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[h2][color=a2d39c]Mallownose[/color] & [color=8882be]Sketch.[/color][/h2]

"[color=a2d39c]Ease up, young one. I doubt it would be any interest of mine or my apprentice to harm your friend. Though I can't help but admire how your willing to fight two tough forest cats for him,[/color]" he mrrow of amusement made his eyes shine. "[color=a2d39c]Though I can promise you that if I ever get in a border skirmish with a loner then it may be a sad day for my position to help all cats in need. However if I get in a border skirmish with [i]any[/i] cat, it's going to be that young medicine cat in Riverclan. They have a habit of uprooting the plants. I have been begging and begging for them to stop but they are [i]reluctant[/i].[/color]"

"[color=8882be]Coochie! This is Coochie![/color]" he introduced with a purr of enthusiasm before spinning to face Coochie, his tail flagging with excitement. "[color=8882be]This is Mallownose and Warmpaw! They're the medicine cats of Thunderclan! That's the clan I told you about! Mallownose said he'd introduce me to the leader! Can you believe that?[/color]"

Mallownose was amused to say the least, something in him warmed at the excited voice of the young tom. He'd seen apprentices with such enthusiasm go very far and though Sketch seemed to have a high-strung edge, he looked to be a strong apprentice. There was potential there though it would need a very strong cat to tap into it and he'd be sure to inform Hawkstar of that when the time came. He was a very fair leader and he seemed to care for Mallownose's opinion, it was a good time to offer that. Beyond Sketch was the large fluffy kittypet that he had called Coochie, there was something familiar in the young cat and he could have sworn that he had seen a cat in Riverclan who highly resembled the tom. Though it was hard to place just whom, he rarely spoke with any cat but the other medicine cats at gatherings. It was strange to consider how a Riverclan kit could have ended up in a twoleg nest and he found himself a little baffled by it.

He begin nipping the stems of the fragrant plants and stacking them up in the grass alongside him. The taste was present and as familiar as moons past on his tongue, he could remember picking these with Robinwing during one of the larger outbreaks of Whitecough and he could remember how the sun had made her fur glow mahogany. She had instructed him where to nip the plant from and how many to collect before deciding there was enough. They always saved herbs in case another clan became low on stock and had less than them, it was just the most honorable way. Every cat was their responsibility equally, they had to care for them as medicine cats and he had taken that very seriously. He would collect just enough for his clan and he would leave the rest, it was habitual at this point, he had instilled the knowledge to Warmpaw and he hoped it was passed to the next medicine cat apprentice as well.

Robinwing had been a good medicine cat, she had been smart and kind and she had cared for all of her patients as if they were her own kin. That had been what he'd liked about her, she had never had any bitterness about her position. His parents had given him that bitterness and it clung to his bones and made his ears heavy with regret, sometimes he wished he'd just told Robinwing that he wanted to be a warrior. Destiny had a funny thing about not letting a cat escape however and he knew that no matter what Starclan would still follow him in his dreams and he couldn't erase them. This was the path he'd been made to follow and he didn't know why Puddlefoot and Meadowheart couldn't just let him enjoy being a medicine cat. He was such a good medicine cat, he [i]knew[/i] he was a good medicine cat.

"[color=8882be]Coochie, I might get to [i]join![/i] I-I wish you could join too,[/color]" his blue eyes seemed sad when he glanced to his friend. "[color=8882be]It won't be any fun without you. I won't really be able to visit you at your nest anymore.[/color]"

Mallownose glanced up, disturbed from his thoughts and glanced to Warmpaw, talking softly to him. "[color=a2d39c]If we brought two outsiders into camp at once, how well do you think that would go? A kittypet and a loner won't cause any issues for the clan and that kittypet seems strong enough, provided he even wants to join us. That loner needs a few good meals, you can see his bones and I already promised to let him meet Hawkstar.[/color]"

The white tom starting counting the stocks under his breath quietly before nodding to himself, there was enough for them for now. Now they just had to restock the juniper, grab some chickweed and maybe some coltsfoot if he could remember it. It was always helpful to have extra coughing aids around if they ran low on the stronger herbs. He ran over a mental list of the stock back home and knew they were growing short on feverfew as well but they had a healthy stock of ragwort leaves. They definitely needed to grab more poppyseeds with Warmpaw's sleeping troubles and in case Whitecough was present, it would help the affected to sleep past their aching chest and throat. They would definitely need more cats to carry it all back and these were two able cats.

"[color=a2d39c]And they could be a big help with bringing back the herbs because otherwise we'd have to make a few trips. It's definitely a good way to test how willing they are to do apprentice duties,[/color]" a purr escaped him. "[color=a2d39c]Should they join, of course.[/color]"
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