the princess, her prince, and a frog !

[green ! [old ghost]]

"Sandstream!" Fawnpaw's voice could possibly be described as shrill when she called her mentor's name, but really she was just flustered. And in a bit of a rush. After all, Tigertail couldn't be more than two fox lengths behind her with the dying cat they found. It wasn't like she could look over her shoulder and check, though. She just relied on the scent of her clan mate and the smell of blood soaking the stranger's fur. Poor Tigertail was probably rather bloody himself. He should clean up before talking to Cedarstar.

But first, more than anything, Sandstream needed to show himself. After finding the strange cat on the edge of MeadowClan territory, Fawnpaw had lead the way back to camp, which made the journey longer than it should have been. But Tigertail was carrying the limp body, and wasn't able to give her tips as she maneuvered around ditches and thick patches of grass. Nevertheless, they had made it back and gotten to the medicine cat den with little difficulty. Fawnpaw quivered a little at the familiar feel of darkness and herbs. They instantly relaxed her nerves, as they always did. But she was still waiting for Sandstream. Maybe she should get Jaypaw... no, he wasn't around. One whiff of the air told her that much. "Just put him on an empty mossy patch, Tigertail," the apprentice said softly, before calling for her mentor once more.

ooc|

*short* sooo. i think slug needs to post with sandstream? and crow with tigertail, who needs to see cedarstar. :x

[Slug]

Sandstream was moving the moment he scented the blood in the air, Fawnpaw's cry only urging him to move faster. The possibilities raced through the ginger tom's mind as he rummaged through the herbs, eyes darting as he nosed the plants around. Perhaps he was being a tad rushed, but Sandstream liked being prepared.

Turning around with some marigold petals poking out of his maw, Sandstrea--

He stopped.

Stared.

And had a serious what the foxdung moment.

That thing in the nest was definitely not one of his own, and as far as he could tell, it didn't belong to any Clan. Siamese cats were not wild. They were kittypets. They were not his MeadowClanners, and-- ...

And Fawnpaw was there, though Sandstream had the rude thought of she can't see me, but as he glanced at the figure near the nest, that, yes, Tigertail was still there and far from blind.

Time to get to work, then.

Calmly, Sandstream began to chew, scooting as close as possible to the nest without actually being in it. Admittedly, it was somewhat hard to see the wounds from all the blood, but Sandstream could easily work with that.

Spitting the pulp onto his paw, the tom began rubbing it on the wounds, glancing sideways at Fawnpaw. "Marigold petals help prevent infections," Sandstream rumbled, whiskers twitching. "Remember what they smell like. Now fetch some cobwebs, Fawnpaw. They are on your right."

It wasn't exactly the brightest idea to make Fawnpaw apply cobwebs onto a real patient, but it was also a good way to learn. After all, when Sandstream died, Fawnpaw would have to take up his duty. Which meant actually helping the patient and not just sitting around, listening to him rattle on about herbs.

"When you find the cobwebs I will help you apply them, Fawnpaw."

---

OOC: omg so much fail. ;-;

[Crowzerplorodon]

Blood tasted nasty.

Like, really nasty.

And Tigertail had quite enough of seeing cats covered in it.

First Daisy, then Bramblefang, and now this stranger? It seemed he was always around when blood was prominent.

He wondered what that said about himself.

Dutifully, he followed Fawnpaw back to camp, doing his best to help her out whilst carrying the dead weight in his mouth. At least the tom cat was small. If it had been a cat more his size, Tigertail would've really been complaining by now. When they finally reached the den and Fawnpaw instructed him to put the loner down, he did. Immediately, a sigh of relief escaped him, and he set to washing the blood out of his fur, giving the medicine cats space to room.

Once he felt presentable, Tigertail left, winking at Jaypaw who kept glancing into the den with a worried look. He paused, then instructed the injured apprentice to go over by the apprentice den, just so he wouldn't bother his caretakers.

Then Tigertail was set with the all important task of informing Cedarstar about what was happening.

He wasn't a delicate tom, though, so he wouldn't handle this delicately. Assuming his leader was in his den, Tigertail stalked right up to the entrance, sticking his head in and calling out.

"Mistah Cedah!"

ooc: for sanity's sake, the cedar/tiger interaction will stay in this thread. c: cloudie needs to post, but green and slug can continue their medicine cat stuff on their own time.

[green ! [old ghost]]

Fawnpaw waited for Tigertail to put down the stranger before setting on licking the blood away, mostly from his face. It wouldn't do to wake up covered in blood! Especially on top of waking up realizing you weren't dead and that you had been rescued by total strangers. Blood wouldn't do. She glanced up when the scent of her mentor flooded her nose, realizing that he was right there.

Before Fawnpaw could speak, Sandstream did, and she wasn't at all put off by his straight to business attitude. In fact, she was hardly ever bothered by her mentor's actions or his personality. When he was the cat you worked with the most, you accepted it, or ignored it. Personally, Fawnpaw liked to accept it. It made her feel nicer. And she really liked being nice! Her nose wrinkled as she sniffed the marigold, recalling its scent from earlier uses, but nodding anyway. It wouldn't be good if she forgot it. Especially when it seemed to be used so often, and for such important tasks.

Marigold helps prevent infections. Fawnpaw wouldn't forget.

She scrambled to her paws when she was asked to get cobwebs, turning to her left before realizing her mistake and going right. She felt around carefully, knowing how fragile the webs would be, then picked up a batch with her paw, limping slowly back to where she had been and holding the cobwebs out in Sandstream's direction."Should the blood be cleared off first?" She asked, nervous, just because she didn't know if it was a dumb question or not.

[Cloud of Diamonds]

He had been resting in his den, contemplating what he could do to benefit his Clan today when he'd heard...something that sounded like his name. The politest way to put it was 'interesting' and the rudest way to put it was 'disrespectful'. His yellowish eyes narrowed, and he considered reprimanding the warrior, but he caught the scent of blood and realized it could wait.

It was on Tigertail, who appeared unharmed, and that meant one of two things: There had been a fight, or there had been an accident. Either one required his immediate attention. And, he remembered nervously, the cat with Tigertail today had been Fawnpaw. Almost faster than thought, he leaped up and pushed his way past his Clanmate, horrified at the possibility of something happening to a vital member of his Clan - not to mention his deputy's only daughter.

But as he swiftly padded into the light, and took in the unusual scene, his first thought was that of relief: It hadn't been her.

His next thought was of confusion, seeing the torbie and her ginger-pelted mentor bent over, treating a cat he had never seen before. Naturally he knew every one of his warriors' appearances, and this strangely colored tom was definitely not one of them. Although, he couldn't help noting, he had a good build for a MeadowClanner: tall, lean, and his huge ears would definitely be an asset.

But what was he doing here in the first place?

"Sandstream" He growled, turning to the medicine tom. "Why is this...cat...lying in a splotch of blood in OUR camp when he clearly doesn't belong here?" Though his tone was strict, the shaggy tom was curious in spite of himself. Who was this tom? Why was he here? He realized, a few moments later, that perhaps it wasn't Sandstream he should be asking; Tigertail was the one who had had the scent of blood on him, it must have been he and Fawnpaw who had taken him here for whatever reason. "Or Fawnpaw, can you provide any information on this topic?"

Perhaps the little she-cat had taken pity on the injured tom...it was against procedure, strictly, but then he supposed the warrior code DID say medicine cats were bound to no one Clan...maybe this had moved her.

He would hear her story before deciding anything.

[Slug]

"I wonder the same thing, Cedarstar," Sandstream replied smoothly, gazing at his apprentice with raised brows. Then, turning his attention to his leader, he added "All I know is that he is injured, and for now, he is my patient."

He glanced at the still form on the blood-crusted nest. "Unless this does not suit you, Cedarstar...?"

Perhaps he was crossing the lines, but this was his den, he was a medicine cat, and this cat was injured. It was rightfully his territory, and Cedarstar hardly had a say in this matter. But if push came to shove...

Well, the stranger would find himself out of camp faster than you could say herbs.