Tails and Claws Melody

*summary* The clans around the lake are shocked when a dead cat appears in the thick forest of Thunderclan. Why did this happen, and more importantly will it happen again?

Hey everyone! I'm trying at something different. Why? I had this really weird dream that included murder. No I didn't die I was at some camp with two other people listning to screaming around me. Why didn't I do something? I don't know it was a really weird dream. It didn't even start out as a murder thing it was like a... baby sit travel thing. No i'm not defining that.

Anyways back to the point. The ending of this dream made me come up with the idea for a complete murder mystery story. I already even have the first like... 4 murders swirling around in my head. Also if i spell anything wrong and it's not corrected it's because i'm usng wordpad which doesn't correct me. And i'm not in the mood to type this in an email draft cause this computer doesn't like yahoo and yeah i'm rambling now. I'll stop so you can read the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors and haz gotten over the fact that i never shall own them.

I watched silently as a cat stood up and padded out of the dark camp. Here was my chance. I slid out of the my den padding softly forward. The wind was blowing my way. Good. I wouldn't lose them. No one shifted in their dens as I crossed the clearing, the most important cat in my life was sound asleep but there was no way I'ld be fully sure they only cared for me until this one was dead.

A guard was at the entrance so I slipped out through the dirt place. Really it was common. No one would notice or care. They'd never no. Except me and Starclan if they were watching. I could smell the scents of Leafpools kits as I fought through the thorns. Lionblaze, Jayfeather, there was even the faintest scent of Hollyleaf. Sadness spilled over my wave of anger and I allowed myself to be swallowed by it for a few heartbeats before carrying on. Dovepaws scent hit my nose as I came out from the thorns. She almost seemed to be like the two brothers new sister. Not that I'd say that to their faces as they might claw me.

My attension was brought back to my own agenda as I caught the scent. I followed it quitely. Not a twig cracked. Luck was on my side. I followed the scent to a stream and slipped into the gently lapping waves and waited. They would come back this way. I was positive.

The night sky grew darker as I heard her paw steps echo through the forest. It was as if I was being watched over.

The cat stepped into the water also cloaked by the darkness but the scent was overwhelming. i knew who this was. I struck hard and fast, surprising myself with how easy I could move in the water. My teeth clamped onto her spine. The anger in me overflowed as I bit down with all my strengh. It snapped and I let go. I quickly washed off my muzzle and paws before checking her one paw that had hit me and slowly withdrew any fur. The darkness around me seemed to lighten and I trailed down stream to come out of the river before making my way back to camp. My heart was filled with joy and... something more.

~~exiting killer mode~~

Sunshine filtered through the leaves to beckon clan cats up from their rest during the night. All except dawn patrol who had already left to check the Windclan border.

Lionblaze stretched slowly before walking out of his den and into the morning light. He padded to the medicine cats den, pushing through the vines(?). He first spots a bundle of dark brown fur and a wave of guilt hits him as the events that had caused her back half to be broken washes over him.

"Don't blame yourself." Jayfeather meowed from the darker part of the den.

Lionblaze turned to his brother. "I know."

"So why are you here?"

"I was just checking that you were okay."

"Of course I am." the gray tabby mewed sharply. "You may be the best fighter Lionblaze and I may be blind. but that does not make me defenseless."

"I know that. I've just been thinking about the foxes from when we were little more recently."

Jayfeather's tail twitched in irritation. "It's just a dream Lionblaze."

Lionblaze bit back another, I know and left him to his patient. He pushed back through the 'curtain' and into the clearing. Brambleclaw was padding over to him instantly. "I need you, Dovepaw, and Cloudtail to go out on patrol near Shadowclan territory." He mewed in one breath.

"The dawn patrol hasn't gotten back yet." Lionblaze pointed out.

"Yes," Brambleclaw agreed. "but this isn't a border patrol, Berrynose is making a fit because Poppyfrost went on a walk again and how Cloudtail didn't stop her from leaving camp."

"I understand." Lionblaze mewed before padding to the apprentices den and sticking his muzzle in. "Dovepaw! Patrol!" He backed away from the den after checking that she was getting up.

"What are we patrolling for?" she asked.

"Searching for Popyfrost." Lionblaze anserwed slightly anoyyed that Berrynose was so worried about his mate all the time. He spotted Cloudtail near Brambleclaw and walked over. "Ready?" he asked the long-haired tom.

"Yeah. let's go."

The small patrol set off into the forest. Cloudtail was the first to catch her scent. "Found it."

"Good maybe this won't take so long then." Lionblaze and Dovepaw followed Cloudtail through the forest to a stream. Dovepaw froze beside him but Lionblaze didn't seem to notice. "Where now?"

"She must have crossed it."

Lionblaze sighed then turned to Dovepaw who hadn't moved a whisker. "Dovepaw?"

"I-I found her."

"Well that's good." Cloudtail said trotting back to them. A few heartbeats passed. "Well where is she?"

Dovepaw pushed into the stream and with a sigh Lionblaze followed wondering why she was acting this way. He turned to look in the direction she was now going and quicked his pace when he noticed tortiseshell fur, it was damp. "Poppyfrost!" he called hoping she was sleeping but he remembered Dovepaw's expression from before. Poppyfrost wasn't sleeping. He splashed through the water and to Dovepaws side to look down at the queen. He noticed Cloudtail was there now as well. He must have sensed something was horribly wrong and there was. At the base of Poppyfrosts neck was her spine. Broken.

Dovepaw was shaking and Lionblaze put his tail tip on her shoulder to comfort her. "We need to bring her back to camp." he mewed.

Cloudtail's eyes were clouded. "It's my fault for letting her go on her walk."

"It couldn't have been helped." Lionblaze assured him and gently took her scruff in his mouth. Cloudtail helped him carry her back to the camp while Dovepaw followed in a shocked state. She's blaming herself as well for not looking around the territory Lionblaze realized. He shifted his grip on Poppyfrost. "Dovepaw, why don't you go ahead and prepare the clan."

At first Dovepaw didn't seem to hear him and he tapped lightly at her shoulder with his tail. "Sure." Dovepaw mewed and took off once again, this time for the camp.

It took shorter than Lionblaze had thought it would for them to reach the camp. He stepped into the camp and Berrynose who was saying that Dovepaw was lieing raced over quickly as Lionblaze and Cloudtail set she she-cat down. "Poppyfrost." Berrynose whispered pushing his nose into her fur.

Lionblaze backed away so he could grieve over his mate in peace. He felt bad for him. First he had lost Honeyfern to a snake and now Poppyfrost as well. How he was going to deal with it he had no clue. He padded over to Firestar. "We found her in a stream it looks like a warrior bite killed her."

Berrynose must have followed him to hear anything Dovepaw might have left out because he spoke before Firestar could. "A warrior? Are you telling me a clan cat did this?"

"Yes." Lionblaze mewed trying to hide his frustration.

"But why?" Berrynose suddenly looked vulnerable and Lionblaze felt sorry for him all over again.

"I don't know yet. We just found her we didn't have time to look around." Lionblaze meowed and Berrynose hung his head before padding back to another fallen mate.

Firestar had stayed silent but now looked at Lionblaze. "It's almost indentical to how Ashfur died." Lionblaze had thought of that himself when he had been carrying her back to camp. In a stream killed from a warriors bite. Later they knew it was Hollyleaf that had done it. His heart ached for his dead sister. "I sent Dovepaw to Jayfeather."

"She was in shock when we found her."

"She still is." It was a while before Firestar spoke again. "Could you check on Cherrykit and Molekit?"

"Of course Firestar." Lionblaze mewed before going to the queens den and looking in. Cherrykit was yowling low and misberly. While Molekit was staring at a wall obviously in shock. Lionblaze looked to Ferncloud. "I'll be right back with Jayfeather."

"Thank you Lionblaze." Ferncloud mewed softly while pushing the two kits closer to her with her tail.

Lionblaze ducked back out of the nursery and padded into the medicine cat's den. "Jayfeather?"

"Yeah?" Lionblaze turned to see Jayfeather looking at a sleeping Dovepaw.

"Is she really dead?" A new voice split the still air and Lionblaze turned to Briarlight.

"Yes she's dead."

Briarlight looked sadly outside then began dragging herself into the clearing.

"Be careful." Jayfeather called after her before padding to Lionblaze. "What is it?"

"Cherrykit and Molekit."

"I'll be right there." He heard Jayfeather disapear deeper into the cleft and watched Briarlight while he waited for him to come back with the nessecary herbs. Berrynose was now laying next to his mate, grieving. More cats had come in from patrols including Sorreltail and Brackenfur, Poppyfrost's parents. Lionblaze turned from the scene when he heard pawsteps.

"I'll go. You get some sleep."

"No. I'll ask Firestar to go on a hunting patrol."

"Fine just make sure to get a good nights rest. Tomorrow night is the gathering remember?"

"Yeah. Bye Jayfeather." Lionblaze slipped out from the medicine cat's den and into the clearing. It was now past sun high but he wanted to hunt. He made his way to Firestar. "Firestar?"

"Yes Lionblaze?"

"Is it okay if I hunt for the clan?"

"Sure. How is Dovepaw?"

"Sleeping."

Firestar nodded. "Bring as much as you can."

Lionblaze left the camp and hunted till he thought his paws would fall off. He carried a big rabbit and a thrush into the clearing and set them on the small prey pile. Good thing I have plenty more to bring still, he thought before fetching his apprentice from the medicine cat den. "Dovepaw?" He nudged her with a paw.

Dovepaw lifted her head to look at him. "Yes Lionblaze?"

"Come help me bring some prey into the camp."

"Okay."

The two exited the camp and made two trips before they ate any prey for themselves. Lionblaze chose chaffinich while Dovepaw picked out two small mice before settling down near him.

"Lionblaze?" Dovepaw asked.

"Yes?"

"Who do you think would kill Poppyfrost?"

"I don't know but you should try to keep watch."

"I have since I found her."

"Did you notice anything?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Keep watch." Lionblaze finished his thrush and went to sleep in the warriors den leaving Dovepaw sitting there searching her clans territory while she ate for anything unusual.

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