LEssons and more lessons. (Foxpaw)

[flamehowl]

Flamehowl was still having a hard time with this. Foxpaw was set in her ways. He couldn't blame her, this was why he never wanted to rip someone from a life they wanted or were in. But..could he reject Starclan's command? Her reaction to being told was justified. Fully and truly considering everything she'd been through.

"Today I'll be teaching you about herbs that look similar to others but do different things than the other. That can hurt rather than heal and appearances can be dangerously deceiving with these." Flamehowl said.

It was far too early to teach her about poisons but considering how he failed Skywhisper with this that lead to trouble, well..best to do it now. That way she wouldn't mistake a deadly herb for a helping herb. Gesturing for her to take a seat, the tom took one as well near the herb stash. Some of these herbs he kept hidden in the very back..the dangerous ones. And he started with the ones that had caused the whole mess, to avoid any further issue or risk.

The tom reached into the stash. Pulling out a pawful of black seeds, small and thin and then another paw pulled out some seeds that looked the same. Flamehowl placed them small stack far apart from each other to avoid them mixing; a way to prevent danger in the future. A deep breathe in  and a slow one out. He gestured to the piles.

"Both are small and black, being seeds in nature. One of them is Poppy Seeds, used to help a cat get some rest, soothe their shock and distress, and help numb pain." Flamehowl started. "A basic entry herb, plentiful as it comes from a flower just like it's identical counterpart. Now, can you see a difference between these seed piles?"

There wasn't. Both were tiny, round, and black seeds. Coming from different flowers and while he knew that Foxpaw wouldn't find a difference, he wanted to see if she'd even try or if she'd brush off the lesson in her displeasure at this path in life. After all, he could only teach if someone was willing.....even if Starclan picked her.

foxpaw

[foxpaw]

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Another day in the smelly herb den.

Though she found herself getting used to it little by little. She didn't know how she felt about it. Whether it was a good or bad thing that she was growing used to the heady smell of herbs and the scent of Flamehowl always near by in some capacity.

Now her attention was on the aforementioned tom as he announced what they'd be doing today. She couldn't help but vividly remember Skypaw's critical blunder in poisoning Rabbitstar, but she didn't voice it aloud.

She simply watched in silence as Flamehowl rummaged through the herb store to pull out something. With how little she'd been around Flamehowl she had the fleeting thought of whether he blamed himself for it. He certainly seemed the type.

For now she studied the two piles of black seeds he'd pulled out. Foxpaw was familiar with poppy seeds. Every cat and their mother knew what poppy seeds were. She'd seen them used many times so the information Flamehowl shared about them was nothing new.

But when he asked her to spot the difference between them her brow furrowed in confusion. She crouched down close to the unassuming piles, squinting and sniffing at each of them for a long moment. Her tail lashed a bit as she tried to come up with an answer that was believable.

Finally she sat up, looking a bit unamused. "Is this a trick question? They're poppy seeds aren't they? Why do you have them separated?" she asked blatantly, her tone slightly annoyed.

[attr="class","ooc-area"]notes — flamehowl

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[flamehowl]

Flamehowl held in a sigh, while she had every right to hate it here. It wasn't helping with teaching her.

"No, it's not." Flamehowl answered. "And the reason they're seperated is for that reason. You can't tell them apart when you have them outside of the flower."

The tom pointed to the small pile of black seeds that were poppy seeds, the helpful and resourceful herb that was used for many things.

"These are poppy seeds and these are a common herb you know of without even being under my care. Well versatile and helpful." Flamehowl said, before pushing the pile further away from the other and his paw lingered over the second pile. "These are foxglove seeds, these are poisonous."

The tom kept a serious but neutral tone as he stated this. His dead stare to her showed that he wasn't pulling her leg and that this was serious. Her annoyed attitude would need to go to the backside.

"Now, please try to put your dislike for this aside. This is important for there are many herbs that can look startling alike the other and yet be something completly different. And this, is one of the cases where the resembelence is so strong and uncanny, that it is only fitting to start with this." Flamehowl told her. "Now, Foxglove isn't used for much. If anything it's used the same way that Deathberries are, to end a suffering life. Foxglove is to be stored with the other dangerous ones and far away from poppy seeds. The only way to tell a poppy seed from a foxglove is when you're collecting it and you'll want to have the flower on paw just to help keep confirmation there on the seed's true origin. When that flower wilts though, it has to be removed from the den so to not affect the other herbs and thus, made into a small pile. We rarely have to stock up on this for the obvious reason."

The tom let his words sink in and he glanced down to it. Part of him wondered why they had to collect it though. He was trained to collect these dangerous herbs and some part of him wondered if everyone would be better off without them even in the medicine den? But..what if someone was in so much pain and misery and only worsening that...such a mercy death was needed? It was..hard to say..especailly with everything that happened.

"Now, the main thing you want to do if you can't recall which seed is which or Starclan forbid there's a mixing of the piles in any form. Throw it all out. You do Not want to take any risk with Foxglove seeds. I kept the piles separate and I know which one is which, so these two tiny piles are safe." Flamehowl said. "Making sense so far?"

foxpaw