Turning Over Leaves - Peonypaw

It was nearing sunhigh when the large paws of a ginger tom grazed over the sharp, sun-dried grass of the abandoned garden. His nose twitched at the stale scents of rabbit and mouse. With flashing eyes, he hissed and darted forward to the clump of catmint and marigold that he had safeguarded from the heat with brush and branches gathered from the surrounding forest. Poking his nose under the debris, the old cat pulled his lips up in discust. What had protected them from the heat of Greenleaf, had done nothing to protect his valuable crop from the gnawing vermin that had torn at the tender stems. The medicine cat got to work pulling out damaged and browning foliage so the rest of the plants would hopefully thrive.

So used to his routine, the cat had forgotten the young one who had tagged along after him, and the lesson he'd planned to teach. With his front end buried under brush, his tail lashed, and he backed away with dead ruffage in his stunted jaws. As he made ready to leave it in the forest, his copper eyes noticed the white she-cat. Brokenface blinked, and growled in his throat; a quick wave of his tail bid her to wait for him as he headed into the forest to drop his burden.

When he came back, he pulled a few of the branches off his crop to let some of the sunlight trickle in. Hopefully the light would revitalize his poor herbs. Whiskers twitching, he padded forward to join his new apprentice. Towering over the young cat, he rested back on his haunches. His tail laid out behind him rather messily. He cleared his throat, calling for her attention. "Alright, so this is the most important part of ThunderClan's territory. Here is where we will find and tend to a wide assortment of herbs. There are plants here that will treat commonplace ailments, and those that are intended only for dire circumstances." He resisted the urge to glance back at the catmint. "Come on then, Peonypaw. Let's see how fast you catch on." He beckoned her with a twitch of his ear and rose. Turning his back on her, he padded off to the northern side of the long-abandoned twoleg nest. There he stepped up to a large, thick-stemmed bush. Small, yellow flowers stuck out against the green of the stems. He glanced down at his apprentice. "This is tansy. Come in close and get a good whiff of it. Notice that it smells sweet and strong." He waited for a moment, giving her time to do as he bid.

"Tansy is a very handy herb to have around, though it dries up so quickly that I tend to leave it to grow naturally rather than store it away in the cleft. Both the flowers and stems can be offered, though the flowers taste better. Cats chew them and swallow to help soothe coughing and sore throats. But use it sparingly, Peonypaw. It can cause belly aches if a cat eats too much of it." He fell quiet, letting her absorb his lesson. In the peace of the garden, he watched a banded yellow butterfly land on the tansy; it's large wings slowly opening and closing as it enjoyed the sweet flavor of the flower that Brokenface prized.