Sorry for the delay again with this chapter, been having some technical issues and have been busy with studying as well.

Cloudeater walked around the Clan, gathering the votes of each cat before he returned to his leader's side.

Sunnystar scoffed at the result but nodded at his deputy and addressed the Clan.

"A few guilty votes, but not nearly enough for an exile, therefore Birchmask will be staying in SolarClan."

Birchmask let out a sigh of relief, glad to escape the stares of his clanmates, and padded back to his daughter, who was still furiously glaring at Sunnystar and Cloudeater.

"No cat should let down their guard. Ivyvine was lucky enough that the warriors with her were able to find her in time, but if an attack happens again, I fear the outcome won't be the same... We should return to our usual duties for now but continue to make sure that everyone has at least one cat with them at all times," Cloudeater meowed, earning a slight nod of agreement from Sunnystar.

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The sun was already high over the SolarClan hill as Dawnshadow woke from her sleep, looking around the warrior's den as she prepared to start her duties for the day. She sighed as her eyes met the spot behind her where Maplefeather used to sleep, it had been almost a moon since her daughter was attacked, but she still couldn't shake the feelings of sadness every time she got up from her nest.

Shaking her head, the she-cat left the warriors den, almost walking straight into Cypressberry as the warrior tripped over her own paws, falling headfirst into the ground before her.

"S-Sorry Dawnshadow," Cypressberry mumbled, awkwardly picking herself up as she straightened, before tilting her head.

"It's fi-" Dawnshadow tried to say, before the she-cat accidentally interrupted her mid sentence, trying to get the words out quickly.

"By the way, I think Chestnutpaw was looking for you earlier, she sounded really angry, I mean she's angry a lot, like her father, but today she was furious, she was yelling at poor Peachpaw. So... anyway, bye," Cypressberry meowed, padding off before Dawnshadow could respond.

The ginger she-cat blinked, her mind trying to catch up with what Cypressberry had said for a moment, before sighing, looking toward the apprentice's den.

'This has to be about Sunnystar refusing to let her leave camp...'

Deciding she would rather try and talk some sense into her mate than face her daughter's tantrum, she instead headed toward Sunnystar's den, slipping inside the large hollow tree at the edge of camp to see her mate still in his nest. There was only room for one cat inside, it was a space that Sunnystar refused to share with anyone, not even his mate, as the tom preferred to sleep in solitude.

"Sunnystar, I need to talk to you, it's about Chestnutpaw," Dawnshadow meowed. The ginger tom raised his head, getting to his paws as he turned around.

"If she's still asking to leave camp, the answer is no. As long as she's in camp she's safe, unless you want her to die out there like Maplefeather did," he hissed, his eyes narrowed as he waited for his mate to respond.

Dawnshadow refused to back down, ignoring his vicious gaze as she thought about her daughters.

"That isn't fair, Sunnystar. You know how much Chestnutpaw wants to be a warrior, and you let the other apprentices leave camp. I love her and I want to protect her too, but she'll be safe with her mentor, and-"

"How can you be so sure? We can't trust anyone!" Sunnystar snarled, as his mate sighed.

"Listen, I understand how terrifying this situation is, our kit is gone and I nearly lost one of my closest friends too, and I understand you've had a hard time trusting anyone after Heatherdusk left you and SolarClan, but you're the leader of this Clan, and a leader must allow all of their clanmates to be strong and powerful warriors, their kin included," Dawnshadow tried, before Sunnystar cut her off again, but this time he leapt forward in a fit of rage, raking a claw against his mate's side.

"How dare you mention that traitor in front... of... me," Sunnystar initially screeched, before trailing off into silence as he looked at the blood on his claw and realized what he'd done.

Splinterwood put a paw inside the den, looking at them from the outside with a look of disapproval in her eyes.

"Could you keep your arguments quiet? You're scaring my kits!" the queen scolded, unafraid of the leader, before she spotted the blood dripping down Dawnshadow's side.

"Dawnshadow, are you alright?' Splinterwood asked, moving to try and assist the she-cat before Dawnshadow snapped out of her shocked daze.

'I... I can't be seen like this...'

With her only safe place in her mind, she pushed past the concerned queen, bolted out of the den and raced to the camp entrance, ignoring the cries of the camp guards for her not to leave camp alone.

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Dawnshadow sighed as she finally stopped running, reaching the quiet clearing at the edge of North Hill, giving her paws a break as she sat down beneath a large oak tree. She winced at the sting of the wound on her side as she shifted, but she didn't feel ready to go back and get help yet.

"He's never going to change... It doesn't matter what I try to say or do. I miss the cat I used to know," the tabby murmured to herself, her frustration with him turning to misery as she thought back to who he once was.

Behind her, a cat was hidden behind a tree, quietly listening to her soft murmurs. They tilted their head, wondering if the she-cat would continue, but Dawnshadow suddenly frowned.

The ginger cat had picked up a scent in the air, getting to her paws as she found the scent of her own Clan. Anxiety in her chest, she turned around, and snarled, "Show yourself!"

The cat rolled their eyes, but stepped out of the trees and into the light, the bright sun emphasising the green in their gaze as they turned to face the warrior.

"What are you doing, hiding in the trees like that? How did you even know I was here?" Dawnshadow snapped, annoyed at the loss of privacy.

"I know everything about the cats in this broken Clan, I know this is where you run to when it all becomes too much... rather odd for a senior warrior really, you'd think such a skilled cat would have better things to do than running away from their problems," the cat meowed, their words becoming mocking as they continued.

"Oh well, no need to run anymore. I'll let you die right here, so close to where Maplefeather died too."

Dawnshadow stared at the grinning cat, her claws already unsheathed as she prepared to attack the killer.

"You were the one who killed her? I swear to StarClan, I will send you to the Dark Forest, you fox-heart!" the ginger warrior screeched, sprinting forward and raking her claws downward as she managed to strike her attacker's back leg. They winced, but met her attack with their own, slashing at her side where she had been wounded earlier, causing Dawnshadow to let out a shriek as the pain from her existing injury doubled.

Hissing as she tried to ignore the agony in her side, she leapt away, ducking under another attack as she ran in from the right, pushing her attacker with all her strength. They fell backwards, and Dawnshadow pinned them down, feeling triumph as she prepared to take revenge for Maplefeather.

The cat beneath her refused to give in, kicking upwards as they tried to force the warrior away from them, managing to free their paws from Dawnshadow's weight and slashing upwards and reaching the warrior's throat. Dawnshadow choked, and stumbled away, the attacker managing to get up while she did.

The ginger she-cat looked as if she wanted to speak, fury in her eyes as she never stopped glaring at the killer, still desperate for vengeance, but eventually her injuries became too much, and she fell to the ground, her throat covered in blood. After a moment, her expression became blank, and she became limp in the grass.

Satisfied that another cat had been successfully killed, the cat turned and ran, trying to ignore the aching of their wounded leg.

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"Romeo! Help! It's Dawnshadow!" Peachpaw cried, dropping the rabbit that he had been hunting as he spotted the she-cat's limp body.

"Peachpaw, you were supposed to be hunting independently..." Romeo meowed, before his eyes widened, the tom quickly walking to meet his apprentice, trying to examine her wounds.

"D-Do you think there's anything we can do for her?" the white tom whispered.

After a moment, Romeo shook his head sadly, giving his apprentice a comforting lick on the ear.

"No, I think it's too late. But we can't leave her out here, find Eveningpaw and her mentor and we'll take her back to camp," he murmured.

—------------------------

Dawnshadow's body was lying in the center of camp, the Clan silent as they stared at the she-cat's limp form in shock and grief. The only sounds that could be heard were Chestnutpaw's wails of grief as she pressed her muzzle into her mother's fur, shaking as she felt the loss of another one of her kin.

Sunnystar's expression was blank, and Cloudeater tentatively padded up to his side, nervously murmuring, "Sunnystar, are you feeling all right? I know this must be difficult for you."

The ginger tom blinked, but didn't answer his deputy's question, and continued staring wordlessly at his mate's body.

After a moment, Cloudeater shifted his paws, and grimaced as he prepared his next words.

"She- She didn't deserve to die, especially a warrior as strong as her. We need to have another vote," he meowed, anxiously watching Sunnystar for an answer.

"Vote, then."

His words were barely a whisper, only loud enough for Cloudeater to hear. With his permission given, Sunnystar walked away from the grieving crowd, and slipped into his den in silence.

Cloudeater swallowed, unnerved by his leader's unusual behaviour, but he gathered himself and padded up to the crowd, raising his voice to get their attention.

"Sunnystar has allowed us another vote," he announced, and the Clan turned to him, their eyes nervous as they knew another accusation was coming. "Dawnshadow was a proud SolarClan cat, and a true warrior, we must find the cat who killed her, and her daughter, and get justice for them both."

He took a deep breath, looking over his clanmates for a moment, and then meowed, "I accuse...!"

—------------------------

First visual clue revealed: The killer has, at least to some degree, green in their eyes

Cats who apply to this clue (cats who have already been attacked not included): Sunnystar, Sycamoresight, Pinerunner, Eclipselight, Cypressberry, Birchmask, Romeo, Chestnutpaw, Webwhisker

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Attacked: Dawnshadow

Healed: Adderspark (Incorrect)

Accused: Cloudeater, check PMs

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