicine cat's den with her littermate, who she had barely a relationship with, was going to be challenging. She wasn't looking forward to it at all.

Fernpaw hurried away from Bearpaw, deciding that it was time to gather the herbs she would need. She stood in front of the herb storage, her amber gaze wandering from herb to herb. Marigold, cobwebs, the poultice, poppy seeds, and two soaked moss balls for Bearpaw, she reminded herself. She gathered an array of herbs before bounding back to her patient. She set them down gently before disappearing yet again to the small pool at the back of the den. Once there, she grabbed two balls of moss and soaked them in the pool before picking both up with her maw. Her thoughts began to wander, but Fernpaw quickly pushed them away. There was no time to think about trivial things.

Within moments she was back by Bearpaw's side and set one of the soaked moss balls by her maw. She didn't want to make the dark furred she-cat move around too much, considering the amount of pain she was in. "Here you go," she mewed, nudging the soaked moss ball a bit closer to her. "I'd like to clean your wounds first."

Fernpaw wasn't asking for permission, she preferred to let her patient know what she was going to do. It was mostly for herself, but also for Bearpaw''s peace of mind. She imagined that the guard apprentice didn't spend much of her time in the medicine cat's den. However, she liked the other she-cat enough that she would love to be her friend. Maybe she would ask her about it once she would get some rest. Hopefully she wouldn't mind such a strange question.

Hearing the brown black apprentice's response, the spotted tabby nodded vigorously. She could tell that Bearpaw was exhausted and in pain. Her winces were obvious. "Every cat will be okay and you will be okay too," she told her reassuringly. "By the way, if anything hurts when I clean your wounds, make a noise. You don't have to stay awake for now. I will be gentle."

The medicine cat apprentice reached down for the second soaked moss ball, taking it firmly into her jaws. She began cleaning around Bearpaw's swollen eye softly, unsure if she should apply a lot of pressure. She didn't want to hurt the apprentice any further. It was clear that her injuries were tender to touch, so Fernpaw chose to be as gentle as physically possible. From there, the tabby moved up to her ear where blood had coagulated. As she applied a bit of pressure to her ear, the soaked moss ball was cleaning the dried blood up well. She then moved to the side of Bearpaw's face and underneath her swollen eye. She had watched Pebblepool clean up Hollyheart and it seemed like she was doing it right with her patient. Thankfully, the majority of the blood was coming off. She still needed to clean up the rest of Bearpaw's fur, but otherwise it appeared like a job well done. "You okay, Bearpaw?" she mumbled, pushing the moss ball against the top of her head carefully.

Frostfalcon did not like when her littermate gave her accurate statements. It meant she was wrong which she detested. Pebblepool's narrowed gaze told her that she was in for a lecture. She wasn't looking forward to it by all means, despite her sister being the only cat who would tell her things like they are. Reality was a harsh truth for Frostfalcon and, of course, she loathed it. Despite her role being to protect the clan every night, she knew how the cats of the Night Guard would suffer from the beginning of their training and until the tragic end. It was almost poetic.

Her blunt response wasn't what she wanted to hear, it was the exact opposite. She didn't doubt that Pebblepool knew well and the absolute truth of reality. It was clear-cut and meant to shock the blue-grey she-cat. She couldn't lie to herself, knowing that Pebblepool was dead on. Did she really want to give her sister the satisfaction or quarrel with her? Neither were good choices, but Frostfalcon didn't have many options. "Fine, you're right," she admitted with a loud, unnecessary sigh. She was glad that Oakshade, and Icetail were going to be okay alleviated some stress. She supposed the Guards would be fine without her, even if it was for a half moon. Although her news of her recovery still stung. "I'm glad that they will all be okay, it's good news. We are lucky to have more cats in the Night Guard than ever before. I just hope it stays that way."

Not a single one of them deserves to die like Hollyheart did, the guard thought, trying to not reflect on what happened during the night. She didn't want to remember any of it, especially the strange, bright lights she had seen. She wasn't going to bother Pebblepool about it as she had enough to deal with. She needed to focus on her injured leg which still hurt. Hopefully it wasn't broken, a sprain would be more preferred if she had to choose.

The blue-grey medicine cat's words echoed in her ears. It's broke. Just above your toes here. It's broke. Just above your toes here. To say the least, Frostfalcon felt like she could combust. As Pebblepool pulled her paw away, she stared at her broken limb bitterly. She frowned as her green gaze narrowing, still focusing on her stupid limb. Her stupid, broken limb. "It's broken?! You think my limb is broken? IT'S BROKEN?!" she meowed with fury, raising her voice. It pained her, but Frostfalcon didn't care.

She was not taking the news well at all. She couldn't see straight, couldn't think straight. Frostfalcon was in disbelief. She disregarded most of what Pebblepool told her after saying it was broken, her confidence shook and her thoughts at a loss. "Lucky me," she grumbled, placing her chin on her front paws. "Just... do whatever you need to do. I don't care."

Originally, Fernpaw believed that if Bearpaw would sleep during the cleansing of wounds that she wouldn't feel as much pain. She was wrong as to be expected for it explained the grimacing from Bearpaw. She noticed she had dug her claws into the soft ground. Although Bearpaw wasn't telling her that she was in pain, it was quite obvious. No wonder the apprentice had gotten so battered and beaten up from whatever had happened. Hopefully she would heal perfectly, but her ear injuries were worrisome to Fernpaw. The tip of her ear was gone, the inside of her ear looked even worse due to the shredding. How would Pebblepool treat the inside of her ear? she wondered, briefly stopping from cleaning the black she-cat's wounds. I may ask her... I'm just not sure.

The medicine cat apprentice hoped that Bearpaw wouldn't notice her hesitation. She needed to know what to do and not mess up Bearpaw's ear among other injuries. She picked up the blood soaked moss ball again, gently scrubbing at Bearpaw's scar on her forehead and the cut that led down to her jaw. Her whiskers were cleaned next as softly as Fernpaw could do. She felt terrible for the guard apprentice and she could only imagine how she felt while the tabby continued to clean her. It must feel excruciating, enough to make a cat yowl in pain. However, Bearpaw was lucky; none of her injuries were life threatening, but the scarring would be noticeable for a long time.

Fernpaw relented, finally dropping the blood soaked moss ball down by her own paws. At least the most painful part of the process was finished, though she would have to apply poultices next along with cobwebs. She did have some poppy seeds with her and maybe now was the best time to offer them to her patient. "Bearpaw, would you like to take a poppy seed to help with pain now? You'll sleep just fine," she asked before pushing the used moss ball aside.

In the hopes that the other apprentice would accept, the grey spotted tabby padded a few inches away to gather the other herbs she had brought with her. She pulled two poultices in front of her while using her other paw to set the poppy seeds next to Bearpaw. "You know, I could tell you were in pain, but you're right," she mewed, pausing for a moment. "Wounds always hurt. You will get better soon though, I promise."

Fernpaw carefully picked up the first poultice and glanced at Bearpaw's face, deciding where she would put the first poultice. "The poultice I have may smell weird to you, but it will help your wounds heal," she explained slowly. "I'm gonna put it on your face, your ear, and any of your other injuries. Is that okay?"

Frostfalcon was a drama queen, plain and simple. She was throwing a tantrum like a noisy little kit. This was typical of her to be furious and rattled. Once she had finished howling, she grumbled beneath her breath angrily, digging her front claws into the soft ground. She was already sick of being in the medicine cat's den yet her time spent in here was barely beginning. She would be stuck with her littermate for a moon and a half, including her overly cheerful apprentice. The thought of it was unsettling to be begin with. Had she not been part of the patrol, her leg wouldn't be broken. However, that wasn't a kind thought whatsoever. What about Hollyheart? If she hadn't been part of the patrol, she wouldn't be dead. Maybe some other cat would have died.

The blue-grey she-cat's pride was her everything. She always put her pride second after the other Night Guards, but it surely came before her own health. She was normally careful although one couldn't say that for sure. Frostfalcon had enough scars to prove she'd visit the medicine cat's den before. Until now for she has a broken bone and new and old scars ripped open. Treatment was necessary if she wanted to live longer and avoid infections. After all, she wasn't going anywhere with her leg. Even sitting hurt, let alone walking.
Although she and Pebblepool were not close in any shape or form, Frostfalcon did conceive her sister as helpful, but she didn't see her as supportive-- at least to the guard. In the case of other cats, she was. "Go ahead," she replied curtly to the medicine cat, watching as Pebblepool began to splint her broken leg. It hurt as soon as she had lifted her leg up. Somehow her sister was quite gentle and made the process of spltining the leg to be less painful. She wouldn't admit that she found the blue-grey medicine cat's work to be impressive, but it really was. "That's... fine," she grumbled before raising her voice. She didn't like the time frame that had been laid out for her, but she didn't have any choice. "I suppose I can keep an eye on it to see if it feels like it's slipping off of my leg."

The guard hoped she wouldn't be stuck with Pebblepool constantly tending to her wounds. Maybe her sibling would be less distant and cold, though she doubted it. However, there was also Fernpaw. The apprentice was usually quite cheerful and eager, but maybe Frostfalcon could deal with her. She seemed easier to get along with anyways. Hearing Pebblepool's meow again, her ears pricked up. "Alright. Take your time. It's not like I'm going anywhere," she responded, watching as the medicine cat padded away.

Fernpaw had gathered two premade poultices earlier and brought them to her side. She hoped the smell of the herbs wouldn't be so strong since Bearpaw would have them stuck to her face. Noticing as her patient's one good eye brightened, she soon felt relieved. One poppy seed seemed like enough for the injured apprentice. Despite her size, one too many could make her very sleepy and Fernpaw didn't want that for her. Bearpaw needed a good amount of rest before she would be back to training. The grey spotted tabby nudged a small black seed over to the guard apprentice, knowing she could take it on her own. She wasn't a kit after all. "It should be next to you, so you can take it whenever you'd like," she mewed quickly with a nod.

The medicine cat apprentice picked up one of the poultices and pressed the strange substance onto Bearpaw's face. She began to spread it around evenly, making sure she could cover the black she-cat's forehead, jaw, and the space around her swollen eye. Fernpaw lathered some on to Bearpaw's closed eye gingerly, hoping that it wouldn't fall off. Luckily, she saved another poultice for Bearpaw's ear. She needed to ask Pebblepool how to treat it before applying it. Once she had finished covering the young cat's injuries with the poultices, she grabbed some cobwebs with her maw. She quickly transferred it to one of her paws and laid it on Bearpaw's swollen eye along with her forehead, jawline, and the long scar that went across her face. She then quickly applied one to her cheek. "I know," Fernpaw replied, watching Bearpaw as she lapped up the poppy seed. "Not too long. You'll feel sleepy once it begins to kick in. If you have any more pain after that, Pebblepool and I have other herbs that can help."

Speaking of Pebblepool, the spotted tabby's ears pricked up at the sound of her voice. This would be her best opportunity to ask her mentor a dumb but important question. "Things are good! I just have one question though," she meowed back a bit too loud, glancing at Bearpaw momentarily. She then lowered her voice. "One moment, I gotta ask Pebblepool a question about your ear."

She padded away slowly, making way for the medicine cat. "How should I treat Bearpaw's ear? The inside of her ear... is shredded," Fernpaw asked, pausing for a moment. "I was going to put the poultice on and some cobwebs, but... I'm not sure."

Frostfalcon was, at the least, grateful that the medicine cat was an excellent healer. Considering she couldn't do anything but watch Pebblepool or dwell about her injuries, she chose the former. While her littermate applied poultices and sticky cobwebs to her pelt, she held back a painful groan. Her new and old wounds burned in agony. There was no point in hiding her discomfort anymore. What good would it do anyways?

She knew deep down that coming to terms with her broken leg would be easier said than done. After all, Pebblepool told her bluntly that it was broken and she would be spending two moons in the medicine cat's den. The amount of time it would take to heal seemed unreal. She already felt uncomfortable and stuffy inside the den. Her time spent healing would be an obstacle that Frostfalcon would have to get over with quickly. However, it didn't seem like that would be happening any time soon.

The blue-grey she-cat watched her sister finish treating her wounds in silence. As soon as she completed her task, she glanced down at the two poppy seeds that Pebblepool gave her. "I guess two will be fine. Hopefully I can get some good rest for once," she mewed back, leaning down slightly to lap up the black seeds. She immediately swallowed them and returned to her former position. "Thanks, Pebblepool."

As the medicine cat turned her attention to Fernpaw and Bearpaw, Frostfalcon glanced around the den. This was going to be her temporary nest for quite some time. She might as well get comfortable while she has a chance. The guard placed her head on her front paws, letting out a small sigh. Two moons of sitting in this den with a broken leg, she thought, and this is only the beginning.

Fernpaw glanced at Bearpaw, noticing that she had finally fallen asleep. She was slumped down, but she looked more at peace than before. She was glad that the poppy seeds had worked for the apprentice. Hopefully the black apprentice would sleep the rest of the day and her pain would subside, even the smallest amount possible. At the same time, she studied all the cobwebs and poultices that she had used on Bearpaw's wounds. Her thick fur somehow held up with the string of cobwebs across her face. She still had yet to apply any herbs to her injured ear in concern that she would make a mistake.

Somehow the spotted tabby didn't feel tired, but what happened wasn't too common for Fernpaw. For Pebblepool, it most likely was. After all, she was a full fledged medicine cat whereas Fernpaw wasn't any where near that level. The thought of Hollyheart's death had vanished and was replaced with her work and Bearpaw. Maybe she'd try to talk to the guard apprentice later if she was awake. In the meantime, she needed to speak with her mentor.

As Pebblepool explained that wrapping a cobweb around Bearpaw's ear would be fine, she grumbled to herself. The grey spotted tabby was annoyed that she hadn't thought as far as her mentor did. To be fair, she was just an apprentice and she didn't know the ins and outs of all injuries yet. She needed to be patient and willing to learn instead of becoming frustrated with little, almost trivial things. Shaking her head, Fernpaw nodded quickly, almost as if her head was bouncing.

"Just a cobweb? I can put that on her ear while she's asleep. I don't think she will wake up," she mewed in response, pausing before continuing. "You're right, I hope she won't have hearing problems. By the way, how is Frostfalcon? You still have Oakshade and Icetail left to treat, right?"

Frostfalcon knew Pebblepool wasn't too sympethatic to her and possibly others. Their relationship was nonexistent as if they weren't littermates, or that they spent a good six moons together in the same den as kits. She had never spent a lot of her time with Pebblepool, especially when she was training as a Night Guard apprentice. Meanwhile, her sibling was off in the medicine cat's den, learning to become an important, excellent medicine cat. Their worlds were completely opposite and their roles did not have a lot in common. It was no wonder why the two sisters didn't speak.

She eyed her old and new scars which we covered nicely by cobwebs. Her green gaze moved towards her broken leg and she couldn't help but blinked several times. She knew the reality of her injuries were real, but coming to terms with it was much harder. Two moons and then I'm out of here. Who knows, maybe I can recover faster, she thought to herself. She'd just have to take things slow for the time being.

Although she began to feel sleepy, Frostfalcon was able to hear Pebblepool's meow. The distance between the two was massive, even if they were inside the same den. There wasn't a single feeling of closeness in Frostfalcon's opinion anyways. "I'm sure you would," she mewed slowly with a big yawn. It was hard to tell if her comment was rude, sarcastic, or something else. The sleepiness from the poppy seeds were kicking in. 

Her green eyes were growing heavy quickly. She placed her head on her paws and tried to curl up in the moss nest, but it wasn't possible due to her broken leg. Instead, the silvery she-cat placed her leg in a more comfortable position. She soon closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Unlike her mentor, Fernpaw was very aware of her emotions and her clanmates. She could tell when Bearpaw was in pain, when It was easier for her to tell how cats felt compared to Pebblepool who she still couldn't get a read on. Maybe she was emotionally closed off or lacked it. Whatever the reason was, she was interested in finding out, but now was not the time.

Her gaze was quick to follow Pebblepool's as she noticed that Bearpaw was fast asleep. The poppy seeds had definitely worked for her and hopefully she would recover well from her shock and other injuries. She let out a mrrow of amusement at her mentor's response, trying not to be so loud. "I think you're right. At least she's able to sleep now," she mewed as her green gaze rested on Bearpaw. "Really? Do you think she will be able to hear properly after a while?"

She felt hopeful for the black apprentice's recovery plans. She didn't want Bearpaw to lose her hearing because the guards and warriors relied on it for their duties. Even Fernpaw relied on her hearing too. She didn't want to get too ahead of herself and wonder what they would do if Bearpaw faced issues with her hearing due to her ear injury.

The spotted tabby had barely been listening to Pebblepool as her mind took over. She immediately stood straight up and glanced at Frostfalcon, who was leaning in her nest. It appeared that the guard's leg was going to heal, but two moons seemed adequate for a broken bone. Fernpaw couldn't help but wonder what Frostfalcon thought about her leg. She seemed to be the opposite of Pebblepool, which could explain their strained relationship. "It doesn't sound too bad, right? I'm sure it must hurt though," she commented, looking back at Frostfalcon's leg. Based on the medicine cat's sigh, she assumed that guard would be a handful for them. She was unsure if she was really looking forward to babysitting her. Most of the time, cats who came into the medicine cat's den were easy to take care of. They didn't fight back, but it seemed that Frostfalcon would be the opposite. "Even if she tries, she can't leave because you're her medicine cat. I don't think Dimstar would let her join patrols with a broken leg, especially because she's a Night Guard."

She carefully padded after the blue grey she-cat, focusing on Pebblepool as she was following her. Her ears pricked up at her praise and Fernpaw's amber eyes brightened warmly, glad that she had done a good job with Bearpaw. She didn't expect to get a second patient of her own at all. She felt elated and wore a big grin on her maw. "Sure!" she blurted out a tad too loud before closing her maw momentarily. "Thank you, Pebblepool. I really appreciate it! Who's my next patient? Oakshade or Icetail?"

(tags: Feathertalon )

Fernpaw's ears were pricked, prepared to hear Pebblepool's response to her question. She knew she asked plenty of questions and sometimes they were more oblivious than the rest. She liked having knowledge about her duties and their patients. There was nothing wrong with asking a question, right? As long as she wasn't pushy with them, Fernpaw would always be the kind of cat to ask questions. It didn't matter what the subject was, she would still inquire for more information. Hearing her mentor's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, her paws moving in place gently against the cave's floor. "Really?" she meowed in surprise. "That's great! I hope she will heal well, like every other cat! I don't want anything bad to happened to Bearpaw, I really like her."

The grey spotted tabby smiled shyly behind her whiskers, realizing as she had blurted out admiration for Bearpaw. There was no way that the guard apprentice would hear her, but she would be sure to tell her within time, of course. After all, the black she-cat needed to heal first before doing anything else. Her hearing would be tested often and her wounds would heal before fading away, although there would be scars. It would take time, but at least she would live.

Despite her wishfulness, the medicine cat apprentice was always radiating with positivity. It was uncommon for her to be pessimistic, especially in her duties and whenever she was around Pebblepool or other clanmates. She wasn't sure why her mentor lacked in positivity, but she knew the blue grey she-cat was much more logical than she was. At least Pebblepool was realistic and able to compartmentalize her emotions. She wondered if it was something that could be taught or if it was just by instinict. Maybe she would ask her one day, but right now, there were more important things at task.

As she listened to her mentor, Fernpaw nodded many times. They would have to keep a close eye on Frostfalcon, even though she had a broken leg. It would be a miracle if she could escape the den with her injuries, plus considering her pain levels. She seemed hard-headed to the tabby, although it did give her some insight on the differenrces between Frostfalcon and Pebblepool. It was no surprise that the two sisters weren't close at all. They had differences in their personalities, feelings, and much more. Yet Fernpaw was still curious. She wanted to know the reason why from her mentor and her littermate. "I understand. She'll need a lot of time to heal, so I hope she's okay with that," she responded. Her amber gaze lit up, slightly shocked by Pebblepool's comment about Dimstar. "I didn't realize Dimstar would have all of them stay in camp. I know Bearpaw and Frostfalcon have the worst injuries, but Oakshade and Icetail's don't seem as bad. At least from afar, but I trust Dimstar's decision. Her word is what we follow anyways."

She didn't know that much about Dimstar personally, besides the basics. She was smart and a decent leader in Fernpaw's opinion. Other than that, the leader was a mystery to her. Fernpaw's attention was quickly redirected as Pebblepool spoke, telling her that Icetail would be her next patient. She had noticed the medicine cat's whisker twitching and the young cat let out a purr. She felt a bit of hesitation, but Icetail seemed like a great night guard. Hopefully he wouldn't be like Frostfalcon. "Okay! I'll go find him," she meowed, sticking her head out of the den's entrance. Her amber gaze scoured the area nearby for the white tomcat. "Icetail? Are you around here?"

Meanwhile, Oakshade had been looming outside the medicine cat's den. He was exhausted, although he refused to show it. Instead, he sat down and watched as cats wandered in and out of camp, as if today was like any other day. At this hour, he was usually asleep and preparing for his next patrol. Today, that wasn't the case. Instead, he was grieving Hollyheart's unfortunate death, but it came with being a night guard. Each guard knew they were putting their life on the line. Every one of them knew that if they died at any point in their life, the end was the end. There was nothing more to it than that. They existed to serve their clan and keep them safe from the suspicious sounds and creatures in the night.

He noticed Fernpaw's small tabby head poking out of the medicine cat's den entrance. Blinking, the dark colored tom glanced over, wondering if he or Icetail would be treated next. He didn't mind waiting longer, but the fatigue was getting to him. Oakshade knew he should be patient instead of complaining especially since his injuries were nothing compared to Bearpaw, Frostfalcon, and Hollyheart's combined. There was no need for him to complain, at least not yet.