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 Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:23 am
Whirlwind seemed to be thinking to herself for a moment. The medic had considered talking about the ground’s predators wondering if a clear description of the animals would help the fledgling a little. The mumbled words as well as the speedy deflation, however, made her hesitate.
“Good things, too.” She said finally, slowly making her way between sentences. “There are rivers and grass. Little birds and yummy rabbits. Hares, berry bushes, flowers. Grass… a lovely smell after a rainy day. Oh, and lakes that reflect the moon every night! Small lizards and… so much more. Gatherers go down there to collect food for the Matron, flowers and berries for Artisans, herbs (and flowers, too!) for apothecaries… and Hunters, well, they obviously go there looking for prey. Scouts and Rangers do the same... We can find rabbits, hares, mice, snakes, fish, birds… and bigger animals as well…”
And the bad things…? Perhaps better left for a more adequate moment.
“You’re doing very well.” She said softly, maybe just to give the fledgling a chance to change the subject if she felt the need to.
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:05 am
"Wound moss comes from the ground," Craneberry adds, but very quietly, "Where does witch hazel come from?"
She slowly regains her normal size, but her ear tufts are still held slicked to her skull as she flies to the next branch up. It's getting cold, and sleeking down all her feathers isn't helping any. At the medic's praise her ear tufts lift a little and she manages to fly almost gracefully to the next branch.
"Can berries be medicine," she asks. "I'm named after a berry."
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 1:48 pm
While Whirlwind hasn’t always been the best at reading others, it is fairly obvious the little fledgling is particularly interested in herbs and medicines, an interest she has shown before as the medic remembers suddenly.
“Ah, yes, moss comes from down there. There are several kinds but most of them can be found in the darker, wetter areas. Very good for bandages.” She glances at the fledgling from the side, analyzing her movements. Good landing. “Witch hazel is a large bush. Sometimes they grow into small trees but they usually stay small. Apothecaries use the bark and leaves of the plant to create medicines. There is a berry that has the same effect… bayberry, if I’m not mistaken. I don’t use it, though but I do use blueberries and cranberries. You have a lovely name... it suits rather well. Are you interested in becoming a medic or maybe an apothecary...?”
The medic eyed their surroundings for a brief moment and when she confirms the absence of danger and that they’re moving on the right path, she spoke again.
“You’re doing incredibly well. Do you feel any pain?”
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:20 pm
"Bayberry," she repeated under her breath, "What do you use blueberries and cranberries for?"
The fledgling was starting to get into a rhythm now. Take off, a few wing beats, glide, land, repeat. Each branch was one step closer to the shelter. One step closer to safety.
"Maybe," she said, and her ear tufts rose another notch, "A nice Medic like Lichen, or an apothecary like Drywood. But then I'd need a Serpe. Apothecaries have Serpes."
“You’re doing incredibly well. Do you feel any pain?”
Before Whirlwind asked Craneberry hadn't really thought about how she felt, or if she was in pain.
"No," she said uncertainly, "Yes? I don't know."
She landed heavily on the next branch and only then started to feel how sore she was. Why did she have to start to think about it?
"I didn't think about it before," she said quietly.
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:33 pm
“Well, I don’t really use berries to cure as most medicines… many berries seem to have components that prevent disease. If you compare a sentinel that only eats meat with one that has a more balanced diet – especially if you compare older sentinels – you will notice a lower incidence of disease on the latter. Blueberries, for instance, seem to be rather good at protecting the brain and kidneys. Ah, well… I don’t suppose you’ve been taught anatomy, have you…?” Whirlwind took a moment to eye the fledgling. How old was she? Did she know basic anatomy? “Well, no matter. I use berries to prevent disease in higher risk groups and as support medication. I suppose that’s the best way to explain it.”
“And for fledglings!” the white mus added, showing he’d actually been paying attention to the conversation.
“Right, right. It always helps to have a bit of berry juice when a patient is reluctant to take a particularly foul tasting remedy.” Whirlwind chuckled and suddenly beamed as her eyes caught the shelter’s entrance.
“Well, you don’t have to worry. There it is!” the medic flapped enthusiastically, getting a little ahead of the fledgling and landing in a branch right next to the hollow. “Do pay attention to where it hurts the most. I don’t want you pushing too hard right at the end. Think you can reach this spot without my help?” the medic eyes the approaching fledgling intently, ready to move in case she appears to be in trouble. She’s curious to see Cranberry’s movements from a distance but also wants to show some confidence in the fledgling.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:39 am
"Olive doesn't like berries," Craneberry called and shifted her weight from foot to foot, "What do you do when a fledglings doesn't like berries?"
She was just stalling now. The shelter was right there and she could reach it with just another flap-and-glide but yet she hesitated. Whirlwind, hollow, dull throbbing pain in her sore muscles... Paying attention to the pain just made her more distressed and her tufts were held low again.
"I think I can," she said, "I don't know. Do I have to think about where it hurts?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:29 pm
“Olive?… oh. Well, if your friend were to need medicine…” the medic started with a serious expression that quickly turned into a mischievous smirk. “Then I’d threaten Olive with some berry juice.”
Whirlwind chuckled while she shifted on the perch.
“Give a try then. I’ll help you if anything happens. If the pain is distracting you then try not to think about it. But I’d rather you pay attention to where it hurts. The medic that follows your case will want to know about it.”
"Jump!" Wit shouted in a loud screech as he dropped to the branch to inspect the new shelter. The crooked oak tree provided good protection from the wind and rain. The little mus noticed a small draft and tried to make the small hollow more welcoming as he proceeded to remove the wet leaves twigs that had gathered at the entrance.
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:28 am
Craneberry giggled at the mental image of Olive getting chased around by Whirlwind.
"Would you do that?" she asked with a big grin on her beak. "He would be so mad!"
The laughing had helped her relax a bit and Wit's shout startled her into finally acting. She jerked into motion and stumbled off her perch, wings beating a bit too quickly before she regained her bearings and aimed for the hollow. She'd be fine, probably.
"Watch out!" she yelled, as she noticed the companion was clearing leaves from the very spot where she would probably land or crash. She remembered to position her talons for landing and hoped that the Mus wouldn't stay in her way.
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:56 am
Whirlwind had left the new shelter with a simple “Move out of the way, Wit! And take care of the girl while I’m out.” and now that she had returned with the other female it seemed the white mus had been a good little guard.
To be perfectly honest, Wit wasn’t that keen on getting too close to Craneberry after almost being caught under the fledgling’s talons but the mus was very happy to have Tousled’s wing to hide under again.
“He isn’t bothering you, is he?” the medic asked Tousled, eyeing the little tail that flickered every now and then. Whirlwind’s attention had quickly dismissed the cramp space and the weary fledgling because there was now something else bothering her: the other female’s feathers still hadn’t sleeked down in spite of looking dry enough. Was Tousled in some sort of strange state of mind… or did she have a condition? Not that the medic would dare to ask, of course.
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 2:26 pm
Quite exhausted and in a certain amount of pain that she didn't really want to acknowledge, or let anyone else worry too much about, Tousled hadn't even managed to properly catch her breath, much less notice the little mus cooped up under her wing.
At the Medic's question, she gave a confused look, then comically peeked in under her own wings. "Ah! Oh, hi there." She managed a small smile for the white little Mus and kept it in place as her gaze returned to its master. "Oh no, not at all."
She acknowledged little Craneberry with a nod as well. "How are you feeling? Better now?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 3:39 pm
Craneberry had intended to stay awake and alert to defend their new shelter while Whirlwind went back for Tousled, but she might have shut her eyes a few moments. The arrival of the two adults made her snap back to attention and she greeted the two females with a bright grin.
"How are you feeling? Better now?"
"I'm good," she chirped, "I didn't fall ahsleeaahp.."
The last part of the sentence trailed off in a huge yawn, making it pretty obvious that the fledgling would soon doze off. She roused her feathers and straightened up in a last attempt to stay awake. But she was fighting a losing battle. The shelter was warming up more and more from their combined body heat and Craneberry was soon sound asleep, exhausted from an extremely eventful night.
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