Warriors: Poisoned Loyalty {COMPLETED}

Chapter 14

Poppypool lay in her nest, struggling to keep her eyes closed as her mind raced with thoughts of the rogue attack. The loss of four warriors weighed heavily on her heart- Umberflame, Rosefur, Foggyrain, and Hawkstreak were gone, their lives snuffed out like a spark. And Sparrowstar...she'd lost two of her lives in the battle and her den. The camp was on edge, every cat looking over their shoulder, wondering when the next attack would come.

Sleep tugged at her, but she resisted it. She knew what awaited her once she gave in. And sure enough, the moment her eyes fluttered shut, the darkness swallowed her whole.

When Poppypool opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the safety of GlacierClan's camp. She stood in the twisted, barren landscape of the Dark Forest. The trees loomed high above, gnarled and black as they creaked in the cold, still air. The scent of decay clung to everything, and the silence pressed down on her like a stone.

She knew who was coming.

"Quite the success, wasn't it?"

The voice, smoothe and full of malice, slithered into her ears. Poppypool whirled around to see Rowantail stepping out of the shadows, his yellow eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. He looked exactly as he did the last time she saw him, only much more smug and dominant. But there was something darker about him now...something more twisted.

Poppypool's claws unsheathed instinctively, her muscles tensing with white-hot anger. "You got four warriors killed!" she spat, stepping forward as her fur bristled. "Sparrowstar lost two lives because of you!"

Rowantail merely chuckled, circling her with a slow, predatory grace. "Oh, come now, Poppy," he purred, his voice dripping with condescension. "You didn't really think this would end any other way, did you? It's almost... amusing, how naive you are. Did you enjoy that little surprise when the rogue leader mentioned you?"

A cold shiver ran down Poppypool's spine at his words. The rogue leader had known her name- known things no rogue should have been aware of. She clenched her teeth, fury rising in her chest like a fire. "You sent them after GlacierClan! Are you planning on sending them again? Do you just want to watch my Clan die and disintegrate?"

Rowantail stopped circling her, his eyes narrowing with cruel amusement. "I could," he mused, his voice sickeningly casual. "Or maybe I'll aim higher next time. Would you like that? Perhaps the rogues could bring back more than blood. Perhaps they'll target those you care about... Hawkflight, Newtflake... or maybe that fresh litter of kits."

At that, Poppypool's fury boiled over, her heart pounding in her chest. She leaped forward, snarling with desperation. "Leave GlacierClan alone!" she growled, her voice raw with emotion. "My mistakes are mine! If you want to punish someone, then punish me! They don't deserve this!"

Rowantail's yellow eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he stepped closer, his breath hot against her fur. His tail flicked lightly along the healed wounds on her side, the same ones he'd inflicted on her before. "I already did," he whispered, his voice a cruel hiss. "But it seems you didn't get the message."

Poppypool flinched, her heart pounding so hard it hurt. She stepped back, her claws digging into the cold, dead earth. "Leave GlacierClan out of this," she snarled again, her voice trembling. "If you want someone to hurt, hurt me."

Rowantail's smile widened, as if her defiance only amused him further. "Oh, Poppypool," he said, his tone soft and patronizing. "You still don't understand, do you? I don't care about you- not really. You're just a tool; a means to an end."

He took a step back, his eyes gleaming with cold malice. "But I'll give you another chance to prove yourself," he sneered. "Fail me again, and GlacierClan won't be so lucky next time."