--The path you walk, you walk alone"--

Maplepaw felt as if her pelt was covered in dry mud. Unable to move, feeling helpless and weighed down.

She padded to camp, her paws flopping mindlessly as she came to lean on Bramblestar's sholder, wailing in greef as she placed her face into his pelt.

"Maplepaw?" He asked, shocked by her sudden out burst of greef. "What happened to Jayfeather?"

All the noise brought the cats from out their dens, their faces now slightly less confused and more angry with Maplepaw's yowls.

"Jayfeather's dead. Silverwhisp killed him!" Maplepaw screeched, her body falling limp to the ground.

"What?" Bramblestar asked the apprentice, though he knew no answer would come from her.

"Silverwhisp killed Jayfeather!?" Birchfall meowed shocked by the sudden news.

"Isn't it into the warrior code that medicine cats are to do everything in their power to save a cat or die trying!?" Emberpetal hissed, the fur on her back arching up as she looked to her leader for guidance.

Bramblestar felt lost for words. He knew that this problem was his and his alone to solve. He could kick her out, but then lose his last medicine cat. He could leave her in the position of medicine cat and let her feel her own guilt for killing Jayfeather- after all, Maplepaw will most likely never forgive the she-cat.

"Cats of ThunderClan! This news brings us all great distress, and with a heavy heart, we now have to morn the death of a great, and loyal medicine cat. He will continue to watch us through StarClan." Bramblestar yowled, his eyes looking to Maplepaw. "Maplepaw, where's Silverwhisp?" He asked, his tone serious.

"In the medicine cat's den." Maplepaw meowed quickly, almost speaking in and soft whisper.

Before Bramblestar could move to fetch the medicine cat, she had already come out from the trees. Her pelt covered with partly dry blood, as well as on her claws.

"I am sorry for what I have done. I thought that Jayfeather would have been better in StarClan than to continue his suffering here. I am very sorry and I will accept any punishment you wish to give me." Silverwhisp meowed bowing her head to all the cats who gave her death glares.

"I shall give you no punishment. The feeling of your own gilt will be your own punishment." Bramblestar meowed, though he too, felt the need to rid of this she-cat.

-

Maplepaw sat with Jayfeather's body in the night. She felt the cool chill of winter, the small snowflakes falling down onto her chilled body.

No other cat thought to stay with Jayfeather, they thought it best to leave Maplepaw sitting in vigil on her own- seeing as how she was closest to the tom.

"Oh Jayfeather, what a horrid death you've come to." Maplepaw whispered to herself, looking at the still body of Jayfeather.

Looking up to silverpelt, she thought of how irritated Jayfeather would be around all the new StarClan cats always bothering him.

"It's hard to lose another, Maplepaw." Bramblestar meowed, though Maplepaw did not look at her leader. She was too deep in her own thoughts and greef.

"How did you react when Squirrelflight died?" Maplepaw asked. She looked into her leader's eyes, looking for an answer.

"It was very hard. I loved her, though I know my Clanmates need me here right now, and I will continue to surve ThunderClan until I stop breathing." Bramblestar's words comforted Maplepaw, and for a second she lost the feeling of loneliness. Though it came back, it always had.

"Thank you Bramblestar. It means a lot for you to comfort me." She meowed, though her tone didn't sound too reassuring.

"Always." He meowed.

The cold wind blew past Maplepaw, brushing past her amber pelt. Howls of wolves could be heard in the night, making Maplepaw's pelt arch up. Her mind raced through thoughts of Jayfeather and her sister.

"Do you think I could be happy, Gingerpaw?" Looking at her dead ansesters in the sky, she waited for a soft whisper, or a sign, to comfort her loss. Nothing moved, all was quiet. It was as if StarClan had silenced everything except for the sound of wind and the snowflakes falling down to cover the warriors from below.

Maplepaw let out a breath before drifting to sleep on Jayfeather's body.

"Cold. Why are you so cold Jayfeather?"

"Blood will fall from the darkness. Only the red feathers can lift the clans to safety."