Emberstar padded out of her den, shaking out her ginger fur as she looked around camp. Things had been very peaceful lately, the way she liked it. Noticing Rowanfrost's cream pelt from the corner of her eye, she bounded over to him with a grin on her face.

"Hey, Rowanfrost!" She took a seat next to him, observing the cats moving around camp.

Ravenwhisper and Lillystream sat next to each other, speaking quietly. It was no doubt to the leader that they were talking about their first litter of kits. Emberstar remembered hers perfectly, and although she never wanted to forget it, she deeply wished she didn't have to remember.

"Hello, Emberstar. How was your sleep?" He asked sweetly, turning to face her. At least Rowanfrost would always be there for her.

"Good," She replied, quickly looking at him before returning to her inspection of the Clan. "What have you been doing while I was taking my beauty sleep? Running to the ocean and back?" She joked, knowing how hard-working her mate was. Every cat knew how impatient but loving he could be, and every cat also knew that he would always do whatever he could to protect them. That was just how he was.

"No, I was actually-" the tom's voice stopped short as two cats padded into camp, a body hanging limp from their jaws. Emberstar immediately recognized Frostfire's dusty white pelt and Juniperpaw's small figure, but the body they were carrying was the biggest shock of them all.

Clovertail had just padded out of the warriors den, and nothing could describe the hurt in Emberstar's heart as she watched the tom break to pieces before her. There, in front of the Clan, lay Autumnfall's body. It wasn't hard to see what had killed her, considering the fact that her throat was split in half. Autumnfall had been murdered, and it was by somebody in Emberstar's Clan.

Autumnfall is dead.
Autumnfall was a deputy.
~
"No, this can't be happening! It can't! She was expecting my kits!" Clovertail's mourning was heard echoing through the camp. Emberstar watched as the calico buried his muzzle in his deceased mate's fur.

The tabby couldn't believe it. A cat from her own Clan had backstabbed her? No way, her Clan was loyal. Had she been wrong the whole time?

"Emberstar?" The ginger-furred she-cat turned to look at Amberpaw, who had appeared next to her. A sigh escaped her muzzle as she saw her kit was safe, but a look of worry still remained.

"Yes?" She answered, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Who do you think did it?" Amberpaw asked, her eyes wide. She seemed calm, but Emberstar knew that her kits were just like her; worrying about the smallest things. And the largest things.

"I don't know..." the leader replied, her voice soft and subtle. "I'll have to investigate. I don't want it to be my fault that more cats die." She turned and looked at Amberpaw, a spark of hope regained.

Amberpaw nodded, agreeing with her. "You can do it," she said, a smile growing on her face. "I know you can."
~
A/N|| Sorry for such a short chapter, but who do you think murdered Autumnfall?