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Post by niftyshark on Mar 16, 2019 20:19:19 GMT -6
After the rather harrowing ordeal, he was glad that the sickness was starting to turn itself around. The herbs he and Baypaw managed to secure were finally having noticeable effects just shy of a moon later. Haypaw was rather tired of being placed on double patrols without any end in sight. Maybe -he- could get a few days to relax and laze around after everything he was put through. Haypaw knew that would only be a fantasy, but it was tantalizing to imagine. He didn’t quite mind that it wouldn’t happen though, because Dark was finally sneaking him and Beanpaw out within a moon to meet their father. After asking and not receiving a direct answer for over a moon, he was eager to find out, and it was a far better prize than mere relaxation.
Haypaw returned to camp with a small rabbit in his jaws, prey he rarely saw on WillowClan’s territory. He was about to drop it on the fresh-kill pile, but a flash of white fur drew his eyes. He had to wait for a few clanmates to walk by before he could see clearly, but when he could, he realized it was Chirppaw in the apprentices’ den. He bounded over, quickly masking his surprise as he stood in the entrance and watched her clear her nest for a moment. Haypaw dropped the rabbit at his paws and waited a heartbeat longer before he said, “So you were released from the medicine cats’ den, huh? I bet you can’t wait to be in your own nest again.”
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Post by theatricals on Mar 16, 2019 20:42:02 GMT -6
While up and on her paws, the herbs they had received were not "miracle" herbs in every sense. It took away many symptoms, but the weakness she felt after not moving for so long had taken a toll on her both physically and mentally. She still felt like she was carrying an invisible weight on her shoulders, with her foggy mind only just beginning to clear up. Her paws felt wobbly, and her lack of appetite in the last moon or so had left her skinnier. If there was an herb to make that come back sooner, she would very graciously take it.
When she heard the voice behind her, she automatically assumed it was one of her brothers, but when she turned her head, she saw it to be Haypaw instead. She gave him a small, weak smile as she turned to face him completely. "Said it was better I get up and moving. They still need to clean the medicine den and finish treating the others." Some bounced back faster than others. While Chirppaw certainly was one of the first to get sick, her immune system was apparently strong enough to allow her to hang on until they received the herbs. Even she did not realize how harsh the sickness had really been.
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 17, 2019 10:33:27 GMT -6
"That's true... getting up and moving would be a good start," Haypaw acknowledged, although his brows furrowed in concern when he better saw Chirppaw's slim profile as she faced him. She obviously hadn't been eating, and he realized the road to recovery would take longer than just a moon; his heart squeezed in sympathy for her. The first step would be getting her weight back, but he had a feeling she would refuse the rabbit if he offered it to her outright, so maybe he could do it in a craftier way. "But I think I know what would be even better," he began. "Fresh moss for your nest. I see you've started, but two can get it done faster. Flareheart showed me the best place for moss--it's the softest I've ever felt. Let me take you there." He smiled at the white she-cat almost casually, then backed out of the den slightly with the rabbit so he wasn't blocking the way.
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Post by theatricals on Mar 20, 2019 21:19:02 GMT -6
Chirppaw, on a good day, would listen actively to what Haypaw said, but even the most tempting of distractions couldn't match her muddled thoughts. It was why she only caught what he was saying when he began to speak again. She didn't even get the chance to ask "what?" before he was explaining just what he met. It did sound very tempting, but her paws still ached and just the thought of going far made her want to slump down in her nest. The she-cat watched him, unsure. Would it be rude to decline? It probably would be... "Is it far?" she asked tentatively, sounding almost guilty.
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 24, 2019 13:59:34 GMT -6
Haypaw's expression was knowing, and he shook his head. "Not far at all. It's just a bit outside of camp actually. Come on, it's worth it!" He took a few more steps back, then he picked up the rabbit and trotted over towards the camp entrance. He cast one look behind his shoulder before he went through the entrance. He followed the well-worn path out for a few pawsteps before he turned moved through tall grass and reeds, until he came to a moss bed tucked between two willow trees. It was soft and warm under his paws, and the ground ahead of him sloped downwards to give a nice view of the small river that surrounded WillowClan's camp. The sun cut through the willow branches and dappled on the ground. Given its proximity to camp, it wasn't a secret location, but it was one the black tom liked regardless.
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Post by theatricals on Mar 25, 2019 15:05:55 GMT -6
Even with the assurance that it was just out of camp, Chirppaw still felt the tug to remain in the den. She hadn't been out of camp in forever it felt like, but her eagerness to get out and stretch her legs had only lasted a short time before the reality caught up with her and she nearly stumbled leaving the medicine den. She hadn't forgotten it, which was why she followed at a sluggish pace, trying to keep sight of Haypaw as her stuffy nose was bound to be useless.
Several times she stumbled, almost losing her footing completely at one point, but eventually she felt soft moss beneath her paws, and it was the greatest relief she could have felt at that moment. She sloped downward, settling on her stomach in a way that looked uncomfortable but was actually pure bliss.
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 27, 2019 11:29:07 GMT -6
Chirppaw came bounding through the underbrush a few moments later, and Haypaw watched her settle down abruptly. He snorted softly before he looked out towards the river again. He watched it sparkle in the distance before he ripped his gaze away. He settled on the moss besides the she-cat and pawed the rabbit so that it was in front of him, then pulled a leg off to nibble on it absently. The sun was just warm enough to be soothing, and he stretched out as he grew more relaxed. Haypaw pulled the other leg off and set it near Chirppaw wordlessly, an offer that she could accept or refuse. Rabbits were rare on WillowClan’s fresh-kill pile, so he took any opportunity he could to enjoy one. “Perhaps I lied about getting it done faster,” he said eventually, amusement in his voice. “You looked like you needed some fresh air.”
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Post by theatricals on Mar 30, 2019 17:19:16 GMT -6
Chirppaw sneezed softly, the number of scents overwhelming her briefly before she was able to focus once more. It was true, the sickness was free from the camp, but there was still the issue of getting enough prey to ensure that everyone recovered. With only so many healthy cats, Chirppaw began to wonder how they would do it all. It wouldn't be without exhausting their clanmates, that was for sure. Her mind was never the most straight-forward while healthy, so it was no surprise that in her hazy existence, it brought her to a place far away from the conversation she was supposed to be having. Looking over at Haypaw, she blinked in confusion, her eyes huge as she realized that not only had he pushed some prey towards her, but he had also been talking to her. She hadn't even heard him. "Um... what?"
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 12, 2019 15:38:12 GMT -6
“Fresh air. You needed it.” He pointed in Chirppaw’s direction with a paw, emphasizing his words. He pushed the rabbit leg a little closer to her before he pulled back and focused on his again. Haypaw had a few more bites before he pushed the rabbit to the side entirely in favor of putting his head down against the moss. He closed his eyes as the sun soaked in his fur, and the sigh that escaped him was a contented one. His thoughts drifted away from him and they wandered without any direction. He thought about the moment he became an apprentice, touching his nose to Flareheart’s. They moved to several of Dark’s stories, then to the escapade he shared with his brother when they were kits.
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Post by theatricals on Apr 12, 2019 17:32:06 GMT -6
"Oh," Chirppaw responded lamely, accepting the rabbit with little more than a nod. Her appetite was still miniscule, but the hunger clawing at her belly was too big to ignore. Reaching forward, she took the smallest bite, taking at least a bit of satisfaction with her when she realized she could actually taste it--something she had taken for granted before she had gotten sick...
Those were memories she did not want to relive. She stopped eating abruptly when she saw where her thoughts were heading, and copied Haypaw as he lay his head down. Chirppaw had to shuffle a bit more to get comfortable, but eventually she settled. "Have you... have you been training a lot?" She knew he had only joined their den recently, but with training keeping her busy, she couldn't be sure. While not outwardly shy, it was only natural that she stuck close to her brothers above other cats.
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 18, 2019 20:24:11 GMT -6
Her voice sounded far away, and it took him a moment to rouse himself to full attention. He opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly to look at her. It was a question he wasn’t expecting, and because it was rather vague, there were multiple ways he could answer it. “I have started training,” he began. “More of the basic, easier-level concepts. I’m ready for more than that though,” he said, almost a bit wistfully. “We all start at different levels, have different strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes I think warriors equate being young with naïveté.” It was possibly more of an answer than Chirppaw was looking for, but Haypaw gave it all the same. “I imagine you’re far in your training by now.”
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Post by theatricals on Apr 26, 2019 12:01:25 GMT -6
Chirppaw felt a bit silly for asking. Of course he hadn't gotten far in his training yet. Even so, the she-cat couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Even with a few moons of experience on him, she honestly hadn't learned much beyond the basics, either. Much had happened just shortly after she had been made an apprentice, and she and her mentor didn't always see eye-to-eye... Getting sick was probably just a small inconvenience compared to everything else.
Her ears flattened, wishing that she could be set on such a straight-forward path. There were times where she thought Marigoldflare was getting angry at her for no reason--other times, Chirppaw could feel her own patience running thin despite her mentor not doing anything to prompt it. All of it made for a mess that she wasn't sure she could fix. She didn't want to sound mouse-brained, but she also couldn't lie. "We haven't done... much," she started. "After everyone got sick... well, couldn't do too much."
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 26, 2019 19:39:15 GMT -6
His assumption could be considered a blunder on his part, but his contented expression didn’t change for the worse. It did wane a little at the mention of the sickness, but it was slight and only there for a brief moment. “The sickness was hard,” he agreed. “Those who weren’t sick had to double-patrol and hunt as twice as much. I’ve had my fair share of being over-worked, so I’ve had a lot of practice in a short amount of time. Of course, it pales compared to your experience.” Haypaw smoothed over his initial mistake, and luckily for him, it was true. He didn’t want to make Chirppaw feel bad that she wasn’t as far along as she could have been, but he really did have a lot of chances to work on what he was learning. There wasn’t anything shameful in being behind. “You could always practice outside of your scheduled training times if you’re really worried about not having done much.”
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Post by theatricals on Apr 26, 2019 19:46:52 GMT -6
His second statement made her feel guilty, knowing that the whole Clan had been working twice as hard at her and other cats' expense. Of course she couldn't have had any control over it, but that didn't stop her from feeling bad for Haypaw and the other cats who had to push even more than they usually would have. When he mentioned training outside of official sessions she grew concerned. She had attempted more advanced hunting techniques on her own before, but it proved to be difficult. She often brushed against bushes or stepped on a twig, wondering if prey truly had that good of hearing. Battle training was another story. "I don't really know what I could practice, really," she said casually, lowering her head briefly as a wave of dizziness took over her.
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Post by niftyshark on May 16, 2019 20:41:56 GMT -6
Haypaw considered her for a moment. “The basics are always good to practice. There’s nothing like honing those to the best of your ability, since advanced moves build off them, or so I’ve heard.” He still had far to go in terms of what he had to learn, so part of what he said was conjecture, but part of it was his own realization. He stood slowly, shaking out his sun-warmed fur. He wasn’t sure how much Chirppaw would be up for, but it didn’t hurt to offer. The black tom looked down at her, then said, “If you want, we can revisit them. It might be nice to try it outside of your mentor’s gaze. Or we can take a walk if you think that’s better.” Getting used to physical activity again was probably the best course of action for her, so he didn’t mind what she chose if it helped her.
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Post by theatricals on May 18, 2019 14:50:19 GMT -6
Chirppaw could agree with him, but she couldn't say that she hadn't heard it all before. She was almost afraid that he'd continue on and start rambling about how she just needed to put in the effort. Her mentor's encouragement was nice, but there were times that she felt that even those came off as condescending. The she-cat looked confused when Haypaw moved to his paws, following him with her bright eyes. She didn't even need to prompt him before he started speaking again, and was surprised at the fact that he even mentioned his mentor. Could he tell that she was restless? Did he know about the lack of real progress between her and Marigoldflare? "What..." she began, trying to figure out the best route to take. "... What would we do?" Quickly, she followed up with, "With training?"
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Post by niftyshark on May 24, 2019 18:36:26 GMT -6
He immediately shrugged, smiling patiently. “Whatever you want to do. Or I can pick something if you aren’t sure or don’t feel like deciding.” His mind drifted to several topics that he was poor at despite himself. It made him wonder if choosing something he was bad at would make her feel better. It wasn’t like she knew what he was and wasn’t good at, so she wouldn’t know if it was intentional. Even though Chirppaw was older, she was a moon or so behind, so it was likely they were training on the same topics. So if they were both bad at something, maybe they could learn it better together. He remembered then that neither of them were fully, or perhaps at all, WillowClan, so they both had an uphill battle, living where they did. Haypaw’s mind whirled quickly as he came upon his plan, and he decided not to mention any part of it, at least not now.
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Post by theatricals on May 29, 2019 21:13:50 GMT -6
It took a few moments of deep thinking and debating for Chirppaw to get a solid idea of what she wanted to do. "Can we start with hunting?" It was a vague topic, but the one she was the strongest in. With her strength still not at its best, she didn't want to test herself with anything harder. Still, some of the more advanced hunting techniques had not yet been taught to her, so she wasn't being entirely dishonest by saying she didn't know much about it. She did okay on her own, but she knew that wouldn't be enough to satisfy her mentor or the Clan.
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Post by niftyshark on Jun 6, 2019 20:53:05 GMT -6
“Yes, hunting sounds like a good start.” She didn’t suggest where she wanted to go or what she wanted to hunt, so Haypaw chose something at random. He took a few steps away from the mossy oasis and waited for Chirppaw to stand. He started walking in his chosen direction, towards the outland border where the ground was less marshy but streams were still present. “How do you feel about hunting around streams?” he asked as they walked. He expected her answer to be more nuanced just as his would be if he was asked the same question. Anything to do with water was one of his weakest points and an area he sorely needed practice in.
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Post by theatricals on Jun 8, 2019 14:23:17 GMT -6
While Chirppaw didn't mind swimming, on a day like this where her breathing was still labored and a chill hung in the air, she'd rather not go jumping into streams. She was glad when he suggested hunting around the streams rather than in them. "I love water vole," she said, which could count as an answer to his question. She loved the sight of the stream, and hunting around them kept her mind clear as opposed to hunting among trees and roots. While there weren't many of the latter in their territory, she had heard more than once that she should still learn how to hunt anywhere. For now, she was comfortable staying in her safe zone.
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