Greysight rose from the water's edge in silence.

Although she felt tired, seeing Browneyes somehow seemed to change her into a completely different cat than the one who entered the grove earlier that day. His words had filled her with hope.

"Keep them safe."

No matter what happened, if it was all she could do, she would protect DarkClan- her clanmates. That's what being a warrior was all about.

Their clan's future was shrouded in darkness and gloom; no cat could possibly see it, not even StarClan's light would pierce through and lead them down a safe path. They had to lead themselves, with only each other for support when both the heavens and the other three clans turned a blind eye toward their plight.

Greysight silently padded over to where she sensed Warflight and Branchfur asleep in the grass, laying so close together that their two bodies almost felt like one giant mass.

She prodded Warflight with her paw first, and then Branchfur.

"It's time to go." she meowed after as they began to come to.

The two toms wearily rose to their paws, taking their time as they blinked awake and stretched their legs.

She heard Branchfur's bones pop as he stretched his back and let out a deep breath, almost a yawn. He craned his neck back as he did, looking up at the blood orange sky above.

"We've been here a long time." he said. "It's sundown already."

"Really?" Greysight thought, somewhat annoyed that she didn't notice herself. It was hard to keep track now that she had such an inconsistent sleep schedule, but the sound of the bugs was quick to alert her to the ending of the day.

Warflight and Branchfur glanced at each other in response to Greysight's silence, but they did not question her aloud before or after she turned tail and began to lead the way back toward the mouth of the tunnel.

It was a cause for worry though, and both toms had a sinking feeling that this behavior from Greysight meant bad news. She didn't say a single thing about her time with StarClan.

They walked back through the tunnel in somber silence, with Greysight leading out of the cave and down the path along the edge of the cliff.

Branchfur's paw brushed against a loose pebble as he walked alongside his brother on the narrow path and it toppled over the edge of the cliff, making a chorus of quick pings as it ricocheted downward along the slope.

Greysight's ear twitched at the cacophony.

She lead them away from the cliffs and through the grassy part of LightClan territory, and up over the big hill where they could see Fourtrees just down the slope.

Getting up the hill was a lot more difficult than Greysight expected. She felt out of breath even before she reached the top.

Was her lack of sleep really affecting her so much?

By the time they reached the hill's peak, Branchfur and Warflight had taken notice of the audible puffs of hot air coming from Greysight's nose, and the way her body sunk slightly when she made it and was allowed a moments rest.

"Should we take a break here?" asked Branchfur innocently.

The fur on Greysight's spine bristled, and Branchfur realized that he had said the wrong thing.

"What? Don't tell me you two are tired?" Greysight meowed in annoyance. "You just had a nice long nap."

"You're right." Branchfur replied shortly. He couldn't make Greysight do anything she didn't want to, and pressing the issue to a senior warrior- to Greysight, well, even the idea made him want to shrink back a bit.

Greysight paid him no more mind and continued on.

"You're fine," a huff, "And I'm fine."

It started then as she walked, a great pain suddenly shot through one place in her skull, and the headache began. She felt sick to her stomach, and carried an uncomfortable feeling within, as if her belly was full of cold water, sloshing and churning around as she moved.

When they were back in camp, then she would lay down to rest, but not now, when they were so close. She was too eager to return to her clanmates; and so, when the tree tunnel's dark entrance neared their party, as they neared home, Greysight could already feel her body reacting, she could feel the way her body screamed at her to stop moving, and to shut her eyes.

Her legs felt shaky, and she felt almost as if she were shivering, though she did not know if she actually was. If she was then Branchfur and Warflight hadn't said anything about it, which made her think that it was all in her head.

Into the tunnel, under the brambles, into the camp.

Lostheart was awaiting their return, as was Darkpelt, and Raggedear... And Mintleaf, and Ambergaze, and Velouria too...

Warflight and Branchfur with their sense of sight also found it rather easy to pick up on the unusual atmosphere of the camp. The fresh kill pile was there- well, two squirrels were there, but no cat had touched them, no cat was going for them even though it was sundown. There were no cats eating, or sleeping. Everyone was just sort of...there.

Warflight blinked, and he glanced around the camp curiously.

"What's going on?" he asked slowly. "Did something happen?"

Greysight was silent, her mind churning, making it difficult for her to think.

"...Lostheart?" She questioned after a moment as she padded further into the clearing. "What's wrong?"

Had something happened when they were gone?

...Oh no.

No.

Where was Thistleprick? Where was Roseclaw and Moonfur? Why weren't they in camp?

As if she were able to read each of the three arriving cats' thoughts, Lostheart said,

"Don't worry, everything is fine, but I do have to tell you something, Greysight." Lostheart's eyes flickered to the bemused expressions of Branchfur and Warflight. "You two should go speak to your sister."

Saying only those cryptic words before she walked to the side and sat down, Lostheart ended it there.

Branchfur and Warflight both glanced at each other, but mainly shrugged it off. Going to do as Lostheart recommended, they headed in Ambergaze's direction where she awaited them, a warm smile of greeting on her face. Of course, that smile was a mask she wore only for her brothers in this confusing time.

Greysight followed Lostheart, and she was surprised when Velouria joined them, and even more so when Lostheart didn't comment on it.

It was then that Greysight took one of the most blissful seats she had ever taken in her life. She wanted to let out a long sigh, but her head was still throbbing.

"Thistleprick, Roseclaw, and Moonfur are out hunting." Lostheart explained first, to which Greysight tipped her chin in silent response, thankful for the explanation.

Darkpelt padded up behind Lostheart.

"You probably already noticed," Lostheart meowed, "that Pineneedle isn't here."

She hadn't actually. Pineneedle's presence in their camp had become so normal that she hadn't thought much of him at all when they returned to camp; like her clanmates, she expected him to be there and didn't think much else of it.

But it was like Lostheart said, she couldn't detect Pineneedle anywhere nearby.

Had he finally decided to run off?

After all they had been through, it didn't seem like Lostheart and the others would have banished him while they were gone, unless of course Pineneedle had done something during their time away...

"He's dead."

What?

Greysight's mind drew a blank.

Pineneedle was...dead?

It was such a strange thought to her, though she had never realized it. It was a thought that didn't even register in her mind. Pineneedle was just...there. But now she was being told he was dead. Gone and out of her world forever, and she couldn't even remember the last conversation they had.

Their camp was supposed to be protected.

Pineneedle was dead.

How?

Did Darkpelt actually...?!

"Moonfur, Velouria, and I took him out with us. He jumped into the ravine before anyone could stop him."

Just like that, Greysight's expectations were once again subverted, and she didn't know what to say. She probably looked like an owl to anyone who saw her she looked so astounded.

Pineneedle had killed himself? Pineneedle? One of the most hateful, arrogant, prideful, merciless cats she knew, the cat who acted as if he were above them all, had killed himself?

"...Why?" Her voice came out almost as a whisper, communicating her foggy level of understanding.

"In any case," Darkpelt responded gruffly, "We no longer have to worry about TreeClan finding out about him." Despite the nature of what he said, his tone was strangely more collected than usual, as if even he felt bad about saying such a thing, despite it being Pineneedle.

But Darkpelt was right. With Pineneedle gone, DarkClan no longer had to worry about keeping him a secret or the other clans finding out; their situation with TreeClan would still be tense due to Thrushstar's accusations toward Lostheart, but now they didn't have to worry about worsening their clans' relationship, and they didn't have to continue feeding another cat.

The problem had been erased entirely.

"I'm very sorry for your loss..." said Velouria, making Greysight blink.

The old she-cat had a habit of saying strange things. However, neither Greysight, Lostheart, or Darkpelt responded by saying that it wasn't a loss. They didn't want to explain again how Pineneedle wasn't their clanmate or their friend, or how his death was more positive than negative.

They didn't say any of those things which were all true. They stayed quiet.

Darkpelt glanced at each of the three she-cats and took a step back.

"I'm going to turn in for the night." He stated simply, and took his leave after, his pawsteps audible in their silence as he distanced himself from their small group.

In that silence, Greysight's confusion grew into a tangled mass of thoughts. It wasn't something she necessarily wanted to think about, but in her mind and in her heart, she couldn't help the small feeling she had that it was her fault, that she was somehow responsible.

Why had Pineneedle done it?

That tom had always been a mystery to her, to all of them. She couldn't understand the way he thought, or guess what he thought; his ideals had always been so different from their own, they had different ways of thinking, so how could she ever understand?

What was going on inside his head?

What thought would have made him choose to end his life? To convince him that death was the only option, the only escape?

Murderer, kit-killer, worthless, disgusting. Greysight hadn't held back when she spoke to or about him. None of them had. She made it perfectly clear what she thought of him, what DarkClan thought of him. Murderer of TreeClan cats and other clan cats, murderer of innocent TreeClan kits, a cruel, merciless bully who harassed her during her apprentice years. A despicable piece of foxdung who had kidnapped a DarkClan apprentice, had attempted to murder Raggedear, and Ambergaze too. Murderer, killer, coward, traitor, banished. No one wanted him around.

"Cats who grow up without love...such sorry things." Velouria murmured in her elderly tone.

Greysight turned her head toward Lostheart.

"...Why do you think he did it?" she questioned.

Velouria slowly stood up, weary on her stiff old legs.

"I think that some cats...cannot handle kindness." she meowed, after which she dipped her head and padded away, her mysterious words lingering in the air like a whisper, like Pineneedle's memory.

Greysight didn't quite understand Velouria's words, as she had been anything but kind to Pineneedle. She had thought him a cruel, cold-hearted cat; he didn't care. That was always it, he didn't care. She could remind him of all the horrible things he'd done, but he wouldn't care.

The guilt she felt inside told her that maybe...Pineneedle had felt something after all.

"I don't know." meowed Lostheart as she too stood up, wearing a somber, thoughtful expression. "I could come up with several possibilities, but we'll never really know."

They would never really know.

Greysight sat alone and lowered herself further to the ground, tucking her paws beneath her.

She still had to tell her clanmates about the trip and about her vision, but she needed a moment.

She needed a moment of quiet...


AUTHOR'S NOTE

Long time no see! I could have continued the chapter here and made it longer, but I really felt so gung-ho about updating that I had to just post what I have here. I'm very interested to read what you all think, so have a short chap!

-Madmallow

P.S. Yeah chapter updates will continue to be verry slow until the summer.