It Wasn't Me!

(OOC: Plot details here)

Petalpaw didn't tend to worry about things. In general, there was very little that made him nervous outside of his own reputation. So he didn't think twice as he placed the piece of prey he'd found on the pile, not worrying fora second if he should be giving his clan a piece a prey he found near the border. Well, maybe he hoped that one of the warriors would finally stop thinking he couldn't hunt, even though that was true, but mostly he just focused on resting his legs and maybe grooming his pelt out. Seriously, it was unfair that he had to be out hunting for so long when everyone knew he was delicate. Fox-dung, his fur was all matted. That was going to take forever to groom out. He sat down outside of the apprentice den, bird already forgotten, intent on restoring his pelt to it's usual glory. There was no use sitting around camp not looking good while doing it. Perhaps finally a tom from his own clan would actually show interest for once if he undid these tangles. Best to be safe.

While Petalpaw sat worrying about nothing more than his own appearance, the poisoned bird lay unassuming in the fresh-kill pile, waiting to be taken.

With the disappearance of Cardinalcry, Redkit had hardly found it in herself to eat, or otherwise take care of herself. Still, she pushed herself to her paws and forced herself to walk over to the fresh-kill pile, where there was a bird laying there, waiting to be taken. Frowning, she made herself take the fresh-kill, and began to take small bites, her appetite returning after the first few bites reminded her of how hungry she was. She polished off the rest of the bird, but when she tried to stand to bury the remains, she found that her legs wouldn’t respond, and when she tried to call out, all that escaped her throat was a harsh choking sound. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she collapsed and began to convulse as the poison began to take hold in her system.

By chance, Mothglow chose that moment to step out of her den; just in time to see Redkit collapse. "No," she whispered softly, desperately, then looked around to the cats nearby and raised her voice. "Can someone tell me what happened here?" Quickly, she ducked into her den: simplest solution first, she decided, and anything more complex once she'd tried that. Redkit was only a kit, after all - too much too fast could hurt her more than it helped. She fetched some yarrow - the proximity to the fresh-kill pile made her guess that it was related to something the kit had eaten, so having her cough it up was likely to help. "Please swallow this," she murmured, pushing it toward the kit's mouth. "Please. StarClan, if you're listening, don't forsake us now!"

Redkit heard a voice swimming through her poison-induced haze, and fought her body to heed it and swallow what had been placed in front of her. Before she knew it, her body forced up the poison, and once her stomach was empty, she shuddered and slumped over.

"Did anyone see what she ate?" Mothglow asked again, gently nudging Redkit as she spoke. She moved the coughed-up poison away from the fresh-kill pile and buried it behind her den, taking time to clean her paws afterward. Slowly, carefully, she began moving the kit toward her den; she wasn't in immediate danger any longer but that didn't mean she'd be alright right away. "I'm going to get her set up in my den for now, I think that's safest." It was a good thing, she thought, that she always made sure she had a nest ready.