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dipperpaw

orchidclan medicine cat apprentice

It had now been a few moons since Dipperpaw was named medicine cat apprentice, and he'd grown more and more grateful for it by the day. Whenever he watched Gracklepaw and Wrenpaw come back to camp from training with Morningstar and Bullwasp, battered and bruised from fighting, or their maws dripping with blood from their fresh-kill, it sent a shiver down his spine.[break]
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Although he couldn't quite ascertain the amount that Ice-eyes felt insecure about her own comings as a medicine cat, Dipperpaw certainly felt his own level of insecurity. He had often felt from the very beginning that he was placed to learning under Ice-eyes because cats looked down on him, seeing him as nothing more than a liability to OrchidClan with his antisocial and anxiety-ridden behaviour. He couldn't imagine cats looking down on Ice-eyes, considering just how much he looked up to her.[break]
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He looked towards the mouth of the den when he saw Ice-eyes react, before greeting the incoming cat by name - a habit he'd fallen into more recently to give Ice-eyes even a single second extra to react to what was happening. "Fawnflower, hello!"

fawnflower

orchidclan perma-queen

The nursery was already getting fuller by the day, with the arrival of the abandoned kits Shiningkit and Stormykit, who she had taken into her own care. While she was always more than happy to care for abandoned kits, she could tell by the way that Violetwing had been growing that it certainly wasn't going to be a small litter. At the same time, the queen was excited for the sound of mewling newborns, excited for the new life that was coming into OrchidClan. With every new litter was a blessing from StarClan above, Fawnflower believed.[break]
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So when Violetwing turned to her, Fawnflower's eyes widened. She immediately ran to Violetwing's side and gave the queen a few licks of comfort on the top of her head. "Alright, momma, let's get ready," she purred encouragingly. She knew that panicking was the worst thing she could do. As a permanent resident of the nursery, she was no stranger to kitting, and had taken to helping queens like a practiced routine. "I'm going to go get Ice-eyes so we can get some poppy seeds for the pain, and a good stick to bite down on. You'll be in such incredibly capable paws, and I'll be here with you, alright? Try and focus on your breathing for a bit while I get her, alright?"[break]
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She turned to look over her shoulder at the young kits who were already residents in the den. "Shiningkit, Stormykit, why don't you go ask Timberwolf for a story?" she called to the she-kits, wanting to make sure there was one less thing to get in the way, shooing them out before she made her way towards the medicine cat den.[break]
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Upon Dipperpaw's greeting, the queen nodded at the apprentice before turning towards the medicine cat herself. "It's time."

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dipperpaw

orchidclan medicine cat apprentice

Dipperpaw's mind raced as he looked around the medicine cat's den, seeming as though everything he knew flying out of his brain in a single instant. Why did every leaf suddenly look the exact same now? Oh StarClan... kits?! He knew this was coming, it shouldn't have been a surprise, and yet, he couldn't help but feel his mind racing even faster than his heart. What helped with milk? Parsley? No! No, that was the opposite, that was to stop milk.[break]
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He looked back towards Ice-eyes and Fawnflower talking near the entrance, seeming so calm or even some light excitement. Okay. Okay. The two she-cats were well experienced in kittings, right? Everything would be fine, right? RIGHT!?[break]
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"Alright, Dips. What's good for milk..." he whispered under his breath. "BURNET!" he shouted, jumping a little bit at his voice's volume before he shook his head. "No, that's not right. Um... but something like that... uh..." he looked around the stock before a strong scent filled his nostrils, reminding him of what he wanted. "Borage! Yes! That's it, right? Borage is good for milk, but burnet is also good to give cats strength and is safe for queens." he gave a little sigh of relief before talking to himself once more. "Good job, Dips."

fawnflower

orchidclan perma-queen

Fawnflower purred in amusement at the young apprentice. She turned back to Ice-eyes, taking better notice of the medicine cat's questions. "Couldn't say just yet, not too long, though. But certainly seemed painful enough that I thought it best to grab you," she noted. She knew that Ice-eyes trusted her judgement when it came to moments like this, and if it were false contractions, she would not have come.[break]
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"Do you want me to bring anything? Should I grab Rookbriar or will that crowd the nursery too much?" she offered, getting to her paws. "I've sent Stormykit and Shiningkit to the elder's den, so there's no one else in the nursery right now."

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dipperpaw

orchidclan medicine cat apprentice

When the two she-cats left the medicine cat's den, there was a mixture of calmness and heightened anxiety going through Dipperpaw's brain. It was nice that no one was actively watching him, but he simultaneously knew he was still being tested. He grabbed himself a standard leaf and placed it on the ground as a way to transport the multiple herbs over with ease. In the leaf, he grabbed some poppy, some burnet, some borage, and then looked through the rest of the stock to see if anything else might be useful now that he had some more room to think.[break]
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The black and white tom grabbed a few raspberry leaves, which he remembered being good for bleeding during kitting. His eyes glazed over the chervil for a second, knowing it could help with bellyaches - which he assumed was kind of a problem when kittens were inside of a cat trying desperately to get out - and that it was perfectly safe for queens. But looking down at his collection, he figured that he already had enough stuff for the time being. He could always run back if need be.[break]
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Dipperpaw grabbed his leaf in his maw and raced out of the medicine cat's den and towards the nursery, bursting in rather unceremoniously. "Eym herf!" he called out in an attempt to announce his arrival, his mouth full of leaf.

fawnflower

orchidclan perma-queen

Fawnflower had followed Ice-eyes back to the nursery, moving in beside Violetwing and giving her a few rasps on the head once again. "How are you feeling, momma?" she purred, putting on her brightest voice to sound as comforting as possible. She wasn't entirely concerned over Violetwing, a cat who was evidently quite practiced in giving birth. But, even the queen knew that things could go wrong no matter how practiced one was. While she certainly wasn't concerned, especially knowing how capable everyone was, it didn't stop a nagging feeling always existing with each and every birth she watched.[break]
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She chuckled half-heartedly as Dipperpaw burst in, waiting for him to understand what was really going on for the first time. But when Violetwing hissed beside her, Fawnflower groomed her a little more before looking at Dipperpaw. "Do you mind grabbing a stick or something for Violetwing to bite down on?" she suggested, realizing that maybe it wasn't her place to order Dipperpaw around, but hoping that Ice-eyes might forgive her just this once.[break]
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Once more, Fawnflower turned to Violetwing. "Did you want me to grab Rookbriar for you? Or we can send Dipperpaw - but he might be a little loud about it. I can try and be more discreet so the camp doesn't totally go up in flames just yet," she purred in jest.