» EVERYBODY HURTS | [vale/snowy]

Wide, round amber eyes sparkled in the mid-afternoon sun that hung above the Treeline, not yet to the point of sunhigh but no longer constricted by the horizon. The symphony of songbirds and tree frogs rang unrelenting through the air, echoing off the trees in a musical number that was becoming a familiar comfort for those who lived in ThunderClan's borders. Out here, the aroma of the forest was crisp and clean, green leaves mixed with soft earth and fragrant bark that melted together to make the scent of home. The herbal perfumes that she had grown used to being around were far behind her for the time being, save for what stubbornly clung to her pelt from her prolonged stay in the Medicine Cat's Den. That was actually a main reason why she was about and about today as well; she'd been cooped up in camp for the past quarter moon learning what she needed to learn about herbs from her beloved mentor Blueberry, but now it was time to put what she'd learned to the test. And what better way to test her knowledge in herbs than to send her out on an adventure to gather some? Her mission today was to find three particular leafy herbs - borage leaves, chickweed and chervil - and report the position of at least three deathberry bushes in the area around the Treeline. That extra part was added on more for Peachpaw's benefit than any actual test - as it was, Stoatclaw had recently come across a thorn bush while out hunting and was getting his injuries tended to. The longer Peachpaw was out of the Medicine Cat's Den while her biological father received his treatment, the better it was for everyone involved.

All it would take would be one wrong look sent in Peachpaw's direction and there was likely to be an argument of epic proportions.

Peachpaw didn't let these thoughts bother her; today was a day of excitement and adventure, not one to be wasted on bad thoughts! She'd not explored the Treeline much during her days as Gophertooth's apprentice, and she was eager to stretch her legs on the borderland as she sought out her treasures. She'd spent the last few minutes or so before leaving camp familiarizing herself with the scent of the three plants, then afterwards had bolted into the forest without a second thought... or a moment to wait for her chosen escort to follow her. As it was, she had now effectively lost Copperstrike in her haste. Not a good idea but surely not a very bad one. She didn't plan on getting into trouble today and she wanted to show Blueberry she could find these leaves all by herself. The only one who had ever really given her trouble was cooped up in Blueberry's care, so as far as Peachpaw was concerned the world was hers to explore freely. Dainty little paws, white as the clouds that floated above, practically skipped along an invisible pathway through the woods. Invisible helpers and enemies only she could see and defeat appeared before the depths of her liquid amber gaze, while the entire forest seemed to become grander and bigger than it actually was. A leaf that had been torn from its branch by a gust of wind danced before her like a butterfly on the breeze. Raising one tiny paw, the medicine cat apprentice attempted to prod at the floating greenery only to have it swirl away from her. Within moments, she was bouncing and pouncing after it, mewling in delight as she attempted to follow its pathway. Once or twice, she tried to mimic its dance - spinning and twirling on her paws till the forest was spinning around her. Seconds later she collapsed to her side. That seemed as good a time as any to be reminded that her quest wasn't yet complete. Playtime would have to be put on hold.

The leaf that had been her playmate was soon forgotten, left to its fate on the wind while the apprentice continued onward. The forest was still slightly spinning in her gaze, but it wasn't bad enough that she'd lose her balance again... she hoped. All thought processes were halted then as a familiar scent tickled at her pink nose; with a bounce and a leap, she found herself at a small rock only a length away from where she'd been playing. And growing right there next to it was a nice little bundle of chervil. "Yes! Peachpaw, adventurer and the greatest medicine cat apprentice ever, has found her first treasure!" she mewed aloud, puffing up her little chest in pride. Blueberry would be so proud when she brought this back! Now all she had to do was find borage leaves, chickweed and three deathberry bushes and her quest would be complete. Chalk up one more successful adventure for the day. Carefully, the medicine cat apprentice's jaws clamped down on a few stalks of the chervil plant, careful not to damage the root system so that the herb would continue to grow for further moons. An important lesson for any medicine cat. After a moment of patience, she managed to remove the few stalks of chervil leaves, smiling her kitty smile to herself at her success... and then the wind returned. "Oh! Oh no!" she cried out as her prize was snatched from her mouth and sent fluttering away for parts unknown. "Come back!" she called after the fleeing herbs before breaking into a sprint after them. She had just found them, and now she was being made to find them again? What part of that was fair?

The wind must've really wanted those herbs, because they carried them quite a ways away from the stone she'd found them by. But the wind couldn't have them! Those were for Blueberry! "Give me back that chervil!" she mewed loudly, as though the wind could understand her. However, it seemed luck was on her side, because the stalks soon came to rest tangled in a batch of branches... across the SkyClan border. Small paws came to a sudden stop, the game and adventure taking a backseat as she stared at where the pines and young trees of ThunderClan stopped and the great oaks of SkyClan began. Her chervil stalks were still tangled in the branches just a fox-length away, but all it would take would be another gust of wind and she could lose them again. A hum escaped the little apprentice as she paced back and forth over the border, amber eyes never leaving her prize. In a desperate if not vain attempt at retrieving them, she sat down on her rear and leaned as far as she could over the border, attempting to reach the stalks with one grasping paw. However, they were still too far away to be retrieved. "Oh!" Peachpaw huffed, her rounded eyes narrowing in annoyance. She didn't have time for this - she needed that chervil, and she needed to retrieve it before the wind carried it off again... but retrieving it meant crossing into SkyClan territory. Even before Peachpaw became a medicine cat apprentice, she'd royally sucked at fighting, preferring to get lost in her daydreams rather than attempt to learn the art of hurting another being. But now that seemed to be working against her. She was a medicine cat apprentice yes, and ThunderClan and SkyClan were on good terms... but Pinestar - from what she'd heard of him - was scary sounding... and who's to say any SkyClan cat would take kindly to a ThunderClanner stepping over the border? What if she was attacked? She could just retrieve more chervil from that small bush, but it was small...

A sudden gust of wind picked up, jostling the chervil stalks, and as she jumped back to her paws in apprehension Peachpaw made her decision. A quick glance around the area told her that no SkyClanners seemed to be in the area... she'd step over the border, retrieve her stalks, and be gone. No one would have to know. Besides, SkyClan territory? Even just a few steps onto it would be an adventure! With that little pep talk in her mind, she hesitantly lifted a paw to step over the border...

WORD COUNT: 1376
TAGGED: tikker ♪ ♫ w/ snakepaw, @valence w/ dunepaw
NOTES: and here we have an excellent example of peachy's adventurous side taking over. x3