MORNING FROST. [rika]

[Windpelt]

Eaglepaw awoke to bright sunshine on his face. He rolled himself over, feeling an unusual sense of happiness, given that it was the heart of Leafbare. Perhaps the day would bring with it more of a Greenleaf air. He certainly hoped so for the number of cats with minor ailments was surely increasing; at least it seemed that way. He leapt up onto his paws, shaking out his long and ruffled light ginger pelt. His keen gaze took in everything about the den, yet he failed to notice the whereabouts of his mentor. With a small shrug to relieve his stiff muscles, he let himself out of the den. Instantly, he knew that this day would be no different from any of the others. It was still bitterly cold, with a fine covering of snow and icy winds. He shivered, wishing that he had decided against venturing out. It was the thought of warm sun that had made him do so and for a moment he glared up at the burning fire in the sky, willing it to warm his very pelt. The motion left his eyes watering; the glare from the object had been much more than he was expecting. With a faint draw back of his lips, he swished his tail and turned away, wondering where he was going and what he could do to possibly entertain himself. Collecting herbs sounded decent, though it seemed that was all he really could do. A pang of annoyance shot through him, the first he had ever experienced on the matter of choosing the path of a medicine cat over warrior. For once he envied being able to have some change in routine. Yes, that was the main flaw with being a medicine cat. A small sigh escaped his lips, as he paced back to the Medicine Cat den. There had barely been a cat in sight, when he had walked out to observe the morning, and this did a little to raise his spirits. Perhaps there would be only a couple of cats he had to attend to, on this day. That would be some sort of change, a welcome one, especially. He had now reached the entrance, and sauntered in, his tail held rather high, stretched out with a curled tip behind him. 'Oh, Jayfrost?' He called out the Medicine Cat's name confidently. 'Were we going to fetch some herbs today?' He was aware it was Leafbare, and that herbs were probably rather hard to find, but all the same, he would appreciate any time out of camp, even if he wasn't being entirely clear with his mentor on that reason. 'Are you even here?' he murmured, after receiving no audible reply. [bg=b6743a][atrb=width,450,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Rika The Chair]

Jayfrost's ears perked up to the sound of his name being called out. Although despite him being needed he just let his mind shift back into a hazy day dream. The medicine cat's pelt was shivering, it must have been cold out. Though he did feel some rays of the warmth sun trickle over his pelt a while ago. His ears began to twitch, the tips of them becoming a bit too chilly for his liking. He slowly opened his moss-coloured eye and glanced around. Then he remembered who was talking to him. He quickly opened his other eye, which was a tinted shade of crystallized water. He perked his head up slowly, feeling a brush of chill blow against his cheeks. He didn't want to get up and neither did his body. He'd much rather stay in his warm den, surrounded by his own glimmering pelt to keep him warm. Despite his mixed emotions and feelings about debating whether or not he should wake up, he forced his fuzzy body to move upwards from the ground. His long, silver pelt brushed against the warm ground where he had just been sleeping. Too bad his fur couldn't feel the warm, but it was coming off in quite the heat and he could feel it on his stomach. He stretched, feeling some of his spinal bones crack. He was always worried when that happened, but his body felt a lot better. He realized that he should probably answer to Eaglepaw's calls. "I'm here, Eaglepaw. I was just sleeping here. I suppose the quiet wind woke me up. Or maybe it was you mewing at me. Or both. But I know that the ice-cold wind had something to do with it. " He shook his pelt, trying to get his access amount of fur to heat him up as quickly as possible. " And to answer your question. We're going herb hunting today since we are running out of a few things. But I'm not exactly sure if we'll be able to find them seeing how freezing it is. I think it might have even frosted. But hopefully it hasn't. It would be a shame knowing that we're out of a few certain things." He padded up to Eaglepaw, examining him to a slight degree. Taking note all of his healthy features. He was most certainly a healthy looking cat. Not too frail like he was. He almost envied him for having such strong senses of courage. But he was perfectly fine with his sensitive emotions and over-powering fears. It what kept him focused and it made him love his position even more. Though he did get kind of scared when he saw the wounded. It made him rather happy though when he watched them get all better. But of course, some of the cats didn't make it. Then he would take the fault for their death. Despite it not even being his. It was tough, the life of a medicine cat. But it was worth every bit of pain and sacrifice. At least, to him it was. [bg=49a54e][atrb=width,450,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Windpelt]

From the depths of the den he heard a voice. It was softly spoken, almost sounding a little resentful, at least to Eaglepaw's mind. He padded forward, while replying, 'sorry, Jayfrost, really am. I think it was more likely the wind, though.' A brief glint of mischief came into his eyes as he spoke, trying to push the blame away from him. He could not stand to think that some cat may hold some sort of grudge against him, whether it was temporary and no matter how small. He was also trying his hand at being a little less serious, though he did not think it had gone down too well. 'It's horrible, isn't it? Ugh, I just cannot wait for Greenleaf, or even Newleaf! Ahh, the sun. .' He trailed away, realizing that firstly, he was rambling, and secondly, his mentor had not finished talking! Hoping he did not think him rude, he sat as his mentor stood, twitching his tail and curling it around himself as he eyed Jayfrost intently. 'We are?' The young cat was extra glad he had paid some attention to the older tom before him. He sat bolt up, then finding that that was simply not enough to relieve his excitement he stood and paced a little, walking away and then returning to his mentor's side. 'Can we go, like right now?' He was already on his paws, brushing past his mentor, feeling the frail body beneath the wispy fur. He lost track of the rest of Jayfrost's speech having brushed against him. Instead of concentrating, his thoughts allowed him to feel a sudden, painful twinge of sympathy for him. He was truly a medicine cat and would most likely not have the strength to be anything else. Of course, he would never admit this to the cat before him, certain that it would lead to a horrible confrontation, where feelings would be hurt and dreams crushed. He willed the older cat to follow him; come on, come on he spoke the words only in his mind. Eaglepaw was even more desperate to get out of camp than normal, for two main reasons. Firstly, it was Leafbare, and although he rather despised the season, the camp was transformed by the soft fallings of snow and frost, when they occurred. It allowed him to experience the world in another light, so to speak, and one that he found rather beautiful, though he would never admit that, either. Not that any cat would be too surprised to hear it, not after he had revealed his chosen path, he was sure. And secondly, he felt as if he had not left camp for moons, never mind that this was not the case. He was simply itching to move his paws across the territory that was RussetClan! 'Never mind the frost, I'm sure we'll find something! We always do.' He was unaware that he was, in fact, managing to cover himself up very well, for Jayfrost had indeed mentioned about the frost. The young apprentice had simply said what had come to mind, knowing that it could be a possible problem. 'Let's go,' he almost purred. His mentor was almost nose to nose as he said this and he motioned with his tail in a quick, sharp movement, indicating his eagerness to leave. [bg=b6743a][atrb=width,450,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Rika The Chair]

" Erm, alright I guess. " The silver Norwegian Forest Cat had never seemed him get so eager before. But this position was very interesting and very exciting. He should be eager! Action could happen at any moment! And you must always be on your toes. " We need some cobwebs and some thyme. . I wouldn't mind a few juniper berries as well. But I can take whatever I can get. " His mew was calm, he wasn't freaking out about the lack of some of the supplies. But it was all cool, everyone seemed to be doing okay. And that's what mattered, right? Of course! He padded behind Eaglepaw, his stride a tad shaky and timid. " Let's see how much you've been paying attention. . You are going to lead the way to find the best places for the things I previously listed. Okay? " It was just a little test, nothing really big. Plus it would be fun. There hasn't been too much fun around the camp it seemed. But maybe that was just him. He didn't know, he really didn't get out that much. " The wind doesn't really bother me. I just don't like it tickling the tips of my ears and giving them frost-bite. And, this might come to a slight shock. But I don't really like the warmer climates. I shed way too much and I get really hot. And sometimes I'm even afraid I'll overheat. " He was afraid of a lot of things. He never knew what the feeling of being in an 'overheat' felt like. but it probably wasn't something he'd want to experience. Ever. " Though New-Leaf is fine. It's not too hot. But there are a lot of little insects. They give me quite the chills. Don't you think they're scary looking? They don't even have fur. They remind me of the two-legs. But even worse. And some cats say that some of them are poisonous. So you should be careful if you see any of them." He realized that he was getting way too worried, of course Eaglepaw knew not to mess with the bugs. They were like adders. But even creepier. At least you could eat an adder, bugs probably tasted nasty. He sighed, he should have some faith in Eaglepaw. He probably knows more about the creepy-bugs then he does. But Jayfrost knew a lot about them as well. Though he trusted that Eaglepaw wouldn't mess with them. Or anything that seemed dangerous without consulting him. Ah, look at himself. He is acting like a queen worrying over her kittens safety. He stood beside Eaglepaw, awaiting for him to take the lead. He was a very patient person, so he basically had mostly all of the time in the world. [bg=49a54e][atrb=width,450,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Windpelt]

Jayfrost seemed to be looking a little concerned, and Eaglepaw slowed in his made haste to reach the territory for a heartbeat, observing his mentor's reactions. Cobwebs, thyme, juniper berries. . His mind made a note of each herb as it was listed, keeping it in place for when they finally reached the outer territory. 'Are we likely to find much?' Doubt had crept into his mind, just a little, after all, the weather had been extremely cold when he had ventured out just earlier. Still, he did not want to risk changing his mentor's mind, not when he had a chance to get out of the camp. He gave a shrug, as if that factor did not really matter. 'Still, it doesn't hurt to try!' 'Warm is better than cold,' he replied, half - jokingly. 'No, each to his own. Winter sure gives me the chills; I've never really noticed the insects.' He looked to his mentor in faint surprise. Was he really that bothered by so many things? The list seemed to keep going on and on. He felt some reply was necessary, though it would be one that caused no disputes. 'Insects. . yes, they're bad.' He flinched a little, after he spoke; how inadequate. He let out a small sigh, hoping that his mentor would not think there was trouble. 'I'll keep well away,' his tail reached out to touch Jayfrost on his flank as he spoke, hoping the older cat wouldn't mind the gesture. He stepped away, then, remembering what he had been asked to do. Lead the way. . Well, he certainly hadn't seen that coming! He had thought it would be a simple, care - free visit to RussetClan's vast territory. With a sigh that exited his body louder than his mentor's, he began to leave the den, twitching his tail and figuring out a plan as he went. He thought perhaps if he begun to explain his plan to Jayfrost, he would have more hope of working it out in his own mind. 'Thyme. .' he murmured, being definite that that was one of the herbs they were in need of. 'Alright,' he said, before pausing and getting the jist of his surroundings. 'This way,' he called out, as he padded forward with a burst of speed, a purr in his voice as he spoke. He was sure of it now. Thyme was in a large clump not too far from the camp, but far enough away that the camp would be out of sight. With a swift glance behind them, he realized they had a bit of distance to cover. His paws sunk into the light covering of frost, yet he barely noticed, now completely focused on the trail. A scent was now becoming apparent, subtle and in no way overpowering. He stopped, stepping aside a little in case Jayfrost was caught by surprise. Lifting his face to the wind, he confirmed the location of the scent and began to trot, giving his mentor a sideways grin as he did. 'Found it,' he yowled, as a clump of plants came into view. He turned around, eyes sparkling, waiting for praise. [bg=b6743a][atrb=width,450,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Rika The Chair]

Jayfrost was actually a bit surprised that there was thyme growing in this type of weather. " Very good, Eaglepaw! I think this will be just enough to last us until New-Leaf. " He purred. He pleased with his apprentice's keen sense of smell and his memory. Now I wonder if he can be able to find juniper berries and cobwebs. . He thought to himself, but he was pretty confident that his apprentice could find them. " And you may think that the heat is better than the cold. But I think that the cold is a bit better. But perhaps it's just because of my fur. And the heat is rather unbearable for me. But I like the temperatures in New-Leaf. They aren't warm or cold. They are just mild. But everyone's entitled to their own opinions I suppose. " He was glad that they were carrying on the conversation. Sometimes he found it hard to think of things to talk about. " Now, do you think we should take it back to the camp now? Or wait until we found everything? " He usually would take it straight back to camp in case he forgot where to look. But since he had Eaglepaw with him he was pretty sure he wouldn't forget. Though, his memory wasn't at all the best. But at least he could remember most stuff, like where mostly all the herbs were located. But if he couldn't find any he could just ask for some from the other territories. Though some cats seemed to not like it as much, perhaps it was a pride thing? Perhaps. . "So. That only leaves two more things left and then we'll have hopefully enough to make it through the rest of this barren time. I'm very pleased that you were able to find some thyme. I was really needing it. Since Leaf-Bare is a very rough time, some cats get rather anxious and need to be calmed down. But of course, I'm sure you knew that. And the leaves from the juniper berries will help anyone who has a cough. Plus, you can never be too careful when it comes to cats being poisoned. Though it's not very likely this time of year, it could still happen. And well cobwebs, you should always have them handy. You never know who or what is going to try and attack us. Especially in Leaf-Bare. Some cats get quite desperate you know. " He had a small moment, recalling the group of rouges that attacked the clan when he was an apprentice. The medicine cat had ran out of cobwebs and that's why they couldn't stop his sister's bleeding. Jayfrost quickly shivered, remembering the horrors that he had saw. But he didn't want to think about that now. His apprentice was doing very well and he wanted to be happy about it. And not think about such cruel and devilish thoughts. Maybe later when I have a lot more time to recollect my thoughts. [bg=49a54e][atrb=width,450,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[Windpelt]

His mentor's soft words filled with a purr was all it took to make his heart fill with joy. And it would be enough to last them to New Leaf? The young cat's tail began to swish with pleasure. He was a little surprised when Jayfrost brought up the minor disagreement about hot and cold weather, but he played along, appreciating the conversation that was coming between them. However, he was beginning to find it difficult to keep it going. 'I suppose your fur isn't suited,' he started, then aware that this may have sounded like an insult, continued with, 'definitely! New Leaf has almost the perfect weather.' He gave a half - smile toward Jayfrost, glad that something was a definite agreement between them. He had just begun to walk off, when he realized the conversation was not over. 'Take it back?' He hadn't thought of that. A slight frown came over his features, as he pondered the question. 'Well, what would you normally do?' His tail curved inward as he spoke, depicting his embarassment at not being aware of his mentor's habits. He was just beginning to hesitate and become even more flustered when he found that Jayfrost had seemed to ignore his stumble and continue on. During his mentor's long speech, Eaglepaw attempted to talk himself several times, opening and shutting his mouth on such a regular basis his jaw began to ache. His thoughts began to wander, but he still kept one ear out, concerned that a question may be sprung upon him after he had finished. 'Wow, there's still so much a don't know!' Eaglepaw found himself staring slightly in awe of the medicine cat. 'So. . Juniper berries aids a cough, cobwebs for wounds, thyme for anxious nerves. .' He repeated it all back, as well as he could remember. 'How did you ever learn all the herbs and their uses, Jayfrost?' He felt suddenly overwhelmed with it all. Maybe being a medicine cat required a lot more skill than he had been thinking just earlier that day. Eaglepaw was aware that something had upset Jayfrost a little. Whether it be a memory, or something he had actually saw he could not be sure. He wanted to do something to comfort him, and so he did, feeling for the rather frail - looking cat. 'Is everything okay? You seem. . a little shaken up?' This had allowed another decision to an earlier problem to develop; they would go back to camp. 'We could go back to camp and store the Thyme away? If - If something's bothering you?' He hoped he wouldn't react too badly to that question; he certainly didn't want Jayfrost to think he thought he was weak in any way. Despite his appearance, Eaglepaw was sure he was a strong - willed cat. [bg=b6743a][atrb=width,450,true] [atrb=border,0,true]