I hope no one is too mad at me for killing off Cedareyes like that... *inwardly cries* YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER THE STORY, MINTFLIGHT! WHY? Anyways, here's Chapter 23!

"Let's see." Vinefur surveyed the cats in front of her.

The black deputy's fur was sticking out in messy clumps, and Blackdawn assumed that she had just gotten up. Vinefur was getting up in age and many cats wondered who would take her place. Firefur could do it… or my mother…. I guess I don't really know who could take that place. Luckily, I don't have to worry about it right now. Vinefur isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Alright, so for the dawn border patrol, we're going to have Ambermist take Shadewing, Seedstorm, and Thawtail. Check the Cavernclan border. Swiftshine, Hollyclaw, Rushmist, and Oaksplash, go to Springclan."

The cats chosen nodded and headed out of the camp, and Vinefur turned back to the rest of the cats.

"Two hunting patrols… hm. Ferneyes… wait, no, I don't trust you enough." The gray tom gave a fake gasp of hurt.

"But Vinefur!"

"But nothing." Vinefur snapped down at him. "Anyways, I'll have Mudpaws lead it instead. Take Ferneyes, Frondfoot, and Riverlight with you. Lightbriar, you'll lead the other one. Choose three other warriors to go with you. Alright?"

"Yes, Vinefur." Lightbriar dipped her head. "I'll take Wavesight, Mouseclaw, and Copperheart with me."

I'll probably have to end up doing apprentice duties. With no apprentices, younger warriors have to end up doing duties. It's fine, I guess.

Slashclaw headed towards the dirtplace, and Dustwing called to Sagestreak from across the camp. "I'm really sorry to bother you, but my father banned me from getting mallow over at that patch at the Cavernclan border ever since I almost died, but Flamekit is deathly sick and I need mallow as well. Can you go over there and fetch some?"

"Of course." Sagestreak dipped his head and padded out of camp, heading towards Cavernclan territory. Hmm…

"Blackdawn. Since there are no apprentices, go and help the elders, will you?" Vinefur mewed.

"Of course. I'd love to." Blackdawn headed towards the elder's den.

"Ah, hello." Eagleleap blinked up at her as she came in. Rosethorn, the other elder, didn't wake as Blackdawn padded carefully around her. "Who are you again?"

Blackdawn felt a pang of sorrow. She's been losing her memory for a while, but it hurts to know that she doesn't even remember me anymore.

"I'm Blackdawn, Eagleleap." She mewed gently. "Remember? You helped me cheat at hide-and-seek when I was a kit."

Eagleleap's unfocused gaze sparked with recognition. "Oh, yes! Hello Blackdawn, dear. How are you?"

"I'm well." Blackdawn responded politely. "And you?"

"As well as I can be." Eagleleap chuckled.

Blackdawn gave a small smile and began to clear out the old bedding. It was near sunhigh when she finished, and she settled down at the edge of the clearing with a mouse, surveying the camp. Dustwing rushed from the medicine den over to the nursery where Dawnstep was with her other two kits. "He'll live, don't worry."

"Thank Starclan." Dawnstep breathed out, an expression of relief on her face. "Thank you, Dustwing."

"It's only whitecough, you're lucky that we caught it so early." Dustwing responded, limping back into the medicine den.

I guess that's why he couldn't go out to the Cavernclan border. I wonder why Sagestreak isn't back yet.

"Hey, Blackdawn!" Firefur called over to her. "Finish that mouse quickly, you're on a hunting patrol with me, Morningmist, and Sootfall!"

"Alright." Blackdawn stood up, padding over to him. "Where are they?"

"Present." Morningmist mewed from behind her. "Where's my son?"

Firefur glanced around camp. "Sootfall!" "Yes?" The red-and-black tom had suddenly appeared behind his father, and Firefur jumped in surprise.

"Ah, there you are. We're on patrol."

"Ok." The four of them padded out of the camp, the cold forest greeting them.

Leaf-bare is here. Everyone is going to suffer because of it. Even though most of the problems seemed to be during leaf-fall, we're not done yet.

"So." Firefur mewed when they had reached a good spot for hunting. "I thought that we would split up. I'll go with Morningmist, and you two can go together."

Blackdawn exchanged a glance with Sootfall, he shrugged. "Sure."

"Alright then." Firefur set off in a different direction with Morningmist, the two of them chatting about something. Sootfall and Blackdawn hunted for a while, and the two of them headed back towards camp. Blackdawn realized that it was nearly sundown and there was still no sign of her father.

"Sootfall, have you seen Sagestreak anywhere today?"

Sootfall nodded. "Yeah, he was heading back from the Cavernclan border around sunhigh. We were hunting. He said that he had to go and get some prey and left, telling me to go back to camp. I haven't seen him since."

"The last cat who went missing around that border was Dustwing." Blackdawn reminded him nervously. "Maybe Stormstar should know."

She raced back to camp, her paws barely touching the ground.

Please let him be fine. I mean, what could've happened? He's a fully grown warrior as well. He'll be fine.

Stormstar was talking to Vinefur, and Blackdawn felt hesitant to interrupt the leader in the middle of a conversation.

"Um, Stormstar?"

"Yes, Blackdawn?" Stormstar paused.

"I um, well.." Blackdawn gulped. "I haven't seen Sagestreak since sunrise. He headed to that patch of mallow by the Cavernclan border."

Alarm crossed Stormstar's face.

"Sootfall said that Sagestreak had gone back to get prey around sunhigh around that border when they were hunting and hadn't come back."

"The last cat who went missing around that border was Dustwing." Stormstar repeated. "Vinefur, come with me. Blackdawn, grab your mother and your brother."

She nodded and fetched the two warriors, Copperheart looked very nervous when he heard about the news. "He can't have been attacked, could he?"

"We don't know." Blackdawn told him.

They headed out of camp, and Blackdawn could tell that Wolfblaze was trying to put on a brave face for her kits, but anxiety and fear shone in her eyes.

Please, Starclan. Don't do this to me.

The familiar border came up in front of them, and Blackdawn remembered the day that they had found Dustwing, half-dead under a bush.

My father had found him.

Stormstar, at the head of the patrol, was padding along the border carefully, glancing around carefully, and suddenly he stopped, causing Vinefur to nearly crash into him.

A sickening feeling rose in Blackdawn's stomach as she crept around to look at what Stormstar was staring at.

Sagestreak lay by the border in front of them, his normally gray fur drenched in blood. A haunted look lay in his blue eyes, and his throat was grotesquely cut open, red staining the ground around him.

He looks like how Goosepaw did when he died.

Blackdawn let out a shrill wail that pierced the stunned silence of the others, sinking to the ground.

Copperheart sobbed behind her, while Wolfblaze rushed over to her mate's body. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know." Stormstar mewed helplessly.

Wolfblaze pushed her muzzle into Sagestreak's cold fur, but sat upright, anger clouding her gaze.

"Wolfblaze?" Vinefur asked. "What's wrong?"

"Streamclan scent is on his body." Wolfblaze hissed.

Blackdawn glanced up in surprise, a tear dripping from her cheek onto the ground. Stormstar let out a groan.

"It's that Starclan-cursed spy, isn't it?"

"Well, perhaps if you worked harder about finding whoever it was, Sagestreak would still be alive!" Wolfblaze shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Stormstar returned her gaze evenly. "I know."

Copperheart huddled beside Blackdawn, and she wrapped her tail around him, letting him lean into her. Copperheart had always been the stronger one, had always been closer to Sagestreak, Blackdawn knew that this was hitting him harder.

How could this have happened?

Anger replaced fear, and Blackdawn examined Sagestreak's body closer, widening her eyes in surprise. "Whoever killed him lost a claw." She mewed evenly, pointing to the ground nearby.

"You're right." Stormstar's eyes followed her paw. "Which means whoever has lost a claw back at camp killed him."

"That's a huge clue." Copperheart pressed up beside her. "When we find whoever it was, I'll kill them, I swear."

"Then you'll be just as bad as them." Blackdawn replied evenly, wrapping her tail around his.

But part of me wants to agree with you.

Wolfblaze and Stormstar carried Sagestreak's body gently back to camp, and Vinefur led the patrol, her face grim.

"We have bad news." She announced as they padded into camp.

Shocked and fearful yowls rang out as Wolfblaze and Stormstar placed Sagestreak's body gently on the ground in the middle of the clearing. Stormstar came to stand beside it, his blue-green gaze shimmering with grief, but also with anger.

"Sagestreak was murdered, for what reason we don't know." He paused. "He was murdered by a Streamclan cat."

Nervous murmuring started up around the clearing, and Blackdawn glanced around at all of them, wondering which one had killed Goosepaw and her father.

Whoever you are, fox-heart, be ready to die.

"Whoever killed Sagestreak lost a claw." Stormstar finished, gazing around the clearing. "So. Who was it? You can't hide forever."

There was an eerie silence that spread over the clearing, cats glancing at their paws and at each other.

Distrustful looks passed everywhere and Blackdawn couldn't help looking at other cat's claws.

I can't let this murderer stay hidden in the Clan.

"I knew that you wouldn't find out until the last moment." A cat stepped out of the shadows, his black fur blending into the surroundings. His blue eyes glinted coldly. "I knew that you'd never suspect me."

Slashclaw held up his left forepaw, displaying four claws to everyone.

It was him.

He smirked. "I killed Goosepaw. I killed Sagestreak. I'm the spy." His smirk turned into a twisted grin.

"Are you happy now, Stormstar? Are you happy that I've finally revealed my secret?"

AHAHAHAHA THIS WAS OBVIOUS BUT STILLLLL... now you know who both of the spies are! I'm sorry for killing off Sagestreak but like... Why is that mallow patch the place where all the bad stuff happens? Alright, please review, they make my day and I love to hear your opinions! I actually am surprised that I got a chapter out today! I hope that everyone is staying safe!

Have a good day (or night), everyone, and keep writing!

-Mintflight