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Post by silentpaws on Jun 1, 2019 6:37:57 GMT -6
With everything considered, Marigoldflare could just chalk everything up to being a very strange couple of seasons. She could hardly recognise the Clan she stood in as the one she had left that day on the battlefield, but as she sent out the afternoon's patrols with a half-genuine look of confidence she was starting to accept it as a good change. Floodfield and Rosedawn had both stepped down meaning that they had new cats at the helm, with Shrikestar and Bayflower stepping to fill their positions. And Marigoldflare had been chosen to complete the heirachy as Clan deputy.
She often thought with a smirk how much her younger self would have gagged at the thought of her following in Snapfrost's footsteps, after all the disagreements they used to have. Yet now here she was, and she hoped that somewhere in StarClan her mother could see the irony too and was at least a little proud of her wayward daughter.
The extra workload was a refreshing challenge alongside her warrior duties and training Chirppaw, and at least it kept her from missing Sorrelfire too much. But she still made sure to find the time for her friends; sitting in her grief with Mousefern whenever both sisters needed someone to commiserate with, seeing Spiderfrost whenever she needed some advice, keeping tabs on how Morningflight was doing. Today found her with a free afternoon now that the patrols were allocated, and upon noticing Bayflower heading towards the camp entrance to presumably go herb gathering she made a split-second decision to hurry after him. "Hey, Bayflower," she called, smiling so he'd know there was nothing wrong. "Need an extra set of paws?"
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Post by gingerluna on Jun 4, 2019 11:09:21 GMT -6
Being a medicine cat was scary, but absolutely what Bayflower wanted to do with his life. He'd never felt so complete. He'd delivered Floodfield and Brookshine's kits, for StarClan's sake. And he was going to spend his entire life helping WillowClan feel and be their best. He had a purpose, and he was fulfilling it.
Today, he was out herb-gathering. He had a couple of spots he'd been meaning to check, and everyone in the Clan was healthy, so he felt safe leaving for a bit. Marigoldflare approaching caught him off guard, and he turned to her, brightening at the sight of his sister. As she spoke, he perked up. "Always!" he chirped. Herb gathering was always more fun with company. "Thanks for offering!"
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Post by silentpaws on Jun 11, 2019 16:36:44 GMT -6
"No worries," Marigoldflare replied, her smile widening at how happy he was to see her. After Snapfrost's death she'd tried hard to make an effort with her younger brothers, doing as much as she could to guide them like she'd done for Mousefern, and it never failed to make her happy at the knowledge that she was doing good. Once out of camp she asked "How've you been getting on? I know it's been all change lately so wanted to check you're doing alright." She knew that Bayflower hadn't always been good at dealing with change, so with Rosedawn rejoining the warrior's den she had been meaning to make sure that he was coping alright with the added responsibility.
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Post by gingerluna on Jun 16, 2019 10:58:54 GMT -6
Bayflower nodded, stepping out of camp and into the marsh. “It’s been alright! I miss sharing a den with Rosedawn, and I still can’t believe I got my name. I still feel so clueless sometimes.” He stepped cheerfully forward. “But I’m learning everyday!” He looked over at Marigoldflare. “It has to be strange to be deputy.”
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Post by silentpaws on Jun 20, 2019 13:54:10 GMT -6
Marigoldflare smiled at his enthusiasm, glad that the uncertain young cat who'd once been apprenticed to her mentor's mate had finally found his true place in the Clan. "You deserve that name, you know more than you think you do. Rosedawn wouldn't have stepped down if you didn't deserve that," she said, truth in her words. While Marigoldflare and Rosedawn still weren't the closest, she knew that her sister had the utmost faith in Bayflower and for good reason. When the conversation turned to herself she chuckled, shrugging slightly as he glanced her way. "It is a bit I guess, it's responsibility I didn't expect to get. You never knew me when I was young but I don't think anyone would have guessed I'd make deputy back then."
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Post by gingerluna on Jun 20, 2019 15:06:40 GMT -6
Bayflower looked away, suddenly bashful. He didn't agree with her completely, but he could tell she really meant it, and that filled him with confidence. "We're making mom proud," he said, looking at her with a radiant expression. "We're helping the Clan!" He hopped over a small stream, landing with a squish in a patch of mud. Flecks splattered his coat. "Ew..." he muttered.
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Post by silentpaws on Jun 20, 2019 15:22:50 GMT -6
"Yeah, we are," Marigoldflare agreed, meeting Bayflower's shining smile with a grin of her own. She hoped Snapfrost was proud of her at least, rather than making a wreck of any legacy she might have left behind. They'd disagreed on enough things in life that she wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter occasionally, but Marigoldflare found she didn't mind. She was brought back to the present when Bayflower splashed mud all over his white pelt, and she couldn't help laughing at him as she jumped over beside him and her long legs let her clear the puddle easily. "I suppose that's the hazards of the job?" she joked, unable not to smile at the displeased look on his face.
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Post by gingerluna on Jun 20, 2019 17:18:54 GMT -6
"Suppose," Bayflower replied goodnaturedly. He could clean off later. He glanced about to get his bearings, then continued up the stream towards a marshier part of the territory. "We're looking for pink-white flowers, bunched up like a clover, sort of." He scented the air, but water drowned out the faint tang of the herbs. "Thanks for coming, Mari." He glanced back at his big sister. "It's fun to spend time with you."
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Post by silentpaws on Jul 2, 2019 18:04:44 GMT -6
Marigoldflare nodded with an affirmative hum as Bayflower told her what she was looking for. She was semi-confident in her herbs after delivering two litters of kits and helping her sister out every now and then, but she was glad that he'd told her what the plant looked like rather than it's name nonetheless. But her serious expression softened at her brother's words, and with a warm smile she leaned over to nudge his shoulder gently with hers. "The pleasure's mine, Little Bay. I'll always have time for my family," she said, meaning every word. Perhaps it wasn't the traditional meaning of family that she was thinking of, but a mixture of blood relatives and friends-turned-family who all meant more to her than anything.
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Post by gingerluna on Jul 2, 2019 18:41:45 GMT -6
Bayflower purred at Marigoldflare's response, looking over at her with bright eyes. "Aw, I'm plenty big now!" he called, hopping across a spot of wet ground. He swept his gaze across the landscape, perking up when he spotted familiar blooms. "I think that's watermint!" he chirped, quickly scurrying over. "Aw, this is a nice patch. Will you help me pick some leaves?"
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Post by silentpaws on Jul 16, 2019 18:34:15 GMT -6
"Nah, you'll always still be a fuzzy little kit in my mind," Marigoldflare chuckled, though he wasn't wrong in saying he was big now. He was a fully grown adult, a fully fledged medicine cat, and she was proud of how he'd grown from the panicked apprentice who's heart she'd been forced to break back in AspenClan territory. How much they'd both changed since then. "Course I can," she replied to Bayflower's question, following him down the path and sitting down by the bush. After hesitating a moment with one paw raised she said "Er, how should I pick them? Don't want to damage them or anything." It felt odd to be asking for help for once, suddenly feeling like her paws were enormous and she would going to rip the leaves without realising it.
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Post by gingerluna on Jul 19, 2019 13:07:10 GMT -6
“Just nip them at the stem,” Bayflower replied, demonstrating for his sister. “If you tear the leaf, it isn’t the end of the forest.” He moved his way about the watermint, plucking leaves from their stems. As he moved, he could hear the trickle of the AspenClan border stream. He glanced over, making sure they were still alone, before continuing. As he worked his way out of the patch of watermint, he set down his leaves and stepped down to take a drink from the stream. “This is probably enough,” he called to Marigoldflare. As he turned from the stream, a whiff of a familiar scent hit his nose. He looked up to see catmint, growing at the base of a tree, just a few tail-lengths from the stream’s shore. His store was running low. He looked over at Marigoldflare. “Do you think AspenClan would mind if I crossed the border to grab some of that catmint?” he asked.
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Post by silentpaws on Jul 27, 2019 8:11:34 GMT -6
Marigoldflare nodded at Bayflower's instructions, tilting her head to carefully nip a few stems off. She was slower than her brother was but she was more intent on making sure she didn't break any of them than going at any decent speed, not wanting to me more of a hindrance than a help. When he called for her to stop she picked up her stems and rejoined him, casting a glance across the border when he pointed out the catmint just over the border. "Shouldn't think so," she said, looking back at him with a light shrug. "Don't take too much obviously or they might say we're stealing their supplies, but you're above borders so they shouldn't stop you." She sat down with the herbs they'd collected so far so she could watch Bayflower from the WillowClan side, knowing it would be pushing their luck if the deputy crossed the border as well.
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Post by gingerluna on Jul 27, 2019 9:52:15 GMT -6
"Oh, I'll just take a few stalks. Wouldn't want to leave them without catmint!" Bayflower replied cheerfully, hopping into the cool stream and holding his long, fluffy tail high above the water as he splashed through the water. He carefully worked his way up the bank, hopping about carefully like he was afraid of disturbing a single leaf. He stepped up to the catmint and broke a few stalks off, only a fraction of the patch. He turned to Marigoldflare with his jaws full of the sweet plant, flashing her a bright look, before following his exact path back across the border stream. He set the stems down. "This is absolutely wonderful," he declared. "We were running low, and the patch I harvest from got torn up in a storm a moon ago. There hasn't been much to take." He couldn't believe what a perfect day this had been, out gathering herbs with his sister. "We should head back so I can get these stored," he said, leaning down to pick up a mouthful of watermint, as well as the stalks of catmint. "Thanks, Mari. This was fun." He scooped up the herbs and looked at her, mouth overflowing with green. He let out a muffled laugh before turning back towards camp, stepping away from the stream until the chatter of water flowing left his thoughts and was forgotten.
(fin?)
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Post by silentpaws on Aug 10, 2019 18:36:23 GMT -6
{ f i n }
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