His ears twitched and drew forward before they rotated backwards, swiveling toward the voice that echoed against the stone. The medicine cat slowly lifted his head from the area he stored his herbs in. He had been taking stock, the process taking a bit longer than it would the average cat. Bumbleflower relied on how strong the scent of the plant was to know if it was time to take stock, and he counted by brushing his nose over each individual leaf and twig. One of these days, he would consider taking on an apprentice specifically for chores like this.

The familiar voice accompanied by the breeze that came from the sea was more than enough to let him know who called for him. "Obsidianjungle," he greeted and took two cautious steps back before turning toward the den entrance, lifting his tail off the ground so his fluff would not sweep away his mostly neat piles. "Mm, I just so happen to need a few things. Are you trying to avoid work by playing bodyguard today?" Long whiskers twitched at his attempt at humor. He supposed that was still work all the same.

Everything in the den had its place and never strayed from it. This allowed Bumbleflower to make confident strides toward the silhouette at the mouth of the cave without stumbling over anything.

"Oh? I should consider myself lucky, then." The calico squinted, and his head flinched back as he stepped past the silhouette and into the light of day. His body stilled for a moment until he was able to rapidly blink away the sudden pain that engulfed his eyes. It soon settled, and Bumbleflower turned his head toward Obsidianjungle, whiskers twitching.

"I failed my first day of training to be a warrior, you know. I need another cat to be my muscle for me." Not that the medicine cat had any intention of getting into fights with so much as a shrew. He could at least bat his paws at a seagull if it tried to take his herbs. "Lead the way, sir bodyguard."

desolate

"Oooh, so capable!" A gentle laugh followed, the sound soft despite the humor in his tone. "The mice like to chew on the leaves and the roots, and don't get me started on the rats." Meanwhile the seagulls liked to pick on him while he had to search near the shoreline. He had a bone to pick with the gulls.

Bumbleflower followed after Obsidianjungle, his gait slowing down as they neared the entrance. He needed to be more careful outside of camp where the landscape was ever-changing. "I will, but let's focus on getting down first." There was little doubt in his mind about whether he could trust the warrior with this task, but his paws still shuffled as he took a few steps past.

desolate

The offer to lean for support was tempting, but he should really do what he could without assistance. If he relied on another cat every time he left the camp, he would never be able to handle trips out alone. There was also the concern about when he needed to take on an apprentice; he did not want to impose on any of the warriors to escort them during training.

"I'll take you up on that, if I feel unsteady." Only half of a rejection to the offer. Bumbleflower soon kept pace with more comfort, knowing the area immediately around the camp better than the rest of the territory. He only slowed as the rocky path began to dip, now needing more care in his steps. "Let's talk about something else on the way down. Mm..." His head tilted with his hum, ears twitching in thought. Kept in the cave most of the time, Bumbleflower was drawing a blank on topics.

desolate