Warriors: Poisoned Loyalty {COMPLETED}

Chapter 2

Poppypool hung her head in shame as the light died from Darkeyes' gaze. The elders' tail twitched, her paw jerked, and then she lay still. She was dead from a preventable disease that Poppypool had the herbs to cure. Instead, her long life was cut short due to... what? It wasn't incompetence, surely. Poppypool felt her mouth go dry as she stood up and stalked away, unable to bear the sight of the dead elder.

"Poppypool?" Newtflake's voice was quiet and she could barely hear him. She felt numb and useless. She'd trained in a volatile state of the Clans to do everything she could to heal her Clanmates, yet Darkeyes died from a common sickness that any cat could've caught. "Are...are you okay?"

Poppypool felt his eyes burning into her pelt as she stared at the stone wall of the den. She felt powerless and like she'd led Darkeyes down. She'd trusted Poppypool to help with her runny nose and cough, and now she was warm and dead in the floor of the medicine den. No, Poppypool wasn't okay. Failing wasn't okay. She couldn't fail. Too much weighed on her shoulders for the thought of failing to cross her mind. She drew in a heavy breath and raised her head, trying to ground herself.

"Get her ready for her vigil," she meowed without turning to look at Newtflake. "She loved lavender, so make sure to put some sprigs in her pelt. I'll go tell the Clan of her passing." Of my failure to save her. Poppypool forced her paws into motion and headed out of the den, not so much as glancing at the beloved dead elder as she went. She exited the den and was faced with the concerned gazes of her Clanmates. Some of them had hopeful expressions, others had grim looks despite not knowing of Darkeyes' fate.

"Poppypool?" Spiritsight, Darkeyes' only kit, spoke up next to Hickorytree. The two mates seemed fearful, but the purple-eyed she-cat looked distraught. "I-is she...?"

Poppypool held her gaze for a moment that seemed to stretch on for ages before bowing her head sadly. Spiritsight let out a mournful, heartbreaking wail and fell against Hickorytree's side while he comforted her. "I'm so sorry, Spiritsight." She whispered, not daring to look up at the grieving warrior. Her heart ached as a cloud of sorrow and grief settled over the heads of the GlacierClan cats. Pain nipped at her chest as she forced herself to look up and meet the eyes of her sad Clanmates. "I-I did everything I could..."

"Sh-she'll never meet her grandkits..." Spiritsight sobbed into Hickorytree's chest while the brown tabby tom wrapped his paws around her and held her close.

"N-Newtflake is getting her body ready for tonight's vigil," the medicine cat's voice shook as she tried to stay put together. "I...I'm sorry, I can't..." Poppypool quickly hurried away, unable to bear the pained eyes of her Clanmates burning into her pelt while Spiritsight cried into her mate's fur.

As Poppypool left the devastated cats to mourn, a flash of a multi-colored pelt stopped her in her tracks. Hawkflight stood in front of her, his eyes brimming with concern and sadness as Poppypool lowered her ears.

"Poppy, are you okay?" His voice was gentle and caring, but Poppypool could hear the underlying note of grief in his tone.

Poppypool flinched at the sound of his voice, her paws shifting uneasily. The gentleness and caring nature in his words made her heart twist, but it was the grief and guilt inside that nearly made her break. Her throat tightened, and she forced herself to meet his gaze, though it felt as though she was carrying the weight of the world's guilt on her shoulders.

"I'm fine," she whispered, her voice too soft, too uncertain. The lie tasted bitter on her tongue, but she swallowed it down, hoping he didn't see the guilt darkening her eyes.

Her brother's ears flicked at her response, his eyes narrowing slightly. It was clear he heard the slight tremble in her voice and saw how she couldn't hardly bear meeting his gaze. The tight sibling relationship they'd built felt distant, replaced by a wall she desperately tried to keep up.