Water can sooth a throat

[.:neptune<]

As Burningcomet neared the Pebble Stream, he looked cautiously around him. He could not sence another RockClan cat at the moment, so he went to the bank of the stream. He had always liked it here. With the cool, clear water. He also loved that you could see all of the rocks under the water as clearly as if they was no water at all. He stepped into the water with just his front two paws, letting the water run over his feet. He liked the feeling. He bent his head closer to the water so that he could take a soothing drink. The cold liquid ran down his throat and swirled in his mouth. He could feel the coldness seeping right through his body, all the way to his feet. When he had had his fill, he slowly put both of his hind legs in the water also. The stream threatened to take his feet right out from under him. But it couldn't, and besides, he liked the feeling.

[--> arcticstripe <--]

Hollypaw seemed to be looking for something. Her eyes were plastered to the ground and she stopped every time she got close to a small little plant. Frustration mixed with determination lay on her face. If she hadn't been paying so much attention to the herb she needed to find - marigold she might have noticed she was so close to the stream where Burningcomet stood. She couldn't seem to place what the plant looked like. Why hadn't she thought of asking Coralbreeze before coming out here?

[.:neptune<]

Burningcomet jumped as he heard another cat behind him. Turning swifty around, he spotted Hollypaw looking intently at the ground. Bounding quickly out of the cool stream water, he continued to watch Hollypaw. I seem to be good at watching. . . . Thought Burningcomet.

[--> arcticstripe <--]

Hollypaw let out a groan of frustration and turned, wanting to go towards the stream to cool off and calm herself. She jumped when she saw Burningcomet standing there. She gave out a small squeak and she let her hair raise up on its ends.

When she realized it was only another RockClan cat she sighed in relief and let her fur lay flat. She smiled nervously and looked at Burningcomet. She quietly spoke.

I didn't see you... You scared me.

She was a little embarresed, but nothing she hadn't been before. She sat down and shuffled her paws uneasily. Hopefully Burningcomet wouldn't think she to much of a weakling or anything.

[.:neptune<]

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that I could have that effect on others." He sat down and looked around him, at anything but the apprentice before him. He never was that good around others.

[--> arcticstripe <--]

Hollypaw smiled, a bit of uneasyness still there. She was either looking at her paws or her eyes were darting around.

The silence between them started to get irritating. Hollypaw felt as if she were not in the right place or that she should do something. So finally Hollypaw looked up and spoke, her voice quiet like usual.

Well, I was just looking for Marigold. I should probably keep looking. Coralbreeze will start to wonder what I'm up to if I don't get back soon.

Hollypaw got to her paws, but didn't move. She looked at Burningcomet, he was an odd cat. Well, not the way he acted, but his eyes were wierd. She knew he probably must hate everybody commenting on his eyes constently so she didn't say anything. She waited though for Burningcomet to say goodbye or such before leaving.

[.:neptune<]

"I could help." Burningcomet murmered, his green and blue eyes finally darting in Hollypaws direction.

[--> arcticstripe <--]

Hollypaw smiled widely. Help would be great! She didn't show that much enthusiasm in her words though. She spoke softly.

Thanks, you know what Marigold looks like right?

She was hoping he'd say yes and then find some before her. She knew what it looked like only a little, and she might recognize it if she saw it, but who knows. She flicked her ears as a small bug buzzed around them.

[.:neptune<]

"Um, sorta. . ." Burningcomet stood slowly and looked around him as if the herb would be lying right at his feet. His long tail flicked behind him excitedly as he continued looing.

OOC: Does he accually have to know what Merigold looks like or can they just say like "I found it!" or something like that?

[--> arcticstripe <--]

[ Either way, it doesn't matter ]

Hollypaw nodded. She noticed his excitement and it actually made her feel more thrilled to be doing the job. She turned from the warrior and looked for the plant that had bright yellow flowers. That was about all she knew about it though. Hollypaw thought she had seen Coralbreeze collect some around her before, but she couldn't be sure. Hopefully they would find some soon and she could take it back to the medicine cat that was mentoring her.

[.:neptune<]

Burningcomet first looked on the banks of the stream, trying to find a plant with a bright yellow color. When he couldn't see anything like that, he began to look in the surrounding foliage, his white and gold pelt sparkling in the patchy sunlight. Not that far from the stream, was a rock, about the size of a cat. Burningcomet slowly approuched it, knowing that some plants seemed to grow around rocks. A bright yellow/orange color leaped up at him from the surrounding green. "Hollypaw! I found it!" he called out softly to the young apprentice.

[--> arcticstripe <--]

Hollypaw turned her head and then with a smile leapt towards Burningcomet. She came to his side and instantly remembered exactly what the flower looked like.

This is it! Thanks Burningcomet!

She paused before asking one more thing.

Can you help me bring back some? It would be a big help...

She hoped she wasn't asking to much, first having Burningcomet help her - even though it was his idea - and then having him go back to camp with these flowers in his mouth. She stood, not really his height yet makig her have to look up to get to his eyes.

[.:neptune<]

"Sure. . ." answered Burningcomet as he looked down at the apprentice, his eyes the color of the deepest ocean water and the brightest leaf. He bent his head and gently grabbed onto the plants near the roots. As he pulled them from the ground, a light, delicate scent meet his nose. He had forgotten that the roots of Merigold had a slight scent to them. He turned and waited for Hollypaw to get some, too, his white and gold form tall and confident looking.

OOC: I just found out that I have a dictionary on my computer with the definition of marigold! lol

^ ^ ^

mar·i·gold [mérrə gld]

garden plant with yellow flower: a common garden plant, native to tropical America, with scented stems and strikingly rich yellow or orange flowers.

[--> arcticstripe <--]

[ Wow! That'll help, because I really only knew that it had yellow flowers! lol ]

Hollypaw also bent and pryed some of the flowers out of the ground. When she had as much as she could take she lifted her body from its crouching position. She nodded and flicked her tail to Burningcomet, signaling for them to leave and head back to camp to find Coralbreeze. She left, her tail up in the air and the plants in her mouth.

[.:neptune<]

(Ya, it helped me, too!)

Burningcomet turned in the direction of camp as soon as Hollypaw had given him the signal. Crossing a narrower part of the stream he was carefull not to drop even a petal of the plant into the cold water. His tail twitching happily.