The Fall of Darkclan, The Rise of Shadowed Steps

Training Begins

"Orchidstorm, do I put the juniper with borage and burnet or leave it out of the mixture?"
Fallen Feather spoke up from the back of the cave where he was mixing up two separate poultices.
"Leave it out of borage and burnet, but add it with the chamomile." Orchidstorm's soothing voice called from the front of the medicine den where she groomed her swollen belly. "You're ready to kit any day, right? What'll the clan think?" Fallen Feather nudged the borage and burnet poultice towards her. Orchidstorm lapped up the mixture, purring as she tasted the honey Fallen Feather had mixed in.
"Nightstar is very fair, young one. She doesn't obey by the other clans laws, she follows what she believes in. She believes that anyone should be able to feel love." Orchidstorm finished her herbal mixture,yawning and she curled up as comfortable as she could. "Do you need any more moss or some feathers?" He asked his mentor, sensing the pain flood off of her.
"Yes, Fallen Feather. That'd be nice if you could."
The large wolf nodded as he padded out of the medicine den, greeting any cat he passed by until he made it to the warriors den.
"Mistgaze, could you come help me find some soft moss and a few feathers?" A dark grey she-cat perked her ears up from her nest, stretching out her long body before padding over to him.
"I suppose I could help. Who's it for? Orchidstorm or Honeyspeckle?" The two padded out of the camp side by side.
"It's for Orchidstorm. Honeyspeckle doesn't need it quite yet, but Orchidstorm will kit any day now." Mistgaze nodded, scenting out a thrush hiding in the brambles.
"Want it, Fallen Feathers?" She questioned the dark wolf, her gaze resting on the moving bushes. He had already dropped into a hunting crouch, pulling himself tight together. His right eye focused on the brambles, suddenly sprinting into the sharp bundle of twigs and leaves. Mistgaze watched, listening to the near silent noise of the killing bite. Fallen Feather slowly padded out from the brambles with the brown creature.
"Nice catch. You're getting better with your aim." Mistgaze purred to him as he buried the bird into the dirt, covering it up for later. "I guess I am. Orchidstorm has my first...prey in the back of the medicine den, actually."

- Before -

"Focus, Fallen Feather. You must learn how to hunt." Nightstar watched the small wolf from a rock with an intriguing stare. Fallen Feather pulled his tail close to his side, leaping forward at a small grey mouse, clamping his teeth onto it only to hear a loud crack. "Ow!" Nightstar leapt down from her place on the rock, bounding over. "Well, you caught something..." Fallen Feather looked down to see his prey, a grey river stone stained with blood. Nightstar tilted his head up with her paw, noticing the missing fang in his mouth, giving a sideways glance to the earth below them to see the small tooth. "Haha! The runt can't even catch a rock without getting hurt!" The wolf turned to face a group of apprentices. He named them off in his head, Dustpaw, Rainpaw and Lillypaw. He frowned, picking up the stone and padding back to the medicine den, his tail dragging across the dirt hoping to scare off any other prey.

"It's okay, Fallen Feather. You did good for your first hunt. I'm proud of you." Orchidstorm nudged his snout up from the ground, peering into his mouth to look at his jaws. "Broken tooth...Fallen, what should I use?" Orchidstorm looked down at the pup with a questioning gaze. "Alder bark is for toothaches...use that?" She shook her head a little. "You have no tooth there, youngster. What other bark is good for pain?" He looked up, joy filling his eye. "Oak bark! Termites leave behind some sort of clear liquid on the bark from when they chew the inside, and that helps numb the pain without having to put the patient into a sleep!" Orchidstorm's jaw dropped, purring loudly. "Correct! Good job, I'll get some now."

"Is this enough moss, Fallen Feather?" Mistgaze questioned as she held a bundle of fresh, soft moss.
"Yes, this should be plenty. Thanks for helping me." She nodded, turning back towards the spots the two had buried the thrushes, digging them back up and leaving them for the wolf to carry back to camp.