Tigerrush and Wrentalon
Chatting
Thunder Clan Camp, Near/In the Medicine Den
27
Wrentalon padded into camp, a piece of prey he caught while hunting that day dangling from his jaws. He dropped his catch in the fresh-kill pile, probably one of his favorite parts of hunting in the first place, then surveyed his surroundings as usual. He glanced over at the apprentice's den, it had just gotten new residents, Dovepaw and Brindlepaw, he couldn't help but wonder if they were really up to the task. Honestly it didn't really matter to him all that much anyway.
So he looked over to the medicine den instead. Wrentalon wondered what Tigerrush was up to now. Probably not much.
Either way Wrentalon walked up to the medicine den, poking his head inside. He was bored anyway so he might as well check in on her.
"Hey Tigerrush, are you doing anything interesting?"
When Wrentalon poked his head into the medicine cat's den, there were two cats within. The mottled cream and grey pelt of Dovepaw was reclined on her side with a paw lifted as the striped pelt of Tigerrush's teeth tugging at something that had been embedded in the apprentice's paw.
Two pairs of green eyes turned to blink at the tom before the medicine cat tugged once more, a bit more sharply this time and Dovepaw squeaked before pulling her paw to her and licking vigorously. Tigerrush purred at her patient and spat a thorn onto a leaf next to her and mewed encouragingly. "That's it. Give it a good lick. Is it bleeding?"
Dovepaw gave another thorough lick of her paw then gave her paw a closer look. "Nope! Looks good and feels so much better!"
"Good. You can go, but if it starts bleeding for some reason or it starts to swell up, come back right away. Otherwise, you're free to go. Just make sure to keep the paw clean." The medicine cat instructed as she started to roll up the leaf.
"Yes, Tigerrush! Thank you!" Dovepaw got to her paws and thanked the brown tabby with a quick touch to her nose before turning and trotting out of the den. "Excuse me, Wrentalon!"
Tigerrush's eyes closed as she continued to purr at the apprentice before she blinked her green gaze open to stare at her brother curiously. "Dovepaw just came to me with her first thorn in her paw. She did very well! Otherwise, things have been pretty quiet. Did you need something or just coming to check on me?" She padded over to run her tongue across his cheek in an affectionate lick.
Wrentalon wrinkled his nose at the mention of a thorn, those wretched things.
"Nope, I don't need anything, you should know me better than to just get injured for no reason,'' he smirked, flicking the tip of his tail, "Just checking in on my little sister.''
He surveyed the medicine den, he knew the layout well enough especially from his time as an apprentice, though he would never admit it. By now he typically just visited on his own accord, determined not to get injured in order to avoid potential teasing from Tigerrush.
"A thorn, eh? Guess you just can't avoid them when you're out and about, is that just a normal thing for apprentices now?'' considering who the new apprentices were he wouldn't doubt it, "Stepping on thorns, I mean.''
"Between you, Bravesong, Mistyleaf and Moosestar, I am probably the best cared for medicine cat in all the clans!" Tigerrush purred again as he replied that he was just checking up on her. "All cats get thorns in their paws at some point or another. Apprentices' paws just aren't quite as tough as a warrior's. I do remember a certain apprentice begging me not to tell that he squeaked like a kit when I had to go after one or two deep ones he got in his paw."
Her green eyes sparkled in loving amusement before she picked the rolled leaf up and put it with the rest of the debris to be removed from the den at the end of the day. As she straightened up the small mess pile, her paused and felt her ears grow warm as her stomach growled. The most well care for, perhaps, but she was also rather forgetful.
"Haha, oh really?" Wrentalon said, slightly sheepishly, unsure if the apprentice she was referring to had been him or not. At a point thorns had essentially become the bane of his existence, "Though I'm sure you didn't tell anyone about up until now, right?"
Wrentalon quickly moved on to a different point, "It makes sense why you're the most cared for though, you're probably better than the other medicine cats, you are my sister after all,'' he straightened up with pride, there was something else he was wondering about though, "And since you're just so wise I have a question for you.''
"Do you really think Mistyleaf and Moosestar can handle having apprentices?"
"You haven't been teased about it yet except by me, have you?" The petite striped tabby trilled lightly at his sheepish remark and question. She knew he had issues with thorns as an apprentice, sometimes even now, and occasionally gifted him a treat of honey while she removed them for him. Part of the reason she had asked if he was visiting for a reason or just wanted to keep her company.
In his own and very unique way, Tigerrush knew he cared for her and had pride at her position in the clan. She twitched a whisker as he mentioned her being wise, not sure if he was mocking her or not, but she remained silent as he decided to share a worry he had with her.
"Well, Moosestar and Mistyleaf are more senior warrior than we are and the two new apprentices have always seemed a little headstrong." Her tone was casual, making sure to keep her voice neutral in tone. She didn't want to antagonize or belittle his worries even as she answered her opinion on the matter. "Mistyleaf does seem a little uncertain at being a mentor, but I think Dovepaw will help build her confidence and help her challenge her where she needs to be challenged and it will strengthen her confidence in herself and become a better warrior in turn."
The medicine cat sat down, her green gaze distant and thoughtful as she spoke, curling her dark banded tail around her paws. "As for Moosestar, he's had an apprentice. He wouldn't have become a deputy in the first place to become our leader if he hadn't. He knows what he's doing with apprentice training, even if he is a new leader. He is still getting the hang of the role, but I think if he has the support of his clan backing him up, he will also find that he doesn't have to think so hard to lead us. And I do think that's what it is- he's overthinking things."
Blinking slowly, she looked over to her brother curiously. "Was there something in particular you were worried about with them being mentors?"
Wrentalon blinked blankly at his sister's response. Really? Well it was to be expected coming for her. All the same he had to see some reason in her points.
"Well it's like you said, Moosestar's new to being a leader and I'm not even sure if I can trust him to do that, add an apprentice on top of it and it just gets two times worse,'' he flicked his tail in distaste, "Honestly he'll worry himself to death nine times over with all that pressure he's putting on himself which will leave the clan worse off than before.''
"And I think you're giving Dovepaw too much credit, the fact that Mistyleaf's unsure just proves she's not ready, an apprentice is supposed to learn from their mentor not the other way around,'' he sighed, "Though it's really nothing to me honestly, well except for Moosestar worrying himself to death for obvious reasons,'' he laughed a little, realizing how strange it sounded, "At this point it's a real possibility.''
"Moosestar is still finding his stride but he is finding it. There's a reason we live in a clan- the clan works together to survive. He might lead but he will still take the opinion of his warriors to heart. As he is willing to listen, it it helps when his warriors help him." Tigerrush mewed with gentle pointedness, but also attempting to encourage her brother. She ran her brown and black banded tail lightly against her brother's more muscled form and purred. "I understand you're disappointed at not being given one of the kits to apprentice, but if you have concerns with Moosestar, bring it up to him. It may be something he hadn't considered previously and it will show your care for making the clan better. Giving some initiative will help him see that you have what it takes to be a mentor to the next available kit."
She tilted her head in consideration of what Wrentalon had said of Mistyleaf and Dovepaw. "A mentor has to be willing to learn about their apprentices as much as the apprentice is supposed to from their mentor. If a mentor doesn't learn their apprentices strengths and weaknesses, how are they supposed to mentor accordingly to strengthen said weaknesses and reinforce said strengths? Just as leaders and warriors balance each other out, so do mentors and apprentices."
Tigerrush's eyes closed in amusement, whiskers twitching, at her brother's statement. "We are all fairly new at our positions- leader, medicine cat, warrior, mentor, apprentice. But together, we can help each other and strengthen each other until we are all confident and strong. It all takes a little time."
Reaching up and licking his cheek before nuzzling under his chin, Tigerrush continued to purr softly. "Does that help bring you some peace?" She really hoped she had. It wouldn't do as a medicine cat if she couldn't even reassure her own brother that Moosestar would make a strong leader and both he and Mistyleaf would make good mentors- all in good time.
Wrentalon snorted, "Who said I wanted to be a mentor?" he, of course, had no doubt he would've made a good one but honestly seeing who his options were he couldn't say for sure if he would just be completely and utterly annoyed the whole time. His mind flashed a bit back to his time as an apprentice, or maybe he did want to be a mentor.
"Moosestar will make me a mentor when he makes me a mentor, I'm not in a rush.''
Wrentalon listened as Tigerrush addressed what he said about Mistyleaf and Dovepaw, "I guess you're right.'' But learning from a kit would be pitiful, he added, silently to himself, "It's the experience that counts.''
"We're all fairly new at our positions-"
"Just because you're new in a position doesn't mean you have to be incompetent," Wrentalon said, with a flick of his ear, "I mean you and I both do our jobs fairly well and confidently. I, erm, I guess Moosestar will get used to it soon, though, like you said,'' he smiled.
"Peace?" Wrentalon laughed a little, "If that's what you were aiming for then a suppose so. Peace is a strange thing sometimes.''
Tigerrush tilted her head slightly, her expression bemused at his question. Her tone held only warmth and amusement. "I know you better than that, mousebrain, but you are right. He will chose you when he is ready to do so." She nodded lightly as he continued taking what she had said to heart before he started to protest again about competence.
"You give me more credit than I deserve in terms of competence." The gaze in her eyes became serious once again. "I am still very young to be a medicine cat on my own. If I were a warrior apprentice, I would still be an apprentice. But my mentor joined Starclan and Thunderclan needed a medicine cat. There will still be times where I will make mistakes in treatments and need to ask the other medicine cats for advice and suggestions because I won't have my mentor to refer to. It will still take much time for me to feel like I am fully competent at what I do for my clan."
As she had shared this with her brother, her ears had flattened as she revealed some of her anxiety from the truth of the words she spoke. She attempted to relax, but her semi-flattened ears still betrayed how vulnerable the whole situation made her feel. His laugh seemed to perk them a little more. "I suppose I was hoping I had reassured you a little bit, but I'm afraid I probably just failed to do so at all." She mewed, almost sheepishly. "And again, you're right. Peace can be a strange thing but reassurances are a bit more straightforward and what I had been aiming to do with this discussion."
Wrentalon's tale twitched as his sister shared her anxieties.
"You don't need to try and act all humble,'' he told her, "Nobody's died yet, it's not like you killed anyone. Plus, I'm sure being young gives you some advantages in uh, y'know, being a medicine cat.''
"Also, necessity gives you more motivation than other cats, the more motivation you have the quicker you'll hone your skills,'' he smiled, "I mean, just look at me.''
Reassurances can be just as bad, "You reassured me just enough, don't worry,'' honestly, Wrentalon wasn't sure if that was true or if he just wanted to make Tigerrush feel better, "But it's not me you should worry about, maybe you could work on reassuring the new mentors, they're the ones who need it and I don't think I would be wrong to say you could use some as well.''
Tigerrush couldn't help but feel she had let her brother down with what she had revealed to him but if she couldn't tell her own littermate, then who could she tell? She shifted closer to Wrentalon and leaned against him, pressing lightly as she sought comfort and attempted still to offer him reassurance. The brown tabby she-cat purred softly at his last words. "If that will help everyone feel better and help everyone settle, I will speak to Moosestar and Mistyleaf about it."
After enjoying several long moments of silence, she broke it with a soft mew. "Thank you, by the way. I know I generally seem confident in myself, but at the same time, it's nice to know that you believe in me too."
