Are you my enemy? //p

[Dappledleaf]

Anemonemist (yay for great users)

Dappledleaf had been recently made a queen. She also had three apprentices. The weight that was once so... light upon her shoulders now felt like the biggest of burdens; as if anvils were weighing her down. She was truly honored but knew it would take quite some time to gain all of her clans' trust.

Padding through her territory, she stopped abruptly as she realized she reached the border of IceClan and RockClan. Clearing her head didn't seem to be working, and a moment later, she scented another cat, a RockClan cat. Looking around cautiously, she spotted another cat not too far from her, though it was a female cat. Her fur flattened a bit, and she calmed down the slightest bit. Female cats were more... negotiable.

Lifting a tentative paw, she stepped dangerously close to the border. "I'm Dappledleaf," she began. "Who might you be?"

[Anemonemist]

With Leaf-Bare off in the horizon, Anemonemist knew that the herb storage must be kept clean and full of healthy plants. She couldn't allow any dried up or shriveled leaves to rot in the RockClan medicine den, as she had found upon being promoted to her new rank, for now she carried a responsibility. What if an apprentice fell from the cliffs and she had no comfrey? What if a kit got whitecough and contaminated the entire Clan, and she had no catmint or feverfew or anything to cure them? Kits were more prone to sickness than others, apprentices were dull and stupid and would only hurt themselves, and warriors were so prideful and arrogant they could be considered apprentices and get hurt!

Tch. She was getting herself all worked up over some silly scenarios playing through her mind. The what if cases that could happen, but weren't ensured that they would happen. She was too thick-headed and determined to fulfill RockClan's expectations that soon she would be overworking her abilities. She needed to find a relaxing place to calm down, and think....

... as soon as she had finished gathering dried oak leaves dropped in Leaf-Fall and checking the herb patches over. Then she would clean out the herb storage, hopefully with the assistance of the other medicine cat, and then reorganize everything in a neat and easy fashion. By color, or perhaps by use... she wasn't sure of the details of her organization, but she knew it had to be done. Before, she had been a passing loner with a high knowledge in healing and a gift in memory. Now, she was the new RockClan medicine cat, and had an actual purpose in life. She couldn't sit around and do nothing.

"Umf?" she mumbled as a sudden voice drew her from her thoughts. Turning her dusty dark blue eyes towards the sound, she noticed it came from across the RockClan scent lines. IceClan. she told herself, and then swiftly located the direct source of the voice. A she-cat, and by the smell a Queen. Anemonemist, having such distinguishable scenting abilities, couldn't mistake the familiar hint of a mother Queen. So this Queen was no more a threat to her as a medicine cat was to a Queen.

Stepping closer, Anemonemist's eyes narrowed in suspicion. What was the Queen after? Just a simple chat? She was a medicine cat of RockClan... but she supposed being friendly with another was allowed. Setting down the oak leaves carefully at her paws, she adjusted her lips to a more comfortable position--as holding crunchy and breakable leaves with the goal of not crushing them left a painful ache in her jaws--and then spoke. "Greetings, Dappledleaf. My name is Anemonemist, and I would be RockClan's current medicine cat." she said with a light twitch of her left ear and the faintest of smiles. "Your a Queen. Enjoying the little ones?"


{ excuse how long this is, I'm trying to figure out how I want Anemone's character to be. I already wanted to make her before, but I never got around to her personality.... }

[Dappledleaf]

She felt a bit relieved as the cats' suspicion subsided the smallest bit. A mere border shouldn't have stopped a hopefully friendly conversation. "Nice to meet you, Anemonemist." the queen replied, dipping her head in greeting. She felt kind of rebellious speaking to opposing clan cats, but then again it had always happened, like for example: at clan gatherings.

"Yes, I am a queen..." she trailed off, thinking about it again. A light smile graced her features, and she couldn't help but purr at the medicine cats' comment. "Yes, I am... though I hope all of them turn out to be good kits. She'd heard they could be pretty troublesome sometimes.

She'd completely forgotten to ask about the medicine cat -- Anemonemist. "How are you enjoying your stay as I medicine cat?" It seemed she was just recently announced a medicine cat though she could've been wrong.

(ah, i see. it's fine, though! it's surprisingly hard choosing the right persona for your character, then pursuing it properly. so far she seems friendly, but reserved as if she's put up a wall (though I'm not great at reading personalities).)

[Anemonemist]

Anemonemist just blinked in thought as Dappledleaf dipped her head, mentioning the casual nice to meet you phrase. Without any need to respond in the same fashion, the RockClan medicine cat simply dipped her head in return. It seemed like a respectful gesture, and to a Queen who shared a higher rank like herself, it was probably customary.

When the IceClan Queen went on to talk about her kits, Anemonemist listened politely to what she said and thought about her reply carefully. A kit turned out the way destiny decided for them. That was what she believed, at least. A kit was not defined by the good or bad in them, just the actions that marked them as such. Deep down, no one was evil. They just made pointless and evil choices that created an illusion for others to believe as such. But, Anemonemist assumed Dappledleaf wasn't interested in any of her beliefs. And especially none about her future kits. "I'm sure they shall be warriors IceClan can be proud of." she said with a light nod. Yes, that was a fitting response.

"Oh," Anemonemist muttered as the Queen went on to ask about her life. It seemed this was a common practice among Clanners as it was with outsiders--to pass simple life questions back and forth. With a shrug, the she-cat supposed there was no harm for RockClan if she just went along with socializing. Though, thinking harder now, herbs could be dying by the seconds she spent passing gestures and words back and forth with this IceClanner....

RockClan could wait a moment. The herbs would be just fine. "I've always been me. And it seems that I fit the qualities of a medicine cat." Anemonemist told Dappledleaf, casting her foggy gaze up at the sky. It was slightly cloudy, covering the sun and making a chill. But it wasn't bad compared to what cold Leaf-Bare would bring. "I like my new life. Though I feel I'm already overworking my mind at the amount of thinking I've been doing. I've so much to do, and if I don't have it just the way I like it, then I won't feel accomplished in the end...." The RockClanner trailed off, confused as to why she would explain herself to an IceClan Queen. Let alone speak more than she had originally. With a soft shake of her head, she awaited Dappledleaf's response.

[Dappledleaf]

Dappledleaf was grateful to think the she-cat thought so highly of everyone, no matter the bad in them that blackened their hearts. No matter their actions or their hurtful words. This cat was forgiving and thought about everything in a careful, cautious manner. It was good of such a young cat to think that way. Regardless, age was but a number. It did not define you. It would never define you.

Of course, all cats had their advantages. Anemonemist was very talented when telling the difference between scents, and when to make a choice. She was quick to act, though thought very carefully about every action she made. It was good of her to do so but would soon become overwhelming.

Dappledleaf, on the other hand, felt trained or born to notice the good and bad in others. Emotions. And currently, the medicine cat seemed worried. There was definitely a lot on her mind, most of which would be difficult to express with words or actions, based solely on the fact it was too much for someone to take in.

She wished she could say she understood the she-cat, but that would be a lie. You could never understand someone else without truly being that person. Essentially saying, it was impossible. "I hope you'll find a way to sort everything out, even if it takes you much longer than you would've expected... once it's done, you'll have endless amounts of satisfaction." She thought momentarily. "You seem a bit worried, are you thinking about what's to come with leaf-bare?"

[Anemonemist]

Anemonemist listened to Dappledleaf's words with her head tilted at an angle, pondering each note and phrase. That was probably the best response to her own rambling. Of course, being this cat was an IceClan Queen, she could never understand the hardships that came with being a RockClan medicine cat. While a Queen raised kits into warriors, a medicine cat had to make sure those warriors never died. That they lived past their first battle, that they didn't get sick and fall to weakness. That visits from CloudClan were friendly and not meant to guide RockClanners to a spiritual dimension. That was the weight of a medicine cat. And if she didn't have the proper tools and abilities to function correctly, RockClan would not survive. Of course, she had learned the previous two medicine cats had been quite scarce, and RockClan had proved to be strong even without their healers. But this time around, Anemonemist wouldn't give her new Clan the chance of failing in survival because she wasn't prepared. Or wasn't around. Or just... wasn't taking over her responsibility.

"Thank you for your words." Anemonemist replied with a dip of her head. The respectful gesture. She deemed it fitting for this situation. "And--yes. I am. Leaf-Bare means the herbs will die, and cats will be prone to sickness or to slip from the cliffs. Cloverstar chose a difficult time to appoint new medicine cats, and yet I can see her reasoning." She didn't mention what reasoning. That the former medicine cats hadn't been around, and would have likely not assisted in RockClan's time of need. Whether Dappledleaf knew that was beyond her knowledge, but Anemonemist was certainly not going to be the one spreading a rumor.


{ I really like how you described Anemone! That actually helps me a ton~! }

[Dappledleaf]

( Glad I could be of some use Cx! )

She shared her concern. "Hopefully you'll successfully protect, heal and aid your clan," she replied after a moment, her features now not lit as they'd been a bit ago, as the sun was falling faster and faster, and the night colder. She shivered softly, then looked to the medicine cat. "I can see why you'd be worried about your herbs," she began. She hadn't forgotten almost being placed as a medicine cat. The topic, of course, would prove redundant, so she refrained from bringing it up in the conversation.

Queens would be ever in debt to medicine cats. Of course, queens wouldn't do well without medicine cats, and without queens, medicine cats wouldn't exist, as they wouldn't be born in the first place. They both played very important roles though she had no doubt medicine cats had much more to uphold. The lives of everyone in their clan did depend on them. She gave a small flick of her tail, eyes softening.

"It's good you trust your leaders' action," she added with a solemn mew. Of course, trust was something most depended on, it was seemingly essential. "If you're worried enough about herbs, I'll leave you to it, then." the queen meowed after a moment, her pelt started to fluff out in an attempt to block the cold that lingered, clinging to her small frame.

( Perhaps, after you reply, it would be a good thread ending? Afterwards, maybe they could meet up several other times and develop a friendly relationship (intentional or not, and maybe even a mother-daughter sort of relationship).

[Anemonemist]

{ sure! sounds good! though both of these cats are pretty young, so maybe a sisterly relationship instead? }



Anemonemist nodded slowly. It's a cause for worry. But if I worry too much, I'll weaken my other abilities. she muttered, and then her thoughts strayed back to the herbs and the oak leaves at her paws. She didn't have time to chat with this IceClanner. The den needed to be cleaned, the storage needed to be checked, and she even had to make some time to learn a few RockClan names. Too much work, but she planned to get it all done.

"Yes. I believe I've spent enough time socializing." Anemonemist said at last, lowering her head to pick up the dried oak leaves. But she paused, and then sighed. "I'm sorry for not being really... into this discussion. I've got a lot to do, and I tend not to have the patience for other things until I've completed everything else. Perhaps some other time I would enjoy your company more, Dappledleaf, but my position stands strong. I must check the herb patches before they die. And a cold wind could come at any sudden moment. If you'll excuse me." The area was cold now, drawing on more worry from the RockClan medicine cat. Taking the crispy leaves in her jaws, Anemonemist bid the Queen farewell before trotting off to the goldenrod patches.

A nice she-cat, she couldn't help but think before her mind drifted back to the task at paw. It would be nice to meet her again when I'm not as busy. And I can finally relax. But relaxation was not something she wanted to familiarize with.


{ thread end ;3 }