#sageleaf

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

How do all the Med Cats get along? Aside from uh, well I doubt Runningbird is too excited to talk to any of them.

This ask has been sitting in my inbox for over

a

YEAR

I remember that it was sent while I was doing those "ask a character and have them respond in drawing form" because that's what I was gonna do with this ask, and that's why it was taking so damn long to answer

but I'm in my second year of university now, so chances are I'm not gonna have the chance to draw the answer as I've been hoping to do since *checks notes* MAY OF 2022.

So let's just answer it now, shall we?

(I SUSPECT that the person who sent this is someone still following the blog 00 so hopefully they can see their question go answered at last!)

The Medicine cat Community in The Place of No Stars

Many would at first think that no one helped anyone but themself in the Dark Forest, and they're partly right.

Why do medicine cats get together?

Well, that could be for many reasons. They genuinely enjoy the company, they're with someone they can relate to, they enjoyed healing in life and still do, they want to be special, or maybe they just like to help with herbs so that they can stave off their own boredom.

Individually, it's the same as in life--everyone with proper med cat training knows everything that a medicine cat should know.

In groups, particularly in the med cat community, tasks are more divided by skill.

Fleathistle, for example, is a wonderful healer, but even more than that he's great at growing plants. He's responsible for at least 80% of the herbs that grew and can be useful in the Dark Forest. He, with the help of his mate and close friends, created the 'Dark Garden,' where a field-full of different herbs and medicines grow, many of which unheard of in life, as Fleathistle experimented with them, creating some herbs from scratch.

Now, Fleathistle is still a medicine cat. If you need healing, you can go to him as much as you can go to anyone. But if you need particular herbs, it's better to go to him above anyone else. (This is in a similar sense of 'all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads' if that makes sense?)

++

Myrtlewing is another case of 'the best one to go to in a certain situation.'

True, Myrtlewing would also be the scariest one to go to, as in life he experimented with his patients, putting their lives and health at grave risk for his own curiosity and entertainment, but it's due to these experiments and others he performed on cats that makes him so useful.

Myrtlewing would tear cats open and apart and test out how to keep them alive for as long as he wished in spite of their horrible injuries. Because of this, if a cat were to receive a horrible injury, he's the best healer to go to because of his knowledge of how to keep the cat alive.

In simpler terms, he's the "surgeon" of the group, the only one able to heal a cat's torn up insides--though he's nowhere near as talented as human surgeons.

He's the one to go to if someone is in grave trouble and / or if someone has a particularly horrible injury.

++

Shiverrose's talents as a healer lies most notably in how she cures sickness.

Like all medicine cats, she's great at healing wounds, but illness is where her skills really show.

She has great memory and fantastic critical thinking skills, which allows her to come to a diagnostic conclusion much quicker than other medicine cats.

She only needs to hear a list of your symptoms to figure out in a matter of seconds what is wrong with you and what may be best to heal you with (she may also go to Fleathistle for the second part, as he knows more about the Dark herbs than anyone else).

She would probably be just as good with wounds if such injuries were troubling to figure out too. It's tricky to figure out why someone may have a dry throat and bellyache, it's rather easy to see why their leg was broken.

----

There are also those who were medicine cats in life but no longer wish to heal, and therefore do not count as part of this Medicine Cat Club.

Sageleaf, for example, would very much like for everyone to leave her alone forever, thank you.

=========

@ambitiousauthor @frightnightindustries @starfalcon555 @wills-woodland-warriors @umbranoxs @elementaldeityoffood @liberhoe

[warriorgrayfawn]

Butterflypebble and Sageleaf of the Fog Colony hunting

[eazlsufia]

Sage Leaf and Waterwaves

Cold Porcelain Art Jewellery. For Purchase contact www.instagram.com/eazl_sufia

[quintessentialarts]

Etsy | Facebook | Instagram

Salvia officinalis. This is the lovely "kitchen sage" or "common sage" plant.

This one is wrapped with a smooth round green and white jade stone on top 🤍🌿

https://quintessentialarts.etsy.com/listing/1593344164

[munchkin1156]

Shattered Code- Pt.1

. . .

Soooo, this is my take on.... Well, this is my idea of a universe with borrowers in it! It's a bit short, but I hope you like it. First fic since I came back from hiatus, which was.... Several hours ago. I've had this ready for a while now. Thanks to @i-am-beckyu for beta reading it! Story under the cut...

. . .

"As the leader of the Sageleaf Colony, I declare, you, Snapdragon, an Exile.” Spoke Rainburn, coldly looking down on the Borrower in front of her. “We will take back your Borrower name. You will follow the rules of the Exiled Code, with a burned Soul marking on your neck so you don’t break it. No Water, Nature, Sky, Colony or House Borrower will accept you.”

She sighed, before continuing. “You will be given no supplies. When you leave, the choice is yours to either accept Fate and die honourably for your crimes, or try to survive in a world where everything is against you. Should you return here, the Watch has the right to kill you. Farewell.”

The Exile was then pushed out of the borders, and, knowing that staying here and pleading would only result in a faster death, she ran. She no longer had a name. Snapdragon had been taken back, though, the reason why, in the name of the gods, wasn’t her fault.

Rules one, two and three were the same for each version of the Code.

Rule number one: Never be seen and/or caught by a Bean.

Rule number two: If you do, pretend to be dead, and if you can’t, pretend to be injured. Never let them know you can talk.

Rule number three: Never give a Bean any information over what you are, or how to find other Borrowers, like Colonies, House Borrowers, etc.

What to do now, though? She slowed down once she was certain she was outside of the Colony grounds, wincing at the permanent burn of her new Soul mark against her skin. It made sure that she, and anyone else she would meet, would know what she was. A forever reminding scar that cannot be covered up or undone. After all, Soul magic was sharp, and it didn’t go away.

Rule number four: Do not take back your old name.

As she walked, she looked down at a piece of shattered glass. It was darkish green, and must’ve once been a part of a bottle some Bean had dropped. Shatter… Shatter would do as a name for herself. It was a new name for a new world, and she had given it to herself, so only she could take it back. The Code couldn’t argue with that.

Rule number five: Do not trick non-Exiled Borrowers into helping you.

There was no use in trying to convince Cloven to help her. Shatter knew the moment he saw her Soul marking, even if he wanted to, there was no way he could help her without breaking his own Code. Rule four of the Borrower Code (the Colony version) stated that you never helped Exiled Borrowers. It said you could see it through the marking on their neck.

Rule number six: You may communicate with other Exiled Borrowers, but may not scheme with them to harm or hurt a non-Exiled Borrower(s) nor communicate with those not exiled.

Could she find another one like herself? One thing was certain, She needed supplies. In any case, Exiled Borrowers remained hidden, from both the humans and their own. Any Borrower, whether they be from a Colony, or a House, or a Wind, Water, Forest, or other area traits, would have their own way to try and be rid of her. Nowhere was safe, and everything wants you dead.

Rule number seven: Do not go near non-Exiled Borrowers.

Shatter picked up a pine needle on the ground. There were many of them, as well as pinecones, covering much of the ground. Pine needles wouldn’t work as weapons, and the pinecones, or at least their seeds, weren’t edible for her. Borrower allergies or something. She kept walking, unsure of her destination. 

The silence was awful because she couldn’t hear anything. She could still hear the sound of the birds, or the wind rustling the trees, but it missed the quiet, (near impossible to hear if you weren’t listening for it,) sound of Borrowers talking in Listhen. Outside the Colony was no one. It was a strange name for the language, come to think of it. Tarryl always said it was from Before. When they weren’t called Borrowers and were true brethren of the Faes. Then Tayrn would hit him in the head with the back of her hand and would tell him to stop making up stories. She missed those two.

Rule number eight: Do not enter a non-Exiled Borrower's territory.

She turned a sharp left, reminding herself that she couldn’t go to the trading market. She’d just get chased out. Across the sky, she could see clouds become darker. It was going to rain. She had to find shelter soon, but she wasn’t sure where she should go. Then she heard voices. Non-Borrower voices. Bean voices that were coming closer by the second. “Medo.” She muttered under her breath. It meant danger. Shatter crouched down, hoping the grass would be enough cover for her. It probably was. Beans were incredibly unobservant.

Rule number nine: Stay away.

“-and if you had just listened to me the first time we could’ve fooled them all!” One of the Beans complained loudly as they walked past. The other one sighed. “I don’t want to show them what I found! And it’s none of your concern how it will end..” Once the two had walked off, still bickering, Shatter emerged from her hiding spot. Human Beans were strange, curious creatures.

Rule number ten: Good luck.

Shatter reached a decision. As the sky grew darker, and stars flickered into view, she began to follow the path those humans had taken. Humans meant danger, but they also meant food and warmth. These humans didn’t seem to have any Borrowers living with them, since no remnants of Soul magic were felt around them. If there was a Borrower there, then they were incredibly incompetent for not using any Soul magic. Most likely, it would do as a temporary place to stay.

She couldn’t go back, so she would go forward. She would survive.

. . .

Oh yeah, I have a taglist!!!! I forgot about that!!!! If you want to be added, just comment/dm/ask me!

@i-am-beckyu, @da3dm, @brick-a-doodle-do, @faeiyn-cant-write.... I think that's everyone. Gosh it's been a while, can't remember stuff anymore :D

[oflgtfol]

"Why do you visit us alone, Turtlestar?"

Turtlestar recognizes the she-cat in front of her from the last time she had visited the Moonstream. On that fateful night, only twelve moons ago, the river had been blazing with the light of the waning gibbous as it gleamed off the current. Silversong had greeted her with stars sparkling in her eyes and moonlight weaving through her fur. Now, tonight, the moon is just a thin crescent setting on the horizon, and the Moonstream is dark. Silversong is but a pale apparition floating over the water.

Turtlestar bows her head. “I come before StarClan tonight to ask that… that you may rescind my nine lives, and give them to my deputy, Fawnspot. Name them Fawnstar in my stead.”

A moment of tense silence, and then, “Why should we do that?”

“I'm not fit to be SpruceClan's leader," Turtlestar replies. "It is… destroying me, and I’m afraid that it may destroy my Clan in the process."

A murmur rises up before her. She lifts her head to see more spirits have joined them, staring at her from behind Silversong. In the darkness, their forms blend together, faces bleeding into more faces until they're unrecognizable. She can't make out any eyes, but she can feel the weight of their stares, their disapproval heavy on her exhausted shoulders. She feels pinned down, small, cowering there alone on the river stone.

“It is not every day that a cat receives eight additional lives from StarClan,” Silversong says. “Do you doubt the gifts we gave you?”

“No, I just — I’m not worthy of them,” Turtlestar chokes out. She hangs her head in defeat. “Please. I’m trying to do what’s best for my Clan. And what’s best for my Clan is not me.”

Her pelt burns: with shame, with guilt, with humiliation. Only twelve moons, and she has come crawling back, knelt down and begging to be relieved of the duty that any other cat would be honored to have. As painful as this is, she knows that withstanding a single more day of this burden would be more than she could bear.

"Very well," Silversong says. She looks down at Turtlestar, eyes glinting like ice. "Let the ceremony commence."

A new cat emerges from the formless mass of ghosts. Rainstar, the leader of SpruceClan before her, steps towards Turtlestar and dips his head. Her mentor, her friend, and her predecessor — he had believed in her when even she herself didn't. His eyes are downturned and somber as he says, "There is no coming back from this. Are you sure you would like to begin, Turtlestar?"

She nods wordlessly, and he sighs. "For your ninth life, I gave you the gift of judgment. Now, I will revoke it.”

Rainstar leans forward and touches his nose to her forehead, and a terrible hollowing sensation pangs through her chest. It feels like the life is being sucked out of her, leaving her empty, shaking and weak. She feels a piece of herself missing, somewhere nestled next to her heart, where now nothing but a small, gaping hole resides, and she knows that hole will only get punched bigger and bigger over the course of the night. He pulls away and watches her, green eyes shadowed in the darkness, before he melts back into the crowd.

The press of the water-slick stone beneath her paws is grounding, now. She digs her claws in and pants, chest heaving, as she regains her bearings, head spinning and heart racing. The ghostly mass of StarClan cats hovers over the water, silent and watchful. Like the loss of her ninth life was an actual death, and this is her final judgment. But she still has seven more lives to lose tonight, and seven more final judgments to endure.

Another cat approaches. Sageleaf, a former SpruceClan medicine cat who had died when Turtlestar was still a kit, too young to remember them, but old enough to hear their stories. The cat eyes her flatly, face too stoic to betray any emotions. “I gave you your eighth life in honor of making difficult choices. I see it has been put to good use. Now, I will remove it.”

The cats come and go, and matter less and less each time. In between the terrible, bone-deep ache of each life lost, their words somehow still reach her, penetrating through the fog.

“I gave you your seventh life for loyalty.”

“Your sixth life was given for integrity.”

“Forgiveness.”

“Duty.”

“Confidence.”

Finally, as Turtlestar stands hunched over and trembling with exhaustion, Silversong steps to the front once more. She eyes Turtlestar coldly. “For your second life, I had given you perseverance. Now, I will take it back." She presses her nose to Turtlestar's forehead, hard, unforgiving, and it feels as though the warmth is leaving her limbs.

Silversong pulls back, but doesn’t retreat. “You will remain known as Turtlestar, as a reminder of the lives you once had. You may not be leader of SpruceClan any longer, but may your experiences forever remain in your memories and guide you for the rest of your days.” Now, she steps back. “Have a good life, Turtlestar.”

Turtlestar watches as the thin crescent moon finally slips below the horizon, and StarClan fades away. She is left standing alone on the stepping stones, a shivering wreck in the darkness with only the rushing of water for company.

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

ok so far I got

—resident that kills in anger (anger being either in the moment or built up over time) = ignited resident

so far that’s the only name one I got but as for the other motives, there’s:

—resident that kills for vengeance

—resident that kills for fun/to satisfy a need

—resident that mercy kills

—resident manipulated into doing bad (the fool?)

—resident that kills for ambition (ex. Becoming leader)

—resident that simply kills because they could (ex. Sageleaf)

—resident that kills due to envy (ex. Someone is a better warrior than them)

—resident that killed/believed they were killing for the greater good

—resident that killed for a convenient purpose (ex. Mouseshell killing for attention)

—————

there are also those that didn’t kill but still caused harm, and I’ll work on those later.

Feel free to suggest more or help come up with names for these ones!

[cascloudclanpics]

Sageleaf

Dustfreckle

Patchspeck

Rosepelt

Forgetmeknotlight

Silkspirit

Wildstrike

Foxbranch

Sandpatch

Mudivy

[smokeclan-oc]

Ivyflower - fluffy dark calico shecat

Family: Ruefeather (father), Cloverbud (mother), too many siblings to name  Gender / Sexuality: shecat / gay  Personality: smart, social, sweet talker, loves to socialize, hates being alone Backstory: It was after the apprentice den was empty for two seasons that the senior warriors realized something had to happen. They did too good of jobs training the young warriors, and they were so focused on the clan, they didnt mingle. So the senior warriors and elders stepped in, arranging matings. The plan was to raise from a kit, the next leader of the clan. First contestant is Ivyflower. From a family of large cats who are skilled hunters and trackers, she picked up on the handed down skills with ease. Outshining her siblings even in the nursery, she picked up on hunting crouches that her clanmates would practice and mimicked them. When a small kit stumbled away from the nursery, five moon old Ivykit had ended up helping track him down even before the mother noticed he was missing.  Now a warrior, its obvious Ivyflower has no intention of having kits. She’s a sweet flirty shecat, who tends to flirt with *everyone*. She just wants to practice mating, she doesnt want to have kits. Because of this she’s definitely more openly interested in mollies than tomcats. It doesn’t put too much of a damper on her clanmates though because she’s so much fun to be around and knows how to balance fun and work. She is *always* chosen to go to gatherings. Everyone knows she’ll be the next deputy.  Ideal Partner: the girlboss from another clan, or the cute femme one, or gimme the other striving for leadership queen  Position | Clan: Warrior | Whisperclan 

Olivegaze - fluffy dark brown tabby tom

Family: Furzeskip (father), Sageleaf (mother), Runningstep (brother) Gender / Sexuality: tom / demisexual - aromantic  Personality: observant, apathetic, impatient, commanding, ambitious  Backstory: It was after the apprentice den was empty for two seasons that the senior warriors realized something had to happen. They did too good of jobs training the young warriors, and they were so focused on the clan, they didnt mingle. So the senior warriors and elders stepped in, arranging matings. The plan was to raise from a kit, the next leader of the clan. First contestant is Olivegaze. He comes from a line of famous leaders like Oakstar and Nettlestar.  A near identical copy of Oakstar, Olivegaze has the historical leader’s insane observant skills. He knows exactly what’s going on in every cats personal life by observing them. He then uses this to his advantage as needed. Typically, he uses it to offer help. Does he see a father who is a little aching thanks to an old injury, trying to  hunt prey for his kits? How sweet of Olivegaze to ask to go hunting for the nursery.  He’s a clever social creature. He ends up being a favored friend of those with secrets to hide, him being known for an incredible alibi. Thanks to this, the senior warriors and elders adore his personality and think he is the best qualified for the leadership position, but they are blinded by his bloodline, since he lacks an emotional attachment to the clan. Ideal Partner: the overly emotional one, or someone like greystripe as his deputy, or the emotional medicine cat who steers him the right way  Position | Clan: Warrior | Whisperclan

Alderknot - small dark ginger/brown tom

Family: Flamebark (father), Oakflight (mother), Sapsnout (sister) Gender / Sexuality: Tom / demisexual  Personality: smart, great leader, talks with respect to everyone, doenst *order* people around, he ask “Cinnamonpatch can you go with the dawn patrol?” Not “Cinnamonpatch youre going on the dawn patrol” Backstory: It was after the apprentice den was empty for two seasons that the senior warriors realized something had to happen. They did too good of jobs training the young warriors, and they were so focused on the clan, they didnt mingle. So the senior warriors and elders stepped in, arranging matings. The plan was to raise from a kit, the next leader of the clan. First contestant is Alderknot. From a long line of pureblood Thrushclan warriors, Alderknot is a perfect choice. Smaller than the average Thrushclan tom, he isnt seen as a big threat, but he is a great leader. When in command of his warriors, he leads them fiercely into battle. His smaller body makes him a great back up, able to weave through battle and support his warriors where needed.  He mentored his nephew, Slugtrail, and then his son, Moosestrike, in his deputy position. Alderknot is a great choice for leader, he’s smart and battle ready. Yet there’s just something off about him. He uses the sounds of a battlefield to guide him, and the feel of the fur against his claws. What the clan doesnt know, is for some reason, he’s been going slightly blind in one of his eyes, but he’s been training since an apprentice to fight his vision problems so he can serve his clan. Ideal Partner: the one who has been helping him train with the blindness, the one cat who knows, maybe he med cat apprentice who has been helping him Position | Clan: Deputy | Whisperclan

Cinderhollow - fluffy round faced tom with grey and white fur

Family: Longfang (mother), Meadowhall (sister) Gender / Sexuality: tom / demi  Personality: kind, loyal, fatherly, doesn’t see borders when it comes to helping another cat, didn’t used to have such a soft spot for kits  Backstory: One horrid bareleaf, a cold wind came from Frostclan’s mountains, and covered the entire forest in snow and ice unlike they’ve ever seen. When the clans began to starve, and herbs became scarce for the first time in some territories, Frostclan stepped up. They sent warriors to other clans to teach them how to hunt and forage in the snow, and the forest grew stronger. After this selfless act from Frostclan, the next generation of kits born after the Frost Wind were breeds of their own. Often coined with the phrase “blizzard kit” these cats just seem like out of a whole new book. Stronger, bigger, smarter, faster, they are prime warriors. More resilient than most, the clans believe this is due to the kits being mixed blood, the frostclan warriors spreading their dna throughout the entire forest after offering some hunting aid to the other clans.  Cinderhollow was the first of many blizzard kits. Thrushclan had been on the verge of starvation when Frostclan aided them. Living in marshes, their main supply of food and herbs seriously withered, and they didnt understand hunting in the soft fluffy slippery snow versus the muddy wet grass of their usual land. His clan flourished when greenleaf came, and the nursery was full when Cinderhollow was born to his very proud career queen mother.  Cinderhollow was born, raised, trained, and named a warrior in Thrushclan. One day he was hunting by himself when he came across the river separating his territory from Whisperclans. A queen was on the other side, calling for help. He forgot about the borders and rushed over to help. Being in a full nursery meant he had some experience seeing kittens, and he knew she was about to give birth. He did the best he could to help her, but when help finally arrived, she had already joined Starclan. Cinderhollow felt he couldnt leave the kits, now that they had no kin. So with the permission of the leaders, he went to join Whisperclan to help raise the kits.  Gingerkit, Brightkit, and Leafkit are all healthy young kits now, nearing apprenticehood. Cinderhollow is having an exceptionally difficult time adjusting to the territory and hunting in trees, but he does his best to be a good example for his kits, even if hes basically seen as an apprentice around here. Ideal Partner: someone who wants to mentor one of the kits, or the eventual mentor of one of them, or one of the warriors who do their best to include cinder, who treats him like an actual warrior  Position | Clan: Warrior | Whisperclan

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Some other DF residents I would like to see get mini-stories:

-Basiltooth

-Hawkjay and Lovagecreek

-Sageleaf

-Sparrowfall

-Rosefrost

got it!

[emilycollageart]

Girl with the Blue Hair #pariscollagecollective #pariscollageclub #wellcomecollection #johnthomsonphotography #sageleaf #girl #woman #blue #pink #insect #collageart #collageartist #collageartwork #kolaj #kolajmagazine #cutandpaste #collagenottinghill #collageofinstagram #analogcollage https://www.instagram.com/p/CCt5cv-h4km/?igshid=6mr76xhcga63

[quintessentialarts]

Etsy | Facebook | Instagram

Salvia officinalis. This is the lovely "kitchen sage" or "common sage" plant.

This one is wrapped with a small faceted white moonstone on top 🤍🌿

https://quintessentialarts.etsy.com/listing/1593344164

[forestemporium]

Instasale on Sunday at 6pm in my instastories! Keep an eye out! #forestemporium #sageleaf #tourmaline #castring #sagering https://www.instagram.com/p/B9pJqHXABmM/?igshid=15ujpldsdokro

[dannyphandomwarriors-blog]

Name: Sageleaf Counterpart: Desiree Clan: ThunderClan

[anexperimentallife]

i just wanted to let you know that as a Cynical Teen, whenever i see your posts, i think of you as some kind of wicked cool grandpa. it gives me hope to know that it’s not just young, naive kids that believe in kind ideas. and i appreciate that very much

[lesbijouxdejane]

Un dimanche à l’atelier pour terminer les alliances d’un adorable jeune couple qui a choisi les bagues sauge des Bijoux de Jane pour sceller leur union. Lui a opté pour la version classique en bronze et elle, la version positive de la feuille en argent 925. Le début d’une belle aventure de deux amoureux de la nature. . . . . . #lesbijouxdejane #bijouxdejane #weddingring #weddingrings #ring #botanicaljewelry #wedding #sageleaf #salviaofficinalis #ethicaljewelry #ethicalfashion #slowfashionjewellery #slowfashion #jewelrydesigner #natureinspiredjewelry #handmadeinswitzerland #lausanne #switzerland (à Les Bijoux de Jane) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Tmfu8ozJN/?igshid=1futh99u1062e