Herb Searching 2.0

[Ripplepaw]

[This is open to anyone by the way. It's just a continuation of this thread that went inactive.]

Ripplepaw found himself waiting outside of the camp for Anemonemist . He had offered once again to go herb searching, since the last attempt failed due to [insert random reason here]. He was pretty sure the medicine cat thoroughly disliked him, but he wasn't the kind of person to just leave a job unfinished; He'd just end up feeling super guilty.

The tom tried to dull the nerves he always felt when dealing with someone he didn't know very well... or dealing with any situation, really. Of course the one apprentice willing to help was probably the most useless in the clan... Whatever, it was too late to back out. 'Maybe it won't be so bad... I just have to make sure not to screw anything up...' Right, this would inevitably be a failure.

[Anemonemist]

{ I'm sorry it's so late, I couldn't get to a computer until today finally! >_< }



Here she was. Again. Anemonemist found herself leaving the comforting medicine den for another herb patrol... with other cats.... So yes, she was sorta-kinda-maybe-not trying to be a bit more social. She was RockClan's medicine cat, so actually having conversations with RockClanners was kinda in the job description... but that was the only thing that ever pushed her to talk. Or do anything that involved someone else. She was a solitary kind of cat, and Anemonemist was just fine with those circumstances.

So... she found herself joining an apprentice on an herb patrol to make up for the last one, which had been rained out in a sudden crash of thunder and attack of rain. Honestly, Anemonemist wasn't against staying out and continuing the search. But as the storm offered a liable excuse to abandon two ignorant apprentices, she didn't hesitate to snatch her chance and order them all back to camp, before returning to her den with an actual smile on her face -- well hidden from any lingering eyes. But of course, later she realized she also threw away a chance to replenish her storage crevice. And... 'sadly'... a chance to get to know her Clanmates in RockClan.

Yet the one apprentice who she had met right away, Ripplepaw, had actually suggested to make-up for their failed patrol. It surprised her that he actually wanted to sit through Anemonemist's sharp tongue and bored expression again, but not only that, be the one to offer the opportunity even. Had she not scared him away last time with her grumbling? The dusty-eyed healer had just assumed no one liked her, since no one ever bothered to visit her den with ailments, or even just the need for conversation... not that it helped RockClan was quite short on members.

Did that make Ripplepaw... different than other lazy, immature, clumsy apprentices because he had the strength to sit through either her boring ramblings or disappointed glares? He was close to being a warrior, right? So certainly that made him above her low standards for apprentices... but....

Hmph. She was thinking too much into it. He was just an apprentice who was probably ordered to help the medicine cat, or maybe wanted to be on her good side for his own benefit. Whatever the case, he probably wanted nothing to do with Anemonemist deep down. Maybe even hated her. He was just doing his duty as a RockClanner, and she was reading too much into things -- like always -- and assuming a positive reason instead of a factual one. Of course.

"Ripplepaw," her dull tone rang out as she approached the apprentice. Slowly, the medicine cat gave the clearing a quick glance to see if anyone else would join them. But seeing no one just yet, the pale healer sighed. "Should we wait for anyone else, or be on our way?" Honestly, for her? She... supposed... Ripplepaw was bearable. Out of all the apprentices in RockClan, Anemonemist would point him out to be the best, and only because she actually knew what he was like and found him 'okay'. So... perhaps this wouldn't be as torturous as she had first been thinking?

[Ripplepaw]

'She probably won't even show up since I'm the one who suggested it...'

Ripplepaw was proven wrong when his eyes shifted over to the medicine cat when she came into view. The anxious feeling from earlier became stronger, and his eyes glanced to the ground. He wished he wasn't so... bad at everything. That's probably why she didn't like him too much... he was awkward, and always anxious, and-

Ripplepaw,

The tom blinked, turning to Anemonemist and realizing she was now right next to him. "Oh, um, we can just go, I guess. Look's like... we're the only ones to show." He told her, feeling slightly dissapointed. Did no one else care to help out? Well, the two of them would have to do. At least he didn't seem to be annoying her too badly. He needed to try harder...

"So, I don't... uh... really remember what you wanted me to look for last time..." he admitted, feeling a little defeated. So much for trying harder. "Golden...grass?" he muttered to himself, a confused look crossing over his face. "Was it goldengrass?" he asked her, but then shook his head. "Wait, no, that's totally wrong. Er... sorry, I guess I need a refresher...?" he suggested, his feet shifting nervously beneath him.

[Anemonemist]

Anemonemist pulled off the most bored expression quite well, actually. All she did was stare at him. Not creepily, of course. But she was just oozing with disappointment. Then, she breathed a long sigh through her clenched teeth, and gave the sky a lingering glance. 'CloudClan, just shoot me down.'

But she was being overdramatic here. Ripplepaw was actually close to two of the herbs mentioned from earlier. She... supposed... for an apprentice... that was decent. She could work with that until it got annoying, if forgetfulness proved too common. For now, he was... fine. Frustrating as much as he wasn't, but... tolerable. Just like Anemonemist assumed the same thought for Ripplepaw was. That this medicine cat was at least tolerable for today.

"I don't like repeating myself." Anemonemist finally growled, meeting Ripplepaw's gaze with her own dusty blue eyes. "But... fine. We're finding a few different things as well, but yes. Goldenrod and goosegrass are on that list." She finished correcting him with a lash of her tail, before pushing past him and to the camp exit.

Good. She didn't want anyone else to join, anyway. Ripplepaw would do just fine. Hopefully.

As they walked, Anemonemist decided to continue talking and lay out today's plans. Plans she did not want to repeat again, of course. "I have a herb garden near FireClan. We're picking up goldenrod there. Then, we'll make our way to the TreeClan border. I know where a patch of borage grows, and then the blackberry leaves near there as well. We'll have to search a little more for cobwebs, but finally we'll be fixing a mallow spot. Some wild animal ate or stomped out as many as they could find, and I'm still in the process of planting it over again and picking out the bad ones." Near the end, her voice lost it's dull vibration and instead seemed to take on emotion, as slight as it was. The mention of mallow brought up a depressing memory from her past.

But as soon as the memory began to surface, Anemonemist shoved it away and focused on something more concerning -- imagining how she was going to deal with the broken stems and leaves. Briefly yesterday she had stumbled upon the mallow to find it in ruin, and as she was in a partial bad mood, the medicine cat turned and went back to camp instead of staying to study the damage done. Mallow treated bellyache, and Anemone had plenty of other herbs for that same illness instead. She wasn't about to deal with more work that day.

[Ripplepaw]

Ripplepaw was quick to sink under the medicine cat's expression. Was this whole thing really that uninteresting to her? 'She probably only came out as a necessity.' He almost asked her how often she had to go out collecting herbs, but held his tounge; That would only come off as annoying to her... probably.

'Goldenrod and goosegrass!' the tom thought, nodding to himself. He almost had gotten them right. Next time, he wouldn't forget, and maybe he would surprise Anemonemist... The tom's thoughts were halted as he felt the medicine cat brush past him. Guess they weren't waiting up for anyone. He found he liked the idea of it just being them; The more cat's that joined the more nervous he would probably get; He wouldn't be of any help at all.

The tom listened noiselessly as she talked, pacing himself a short distance behind her. "Well, I'll help in any way I can." He couldn't help but be impressed with the amount of preparing and memory work that went into being a medicine cat; And if he noticed the weird quiver in her voice as she finished talking, he didn't mention it, instead saying, "Look's like you're pretty much prepared for everything!" Ripplepaw told her, adding a "That's pretty cool," although it was a low mumble that he only meant for himself to hear. He almost even dared to joke and ask if she even needed him here with how well prepared she was, but he decided against it.

As they kept walking and Ripplepaw's thoughts began to scatter over random topics, he found himself curious about something and he spoke before his brain could catch up to his mouth. "Hey, your name... Anemone? That's a really cool name... What is that? Is that some kind of... animal or herb? It's very unique..." The more he talked, the less he expected a response. He was probably boring her. Why would she even want to small talk with him? She obviously didn't like him. It was probably a stupid question anyway; Maybe she would make fun of him for not knowing.

[Anemonemist]

At least Ripplepaw had seemed to take in her information with interest, instead of letting the facts roll over his shoulders like wind. Anemonemist was at least thankful he appeared as if he wanted to remember. Perhaps he would? No, she shouldn't hold such hope for an apprentice. Even if that apprentice was fairly better than the rest, by her experience.

When he had commented at the end of her words about being 'prepared', and how that was 'pretty cool', the speckled healer had given him an odd glance. 'He's certainly much more comfortable around me than I thought he would be.' she mused. It was almost... relieving, in a way. "Well... yes. I guess that's... well...." Awkwardly, Anemonemist clamped her jaws shut. She had been about to reply, but then the mocking thought that she would only bore him flashed in her head, and thus... lead to her ultimately making a fool of herself. With a quick look around, the healer sputtered out something to cover it up. "It's just what I do, so... I suppose it's cool. In a way. I'm sure you find other things much cooler, though, such as hunting and fighting...."

Having spoken again, Ripplepaw had asked about her name. It wasn't an uncommon question. Anemonemist sighed, though not out of boredom. It was quite interesting to... well... have some attention on her. To have someone ask about her life, in the slight way he had. Though he was an apprentice. Curiosity was easily a well-known trait of his age group. "Anemone is a flower. I've never found any healing use of it yet. But I suppose it is a unique name... as many like to comment... the 'mist' part of my clan-name is because of my eyes. Cats say I look blind, like there's a veil of mist over them... though you did not... ask about... that...." Oh, she was not social enough to contribute to conversation. And yet again, she had rambled on about a useless fact. What a fool she was. Like Ripplepaw truly cared why she gave herself the name mist when he hadn't even asked, and probably put the pieces together himself. CloudClan, she was such a fool.