|
|
Post by Solaris on Jun 19, 2022 23:29:17 GMT
R O O T S They/Its | 33 Moons | Rogue
- 🌱 - DAY 9 It had rained a day earlier, and the grass was still slick with raindrops. If they weren’t careful about where they placed their paws, they would slip through the mud. That was what their mother always said: “Roots! Watch where your paws go!”
And everytime Roots bent its head to look at its paws to monitor its movements, it became too focused on its feet, and promptly crashed into something. Usually it was something small, like tripping over a twig or a rock. But sometimes it crashed into another cat, or went head into a tree. Then the nagging would turn into, “Roots! Keep your head up so you can see where your feet lead!”Were they supposed to keep their head down or up? Either way, when they looked up, they found themself in the middle of a field, swathes of heather flowers surrounding them. The fragrant aroma of the flowers held a sweet note on their tongue. They stretched their head over their shoulder, trying to look at the hill they walked down from. Surely, beyond that hill, was where their home was? Or was it the hill to the left? Or the copse forest on the right?Directions were too confusing. Roots was promptly lost in a heather field, though it smelled nice. Being lost in a sweet-smelling field wasn’t too bad, was it? |
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Jun 21, 2022 1:57:48 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons
At long last, the weather had warmed and the sun was shining, if weakly, over the moors. The heather had grown tall with the rain of the last moon, and despite the fact it wasn’t yet blooming there was a sweet scent lingering in the fields. The rain from yesterday left a clear, fresh taste to the air, drawing Clementine from her warm barn and out to explore.
She relished the chance to stretch her legs, even if the dampness clung to her fur when she tried to run through the grass. It was better than all that horrid snow a few moons ago.
Standing on the crest of a hill, she looked down at the moor before her. She could see a shape a little ways down, half-hidden in the sea of heather. A brown tabby, it looked like. It lifted its head, seeming disoriented, and Clementine grinned. Perhaps she could have some fun with this.
After a quick moment to decide how she wanted to approach, she galloped down the hill toward the stranger.
“Help! Please, someone help!”
ulla
|
|
|
|
Post by Solaris on Jun 21, 2022 3:42:24 GMT
R O O T S They/Its | 33 Moons | Rogue
- 🌱 - A sharp, distressed rang in its ear, something that sounded urgent and immediate. Roots swung their head everywhere, ears twitching at the source of a voice. And it came from… somewhere behind? It swirled around to face the cat racing down from the hill.
It was a tortoiseshell with green eyes, bounding after it. And considering how Roots was the only cat standing around these fields, they assumed that the cat was coming after them. It moved quickly through the tall heather stalks, shivering as its leaves tickled the flank of their pelt. With a creased brow, Roots cried out to the cat.
“What happened? What do you need my help for?” asked Roots with widened eyes and panting from all that running. “It looks very urgent.”
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Jun 22, 2022 18:21:57 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons
The cat ahead began to run as well, in her direction. Clementine barreled past the stranger, ears pinned against her head and fur fluffed out in alarm. She stumbled just as she went by, pausing to look at the cat with wild eyes. Their face was pinched with concern, and they called after her asking what was wrong. Perfect. She raised her voice in pitch.
“A fox! There’s a fox chasing me! Oh, please, help!”
She held up the paw she had tripped on, as if favouring it, and let out a small whine.
”My paw hurts, I think I twisted it. What should we do…!” Clementine cast a glance over her shoulder as she spoke, eyes wide. She began limping forward, making a show of her hurt paw.
ulla
|
|
|
|
Post by Solaris on Jun 25, 2022 4:35:21 GMT
R O O T S They/Its | 33 Moons | Rogue
- 🌱 - "A fox? Where?!" Roots's head switched from left to right, trying to catch a scent or sound that might give away the fox's presence. A wind blew past, carrying with it, the smell of fox in the air. It was fresh! Who knows where the fox was, possibly hiding in the heather...
Seeing the other cat's face, and hearing the quiver in their voice, Roots realized how urgent it must have been. It had to be close. Deathly close. And the cat was injured too... How could they help the cat? How could it stop the fox? They weren't very strong when it came to fighting off creatures--they left Crackle for that task.
It had to do something. But what? It scanned the field desperately in search of some cover... until their gaze lay on a patch of comfry nestled between the heather. That's when it hit them! If it couldn't fight, it could heal. Bellona knew a thing or two when it came to herbs, and twisted paws were a common enough injury.
The solution? Comfrey roots. They raced over and tore off a few pieces of comfrey by the roots, and went back to the cat.
"Lean on my shoulder for support," said Roots, beckoning the cat with its head. "Don't walk with your paw. Where did you say the fox came from?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Jul 5, 2022 3:14:46 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons
As the brown tabby dashed off, suddenly digging through the dirt for stars knew what, a breeze drifted by and Clementine froze. Was that an actual fox scent? She didn’t know whether to thank her lucky stars for bolstering her fib or curse them. Not quite ready to give up her game, she cradled her paw against her chest and hopped awkwardly toward where the tabby was digging.
Then they were racing back, a bundle of strange roots in their jaws. Clementine slumped against their shoulder at the invitation.
“I- I’m not sure,” she stuttered, eyes still wide. “I think it was over there.” She flicked her tail up the hill behind her, where she had come running from earlier.
She hopped forward again, eager to put some distance between them and the fox but curious to see how far this stranger would go to help her. She didn't think the brute had scented the two cats yet, so Clementine had some time to play around. “What are you going to do with those?” She asked, eyes going to the clump in the cat’s jaws. “I don’t think the fox will have much appetite for them, if that’s your plan.”
ulla
|
|
|
|
Post by Solaris on Jul 5, 2022 4:38:12 GMT
R O O T S  They/Its | 33 Moons | Rogue Once the cat’s shoulder lay on its shoulder, it led them under the shade of a tree, surrounded by thick underbrush. A good place to hide from the fox, at least for now. Just for good measure, Roots arched their head over their shoulder, twitching their ears for any rustle in the grass. Nothing but bugs.
The question made it laugh. “No, no! These aren’t for the fox; these are herbs. Comfrey, to be specific. I’m using the roots to treat your twisted paw so that it hurts less.”
Upon answering, Roots tore off the fleshy green parts with their jaws and tossed them aside so that only the roots remained. It drew in a breath, mentally bracing for the bitter taste, before chewing the roots in its mouth. The process was a little longer than expected, but eventually, they had a poultice to apply to the cat’s wound.
“Give me your paw,” they said over a mouthful. |
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Aug 9, 2022 3:08:29 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons
Clementine let herself be guided into the shade of a tree, a small patch of cover on the wide open moor. She listened in quiet contemplation as the cat explained how the roots it carried would be for fixing her “twisted” paw. So this was another one of those strange healer cats, like the one that had showed up to her barn not so many moons ago. She wondered if perhaps the cats in this area were just very odd. Either way, it was interesting to learn about.
With a heavy sigh, Clementine flopped into the grass as they came to a stop. She watched the cat take one of the roots in their mouth and, grimacing slightly, begin chewing into it. The calico didn’t imagine it could taste very good, yet the stranger was undeterred. Fascinating.
At the cat’s muffled command, she lifted the paw she had been favouring and placed it delicately in front of theirs.
“You’re really too kind,” she said, trying to suffuse her voice with gratitude. It fit with the role she had chosen to play today, but she was also genuinely impressed with how selfless this cat seemed to be. That would probably get them in trouble sooner or later, if it hadn’t already. “You must have better things to do than to help a clumsy cat like me,” she said, sighing again for effect.
ulla
|
|
|
|
Post by Solaris on Aug 9, 2022 7:08:30 GMT
R O O T S They/Its | 33 Moons | Rogue Leaning into the cat’s paw, it spat out the poultice and used its tongue to rub in. After a moment or so, Roots pulled away and cast a tentative glance at Clementine.
“I think it’ll take a moment for the poultice to work, but tell me how it makes you feel,” they said cautiously, just in case it turned out that Roots misremembered the application, used the wrong herb, and was actually inadvertently poisoning the poor cat— It let out a quiet breath. Roots would be fine. A bunch of roots wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Roots flushed at the cat’s words, shyly turning towards the grass that tickled the fur on their face to clear away the heat, before facing the cat again. It shook its head vigorously. “No, no! Accidents happen. And when you’re being chased by a fox, I guess you don’t pay much attention to your surroundings as much.”
Speaking of a fox, Roots moved to sniff the air for that fox scent. Luckily, it didn’t seem like the traces got any fresher. That was a relief.
“I think we’ll be safe for now,” Roots noted with a nod. Then a thought struck them: they never asked for the cat’s name! “Oh, and my name’s Roots. What’s yours?” |
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Aug 10, 2022 5:05:50 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons
Clementine began to question her choices when the stranger leaned forward and spat a pulpy mass of chewed roots onto her paw, working it in thoroughly with their tongue. She bit back a grimace, instead opting to stare curiously at the pungent poultice. Flexing her claws gently, she smiled at the cat.
“I think it’s starting to feel better already,” she assured them, though all she really felt was sticky. Perhaps she’d make a miraculous recovery and be able to run off once she’d grown bored here. Though that might not happen any time soon, she noted as the cat seemed to become shy, turning its face away from her for a moment. How intriguing.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Roots,” she said truthfully. This could prove to be more fun than she’d had in a while. “My name is Clementine. I’m new to the area, in case you couldn’t tell. I’ve been travelling with my mate, but now I’m so turned around I hope I can find her again. I really should have paid more attention, but I was just so scared,” she said, looking down at her paws dismally.
ulla
|
|
|
|
Post by Solaris on Aug 10, 2022 6:58:29 GMT
R O O T S They/Its | 33 Moons | Rogue “Oh! That’s good! That means they’re working as they should!” Roots’s head perked up, and a smile formed on its lips. A wave of relief ran through their body. So it appears it remembered the right herb after all! That would be something to tell Crackle.
Roots listened intently to Clementine’s words, brows furrowing at the mention of the mate she had been separated from. They thought of how they could lend help—even if Roots had lived in the moorland their whole life, the hills were wide and open. Many secrets could be hidden in heather fields and ancient tunnels or blown asunder by the strong drafts that occasionally passed. All to say that getting lost was only a matter of losing track of time.
“I could ask my family to help find her,” said Roots. It gestured its tail toward a large hill. “They live by those tunnels over there. We mainly stay at the tunnels, but we do hunt out far into the moor. What does she look like?” |
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Aug 16, 2022 0:31:06 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons
Well, you learn something new every day. Clementine’s ears pricked with interest at this tidbit of info.
“Tunnels? And you live inside?” Clementine had never heard of cats doing such a thing before. But she could imagine it would be very safe; no predators would expect a cat to be inside a tunnel, of all places. She’d like to see these tunnels, she thought. And she figured she might be able to find a way inside.
“She’s fairly small, with grey-blue fur,” the calico explained, thinking of the other strange healer cat that had come to her barn. How funny it would be if they actually found her! “And the prettiest green eyes. Her name is Miku,” she finished, adding a mental I think to the end. It had been a few moons, and she’d only met the cat once. But Roots didn’t need to know that.
“She’s always sticking her nose into interesting places. I wonder if she ran into one of those tunnels to get away from the fox? I do hope she’s safe…” Clementine fretted.
ulla
|
|
|
|
Post by Solaris on Aug 16, 2022 4:37:19 GMT
R O O T S They/Its | 33 Moons | Rogue “Hmm, yes I live in the tunnels. Or rather, we don’t live in the tunnels so much as live outside of them. We only go inside when it’s starting to rain or if it’s really cold in leaf-bare,” said Roots, noticing how Clementine perked up. That made it very excited, especially since no other cat Roots talked to seemed to share its interest in the tunnels. “My family is scared of these ghosts that live inside, they say they’ll haunt us if we disturb them. But I’ve spoken to these ghosts, and they’re not that bad; they’re actually quite friendly! Their names are Sunchaser and Fieldflight. They used to—well, er, I should probably stop talking so much.”
Roots sheepishly grinned at Clementine, their gaze rigorously analyzing the slightest body movement for an indication of emotion. It knew the tell-tale signs of when it spoke too much, usually earning a groan or a sigh from the other cat, or maybe spilling a secret that was meant to be kept. To Roots, it wasn’t fair that there were secrets in the world, knowledge deserved to be shared and spread to everyone in the world! Buttttttt, Sunchaser and Fieldflight would have much preferred telling their stories themselves, and besides, there was Clementine’s mate on the line.
They cleared their throat, listening back to Clementine speak.
“Miku, huh?” Roots frowned. The name wasn’t familiar in the slightest. “If she may have fallen in one of the tunnels… that won’t be good. A lot of the tunnels are blocked off because of a cave-in or because seasons of decay and disuse, and there are some tunnels that are unstable because the soil lacks structure. These unstable tunnels could range from permanent injury… to death.”
Roots shook its head. “We can try her best to find her, but… I can’t promise we’ll find her alive.” |
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Aug 22, 2022 1:43:14 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons
Clementine nodded as Roots clarified; that made sense. She would feel rather claustrophobic living in tunnels all the time, but it would be a welcome shelter in the cold or wet. Then Roots mentioned ghosts, and Clementine had to stop her tail from swishing excitedly. She wasn’t sure if she believed in such a concept, but these tunnels had to be quite interesting if they inspired such tales! Clementine was about to open her mouth, to ask for more details on these ghosts that it had apparently talked to, but then the brown tabby seemed to grow self-conscious and cut itself off.
Instead, they focused on Clementine’s “lost” mate. The calico did her best to appear horrified at the prospect of finding her mate, broken and motionless in some collapsed tunnel. She leaped to her feet, momentarily forgetting she was supposed to have an injury and putting her full weight on the affected paw. She bushed her tail out in panic and stared wide eyed at Roots.
“No, she can’t be gone! We have to go find her, before it’s too late!” She glanced one way and then the other, squinting into the distance to see if she could guess where these tunnels were. She’d already been in the area for moons and hadn’t stumbled across one, so her chances weren’t good without the brown tabby to guide her. “Miku taught me some healing skills, and you know some things! If we get to her fast enough maybe we can help her!”
ulla
|
|
|
|
Post by Solaris on Aug 23, 2022 0:38:01 GMT
R O O T S They/Its | 33 Moons | Rogue Roots stepped back, ears pinning, as they watched Clementine cry out in desperation for her lost mate. Its eyes locked contact with Clementine, and it felt a chill down its spine. Pulling their gaze to the floor, their claws scraped aside the dirt, struggling to mull over a decision. The tunnels were a bit of a secret to Roots’s family—at least, they tried to, Roots obviously forgot about the secret part—and leading a stranger there could be dangerous, especially if they bring others down to the tunnels.
But the sheer horror on Clementine’s face flashed in its mind and wouldn’t go away no matter how much it pushed the image aside. Oh, how they wished Rooster were here to help make the decision. Somehow, he always knew exactly the right words to use. Roots closed its eyes and imagined how Rooster would speak. “You see a cat in need? You help them. No matter if they are family or not.”
Roots breathed out, hoping that the others wouldn’t scorn them for their decision.
“I’ll find Miku. I promise,” said Roots with a firm nod. “I can lead you to the tunnels, if you promise to stay as close to me as you can.” |
|
