Learnin' the Herbs

[berry]

Yes, he was getting to the point in his medicine cat career where he would take on an apprentice. He told himself this didn't mean he was getting old, but he knew it was true. He was still young comparing to some of the cats in the Clan, but he was aging. It was inevitable, though, and Sleetwhisper promised himself he would not get upset over his age. He padded over the long grass, seeing his herbs ahead. There was catmint, juniper berries, and feverfew all in this one spot. Today he would be teaching Lilypaw about these herbs. He arrived next to them and sat down. "Lilypaw!" he called. Sleetwhisper knew she would be coming, it was going to be her first day as a medicine cat, and if she was anything like him, she wouldn't miss it for anything. He waited for her, she would be coming any moment now.

[catybug]

"Coming !" The gentle voice of the apprentice rang out. Soon the young she-cat could be seen, bounding through the morning mist until she reached him. She was eager to start her first day of actual training. Though it had been a moon since she became his apprentice, she hadn't done much except run a few erans and learned some of the basic fighting all medicine cats did, though she hated the later. This was the day she had bee waiting for though, the day of actual training. " What are we learning today Sleetwhisper, huh, huh?"[/b] She sounded like an eager little kit. Though of course she had just officially left kit-hood a moon ago. Bright blue eyes stayed eagerly glued to the white tom, her ginger and white striped tail flicking back and forth behind her.

[berry]

Sleetwhisper smiled at his young apprentice, remembering a time when he was like this. He looked down at his apprentice, excited too, but for a different reason. He had his first apprentice, and was proud even though she had done hardly anything. "Alright, first, I'm going to see if you've heard of any of the medicine cat termonology," he meowed. "Do you know what catmint or juniper berries are?" Sleetwhisper knew he had fed Lilypaw a juniper berry or two when she was a kit, as he did with most kits with bellyaches. He knew she would only have a slight idea of what catmint was, if that. Her mother may have told her of the deadly greencough that often affects a few cats every Leaf-Bare. He waited for her answer, not expecting much of her just yet.

[catybug]

Lilypaw eyes lit up even more as she answered " Juniper berries are for belly aches right?" She smiled, she had already known the answer to that one “And cat mint...uh..." Here she paused, mulling over this for a moment " Cat mint.." She racked her brain a moment more before giving up with a sigh “I don't know." She hung her head closing her eyes. Though how could she even expect herself to know this? It was only her first day of actual training. Then again the young she-cat had always had high standards for herself. Sky blue eyes slowly lifted back up to the white toms ice blue ones, waiting patiently for him to cure her of her ignorance.

[berry]

It was good she knew what juniper berries are. "Yes, juniper berries cure bellyaches," he meowed, plucking a small bushel of the berries off of the juniper bush. He laid them down in front of her. "This is what they look like," he said, flicking his tail at them. Next he took a little catmint from its plant and laid it next to the juniper berries. "That there is catmint, it cures the deadly greencough. Learn their scents because they are two of the most commonly used herbs." Next would be feverfew, which he knew she hadn't heard of if she didn't know what catmint was. Feverfew was good for lowering body temerature, used to cure a fever. Sleetwhisper knew Lilypaw would learn fast, she was bright and very smart.

[catybug]

A ginger ear flicked as he pointed out the herbs and explained the use of catmint. " Catmint, greencough,got it!" She chimed happily. She was learning ways to help her clan, of course nothing could make her happier. She stored away the information in her brain, knowing good and well it would be of use eventually. Her bright blue eyed gaze turned back up to him, a big, almost kitten like smile on the young she-cats pretty face as she waited to learn more from the tom. She tilted her head "What are the symptoms are greencough exactly?" She asked, she would never really know how to diagnose it if she didn't know the symptoms now would she?

[berry]

Sleetwhisper was happy to hear his apprentice asking questions, this meant she was very much interested in healing. "The symptoms of greencough?" he echoed, remembering the answer to her question quickly. "Greencough is like a very bad cold, Lilypaw. The symptoms are sneezing, fever, coughing badly, and the infected cat will smell awful." Sleetwhisper wrinkled his nose, remembering the last time there was a greencough outbreak in WindClan. Luckily, those did not happen often. "Speaking of fevers, a herbs that can cure fever is feverfew." Sleetwhisper padded over to the patch of feverfew and plucked a few leaves, laying them in front of Lilypaw with the other herbs. "Feverfew's only known use is to cure fevers, so use it only for that," he meowed.

[catybug]

" Greencough, high fever, lots of coughing, bad smell." Lilpaw repeated the symptoms to herself, more information to store in her brain. Blue eyes looked down at the feverfew, studying it for a moment"Only used to for fevers. Ok got it!" Sure she remembered all this now... but would she in a time of panic.. a time of trouble? Great StarClan she hoped so. She desperately didn't want to lose anyone under her care, and she was determined not too. She was determined to be the best Medicine cat apprentice, and one day Medicine cat, for her Clan. She didn't want to let anyone down, and she would try her best not too. Best way to do that? Knowledge " What else are we learning today, huh, Sleetwhisper?"[/b] The pretty ginger she-cat asked with a tilt of her round head. She was eager to learn, very eager. Eager to be useful to WindClan, eager to help. Best way to help? Knowledge. Too not be ignorant, for her path , ignorance would be the death of some cat. Atleast the way she saw it.

[berry]

Sleetwhisper had never had an apprentice before, and he didn't know what else there was to teach in this area. He could, maybe, tell her a little more about her duties. "Um," he hesitated, not knowing what he should say. "Cobwebs should be put on cuts to help them heal, you'll know them when you see them. Mouse bile gets rid of ticks, you can recognize it by its strong, bad scent and taste. Wash your paws after you use it. I have both of those back in the medicine den if you need to see them." He wouldn't mind going into his herb supply to get some of them. Cobwebs and mouse bile were closest to the entrance because they were some of his most used herbs. "You'll have some of the same duties as warrior apprentices, Lilypaw. You'll be treating the elders of ticks and cleaning out some bedding," he said. He hadn't liked these chores as an apprentice, and he doubted she would like them.

[catybug]

The she-cat nodded her ginger head. She had seen him use cobwebs many times in only the moon she had been training with him. " I don't mind having regular apprentice duties" she gave a cheerful smile. it'd make her feel a little less isolated from her age-mates. Most of them thought her crazy for the path she chose, but this is what she was called to do. She was sure of it. " What do you want me to do right now Sleetwhisper?" She tilted her head, sea blue eyes watching the snowy tom. She couldn't be done for the day already could she?

[berry]

Sleetwhisper wondered what else he could teach in this particular spot. Nothing, he thought. He thought it would be a good idea to introduce some of the other commonly-used herbs back in his den. "I think we should carry the herbs I've picked back to my supply in the camp," he meowed. "Then I'll teach you a few more herbs. Come on." Sleetwhisper flicked his tail in the diretion of the camp and picked up most of the herbs, leaving some for Lilypaw to take. He began to pad back towards his home, ready to teach his brand new apprentice about even more herbs. Then maybe they would call it a day.