You're A Cherry Blossom... (OPEN AFTER THE MURDER-- CLOSED TILL THEN)

The barn was cleared of the rogues now. And once again she felt guilty; a cat had died because of her. Wasn't she supposed to save cats, not be the cause of their death? Even so, she and her father had worked on her barn. It was perfect now. Neat stacks of dried herbs; some she couldn't even find in RiverClan. She had saved Spottedstar, so that was something. Nevertheless, she felt a disconnection and she wanted to go back home. But she couldn't. Fishstar wouldn't take her back, right? With a heavy heart, she took a journey.

She took the path to Four Trees through ThunderClan. She was safe in there for sure. Though, she could tell some warriors felt resentment against her, she knew they would be punished if they attacked her. At about sun-high she made it to the large oaks. The clearing was casted with shades from the large, leafy branches of the trees that created the important circle. Her paws were tired from work as well as walking, so she settled in a dark shadow by the Great Walk.

It was quiet here. She could hear birds chirping overhead, and mice scrabbling a few feet away. She was hungry, but she didn't dare hunt in clan territory. Even though the land she was sitting on didn't belong to any clan, the animal would have come from one of them and she didn't want to push her luck. As the new heat of the starting season bore down, she fell into a quiet sleep.

Nettletail was, once again, taking a walk. She wanted to practice her moves so that she would impress Lost. When she made her way to Fourtrees, she was surprised to see the rogue medicine cat lying there asleep. Anger blinded her vision. Here was a cat who had gained the chance to be a medicine cat, had been trained, had earned her name... And had then selfishly tossedit away without a second thought. A cat like this, a traitor to all the Clans, hoping to trade secrets and lies with every Clan- even WindClan!- was now in her power. With a snarl Nettletail leaped onto the still form.

Nettletail used Jumping Strike, costing 18 damage and 20 health. +5 to a cat not focused on you.

Nettletail:
60/60
160/180

Wisteriasky:
27/50
120/120

Wisteriasky was rudely awoken by a cat running and jumping on her. With a yowl, she flashed around, desperately trying to get the cat off. All she could do, however, was get under her stomach. Furiously, she scratched as hard as she could, using all her strength.

Wisteriasky used Belly Rake, costing 15 damage and 10 stamina.
Nettletail:
45/60
160/180

Wisteriasky:
27/50
110/120

Nettletail hissed as the traitor raked her belly. She returned with one of the moves Lost had taught her. "You're a traitor to all the Clans," she snarled.

Nettletail used Twisting Bite, costing 25 damage and 25 health.

Nettletail:
45/60
135/180

Wisteriasky:
2/50
110/120

Pain! It hurt so much. She had never really been wounded before... Ever. Feebily, she slashed at the intruder.

Wisteriasky used Front Paw Strike causing 14 damage and 10 stanima.

Nettletail:
31/60
135/180

Wisteriasky:
2/50
100/120

Nettletail barely flinched at the rogue's feeble attempt. She stared into the traitor's eyes. "You got the chance I've always longed for," she seethed, "and you gave it away to betray the Clans. To deal in Clan secrets and hurt everyone. You don't deserve to live." The brown she-cat sunk her teeth into the former medicine cat's throat, feeling the life bleed out. She could almost hear Lost applauding her.

Nettletail used Killing Bite, costing 10 stamina and ? damage.

Nettletail:
31/60
125/180

Wisteriasky:
0/50
100/120

And with that... Wisteriasky had died.

But where would her soul go?

He had taken for granted the sound of company.

When Wisteriasky left the barn, Ashcloud had been sleeping in his nest. Or trying, the sounds of the proto-Clan that once filled the barn had once before lulled him to sleep, and without them, all there was to hear was the creaking of the building itself. During one of his rare naps, his daughter had disappeared. Assuming she had gone out to search for herbs, the old white cat did not worry much; she did this often. Maybe she told him, but he just didn't hear her. So he did his daily duties, tending to the herbs, trying to catch the abundant mice, and changing the nests. But when the medicine cat didn't return after nightfall, he worried.

Despite his aching bones, he had followed his daughter's scent to try and find her, anxiety mounting as the hours passed. Yet it seemed to sudden to find her daughter laying in Fourtrees, blood pooled around her. Ashcloud did not notice the murderer before him until a few heartbeats after he realized all hope was gone. His green gaze fixated on the cat, unwavering.

Suddenly, a fire exploded into life. "Get out," he said lowly, trying to contain the uncharacteristic rage that was building inside him. It would not last. "Get out!" The old tomcat trembled in the attempt to control himself, to not attack this cat that his clan had sheltered for moons along with the rest of them. "And if I hear of you ever again, I swear," he didn't finish. Ashcloud simply stared at the she-cat, an unfamiliar feeling of hatred burning with increasing intensity within his chest.

Nettletail hissed at the foolish old tom. "You don't understand, " she growled coldly. " None of you. Lost was right... I can't trust anyone. Oh, and if you even try to come for me, you'll see the strength of a real warrior. " The brown she-cat, satisfied, started to leave Four trees. She wanted to fall back asleep and return to the Dark Forest as soon as possible.

"Wisteriasky?!!!?!" Goldpaw stood a few feet behind Ashcloud her eyes like big pale light green pools. The cinnamon swirled tabby ran over ignoring the blood and started to nudge her aunt and mentor. "Auntie Wisteriasky get up please!! Wake up please!!" She wailed trying in vain to wake up a corpse and deep down somewhere inside her knew that she'd never wake up and would be in an eternal slumber but she still tried. The tears flowed from her eyes as she clung to her dead aunt that had practically raised her along with her grandfather Ashcloud.

Pepper had followed the others, what a mistake to have made.. The she-cat felt tears burning her eyes as she darted forward, nudging Wisteriasky's corpse. Her eyes closed as she nestled into her fur, her entire body was shaking. She felt the blood on her paws and the damp fur around her face from tears, it was all too real..

Lulu followed soon behind them, she scented pools of blood. She stopped behind Pepper and stared at Wisteriasky "No" she murmured "Who did this to her" she mewed a big of anger in her voice, she looked at Nettletail "Why do you cat do this to us?"

Nettletail had almost reached the clearing. She turned around at the rogue's angry voice. "Because she was a selfish, short -sighted Clan traitor who didn't know what she had when she had it, and dealt in Clan secrets, and deserved to die." Then the brown she-cat walked off, waving her spiky tail, and never looked back.

Lulu lowered her tail and closed her eyes, she laid down next to Wisteriasky. She shared a finally lick to her shoulder and quietly grieved for her.

Ashcloud felt his hatred ebb away as the cat disappeared into the forest. When Goldpaw, Pepper, and Lulu arrived, he still had not moved. But then grief came like a swelling river, bursting its banks. He didn't think he'd felt this way since his last kithood friend had died. The tomcat felt older than ever, staring at the corpse of his own daughter. He had surely been on his last leg to life, he was definitely going to die long before she did. The world had been turned on its head.

His daughter was not one to trade clan secrets. No, she was still his little kit, unable to commit any wrongdoing. So why was she here, covered in her own blood? He couldn't answer that question. She looked so much smaller in death.

Where would they even bury her? Riverclan territory, her birthplace? Or the barn, where she had been most passionate of her work? He could not decide. Maybe he should tell Mistfeather before they did anything, if she needed to grieve beforehand. But right now they needed to clean her up. So as she looked as she had been, not as she was now, bloodied and exposed.