Swords and Shields: Stories of the Lost

Chapter 5: Knocking On Death's Door

River honestly felt guilty for poisoning Tinker, after all the fox hadn't done anything wrong. Except for the village fire he caused last year. But that was because one of his hand cannons caught on fire.
Rose had gone exploring the village that day and River had no clue where she was. She saw a flash of pinky tabby fur and saw Rose peeking into the healer's den. River was curious and just watched her daughter.
Rose walked into the den and looked up at Tinker laying on a chupacabra skin bed, he looked miserable. His orange fur was matted and his blue eyes were wild with fear and pain. Tinker gagged and spat at Osprey's paws.
The old cat muttered something but didn't say anything loudly like he usually does. River felt a stab of sympathy and regret hit her in the heart.
"The poison has reached his heart." Osprey murmured. "He'll die soon, there is nothing else I can do." Rose huffed.
"It's not too late, it's never too late." She meowed determinedly. "You need to stay determined!" Osprey glance at her.
"Shouldn't you be bothering River or Bramble? What are you doing in my den?" He grumbled. 
"You need to at least try to save him!" She hissed.
"I've done everything I can!" Osprey retorted. "One of the animals running the Tavern poisoned him with killer poison. That poison is extremely powerful, I bet Madame Twilight has something to do with this."
River growled, how dare that furless mistake talk to her daughter like that!? She ran over to the den and grabbed Osprey's bare shoulders. River shivered slightly at the feel of his skin.
"You better do what my daughter says or I'll claw your ears off!" She snarled. Osprey narrowed his eyes and growled.
"Fine." He hissed, rummaging through potions. Osprey was both a healer and a potionist.
"You're lucky, this potion right here is extremely hard to make because the ingredients are so rare." He growled, holding up a bright blue potion.
"You had this the whole time and you refused to help him!" River snarled.
He would sit and watch someone die knowing he could have helped! She thought. River then felt a stab of pain, that was exactly what she did. She poisoned Tinker and left him to die, knowing that she could have brought him to Osprey right away.
River sighed as Osprey made Tinker drink the potion. The fox didn't object, he just took it and didn't complain about the bitter taste. Tinker laid on his side and fell asleep. Rose and River left the den and Osprey went out of the village, probably to find more of the rare ingredient used in the antidote.
I just hope he lives, I'll never kill another ever again.
She thought. After a few days, Tinker was alive; he didn't even know that River poisoned him. The fox went back to his shop and was so happy to work again. River walked up to the village entrance and walked out.
She pawed at the earth and dug a hole. River pulled out the Killer Poison bottle and threw the nasty, green liquid into the hole. The glass shattered and the poison soaked into the ground. She pawed the dirt back over the hole and went back to the village. She would never poison anyone ever again.