So this is my second one shot for AdderClan's challenge Poisoned
Silvercloud dropped into her best hunter's crouch. Moving carefully, she slowly stalked up to the mouse. It was skinny, but it was lucky to find any prey this deep into leafbare. ShadowClan would thank her for this prey, however close to carrionplace she had caught it. Making sure there were no snow covered ferns in her way, Silvercloud wiggled her haunches and pounced, lading squarely on the mouse. Giving it a quick nip on the spine, she straightened up and gave thanks to StarClan. Shivering, Silvercloud realised that her paws were numb. Shaking the snow out of her gray and white fur, Silvercloud began the long trekk through the snow back to camp.
"I'm back," Silvercloud called to her apprentice, Oakpaw, as she padded into the hollow, wearily trying not to dislodge any more snow from the surrounding brambles. She went over to the fresh kill pile to drop off her mouse, but there was no prey there. I guess I'll be hungry again tonight. After all, the queens and elders mjust be fed first. Sighing inwardly, Silvercloud padded over to the nursery. Ducking her head under the thornbush, she dropped the mouse into Sandwhisker's den. Almost immediately, her two kits, Pebblekit and Morningkit, jumped on the mouse. Before they could take a bite, Sandwhisker opened her eyes.
"Wait kits, first you must give thanks to StarClan- and Silvercloud here- for this prey." Staring up at the warrior with wide eyes, the two kits quickly gave their thanks, then began to rip chunks of mouse off with their tiny white fangs.
"Thank you, Silvercloud," said sandwhisker gratefully. "I didn't know when I would get my next meal." Twitching her ears in response, Silvercloud backed out of the nursery and went over to Leafspots, the clan deputy, to give her report.
"Prey is very scarce throughout all of ShadowClan territory, but I managed to pick up a mouse by the carrionplace. That was the only prey I saw all day." Silvercloud finished her report with a sigh. She wished she could do more to help her clan in such a harsh leafbare, but she had already been out hunting since dawn, and now the sun was slowly sliding back below the tree tops.
"Thank you Silvercloud," said Leafspots. "I'll ask the next patrols to see if they can pick up any more prey over that way. You can go rest for a while now." Mewing her gratidude, Silvercloud padded over to her soft nest in the warrior's den and gave her fur a thorough grooming. Then she wrapped her tail over her ears and settled down. Soon she sank into sleep.
"Morningkit!"
Silvercloud was awoken by a cry from the nursery.
"Morningkit, what's wrong?" Shaking out her pelt, Silvercloud got up and trotted to the nursery, wondering what could be wrong. After all, both of the kits had seemed fine when she had seen them earlier. Ducking into the den, Silvercloud saw Morningkit lying in her nest. Her mouth was frothing and Sandwhisker stood over her looking terrified.
"What's wrong with her? She was fine until she woke up from her nap," said Sandwhisker.
"I'll go and get Cloudwing and Rainpaw," said Silvercloud, hurrying out of the nursery and across the clearing to the medicine den.
"Cloudwing, Morningkit is really sick!" she called as she entered the little cave. Blinking sleepily, Cloudwing looked up.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked blearily, shaking out his fur.
"Sandwhisker said she was fine until she woke up after her nap. She was moaning in her nest, and it looked like she had some sort of bellyache, she was foaming at the mouth. I think she might have been poisoned!" Silvercloud listed the information off in a rush. Cloudwing nodded.
"Wake Rainpaw whilst I go get some yarrow," he instructed, padding to the holes at the back of the den where Silvercloud knew the herbs were stored.
She quickly went over to Rainpaw's nest and shook her awake.
"Morningkit is sick," she said when Rainpaw looked at her, obviously irritated for disturbing her snooze. "Cloudwing needs your help." Brightening up a little, no doubt at the chance to help her mother's kit, Rainpaw jumped out of her nest and trotted out of the medicine den towards the nursery.
In the nursery, Morningkit had stopped foaming at the mouth but was twitching weakly. Silvercloud could only just see her flanks rising and falling. Meanwhile Pebblekit was being herded outside by his father, Thistlesand. Silvercloud thought it seemed a little too crowded for another cat, so she simply began to pace up and down in the sandy hollow.
As the moon began to set, Cherrystar came to pacing next to her. With a start Silvercloud remembered that she was Sandwhisker's littermate. After a while she stopped pacing and turned to face Silvercloud.
"Why are you so worried about Morningkit?" she asked gently. Silvercloud felt her tail tremble. Suddenly her mouth burst open and her fears came tumbling out of her mouth.
"I think I have something to do with this," she cried as sounds of Morningkit retching came from the nursery. "I was out hunting all day but all I could find was one tiny mouse, but it was really close to carrionplace and I think the mouse was bad but there didn't look like there was anything wrong and it's all my fault and now she's going to die!" With embarrassment Silvercloud realised she was wailing like a kit, but she was so upset she didn't care; she would wail like a kit all day if it meant Morningkit would be alright.
"Come on now, that can't be true," reasoned Cherrystar. "If it was the mouse, then why aren't Pebblekit or Sandwhisker sick?" That stumped Silvercloud, but she was distracted by a wail from the nursery. Gasping, she ran into the nursery and saw Morningkit lying ominously still. Sandwhisker was wailing with grief while Cloudwing was murmuring to her comfortingly. Blind with horror, Silvercloud stumbled out of the nursery and out of the hollow. She barely heard Cherrystar calling after her.
"It wasn't your fault, Silvercloud!" But she ignored the shouts of her clanmates as she ran wildly through ShadowClan's territory. Silvercloud wasn't aware of where she was until suddenly scented the border marks. With a start she realised she was on the very edge of ShadowClan's territory. Exhausted, she stumbled under a holly bush, ignoring the prickles, and fell headlong into sleep.
Silvercloud blinked open her eyes. She wasn't under the holly bush! She was in fourtrees. Gradually she noticed the starry cats surrounding her. From the ranks of the cats, a tiny figure came padding out to greet her.
"Morningkit!" Silvercloud gasped. "I'm so, so sorry!" But before she could go on, the little kit placed her tail tip on Silvercloud's shoulder.
"I know you didn't mean to hurt me," she said, eyes sparkling with sadness. "I was never destined to grow up. It wasn't your fault, so please don't spend the rest of your life wishing you had never caught that mouse." With a gentle purr, Silvercloud realised that she would have done just that.
"Thank you for setting my mind straight, Morningkit." As she spoke, fourtrees faded away. The last words from the camp rang in her ears.
It wasn't your fault.