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Once again, everything was entirely still but now colors and light illuminated her dream. Lynxpaw was perched upon Tall Stone, the light from the cave entrance flitting over her pelt and lighting the cavern. Her pelt felt warm in the faint breach of sunlight but still an uneasy feeling traveled down her spine and bristled her pelt. She was within the confines of her home but yet it all felt eerie and abnormal.

It was all utterly quiet. There was no paws shuffling across the rocky surface or noisy littermates playing near the nursery. Despite the fact the dream aligned so closely with reality, Lynxpaw couldn't help but feel as if she was trapped within another colorless, empty void. There was no sound or familiar presences and as the light began to fade at the breach of sunset, it all grew dim and petrifying.

Even when the cavern grew dark, there was still not even an echo of an owl soaring by or a cricket chirping a simplistic melody. Lynxpaw would much rather be trapped in a ravaging thunderstorm or standing before the poisoned mouse again, the silent environment unnerving her immensely. Every exhale was audible and she could practically hear her own heart drumming frantically within her chest.

Suddenly, her paws felt damp and warm. Lynxpaw's gaze slowly scanned down, the molly dreading what strange occurrence that awaited her. She sucked in a breath and her mind buzzed with pessimistic thoughts. Lynxpaw knew from her vision before that she had to expect the worst from them and be prepared, even if it mirrored a reality that she apprehended.

Her eyes stretched to resemble a full moon when she spotted blood soaking her paws. The liquid had no source, as she didn't feel the sting of a wound on her own body. Lynxpaw's breathing hitched when it dampened her paws like moss caught in a rainstorm and it dripped off the side of Tall Stone. Small specks of blood landed on the cavern floor, the air still so quiet the faint plop could faintly be heard.

A voice was then carried in by a soft breeze entering the cavern. Lynxpaw's fur ruffled as the chilling air rushed over her and words were spoken to her in a raspy whisper. Her eyes flickered with concern and she held her breath as she processed the warning she heard.

"Malice shall corrupt reality, and turn blood on blood for a rotting wait of revenge."

Darkness then devoured her, Lynxpaw's paws no longer damp and the cold breeze no longer lingering over her body. Her eyes snapped open to reveal the apprentice den before, the hair on her spine still spiked as a light wave of trepidation remained intact with her. She parted her jaws and released a drawn out exhale, lifting her head from her paws to stare towards the entrance of the den.

Two shadows passed over her body due to the sunlight flitting through the entrance. Lynxpaw squinted her airs to recognize Foxpaw and Mottledpaw standing there, speaking in a soft murmur to one another. Lynxpaw clenched her teeth at the sight of them. Did she cause any commotion while she was dreaming and did they notice? Perhaps that was what they were conversing so quietly about.

Before she stood and made her presence known, the apprentice took a moment to comprehend the dream. It was so realistic that it nearly seemed as if she was living a reality, but the mirror of it was fractured by the ominous pool of blood seeping under her paws. Lynxpaw shuddered at reminisce of her dream from before, which had predicted the devastating loss of Marshleap. Was this dream another warning of the future?

Lynxpaw shook the spiraling thoughts away. No, I just... I'm going through the guilt of Marshleap's death, the molly told herself, a frown pulling at her lips. Afterall, I could've stopped his death. His blood is on my paws and that's all that dream truly meant.

"Lynxpaw?"

She flinched when she heard Mottledpaw's familiar voice call her name. Lynxpaw snapped back to reality and eyed the calico who now stood facing her, Foxpaw glancing over her shoulder to watch them. Lynxpaw wasn't incredibly close with the two, for she never trained alongside them and only had small conversations before she slept, but Mottledpaw seemed concerned for the fellow apprentice. Lynxpaw could not blame her though, especially if she witnessed Lynxpaw clawing at her moss bed or thrashing about during her unnerving dream.

"I'm surprised you're the last awake," Foxpaw hummed, turning her head to glance back ahead. "Usually Hawkpaw is the last to wake and you're the first. The two of you must have switched bodies."

Lynxpaw forced a smile onto her face not only at the she-cat's words, but to assure a staring Mottledpaw that she was fine. The calico watched her as she stood from her nest and adjusted her posture, her muscles tense. "I had a lot going on last night," Lynxpaw retorted, her gaze wandering away from the two at the hint she left to the startling events.

"So... was Marshleap really murdered?" Foxpaw suddenly blurted out in questioning.

The medicine cat apprentice's gaze fell to her paws at the mention of Marshleap. Her ears pinned back against her head and her tail grazed the surface below her. Lynxpaw's ears twitched lightly though when she heard Mottledpaw growl a defensive reply to Foxpaw.

"That's not a question you should be asking to her right now," Mottledpaw snapped, Lynxpaw glancing up to the apprentice at her words. "She's been through a lot and she has witnessed a lot. Give her some time before you ask such inconsiderate questions!"

Mottledpaw was the eldest apprentice of the den and even though it wasn't entirely noticable, there was a hierarchy amongst the apprentices. The eldest were normally the most respected and looked up to and no other apprentice dared to trek over their moss bed and ruin their day. Despite the fact the two were acquaintances, Foxpaw still treated Mottledpaw as if she was her mentor, bowing her head and sighing at her icy cold words.

"I'm sorry, guess my curiosity just got the best of me," Foxpaw murmured, her ears folding back.

Lynxpaw was quick to reply to the younger she-cat before Mottledpaw could scoff one herself. "It's okay, I completely understand." The medicine cat then turned to eye Mottledpaw and flashed her a warm smile of recognition. "Thank you for sticking up for me, but it doesn't mean we have to argue."

Mottledpaw dipped her head to Lynxpaw but before they could share any other words, their ears perked at a familiar call echoing within the cavern. "May all cats gather before Tall Stone for an important clan meeting!"

Mottledpaw and Foxpaw shared a glance of confusion before they exited the den together. The apprentices were oblivious to why Cottonstar was calling for a meeting so early, but Lynxpaw knew the exact purpose of it. She nipped at her lips as anxiety curled into a tight knot in the depths of her stomach. Today is the day Nightfrost and I truly begin our investigation, she told herself. Today is the day we start to prove Hawkpaw's innocence.

Lynxpaw padded outside the den a few moments after Mottledpaw and Foxpaw left to join the gathering crowd. Her eyes scanned the group until she spotted Cottonstar standing upon Tall Stone, his narrowed gaze observing RidgeClan carefully. Meanwhile, Heroncall stepped off to the side of the stone upon a smaller perch, the molly just as oblivious as the rest of the clan. Had Cottonstar not confided in Heroncall with discussing the events of last night?

"Lynxpaw!"

The apprentice's ears perked when the familiar call of her mother could be heard. Her gaze wandered to the far side of the crowd where Fawnleap sat with Hawkpaw at her side and Nightfrost close by. Lynxpaw forced a grin onto her face at the sight of them, ushering away the thoughts that clashed within her brain. She could barely stomach the sympathy and sorrow that crafted an irritating sensation, acidic and painful, in her stomach as she approached her brother's side.

"Any idea what this is all about?" Hawkpaw muttered to her, Fawnleap glancing to her side at them to acknowledge the conversation and listen. "Redpaw told me it may just be Mottledpaw's warrior ceremony, but from my knowledge she hasn't had her assesment yet. But then again, it could be about... Marshleap."

Lynxpaw flinched at the melancholy that laced Hawkpaw's voice. She had never seen the quirky, vivacious presence that was her brother so down before and it sent a wave of discomfort flooding over her. Lynxpaw felt as if it was all her fault, for she could have saved Marshleap and she could have informed Hawkpaw of the whispers passed about emphasising his name. He was a suspect, and it was all his own sister's fault.

"I'm not sure," Lynxpaw managed to murmur in response.

"I'm for certain most of you are unsure of why I have called a sudden meeting," Cottonstar spoke up, his foggy gaze scanning over the crowd. "As all of you know, Marshleap passed last night and we miss him dearly. He was one of our strongest warriors, and a friend to most of us. There was a shocking discovery though, one that hurts my heart to speak out loud as the truth. Nightfrost and Lynxpaw helped us to discover a deathberry hidden in the mouse Marshleap feasted on prior to his death."

A gasp echoed from the crowd, soft murmurs following as every cat voiced their concerns to one another. Lynxpaw peered nervously out of the corner of her gaze to spot Hawkpaw with a horrified expression plastered to his face, eyes wide and jaw gaped out of shock. She knew that in that moment, Hawkpaw was already beginning to understand the ties he had to Marshleap's death and how all the evidence could point directly to him. Hawkpaw's face dropped and his head lowered, pure shame and trepidation visible in his wide gaze.

"The only cat we currently have to blame is the one who delivered the mouse themselves to Marshleap," Cottonstar spoke, a growl audible from the tom as his gaze wandered over to Hawkpaw. "Hawkpaw, we have every right to believe you are the one who killed Marshleap."

Hawkpaw remained frozen in place, every gaze landing on him. Hisses rang from the crowd directed at Hawkpaw and any cat near him aside from his kin and Nightfrost stepped away. Lynxpaw knew that her brother wanted to defend himself, but the immediate news left him glued to the rocky earth and his breathing clamorous and exasperated. Fawnleap instead stood from beside him though, their mother casting a challenging gaze towards Cottonstar himself.

"My son would never hurt any cat, especially his own mentor!" Fawnleap spat defensively. "He admired Marshleap and he was Hawkpaw's inspiration. You're hollow-headed if you belie-"

"Quiet!" Cottonstar snapped to interrupt Fawnleap, but she did not dare to flinch at his icy, demanding tone. Lynxpaw admired her mother's confidence, but worry washed over her when she spotted the anger visible across Cottonstar's crossed expression. Their leader was severely different recently, and a challenge to his authority seemed more so like a threat to him. "You will not question my word. As of now, Hawkpaw is the only possible suspect."

Fawnleap narrowed her eyes at his commands, but she sat down and curled her tail defensively around Hawkpaw instead. Lynxpaw felt guilt burrowed a hole through her heart as she observed her brother, the tabby hanging his head with not a foxlength of euphoria written onto his face. It was odd for Hawkpaw to be viewed as ashamed and heartbroken, and the sight made Lynxpaw shudder and released a swarm of butterflies into her stomach.

"But before you get your whiskers in a twist, I have made an agreement with our medicine cats." Lynxpaw glanced away as all attention was directed towards her and Nightfrost before Cottonstar continued. "If they can find any other possible suspect by the next sunset, Hawkpaw's name will be cleansed and he will remain here. If not, Hawkpaw will be exiled."

Lynxpaw's heart was pulverized to bits at his words and she watched as Hawkpaw and her mother fell apart beside her. Guilt resurfaced amongst the stirring storm of emotions gnawing at her nerves. Lynxpaw inhaled a quick breath and spotted Nightfrost peering back at her from ahead, his eyes glinting with a flash of worry and sympathy for her families situation. They were falling apart due to the sudden murder of Marshleap, and most of it felt like Lynxpaw's fault.

"Leafdance and Flareheart, you two will watch Hawkpaw during his stay in the elders den. We must contain him, even if he is proved innocent in the end," Cottonstar demanded. "Daisytuft, you can stay in the medicine cat den with Nightfrost until further notice. With that said, every cat may return to their normal duties at this time."

The group parted at his final statement, murmurs passing from cat to cat as they discussed the issue at paw. Lynxpaw gulped and turned to eye Hawkpaw, who slowly stood to his paws as Fawnleap whispered words of encouragement to the apprentice.

"It will be okay, my honey drop, your sister and Nightfrost know you're innocent and they will work towards proving it the best they can," Fawnleap told Hawkpaw reassuringly, her tail caressing down the tom's spine to comfort him.

As Leafdance and Flareheart padded over to them, Lynxpaw shuddered when Fawnleap looked towards her. It was similiar to the gaze Mottledpaw had casted her last night, causing anxiety to rise as bile to sting her throat. Her mother glanced to her as if she was Hawkpaw's final hope, but it was only the noticeable truth. She now held Hawkpaw's fate in the pad of her paws, and it was a burden to carry.

"I don't understand," Hawkpaw murmured, his voice rigid and rough. He stumbled over his words for a moment before he managed to continue. "I-I would never hurt Marshleap. Why does Cottonstar think I hurt Marshleap?"

Lynxpaw shivered at her brother's hopeless words but Flareheart managed to come to his aid before she could spit up her own reply. "We're all stuck right now. None of us have anyone to blame and with every cat heartbroken over his loss, they'll be willing to point a claw at any possible murderer," they explained softly to Hawkpaw.

"They're right, Hawkpaw," Leafdance spoke up, pressing his muzzle to the agonized apprentice's ear. "But don't worry, we'll keep watch of you and make sure you are treated just as fairly regardless of what others believe. I'm sure Lynxpaw and Nightfrost will be able to find the true murderer in time."

Hawkpaw lifted his head and casted the two warriors a faint smile of recognition. His gaze then shifted to meet Lynxpaw's, the medicine cat apprentice frozen before him. There is that same look again, Lynxpaw thought, clenching her teeth and grinding them slowly across one another. Every cat is relying on me but I'm working with little to nothing!

"I'll tell you and Nightfrost everything I know, but I know Marshleap had no enemies. Every cat was his ally and every RidgeClan member cherished his presence, including me," Hawkpaw croaked, his voice faltering as the small flame of hope visible in his eyes flickered to and fro. "I didn't know that mouse would kill him. It was a part of the prey pile. It appeared like a normal mouse. I never intentionally meant for it to poison him."

Lynxpaw nodded, the she-cat pressing forward towards her brother. She touched her muzzle to his and then brushed across his cheek, mumbling to him as they embraced. "I will try my hardest to make sure I clear your name. I know you didn't hurt him and I even speak so in the name of the Star Realm. I love you, Hawkpaw, and I'm going to fight for you no matter what."

"I love you too," Hawkpaw muttered to the molly as they pulled away from one another.

Leafdance nudged Hawkpaw and the two alongside Flareheart made their way towards the elder's den. Lynxpaw stared after them with worry crafting a shadow over her face, her lip quivering with frustration and sorrow. She felt Fawnleap brush her pelt against her own, her mother keeping her close as she mumbled to her.

"Try your hardest, dear, but don't stress yourself out too much," Fawnleap reminded her, dragging her tongue across the top of her head. "I know you want to help your brother, but sadly things don't always go as planned."

"Fawnleap is right."

Lynxpaw was nearly frightened out of her pelt at Nightfrost's sudden words. The medicine cat stepped up to Lynxpaw's other side, casting the two an sympathizing glance. She understood her mentor knew how they felt, for the possibility of losing kin even to exile was petrifying and gloomy. He sighed and hung his head as he shook it to and fro, almost as if he was in utter denial for speaking with Cottonstar.

"I did not expect that telling Cottonstar that would leave him to believe that Hawkpaw would murder his own mentor. Usually he takes things into consideration and processes them for days, but he was quick to jump to conclusions alongside Mossflower," Nightfrost pointed out. "Then again, every cat is grieveing. As I've learned from my times of being a medicine cat, cats are quick to make assumptions when it comes to a sudden loss. But still... everything seems odd and eerie about this. Things aren't adding up at all."

Lynxpaw frowned at his words but began to zone out from reality as Nightfrost and Fawnleap engaged in their own conversation. She turned to glance towards Tall Stone, her fur bristling as she recalled the events from her dream. Lynxpaw remembered the feeling of the blood under her paws, oozing through the cracks in her pads and dripping down the edge of the stone.

Perhaps it was a warning, but it merely made no sense to her. If it was meant to mirror the murder of Marshleap taking a dramatic, agonizing hold on her clan, why would it appear after the effects were already visible and predictable? Lynxpaw narrowed her eyes and could picture the blood falling in the form of droplets to the surface below, landing with a delicate plop.

Soon enough, that blood would be visible on another's paws, and everything would be clear and easygoing once again.

this chapter is dedicated to my beloved floof noodle, ezra, who passed while i was in the procress of writing this

♡ 2.6.19 ♡