A/N: This is a challenge for AdderClan, a forum that I'm in.
A Poison Thick as Honey
Lilyflight trotted a few tail-lengths from the fence that marked the beginning of the twolegplace, a honeycomb clenched firmly in her jaws. She grimaced from the pain of a sting on her nose, and reminded herself to ask Sunbreeze what to do for bee stings.
The past week had been very stressful. ShadowClan had accused ThunderClan of stealing prey, and attacked their camp. Those fox-hearts, Lilyflight thought angrily. Of course we didn't steal their prey. They just wanted a battle.
Not paying attention to where she was walking, she suddenly skidded on a slippery patch of grass, and her mouth opened in an involuntary yelp. The honeycomb dropped into a small puddle right beneath her. Lilyflight quickly grabbed the part sticking out of the water with her teeth, careful not to swallow any of the precious honey. It's just a bit wet, no harm done, she decided, and continued on towards camp- not noticing the odd rainbow gleam of the water in the puddle.
Sunbreeze was sitting in her den sorting herbs when her apprentice hurried in. "It's getting cold out. Leaf-fall will be here soon," Lilyflight remarked after she had set the honeycomb on a large leaf. Sunbreeze mumbled in agreement, finishing sorting some tansy before she glanced up.
"Will you take that to Aspenpaw?" Sunbreeze asked, nodding at the honey. Lilyflight dipped her head and carefully grasped it and the leaf in her teeth, then turning to head back out. "Thank you!" Sunbreeze called after her. Lilyflight waved her tail in acknowledgement.
Aspenpaw was in the apprentices' den, lying in her nest with a small cold and a sore throat. She gave a hoarse purr when she saw Lilyflight walk in. Lilyflight set the honeycomb down on the leaf in front of the dark tabby apprentice. "Here, eat this. It'll make your throat feel better," she said. Aspenpaw obligingly leaned down and lapped at the honey. When she was finished, Lilyflight rolled the honeycomb up in the leaf and carried it back to the medicine den.
"How was Aspenpaw?" Asked Sunbreeze.
"Better, I think. That honey should help her throat, and soon she should be well enough to go back to training. It would take something like greencough to keep that cat down for long," Lilyflight answered. Sunbreeze purred in amusement. "She'll be a warrior in no time after she's better."
Lilyflight was having a wonderful dream. Everywhere she looked herbs grew, thick and lush. Tansy and marigold and juniper and…
"Sunbreeze! Lilyflight! Come quickly, Aspenpaw is terribly sick!"
Lilyflight forced herself to her paws, blinking sleepily in the darkness at Grasspaw. The young apprentice's eyes were wide with panic. Sunbreeze staggered from her nest in the back of the den.
"Alright, we'll be right there. Lilyflight, get some yarrow just in case," Sunbreeze mumbled with a yawn. She hurried outside with Grasspaw, and Lilyflight swiftly snatched up some yarrow and ran after them.
In the apprentices' den, Aspenpaw was moaning in her nest, her damp flanks heaving. The other apprentices were anxiously clustered beside her, murmuring reassuring words. They glanced up when the medicine cats rushed in.
"Give us some room, please. Scoot back," Sunbreeze ordered, now fully awake and her usual orderly self. She hurried over to Aspenpaw and began to rub the apprentice's belly. Lilyflight stood next to her, dropping the herbs at her paws.
"What did she eat today? Do any of you know?" Lilyflight asked the apprentices.
"Dustpaw and I shared a vole with her," Grasspaw meowed nervously. "But we aren't sick."
"She ate nothing else today?" Lilyflight demanded. As she said that, she remembered the honey.
"N-no," Grasspaw meowed, her voice trembling.
Lilyflight turned back to Sunbreeze. "She didn't eat anything but a vole, which she shared with Grasspaw and Dustpaw- and they aren't sick- and the honey I gave her earlier," She meowed quietly.
Sunbreeze frowned at her. "How could she have gotten sick from the honey? All she had was a cold! She shouldn't be this sick!" The medicine cat's voice rose, tinged with desperation.
Lilyflight's heart sank. "I- I accidentally dropped the honeycomb into a puddle of water near the twolegplace. I didn't see anything odd about the water, but-"
Sunbreeze's eyes widened. "Give me the yarrow. It had to have been the honey. There must have been some kind of twoleg poison in that puddle!" She meowed urgently.
Lilyflight quickly passed over the yarrow. If she dies, it's all my fault. Oh StarClan, please spare her, please! Lilyflight realized she was trembling, shaking like a leaf in the wind.
Aspenpaw suddenly retched, startling Lilyflight. The apprentices watched with wide, terrified eyes, and Lilyflight suddenly felt sorry for them.
"Is.. is she going to live?" Dustpaw meowed.
Lilyflight opened her mouth to tell them that of course she would live. But no words came out. She glanced down at Aspenpaw, lying so still one might think she was dead if not for the slight rise and fall of her sides, and knew that she wasn't sure if Aspenpaw would live or not.
Grasspaw stared at Lilyflight. "She can't die. She's my best friend. StarClan can't let her die," the little apprentice whispered. Lilyflight's heart ached. You heard the poor cat, StarClan. You can't let her die!
Lilyflight knew she needed to calm down, so she began running through a list of herbs and their uses in her head as Sunbreeze worked on Aspenpaw. Juniper berries for strength, thyme for shock, marigold for infection, snake root for…
"Snake root!" Lilyflight gasped. Sunbreeze's head snapped around. "What?"
"Do we have snake root?" Lilyflight demanded. Sunbreeze's eyes widened. "In the back of the den. I don't know if it's fresh enough-" But Lilyflight was already racing out of the den.
Snake root to counteract the effects of poison. It was one of the less common herbs, and they rarely had any use for it anyways.
Lilyflight felt around the herbs stacked in the back of the den, sniffing frantically. There! She snatched up the root and raced back to the apprentices' den.
"Here!" Lilyflight meowed breathlessly, shoving the snake root into Sunbreeze's paws. Sunbreeze quickly chewed it up and spat the pulp out in front of Aspenpaw. "Here, Aspenpaw. Eat this, it'll make you feel better." The apprentice weakly lapped it up, and Lilyflight massaged her throat to help her swallow.
A few moments later Aspenpaw's tense body relaxed slightly. Lilyflight let out the breath she'd been holding. Thank you, StarClan.
"She's going to be okay!" Lilyflight meowed excitedly. The apprentices cheered. Sunbreeze sighed happily. "It's a good thing you have such a good memory," She meowed to Lilyflight. Lilyflight felt her fur warm. "It was my fault she was sick in the first place," she meowed, ducking her head.
Sunbreeze shook her head. "It could happen to anyone. Besides, all's well that ends well," she meowed lightly. Lilyflight nodded, and a huge yawn stretched her jaws. Sunbreeze purred. "Why don't you go get some rest? I'll stay with Aspenpaw."
Too tired too argue, Lilyflight walked back to her nest and curled up. She was asleep almost instantly, with only one last rather muddled thought that simply proved how exhausted she was.
Snake root for poisoned honey.
A/N: I hope you liked it!