A.N.: Hi there Redflower! I'm really glad to hear that you're enjoying the story! As for your OCs, I'm more than happy to accept some, but I don't want to accept all of them because LightClan is growing too large lol. So if you'd like to narrow down your list a bit to maybe four at most, that'd be great. Thanks! :) As for the "familiar tabby" that no one guessed before this chapter, no prize. Hope you enjoy this next chapter! ~12HockeyChick21
P.O.V. Of Moonshadow
"L-Larchbreeze... oh StarClan, no!" Moonshadow exclaimed, running over to his older sister's body and thrust his nose into her already cold fur.
"What happened?! Should I go get Silverberry?" Graybird gasped. Moonshadow shook his head, not even moving from his sister's pelt.
"No... it's too late." He examined her body, discovering the source of the blood that drenched her brown tabby fur. His sister's throat had been completely slit. Moonshadow sat back and bit back tears. "Who could have done this?"
"Moonshadow look..." Graybird nosed Larchbreeze's paws. The she-cat had tufts of dirty, dark brown fur between her claws. Moonshadow bent his head back down and sniffed the fur. He didn't recognize the scent at all.
"Don't touch it, Fawnheart may be able to use it to figure out what happened to her." Graybird mewed, pawing at Moonshadow. The dark tom nodded and carefully lifted his sister's body, his heart shattering slowly.
"Help me carry her back to camp." He meowed to Graybird.
"Moonshadow? Oh StarClan..." His apprentice Softpaw appeared with a mouse in her jaw, then dropped it in shock.
"Softpaw, go tell Redsplash and Flypaw our hunting patrol has to be cut short... Meet us back at camp please." Moonshadow ordered, not even getting a chance to praise Softpaw for her first catch. He and Graybird carried Larchbreeze's body and the two of them headed back to camp.
Later that night, Moonshadow and his family sat in vigil for Larchbreeze, mourning her in silence. Moonshadow's eyes drifted around, flitting from Spiderstar, Leafpool, Stormheart, and Otterstrike. He remembered his sisters in ThunderClan, Fernpelt and Hollysong. They'd want to know about Larchbreeze's death, but before he could mention it to his father, a yowl broke through the silence.
"Let me see her! PLEASE! I have to say goodbye!" Dustcloud and Fawnheart were in the entrance to the elders' den, Fawnheart trying to hold him back.
"Dustcloud no! You must stay inside or you will get sicker or spread the disease.
"Please... just five minutes with her... please." Dustcloud begged between coughs, his voice quieter and raspy. Fawnheart sighed and stepped aside.
"Fine..." Then she looked to Moonshadow and the rest. "I need to speak with you all please while Dustcloud sits with Larchbreeze."
Moonshadow stood up first, Spiderstar following, helping Leafpool to her paws. Otterstrike and Stormheart exchanged glances before standing as well and the five of them padded over to the medicine cat.
"What is it Fawnheart?" Moonshadow glanced at Spiderstar when he spoke, sounding exhausted. He and Leafpool looked absolutely distressed, Moonshadow's mother frowning before burying her face into Spiderstar's fur. Moonshadow felt Otterstrike bump into his body, so he tossed a glance at his littermate, who looked antsy on his paws.
Fawnheart cleared her throat after taking a moment to watch Dustcloud lay down beside Larchbreeze's body.
"After my examination of Larchbreeze I've concluded..." She trailed off and Otterstrike stiffened beside Moonshadow and the dark gray tom felt his brother biting back a comment. Moonshadow placed his tail tip on his brother's shoulder and Otterstrike pulled away.
"Come on Fawnheart... we can handle it." Spiderstar mewed. Leafpool brought her face out.
"If it's important, we must know." She said what all of them most have been thinking. Moonshadow sat at attention with Stormheart and Otterstrike.
"... Larchbreeze was murdered."
P.O.V. Of Otterstrike
"What?!" Otterstrike couldn't help but exclaim after Fawnheart uttered those words, but then ended up eating his father's tail. Otterstrike spit it out angrily, but said nothing.
"Murdered?!" Spiderstar echoed, stepping forward slightly. "A-are you sure, Fawnheart?"
The medicine cat dipped her head solemnly.
"Yes Spiderstar... I'm sure. She had all the signs of defense against a cat she was fighting. And I recognize the brown fur between her claws..."
"Please, dear StarClan at least tell me it isn't the fur of a LightClan cat." Leafpool murmured breathlessly. Fawnheart sat back on her haunches.
"No... worse. It's the fur of one of Dark's old rogues that we let free. It's my daughter... she's back for revenge."
"Oh Fawnheart..." Leafpool padded forward to comfort the medicine cat while Otterstrike let out a mrrrw of confusion. He knew Fawnheart was one of the old LightClan ancestors that his mother and father had found and that she was the evil leader Dark's sister as well as Rockfoot, Sunfire's father, but he had no idea Fawnheart had had kits. He knew the Warrior Code didn't allow medicine cats to have kits, so perhaps she had had the kits before she joined LightClan. Otterstrike's half siblings, Hollyleaf and then Jayfeather and Lionblaze of ThunderClan were a result of Leafpool having kits when she was a medicine cat, which had resulted in her having to step down from the position. Otterstrike was kind of glad she did, or he and his other siblings wouldn't have even been a thought.
"What do we do?" Stormheart asked, breaking the silence.
"We have to find her, whoever she is." Otterstrike bristled in anger, his claws digging into the dirt as he imagined digging into the cat who had killed his sister.
"Otterstrike..." Moonshadow murmured, but Fawnheart put her paw up.
"No, he's right... I should have never let her go free. I knew exactly what she was capable of and I let her go..." Fawnheart shook her head, visibly upset.
"You tried, Fawnheart. It's not your fault. We can handle it." Spiderstar put in. "I'll send out a patrol to scan the area first thing in the morning."
Fawnheart nodded, but before she could verbally respond Dustcloud's coughing broke out and she straightened up.
"Dustcloud. Come now, back inside." She ordered. The large tabby frowned, but didn't argue this time. The two cats returned to the sick den, Fawnheart bobbing her head to them.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." She mewed quietly.
Otterstrike stood there with the rest of his family before Leafpool sighed and was the first to return to Larchbreeze's body. Stormheart went to join their mother and before Spiderstar could do the same, Moonshadow stopped him. Otterstrike pricked his ears as his littermate spoke in a hushed tone.
"Father... don't you think we should also send a patrol to ThunderClan... you know, to tell Fernpelt and Hollysong what's happened?" Moonshadow asked.
"Also to warn them that some of the rogues may be back and to not let cats go out alone." Otterstrike put in, trying to be helpful. Spiderstar nodded.
"Yes, that's a good idea, both of you. Moonshadow, you can lead the patrol in search for the rogues, Otterstrike, you can lead the patrol to ThunderClan. You're welcome to pick the cats to go with you, just choose properly please." Spiderstar mewed, then gave a yawn before going to join Leafpool and Stormheart. Otterstrike and Moonshadow both nodded in respect and followed him. Otterstrike was disappointed that he couldn't go searching for that foxdung cat, but at least he'd get to see his other sisters and the rest of ThunderClan.
