Graystar watched with sorrowful amber eyes as Iriswhisper placed Redpaw's body down into a hurriedly made nest. It was dark in the medicine den, but Graystar could still see the lifeless apprentice's limbs splayed in awkward directions, his legs bending in places they shouldn't bend. She winced at the sight of his broken and bruised body. His reddish brown pelt was covered in dust and dirt from the bottom of the cliffs, and his yellow eyes, still open in a dead stare, were dull and lackluster. Several small patches of fur along his right side were caked with dried blood from wounds that hailed from his impact against the rocky ground. When Iriswhisper had carried him into camp, it had been difficult to see the injuries inflicted upon the young tom, but with him laid out on the ground like this... They could behold the horror of it in all its glory.

Redpaw's body would not be set out in the clearing tonight.

Dawnpetal quietly reached out to close the apprentice's eyes. Graystar let out the breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Morningrose was sitting to the side, one paw over her muzzle to hide her eyes from the heartbreaking sight. Iriswhisper quietly stepped away from the body, her head bowed.

They could hear voices from outside the den. Graystar pricked her ears, recognizing Icespark's stern voice and Blackpaw's answering mew. The medicine den's occupants listened in dark silence to the conversation going on outside.

"Please, you have to let me see him!" That was Blackpaw's voice.

"No, Blackpaw. Graystar expressedly told us that no one is allowed in," Icespark's voice was heard in reply.

"I was his best friend!"

"Trust me, kid, you don't want to see this." A new male voice sounded, belonging to Smokeflash. The tom had been on the search patrol along with Iriswhisper and Lightdream, so he had seen Redpaw's mangled form at the bottom of the cliffs. Graystar could imagine the sight all too well. That was why she had posted Icespark and Smokeflash as guards outside the medicine den to prevent others from entering. No one else needed to see this.

There was a long silence, during which Graystar gestured with her tail for Iriswhisper and Morningrose to follow her out of the den.

Then Icespark spoke up again. "Blackpaw..." she said warningly.

"I have to see him! He's dead because of me!" Blackpaw howled.

Graystar emerged from the medicine den just in time to see Blackpaw make a run for it; he launched himself towards the den entrance only to be cut off by Smokeflash, who jumped in front of the apprentice, using his own body as a wall. Then Icespark leapt on the young time from behind, pinning him down.

"I'm sorry, Blackpaw. But you can't see Redpaw's body," Icespark told him through gritted teeth as she tried to immobilize the wildly struggling tom.

Graystar motioned for Smokeflash to keep blocking the entrance, and then stepped towards the warrior and apprentice. "Let him up," she ordered quietly.

Icespark bared her teeth as she lifted her head, as though she were about to refuse, but then quickly changed her mind before saying anything. The tabby she-cat relaxed her hold on Blackpaw and stepped back.

Blackpaw, finally calmed, stood up and looked at Graystar with his ears flattened completely back against the top of his head. His green eyes shone from the film of moisture overtop of them.

"Please," he begged, "I want to see Redpaw's body. He died because he tried to find me." The desperation if Blackpaw's voice broke Graystar's heart anew. But she couldn't grant his request.

"No, Blackpaw," she said gently. "It's better that you don't see him like this. He would want you to remember him whole and full of life and energy... not broken." Redpaw's condition was shocking even to her, and she had seen her fair share of horrible things over the years. The sight could scar Blackpaw or any of the other apprentices for life, especially since it was someone they had been so close to.

Blackpaw bowed his head, finally accepting from the leader what he refused to hear from Icespark and Smokeflash. The black and brown tom turned and walked in the direction of the apprentice den, his head and tail lowered.

Graystar sighed as she watched him go. Blackpaw and Redpaw had been such close friends. It would be a long time before Blackpaw could recover emotionally.

After another long moment, she finally turned to face Icespark and Smokeflash again. "You two, please continue to guard the den," she ordered. "I have a meeting to call, but you'll be able to hear me easily enough from here."

The two warriors nodded, and Graystar's didn't offer any more explanation before she started to make her way towards the Highrock. Morningrose hurried to her side.

"Well? Do you know who killed him?" the deputy queried.

"I have my suspicions," Graystar answered grimly.

Morningrose's ears perked with interest and she tilted her head ever so slightly sideways. "Oh?"

But Graystar didn't stop to explain them to her. She reached the base of the Highrock and leapt immediately to the top, where she turned to face her clan. "Let all cats of this clan gather to hear my words!" Graystar yowled.

Smallcloud and Featherpath sat down side by side right in the front. Smallcloud was sitting awkwardly, still affected by his leg injury.

Crowtail, Tigersplash, and Runningstream were brought out from the warrior's den by Echolight. The three night guards were yawning widely, evidently having just woken up from their recovery sleep. Runningstream looked uncertain, while Tigersplash's copper eyes gleamed with curiosity. Crowtail's expression was impossible to decipher. The black and white warrior leaned over to ask Echolight a question, and the brown tabby gave a somber answer. Graystar assumed they had just asked about the cause of the meeting, and that Echolight had told them of Redpaw's death.

Basilwisp and Leafsky sat together near the back, exchanging worried looks.

Featherwing and Rosepool joined Lightdream and Snowstrike, and Shademask soon padded up to sit right in the middle of the group.

Echoleaf, Honeyrose, and Rainsong were still on guard, and while Echoleaf was posted at the base of the Highrock and could easily see Graystar, the leader watched Honeyrose and Rainsong shift positions so that they could watch the meeting.

Blackpaw was nowhere to be seen, but the remaining apprentices were clumped together at the edge of the group, all of them looking grief-stricken.

Finally, Kestrelberry, Iriswhisper, and Smokefern all found spots in the middle of the gathered crowd.

Graystar cleared her throat.

"As most of you now know, Redpaw was found dead at the bottom of the cliffs today," she began. "Evidently, the traitors are still active among us. That is why..." Her gaze sought out a certain face. "Crowtail, you are being banished from this clan. After sunset today, you will not be allowed back inside our borders."

The warrior's eyes betrayed a flash of surprise before they carefully recomposed their expression.

Crowtail had been on guard all night last night; they would have had more than enough opportunity to leave the camp without making a fuss. Morningrose had earlier told Graystar that she was fairly certain Tigersplash had fallen asleep while keeping watch, as he hadn't been fighting to keep awake as much as Crowtail and Runningstream. And Crowtail could have easily slipped out of camp unnoticed when Runningstream left her post to investigate that robin.

Not to mention that Graystar had been suspicious of Crowtail all along. The way the warrior always stayed carefully in the background of every situation, never speaking out and draw attention to themself. How they kept their words and their expressions cautiously guarded all the time. The way they would just appear with everyone else, without Graystar having known where they'd been before, and how they were often out of camp, joining hunting parties and border patrols whenever possible.

Crowtail stood and looked directly at Graystar, only the very tip of their tail twitching. Unlike most of the others that had been called out for exile, they neither lost their temper nor looked at the cats around them for support. They merely held the leader's gaze with their own.

"Why me?" they asked simply.

"You killed Redpaw," Graystar answered, just as straightforward.

"I didn't," Crowtail denied.

Graystar drew herself up to her full height and looked down upon the warrior through narrowed amber eyes. "Crowtail, as the leader of this clan I decree that your words and actions this past quarter-moon have been suspicious and condemn you as a traitor against your fellow warriors. You will leave this clan now, or you will be forced out of it."

Crowtail held Graystar's stare with an inscrutable gaze. Before they could respond, however, a different voice spoke.

"Hold up." It was Lightdream. The large white tom got to his paws and padded up in front of Crowtail.

"Graystar, are you sure this is the cat you want to exile?" he demanded. "I trust your judgement, but I also trust Crowtail. And there is nothing to prove them guilty."

Graystar knew that Lightdream had a point, but she also believed that Crowtail was a traitor. "I'm sure," she told the fluffy tom. "You can sit down now."

Lightdream remained exactly where he was, but looked over at Crowtail. The black and white feline blinked back at him. "Lightdream," Crowtail said quietly, but quickly. "You know I'm not guilty. You know I had nothing to do with Redpaw's death."

Lightdream, for once, looked uncertain. Graystar cleared her throat to speak again but she was interrupted once more by a different warrior.

Snowstrike stood up and bared her teeth. "Forget it, Crowtail. You killed my apprentice. Get out of here before I shred you myself!" she hissed fiercely.

Crowtail looked at her for a moment, appearing confused, then a resigned look took over their expression. They focused their attention one last time on Graystar.

"When all of your innocent cats are gone, and you find yourself surrounded by the traitors that are left, think of me and wonder," Crowtail told her quietly before turning around. With all the dignity they could muster, the black cat strode through the camp entrance and out of sight.

Crowtail was a traitor.

3 traitors left.

Thank you to everyone who voted last chapter! Day 7 will be coming out soon!