Closed Thread Trouble from Above

rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
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Nettleplume had chosen the stretch of RiverClan territory along the river deliberately. The battle with ThunderClan had left his stores thinning and he wouldn't be caught without the right herb for treatment. There was always little room for complacency.

He had already been hard at work harvesting a cluster of yarrow but after a few moments faint movement caught his attention. He stiffened immediately, the harrowing truths of war making the tom more on edge than usual...

But it was only Petalsnap.

His gaze briefly followed the direction the bird had vanished before returning to her. "Bad luck." He murmured stiffly as his expression shifted into something more familiar, more neutral as he voiced his observation.

"Bird hunting tends to be more successful with two...You should be careful if you're out here alone. I'd rather not have to offer condolences to WindClan more than once in one season."

The reason people have problems is that they have too much time to think.

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As if I didn't know how to hunt! Petalsnap didn't entirely appreciate Nettleplume's insinuation that she risked getting herself killed every time she set foot out of camp unaccompanied, either. But worrying about the health and safety of others was his job, she supposed.

"Oh, hello," She greeted him. "I couldn't find anyone willing and able to come hunting on short notice. I'm hardly surprised; it's awful out here. The weather, I mean. I'll head back to camp soon." Petalsnap dropped back into the tall grass to continue her hunt. Further conversation would only distract from their work. She hoped Nettleplume wouldn't be offended.

In a tree on RiverClan's side of the border, a red-tailed hawk had been watching Nettleplume with interest. Petalsnap's appearance had almost spoiled her lunch plans, but then the warrior made to disappear into the grass again. The hawk weighed her options: find something smaller and less interesting to catch, or go after the cream tomcat on the chance that the red cat cared too little, lacked the guts, or was too far to hinder her. The pair didn't seem like they were allies.

The hawk made a decision and dived, claws outstretched.

rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
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Nettleplume barely had time to react as he dropped hard into the grass, twisting his body sideways as the hawk's talons swept through the space where his spine had been a heartbeat before. Sharp claws grazed across his flank, ripping loose a tuft of cream fur and leaving a stinging scrape beneath.

"Stars above-!"

The hiss tore from his teeth as he scrambled forward, flattening himself against the earth. His gathered herbs scattered beneath him as he threw himself into the underbrush. The hawk wheeled overhead but its talons were empty. He pressed himself low, ears pinned flat as he tracked the shadow above.

His pale blue eyes snapped back upward as the hawk began another pass. Of all the things to worry about after a battle...

The reason people have problems is that they have too much time to think.

⋆˚✿˖°

Petalsnap's ears pricked as Nettleplume's voice reached them. Her first thought was, Did I really offend him that badly? But even as she rose and turned she realized that explanation made no sense. 

Through the foliage she saw Nettleplume pressed into the ground as a winged shape made a dive at him. StarClan! 

Petalsnap was streaking over to him before she had time to think. Nettleplume was RiverClan's only medicine cat right now, wasn't he? Of all the bad luck in the world! He was literally the solitary irreplaceable cat in the clans! 

Thanks to countless hours spent running laps and chasing rabbits, Petalsnap was fast, but she couldn't reach Nettleplume before the hawk finished its second swoop, just missing him. It pivoted in the air and rushed back at him, apparently not noticing the warrior hurtling towards it soon enough to change course. 

Off a running leap, Petalsnap half collided with the hawk and half landed on its back. It was less a fight and more a confused struggle in the air as Petalsnap tried to find a way to its throat past its beating wings. The bird was large enough and Petalsnap light enough that it managed to keep its altitude for a few moments, even with her weighing it down, but then it banked and the both of them went crashing to the ground, separating a moment before impact. 

Petalsnap would have landed on all four of her feet had she had the time to right herself, but as it was she only landed on two, and not very well, before somersaulting onto RiverClan ground. The hawk flapped hastily away, shaken.

rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
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For longer than he thought Nettleplume stared at the sprawled WindClan warrior, the hawk beating a frantic retreat overhead. His heart was still pounding hard enough to make his ribs ache, and the scrape along his flank stung with every breath as the line of his gaze narrowed accusingly over the warrior.

"Are you insane...You just threw yourself at a hawk." He inclined sharply as he scrambled as gracefully as he could from under the reeds. He instinctly was nosing her down searching for obvious injury. Only once he was reasonably certain she seemed more or less just dazed he backed off.

"That was reckless...if effective" He relented as he watched the hawk's retreating form and grumbled a quick. "...Thank you."

The reason people have problems is that they have too much time to think.

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The sound of wingbeats filled Petalsnap's ears, muffled by the thundering of her heart. The blasted bird was getting away, in all likelihood to have another go at Nettleplume! But before she could orient herself enough to get up, Petalsnap heard Nettleplume's voice. She blinked open her eyes and saw several Nettleplumes standing over her. It was only after he began examining her that she realized the hawk must have gone. 

"Effective?" Being dizzy with adrenaline made it easy for her hot WindClan blood to get the better of her. "The thing's supposed to be dead! I had a clear shot! Any half-decent WindClan warrior—" She leapt clumsily to her feet and hissed as pain burned in one of her front paws as she put weight on it. 

"That cursed bird!" Her tone bordered on hysterical. She'd gone and busted her paw! Would this mean she couldn't hunt? Train? She would be useless! She would rather eat crowfood than spend even a week in that state! 

Petalsnap's eyes caught on Nettleplume's wound, and the sight interrupted her spiral. What was she doing? She couldn't throw a fit here, not when he had just been attacked by a hawk!

"Are you alright!?" She gasped and hurried to circle him, limping.

rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
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Nettleplume's ears flattened but his attention had already shifted to the way Petalsnap favored her forepaw. "Stop." He voiced firmly when he noticed her limping on it. He didn't need to prod it yet to notice the stiffness in the way she held it and the reluctance to put her full weight upon it.

"I'll need to examine it properly. At a glance I can't tell whether you've sprained it or fractured something and there's no way to no for certain unless I put distinct pressure on those places."

His expression remained stern as concentration took over adrenaline. He nosed the ground briefly until he landed on something suitable for this next part and brought it over to her. "You'll have to give me your paw, Petalsnap, and you may bite on this when the pain comes."

The reason people have problems is that they have too much time to think.

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Nettleplume looked like he would be alright, thank StarClan. Petalsnap obeyed and sat before him, though if it had been up to her they would be leaving the area immediately. Her tail fidgeted and flickered like a flame beside her. She eyed the stick he offered and considered turning it down. What was she, a kit? She could handle a little pain, and would rather he knew it. But then again, Nettleplume would probably be more annoyed than impressed by a show of resilience. 

After reluctantly taking the stick in her mouth, Petalsnap held out her front right paw to Nettleplume for inspection.

rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
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Nettleplume took the offered paw carefully, his claws kept retracted as his pads worked along the limb. His attention became entirely clinical as he bade her to be still without verbal command. He gently shifted each toe, one at a time, checking for swelling or any abnormal resistance before moving higher. He pressed along the paw and into the joints, then carefully flexed the wrist - where the pain would bubble.

Nettleplume paused, applying slightly more pressure before releasing it. He repeated the movement from another angle before returning it to its natural position. "Nothing displaced...so that's good news. It's not fractured. Just a sprain." He huffed through his maw, eyes flicking once more to the sky. When everything was still he continued.

"Give it a few days and you should be back on your paws properly. Though if you ignore me and make it worse it'll take longer - an then Rowanglade will probably have something to say about that."

The reason people have problems is that they have too much time to think.

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Petalsnap found that the procedure was more bearable if she looked away so that she couldn't predict when Nettleplume was about to prod her. Then she scolded herself for being a coward and forced herself to watch him as he worked. She barely suppressed a squeak on his second round of tests.

"...alright." Petalsnap sighed once she had dropped the stick, which had ended up more of a help than she would have liked to admit. "Thank you." 

The next moment Petalsnap was standing, hovering her throbbing paw off the ground. "Okay, next order of business. I'll escort you back to RiverClan camp," Petalsnap paced lamely as she spoke, directing her gaze around the surrounding area and Nettleplume in turn. "I unfortunately failed to murder, probably even to injure that bird. For all we know, it'll pick up where it left off the moment I'm out of sight." 

rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
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Nettleplume stared at her for a long moment, then glanced pointedly down at the paw she was refusing to put weight on. Typical warrior, feeling utterly useless unless they have some sort of purpose. Since Petalsnap felt incompetant for not removing the threat of the hawk she seemed resolute to escort him even on a limp. He exhaled slowly through his nostrils, eyes closing briefly.

"Would that make you feel better?" He gave a quiet huff, gathering the scattered herbs and inspecting what had survived the encounter. Several stems were crushed but most could still be salvaged. He swiped them gently back into the opened grape leaf and neatened what he could in the moment.

"You've just sprained your paw trying to defend me from a hawk and I'm not entirely convinced you should be escorting anyone anywhere...But I'll accept your offer." He meowed towards her with a nod, picking up the bundle in his mouth and padding in the direction of RiverClan's camp.

The reason people have problems is that they have too much time to think.

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For a moment Petalsnap thought he would argue — that was no problem, she could argue too — and she was relieved when he relented. Would it make her feel better to go back to WindClan knowing that next gathering’s announcements wouldn’t include “Nettleplume got eaten by a hawk”? Yes, it would. His well-being was a higher priority than hers; WindClan had plenty of warriors, but RiverClan only had one medicine cat. 

"Better me than no one, I assure you," She replied breezily. Nettleplume's safety was her concern, not his happiness.

Content to walk in silence and expecting that Nettleplume couldn't respond with his mouth full of herbs, Petalsnap said nothing as she walked beside and a step behind him.