Catsim Event #4

     Lilacpaw sat next to Lynxpa- no, it was Lynxclaw and Lilacbloom now, she was finally a warrior. They had just recently finished sitting vigil and both were throughly tired and sitting in the shade of a bush when Cinnamonrust and Redwhisker entered the camp with- she couldn't help the audible gasp she made, oh starclan, Lilacbloom stared, just stared at Softbird's corpse, she mutely heard some conversation and then Lightningstar asking for opinions but all she really took in was a faint buzzing, she couldn't be dead, she couldn't have died in such a brutal way she couldn't have been... murdered.

    Almost immediately cats all around her let out various calls, some angry, some shocked, some sad. Lilacbloom stayed silent, the buzzing all too present. Listening but not remembering, some snarled for Drakyn's or Mountainclan's blood, some did not believe it was either and said they needed to find the murderer, some pleaded to move on. She was snapped from her thoughts by Lynxclaw speaking, "While I agree with some cats here," he stopped, trailing off, as everyone's eyes fell on him. Lilacbloom nudged him to continue. As he spoke his opinion, Lilacbloom stayed silent, gathering her thoughts, when Lynxclaw finished she spoke up.

     "I know that Mountainclaw are our enemies but surely they haven't fallen so far as to murder an elder out of cold blood or to go against the Warrior Code and Starclan!" These rules we follow are what seperate us from outsiders, we have a code of honour and Mountainclan does too, if they didn't they wouldn't have the right to call themselves a clan. And I don't think  they'd be so idiotic to risk war in already hard times," Lilacbloom whispered, "even if it was one of them, that doesn't mean the whole clan planned it!"

     She shrunk into herself, ears flattened, tail lashing. Lynxclaw set a paw on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, she smiled at him slightly before letting it slip off her face. She shut her eyes, before opening them  and staring at the floor.

   "I refuse to believe it was Drakyn, no one can fake being so genuinely curious and happy, and she was a kittypet! I doubt she's seen another dead cat in her life, let alone even knew how to fight. I simply can't believe she'd do it! But it might be worth it to send a small group of cats to find her, she might of witnessed Softbird's d-" Lilacbloom hesitated, choking back a sob, "Softbird's death and murderer."

    She sat up, silent for a few minutes. If  it wasn't either of them then who or what could it have been, a dog or fox maybe? No... her only wounds was a slashed throat, it was deliberate, efficient and ruthless. It had to be a cat, maybe... maybe  a...

     "I think... I think it was a rouge, the hunting patrols yesterday, reported  encountering some, they wouldn't have any sort of rules stopping them, and they would have at least some semblance of fighting skills. Softbird  may have been an experience warrior once but she was old, I don't think she could have fought back..." Lilacbloom trailed off, she stood still for a moment before turning to Lynxclaw, "I'm going to get some sleep, see to you later," She briefly let out a strained smile, before walking  off to silently grieve alone.

     Lilacbloom laid there, curled up but unable to sleep, the scent of blood and the sight of Softbird hanging limp burned into her memories as well as something else weighing on her mind. She hadn't wanted to say it out loud, denying it with fervour but here, alone it was all she could think about. It might have been someone within our ranks, Softbird's death almost seemed planned and like she had thought earlier it was deliberate and efficient with no other wounds. And for her throat to be so cleanly slashed, the murder must of had a clear shot at it. Throats were a vulnerable yet relatively protected area, to leave it so exposed, Softbird must not have felt like she was in danger, and maybe, just possibly, talking to someone she trusted. Caught unaware and killed.

     To get a cut right under the throat, the murder would of had to be facing her directly, perhaps if it was more near the side a sneak attack was plausible. And the cat might have been bigger than her, if she was looking up at their face than her throat would have been left exposed... and the only cats she would have trusted enough to let her guard down around were... those in Stormclan...

     No no no nononono, Lilacbloom was just thinking too hard on this and looking for something that wasn't there, it couldn't have been someone from her clan... it just.. couldn't... and yet... She flattened her ears and drowned out her thoughts, lies... they were just... lies... they had to be.