I'M NOT SICK BUT I'M NOT WELL [ tikker ] | Closed

Warrior

☆ THE WHITE WOLF ☆

224 posts completed

I'M NOT SICK BUT I'M NOT WELL [ tikker ] Mar 6, 2016 20:09:52 GMT

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Post by lord wolfscream✰ on Mar 6, 2016 20:09:52 GMT

The trek back to camp seems much longer than normal, though that may have something to do with the way he has to hold his back leg from the ground with each step. A particularly unfortunate shift of his weight while moving in for a kill had sent a mind-blanking shockwave through the old injury. Even keeping it from touching the ground takes an arduous effort, but he steels himself rather well, being well-versed in pain. Despite this, he does clench the squirrel trapped between his jaws harder than normal, making its blood bead down his chin in a steady drip, drip.

Beside him, Stormstrike carries his own kill and walks on with ease. Cragback cannot help the prickling feeling of envy; able-bodied cats surely take their physical conditions for granted, no doubt, this much he believes to be certain. They had been chosen earlier that morning to go on a hunting patrol together and had split-up for the majority of it. It had been much to Cragback's internal despair that he had strained himself, doing such a simple task that he does nearly each sunrise. Consequently, the patrol had been cut short, and Cragback could practically feel the judgement coming off the other member of their hunting party in waves. Every cat; he thinks, they always judge. Though he always guesses this, he never makes an excuse, and why should he? It's not like he did this to himself.

Cragback tosses his squirrel on top of the fresh-kill pile, notably more bloodied than the rest. He curses under his breath, attempting to clean off the brine-like taste from his maw. He refuses to look at Stormstrike, mostly to avoid any comment on how his injury had affectively killed any hopes of further productivity from the senior warrior. I know what you're thinking, but, no, I don't belong in the Elder's Den. I provide more than my fair share for the Clan. If you want some cat to blame, blame our warrior ancestors for allowing this to happen.

When the dark tabby finally chances a glance of pale yellow in the younger's direction, he discovers him not to be looking at him or his elevated leg at all. In fact, he seems to be fixed rather sourly on an approaching cat. Cragback recognizes the medicine cat apprentice, Tigerpaw, easily distinguishable by her flowing, bright orange pelt. He can feel the straining protest of his hip region telling him, "sit!", but his largely stubborn persona makes him stay in place, head lifted up in a display as he forces himself to stay standing.

I am not weak, they will not view me as weak. The words sear his mind's eye.
tikker ♪ ♫

Last Edit: Mar 6, 2016 20:10:15 GMT by lord wolfscream✰

tikker ♪ ♫

Established Warrior

the minute you think of giving up, think of the reason why you held on so long.

412 posts completed

I'M NOT SICK BUT I'M NOT WELL [ tikker ] Mar 8, 2016 19:12:39 GMT

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Post by tikker ♪ ♫ on Mar 8, 2016 19:12:39 GMT

one life was not a long time, especially when someone was waiting for a small sign to appear before you in an act of light and graciousness to arrive. patience was always hard to find, especially for someone like tigerpaw. there was hardly a time that the small apprentice could be considered patient, and instead she could easily be seen running after a butterfly, tripping over a rock, or spending as much time possible with her friends and brother. it was the little things that counted in her mind and nothing else really seemed to matter.

however if it hadn't been for her brother, snakepaw, tigerpaw had thought it over, long and hard, about what sort of feline she'd be instead. would she have been a warrior? would she be a different cat all together? it seemed the more that she dwelled on the fact of that matter, the closer shadows seemed to fill her life; something she never wanted from the start. tigerpaw didn't want to be disappointed and she didn't want her heart to break. it was times thinking about that, did the ginger-and-white apprentice feel that she wouldn't be able to stay the same any longer than she already had. it was okay. it would always be okay.

with it being a beautiful day so far, tigerpaw brushed aside all the doubtful thoughts that had entered her mind, not wanting the damage to make her want to hide. she didn't want to feel as if her entire life was pointless, that it was compeltely fake. she wanted her clanmates to trust her but also stay true to herself which is what she could remember her father telling her before his death. however, with snakepaw off doing starclan-knows-what with pinestar and his training, tigerpaw didn't have a whole lot to do as she waited for tawnygaze to come get her so they could go herb hunting again. it was there that her amber gaze came across a hunting patrol returning to camp with their catch. from the pelts she could see, tigerpaw could point out at least cragback, which was mostly thanks to the limp that he had sustained at some point in his life before she had proper knowledge of it.

stormstrike was the only other one she could place easily and that was because he was her brother. despite using that in the loosest term possible, tigerpaw had never really felt as if stormstrike had wanted her nor snakepaw to be his sibling. it seemed as if her elder brother blamed her and snakepaw for the fact that their mother and her third mate passed away. sucking in a breath to attempt to do some sort of communication, tigerpaw rose to her paws and padded towards the two remaining warriors of the hunting patrol, flicking the tip of her tail in greeting. "welcome back you two!" the she-cat said happily, a grin on her face as she spoke to both yet looked at cragback. immediately the scoff was heard from stormstrike's direction, tigerpaw pinning her ears to the back of her head sadly in response to his words. "whatever. don't you have something better to do, tigerpaw, like train to be a good warrior? oh wait, you'd never be a good warrior, that's probably why tawnygaze took you in to make you feel as if you're useful."

the words stung and tigerpaw dropped her tail in response before looking to the ground. that wasn't true. she could be a great warrior, but she didn't want to hurt anyone. "i-i'm sorry to have disturbed you then..." the apprentice trailed off as her voice cracked and became softer than usual. she didn't like when stormstrike said things like he did, but there wasn't much she could do to say that he was wrong. "cr-cragback, if your leg bothers you at all, i can see if tawnygaze has something in the den for you." she paused for a quiet moment before adding on a couple more words quickly before turning around to pad off and wait for her mentor. "though, not that it looks like it bothers you much anymore, you're a strong warrior. everyone respects you, unlike stormstrike."

instantly she heard the growl from the massive gray tabby tom as the hiss came, "what did you say?"

tagged: lord wolfscream✰
notes: n/a

Last Edit: Mar 8, 2016 19:12:52 GMT by tikker ♪ ♫

lord wolfscream✰

Warrior

☆ THE WHITE WOLF ☆

224 posts completed

I'M NOT SICK BUT I'M NOT WELL [ tikker ] Mar 8, 2016 20:13:17 GMT

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Post by lord wolfscream✰ on Mar 8, 2016 20:13:17 GMT

    An internal despair automatically keys into his mind as natural as the sun rises each morning; cheery, bubbly dispositions tend to be his bane. Truthfully, it is less that he believes they mean him harm by such a positive air, and more that he is simply envious of how naturally it comes to others whilst he remains the polar opposite. Bitter, cantankerous, resentful…

    Cragback finally snorts his form of a greeting, but he is largely shadowed by his hunting partner’s spite. The words catch him off-guard, all but balking at the harshness of the grey tabby’s words. He feels the fur along his spine prickle in a mixture of irritation and—awkwardness, really. He doesn’t do well with personal affairs, especially not of the sibling variety. His own brother and sister are all he’s really had in the midst of their parents’ deaths and his accident, aside from his late mentor Snowfur who had become quite subject to delirium in her old age. At least she is well-taken care of, he thinks idly.

    He only comes back to the present at Tigerpaw’s shaking voice, seemingly quite afflicted by her brother’s cruel treatment. Cragback feels a growl building in his chest; how could Stormstrike be that way to his own sister? Half-sister or no, they still share blood, and he believes there is an inescapable significance in that. He surprisingly glazes over the mention of his strained injury, more honed in the crackling animosity between the two relatives not unlike the sharp feeling in the air before lightning strikes.

    Cragback lashes his tail and hops somewhat between the two, staring harshly at Stormstrike with eyes like faint, twin moons. "Wash that fox-dirt out your mouth before it really starts to stink, would ya?" He spits at the other tom lowly, allowing his claws to slide from their sheathes. Arguing against a Clanmate with several moons of seniority would be unwise, even for a brash thing like Stormstrike; the older of the two warriors raises his hackles in a silent challenge, daring him to speak another word against the ginger she-apprentice before them.

    Satisfied that the only reply is a glower enough to burn through his fur and a following tromping away on the striped tom's behalf, Cragback rolls his great shoulders and exhales, bit relieved in truth. Last thing he needs is to break up a fight with the way his leg is beginning to shriek at him. "Who put burrs in his nest?" The dark tabby wonders aloud but not really in particular towards Tigerpaw.

    Which, Cragback has almost forgotten she is still standing there, very nearly beginning to walk away. He turns his head to meet an expectant amber gaze. Normally... he would not ask for help nor request any herbs, but he feels bad for Stormstrike's rudeness; a rudeness that rivals his own to be sure! "Er, 'bout those herbs.." He mutters quietly, as if paranoid some cat nearby would be able to hear him.

Couldn't hurt to at least see if Tigerpaw could get him something, definitely not more than the throb in his joint.

tikker ♪ ♫

tikker ♪ ♫

Established Warrior

the minute you think of giving up, think of the reason why you held on so long.

412 posts completed

I'M NOT SICK BUT I'M NOT WELL [ tikker ] Mar 11, 2016 1:26:20 GMT

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Post by tikker ♪ ♫ on Mar 11, 2016 1:26:20 GMT

some thought that in times of trouble and possible death, one's life would pass before their eyes and they'd see everything they would've been able to do had they survived. it was that sort of feeling that had taken hold of tigerpaw in that split second from the moment her elder brother had snarled his words with a hiss in her direction. sure, she probably shouldn't have made such a comment about no one respecting him, but from her point of view, it was the truth. wasn't that what her father had always told her to do when things came to light? that lying was one of the worst things someone could do in their life. even so, just looking directly into stormstrike's eyes, the anger and hatred clearly visible on his scrunched up face, tigerpaw felt extremely frightened.

when the time came that it looked as if stormstrike was going to launch himself in her direction, the ginger-and-white apprentice jumped in surprise when the dark-pelted form of cragback suddenly appeared between the two of them. "wash that fox-dirt out of your mouth before it really starts to stink, would ya?" at this point, tigerpaw had eyes wider than she probably thought possible as she watched the disabled warrior in front of her spit at stormstrike before her half-brother slinked off in defeat. "who put burrs in his nest?" cragback stated after stromstrike left, instinctively thinking that the warrior was talking to her, did tigerpaw speak a response. "he blames snakepaw and i for the death of our mother."

at the mention of her own mother, tigerpaw felt her ears drop in sadness once again before her eyes looked up at the dark warrior. "thank you. stormstrike has always had a bad attitude towards my brother and i, though, i am glad he's still alive." the apprentice murmered quietly before beginning to make her way towards the medicine den to see if tawnygaze was around. "er, 'bout those herbs..." instinctively, tigerpaw felt her ears twitch as she listened to the words that came from the same place as cragback's own. herbs? why would cragback need her- oh right! stopping in her tracks, the ginger-and-white apprentice turned her amber gaze towards the warrior with a smile, ears pricking at the thought that she could actually be helpful. "right! we have something in the den for you," tigerpaw yipped happily, boucning forward and turning her head back to see if cragback was going to follow. "i'm still trying to learn their names, but i know what it looks like, since tawnygaze thought it would be best to learn that first..." she paused trying to think of the name of the herb that would be used for this particular situation. "it's either comfrey or marigold, but either way, it's in the den if you really want it."

tagged: lord wolfscream✰
notes: n/a

lord wolfscream✰

Warrior

☆ THE WHITE WOLF ☆

224 posts completed

I'M NOT SICK BUT I'M NOT WELL [ tikker ] Mar 11, 2016 15:40:47 GMT

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Post by lord wolfscream✰ on Mar 11, 2016 15:40:47 GMT

    Cragback blinks slowly at the response, one he had not expected. The depth of that personal information is beyond him as he would never share his own familial past with a passing ear. Tigerpaw clearly does not operate the same way, and, judging by the very little time he has spent around her thus far, she seems like the type not able to keep her maw shut. He has some sympathy there though, family ties run deep and once a resentment is formed its as binding as the blood that is shared between relatives. He cannot imagine he and Ginger-root having any more than a spat on occasion, and then his dear sister, Dawnstrike, well, he is careful not to let his foul mood touch her whatsoever. He silently hopes that perhaps Tigerpaw’s elder sibling will be able to bury his pride alongside the hate he harbors for them, but Cragback does not say any of this aloud.

    As her demeanor quickly goes from sullen to chipper, the dusky gray tabby feels exhausted just watching her. To have that kind of energy, he muses with a scowl, would be quite the burden. Maybe not to a youngster like Tigerpaw, but just thinking about bouncing around like she is makes his injury ache if not moreso than it had been. Then again, he could also be imagining that, but it is hard to tell when the pain persists on biting him like a flea he cannot scratch. A very big flea, given.

    Cragback passes through the threshold of the den, hardly hearing her as he finally lets himself flop over on his good side. He gives a small oof as he lands against the cool earth beneath him, aching tremors sent through his body in response, but he knows they will subside shortly. Laying down after a long day sometimes proves to be the worst when it comes to pain. On the go, Cragback's mind does well in occupying itself, pushing thoughts of his injury into the furthest recesses of his mind, but in the peace of relaxation it comes back to forefront.

    His breath comes in quiet puffs, having closed his eyes briefly. He listens now though, having gained some ground on the throbbing sensation near his hip. "Whatever you have most of." Cragback cannot help the words come out through gritted teeth. "You'll need to chew it to a pulp, rub it on." He may as well be an honorary medicine cat with how much time he's spent in this den, with how much knowledge he had gathered being in recovery.
tikker ♪ ♫

tikker ♪ ♫

Established Warrior

the minute you think of giving up, think of the reason why you held on so long.

412 posts completed

I'M NOT SICK BUT I'M NOT WELL [ tikker ] Jun 7, 2016 20:36:49 GMT

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Post by tikker ♪ ♫ on Jun 7, 2016 20:36:49 GMT

the need to keep a chipper attitude at most every waking moment would get tiring, however, that's just how she was wired. to push through the pain and sorrow to show a genuene smile for those around her to warm the days of another. after all, a friendly smile could easily help someone out of a dangerous spot within themselves and wasn't that a form of healing as well? after speaking with her brother, her ears having been flattened, and her heart hurt, tigerpaw couldn't help but offer her help and herbs to cragback, especially if he was in pain.

as the both of them passed into the medicine cat's den, tawnygaze nowhere in sight, tigerpaw twitched her nose slightly as she tried hard to remember what the different herbs smelled like and what she needed the most of. as her ear flicked lightly at the sound that came from the elder tomcat, tigerpaw searched the spaces they kept the many herbs seperated and found the exact one she needed. "whatever you have most of. you'll need to chew it to a pulp, rub it on."

that was right! chewing the medicine into a poultice to rub it on the injury or acking joint was how it had to be done. reaching with her paw to find one of the leaves she'd seen tawnygaze place the pulp for the last injured cat, the young ginger apprentice rushed over to the warrior only to begin chewing the herb. almost instantly she could taste the weirdness of it and nearly spat it out due to sheer shock of it but kept her mouth shut until she spit the now chewed pulp onto the leaf. "okay, you ready cragback?" tigerpaw meowed, looking at the elder warrior before scooping some of the poultice with her paw and placing it on the leg she knew he had problems with. "i know tawnygaze is normally around to do it, but i think she went to go pick up some more juniper berries while i as asleep."

sure, it was an excuse, but that's what she figured the golden tabby medicine cat had gone to do before she had met cragback and stormstrike at the entrance to the camp. "does it feel any better?" she asked, continuing to rub the poultice on cragback's leg, waiting for his response to know if she needed to stop or keep going.

TAGGED: lord wolfscream✰
WORDS: 401
NOTES: so, so sorry about the wait!