Nettleplume and Tigerrush
Discussion between medicine cats
Just outside of camp
21
Tigerrush had made sure to let her leader know that she had something she wished to discuss with Willowfrost and Nettleplume from Riverclan. Depending on the outcome of this discussion, she might even go visit the medicine cats of the other two clans, but she decided to start here.
So she had made her way to the border, despite the chill of the season, and had waited to be happened upon by one of Riverclan's patrols. Thankfully, one patrol that was made up of Cottonbright, Mintwhisker and Mistypaw did just that. After a brief exchange with Cottonbright, the small brown tabby was let to a small clearing just outside of camp that was sheltered and comfortable enough for her to wait.
"Nettleplume, y-you have a visitor." Mintwhisker ccalled to his brother, having been sent by Cottonbright to fetch the medicine cat. "T-tigerrush of Thunderclan has s-something she wishes to d-discuss with you. Sh-she's waiting with Cottonbright r-right outside of camp."
rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
↫ ⭒ ☽ ⭒ 〄 ⭒ ☾ ⭒ ↬
Nettleplume barely spared a glance up from where he was sorting dried feverfew, his pale blue eyes flicking toward the den entrance with a flicker of impatience. The meticulous organization of his stores was a delicate process, and interruptions - even one from his brother - were barely welcome.
The scent of herbs clung to his paws as he hesitated, tail twitching in irritation. A visitor? From ThunderClan? The thought alone made his whiskers bristle. Unless someone was dying or the sky had fallen, why was a ThunderClan cat requesting his time?
With a measured sigh, he inhaled a lavender bloom drawing in a slow breath. He could already feel the creeping weight of expectation - what could Tigerrush possibly want? The idea of a clan meddling exchange left a sour taste in his mouth, even if his curiosity was teased.
Passing Mintwhisker, he gave him a nod and padded toward the entrance of camp. His steps were brisk, each one deliberate as he pushed through the damp air, bracing himself against the chill of leaf bare. Whatever this was about, he would make sure it was dealt with quickly. Passing the silluette of round Cottonbright, he spied the brown striped pelt of the other medicine cat. "Cottonbright, can you please excuse us for a moment." Of which the she-cat kneaded her paws for the briefest moment before slinking off where the two medicine cats could have their privacy.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Tigerrush couldn't help but glance around as she waited for Riverclan's medicine cat to show up. Her forepaws shifted and her claws kneaded the ground in an unusual, though small, show of anxiety. She scolded hersel inwardly for showing such discomfort, but this was the first time she had needed to ask for another medicine cat's opinion on something outside of the quarter moon medicine cat meetings.
Her ears perked as she heard steps approach and heard Nettleplume dismiss Cottonbright, who slunk away to give them some privacy for their discussion. Upon actually seeing Nettleplume, she tried not to let her ears flatten but she did curl her tail a bit more tightly around her paws in an effort to still them.
"Forgive me for interrupting you, Nettleplume." She mewed politely with a dip of her head. "I know you were probably busy but I find myself with an issue I am having trouble dealing with and I thought perhaps your insight might give me a better idea on how to deal with it."
The little brown tabby knew this was an unusual thing she was requesting from the cream tom, but she honestly felt that he would probably be the best choice to ask before trying one of the other clans. He was a young medicine cat like she was and might have a different view on this matter compared to the older, especially traditional medicine cats.
"In the past couple moons, Thunderclan has been blessed with a couple litters in the nursery. However, in the older litter, there is a she-kit who has me a little concerned. Physically, she is as healthy as the other kits in the nursery but she is very.... timid and uninterested in physically interacting with her denmates. You know kits and the games they play- they wrestle and chase each other around but she doesn't do any of that."
Tigerrush raised her green gaze to her Riverclan counterpart as she shifted her weight slightly in frustration and worry, trying not to let it show. She felt embarrassed that she hadn't been able to figure out what might be wrong with Robinkit and needed Nettleplume's help. It made her feel inadequate and useless as a medicine cat when she had been able to manage what Starclan threw at her up until this point.
"This is something I haven't encountered before and I am uncertain on how to best approach it."
rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
↫ ⭒ ☽ ⭒ 〄 ⭒ ☾ ⭒ ↬
Nettleplume listened in silence, his sharp blue gaze fixed on Tigerrush as she spoke. His tail flicked, betraying the gears turning in his mind, though his expression remained carefully neutral.
He exhaled slowly through his nose, resisting the urge to scoff. It wasn’t as if he didn’t take her concern seriously...kits were the future of any clan, and anything unusual about their development was worth noting, but this hardly seemed like the kind of crisis that warranted seeking outside counsel. He had expected news of an epidemic, a troubling omen, something of actual consequence! Not a shy kit avoiding playfights.
Still, he could tell by the way Tigerrush held herself that this had been weighing on her. And while he was not inclined to offer comfort, he could offer logic. "You’re asking me for insight..Yet you’ve already ruled out physical illness." He tilted his head slightly, regarding her with quiet scrutiny. "Which means you’re looking for something else. A reason..."
His claws flexed against the cold earth before tucking neatly back into his paws, blinking through memories of his own kithood. "I will admit that I don't have much experience dealing with kits, but I do know that not every kit bursts from the nursery with a need to tackle their denmates into the dirt. Playing with Mintwhisker wasn't very engaging for me." His tone was matter-of-fact, although he wanted to hear Tigerrush out "Is she eating well? Does she flinch at sudden movements? Show fear at the sight of others?"
If Tigerrush wanted his help, he would approach this properly... Try to eliminate possibilities by asking the right questions. The way he saw it, there were only a few explanations: either the kit had experienced some unseen trauma, or she was simply different. Neither was something medicine cats could fix.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Tigerrush's ears flattened slightly as she heard Nettleplume exhale slowly. While he was similar in age to her, she also knew he was known have a more no-nonsense personality like many of the older cats in the clans. That was another reason she had sought him out first to speak on this.
"There must be a reason, even if it isn't physical, right?" She was trying to keep anxiety from her body language, from her expression. Her own tail flicked uncertainly until his next words had her ears perking and her gaze sharpening with curious attentiveness. Kits didn't always want to romp and tumble? She blinked in surprise at that. She didn't realized that- all the kits she had even known from past litters had always wanted to play and be underpaw.
"I haven't noticed a lack of appetite from her but she does tend to be slower than the other kits in regards to moving around camp." Tigerrush's words took on an almost thoughtful tone as she tilted her head, recalling what she could of the behaviors she had seen Robinkit exhibit when interacting with various members of the clan. "She tends to stay back from the other kits when they start playing and she has shown the tendency to hide in fear and discomfort when meeting various members of the clan."
Even as she answered her question, her own mind mulled over what he had just said prior to the questions. "Was Mintwhisker a very timid kit? I had always thought he was just shy."
rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
↫ ⭒ ☽ ⭒ 〄 ⭒ ☾ ⭒ ↬
Nettleplume listened intently, his whiskers twitching slightly at Tigerrush’s observations. So the kit in question wasn’t just uninterested in play - she actively avoided others, hid in discomfort. That was different. That was something to consider.
His tail flicked as he mulled over her words, piecing together what little he knew of kits beyond their tendency to be loud, sticky pawed nuisances. Slower than the others. Hesitant. Fearful. None of those were physical ailments, but they could point to something deeper...
He narrowed his eyes slightly, turning her question over in his mind. "No. He was quiet, maybe. Cautious. But that’s not the same thing.” He exhaled sharply, as if the very idea amused him."If this Robinkit truly fears her own clanmates, that’s different. Kits are meant to feel safest within their own camp. Why does she hide? Is it certain cats that unsettle her, or everyone? Has something happened to make her wary?"He tipped his head slightly, his tail curling neatly around his paws before giving his shoulder a methodical lick.
Nettleplume might not have patience for needless fretting, but he had patience for puzzles...and this was starting to feel like one.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
