Snowpaw took a bite of his squirrel, barely paying attention as Queen Softheart ordered cats out for the daily dawn patrols. The white tomcat, sighing, felt exhausted from last night's mental strain. I still have no idea of what could've sparked the argument between my mother and Dewspring, he thought, in-between bites. Oh, what am I even thinking? I never should've overheard any of that. Despite his mental reminder, he couldn't seem to fully shake the thought from his mind.

Across from him, at the other end of the fresh-kill pile, Kestrelpaw sat. The light brown tabby stole a meek glance at Snowpaw, before quickly focusing on the mouse he was eating. The tomcat seemed uncharacteristically quiet, as he made no attempt to taunt the apprentice across from him.

He's acting strange today, Snowpaw noted, pinning his ears. At least he's not harassing me, as he usually loves to do. I should be grateful. After a few long moments, the tomcat stood up, picking up a finch from the pile. He walked to the medicine den, placing the avian in front of his mentor.

"Thank you, Snowpaw," Dappledleaf purred, her green eyes soft and warm. 

"You're welcome," Snowpaw purred in response, checking the medicine shelves. As I expected, we're not low on any medicine today either. I suppose I'll have to wait until tonight to leave camp. The white tomcat, whilst waiting for Dappledleaf to finish her breakfast, began to draw lines in the earth. However, he- alongside his mentor, and presumably the rest of his Clanmates in camp -was startled by a sudden yowl from the camp's entrance. 

"I'll report back to you," Snowpaw murmured, hurriedly making his way towards the commotion. His yellow gaze scanned through camp, all cats staring at Pebblepaw with piqued curiosities. As the white apprentice noticed Nightpaw, he moved to stand beside him. The black tomcat didn't seem to regard him, instead thoughtfully glancing at the ground.

"My my, Pebblepaw, you seem to be in quite a fret." Queen Softheart tilted her head, striding towards the visibly anxious apprentice. "What's the meaning behind that yowl?"

The silver tabby tomcat shuffled his paws. "So, uh, we went on that patrol you asked for, Queen Softheart. Ottersplash, my mother, Windtail, Larchpelt, Finchsong, Bramblepaw, and I."

"Yes..? What about it?" Softheart awkwardly chuckled, confused as she glanced at the cats surrounding her and Pebblepaw. 

"W-Well," Pebblepaw stuttered, "the river had blood in it, and y'know how the river's current flows towards camp? The blood was coming towards us. So," he continued, "we decided to follow the bloody trail, because we thought it could've come from a dead fawn, or fox, or badger, because there was a lot of blood."

"Oooooh~! Do tell us more," Badgerblaze purred in excitement, before being silenced by Softheart's piercing glare.

"As we continued following, we saw a body a few fox-lengths away. Naturally, we headed towards it," Pebblepaw continued explaining. "A-And as we approached, we realised it wasn't a dead fawn, nor fox, nor badger."

"What was it, what was it?! The suspense is kiiiilling me!" Badgerblaze exclaimed, while the rest of her Clanmates exchanged alarmed glances, remaining silent.

Pebblepaw whimpered, his eyes wide and fearful. Softheart met his hazel gaze, furrowing her eyebrows. "Go on, Pebblepaw," the white molly coerced, annoyed. "Just tell us."

"I-It was Dewspring's corpse," Pebblepaw mewled, his tail tucked between his legs. "The patrol is bringing her body to camp right now. Sh-She was torn apart," he whispered. 

Almost immediately, the Clan was met with an uproar. Questions, denials, and wails of misery, stress, and rage filled camp, only to temporarily be silenced by Softheart. "Leaftuft, Fleetrunner, Badgerblaze, and Hazelstripe, find the other patrols and bring them back to camp. Leave your apprentices here," she ordered, watching as the four warriors rushed out of camp. 

Torn apart..? Snowpaw's heart pounded in his chest, his pulse and breath quickening. With his claws subconsciously unsheathed, he ignored the commotion around him, watching Nightpaw instead. As much as he desired to say something to Dewspring's son, no words would exit his mouth. 

Nightpaw stared at the ground, his green gaze sharp and narrowed in deep concentration. After a few moments, the black tomcat's gaze suddenly softened, and he turned to face the cat beside him. "Ah, Snowpaw! This is such a hopeless mess, isn't it? Heheh..." He stood, beginning to slink away. "I apologise that I must leave you like this, but I must... think," he murmured under his breath.

Snowpaw gave a tense nod, standing as well. He rushed back to the medicine den, his eyes locking with Dappledleaf's. As he opened his mouth to speak, the old molly gestured for him to remain silent.

"I've been through this enough times," Dappledleaf rasped, "to know what's going on. Who died?" Despite the words she spoke, the medicine cat seemed uncannily calm and collected.

"D-Dewspring." Snowpaw's voice came out small and weak, almost as if he was a kit learning to speak for the first time. Torn apart... Last night, after arguing with my mother, she left camp, and now she's dead! Could I have done something to prevent this?! he questioned, his claws digging into the ground. Did..? No, he scolded himself, my mother couldn't have killed her. There's no way! We don't even know if a cat was what killed her... Why am I concluding murder?!

Dappledleaf, after a coughing fit, stood up and walked towards her apprentice. "Take deep breaths, Snowpaw, and think rationally. You can't panic. Since we're medicine cats, we'll be given her body to analyse up close. I expect the patrol to be arriving soon." The molly sighed, glancing at the medicine shelves. "Let's wait for them. Sit by your nest and calm yourself." 

Nodding, the white tomcat sat by his nest, mentally preparing himself for the worst. No matter what her body looks like, I can't panic. This is important for us to do, so I can't screw it up. After a few minutes passed, with the camp brimming with discourse, the patrol Pebblepaw had mentioned had returned with Dewspring's corpse. The cats who were holding the body brought it into the medicine den, Snowpaw watching as they did. 

"Is there... anything we can do to assist?" Ottersplash asked, glancing at Windtail and Clearshine.

"No, Snowpaw and I are fine," Dappledleaf snapped in response. "Besides, you three already know what's to happen. Warriors investigate, not inspect corpses."

"Understood," Clearshine quickly murmured, leading the two tomcats out of the den with her. 

Once the cats left, Snowpaw studied Dewspring's corpse. She had many lacerations and gashes amid her fur, mingled together in a vicious array of dried blood. Her once green eyes had been clouded over, and her dying expression was one of pure shock and terror. Her most notable wound started at her throat and led down to her stomach, a blow so severe it appeared to have almost torn her open. What is this-?! With wide eyes, the white tomcat stared at his mentor, who also inspected her wounds closely. 

Dappledleaf sighed, murmuring imperceptible words under her breath. "These wounds were made by a cat," she stated with credence. "You can tell based on how the bites on her body appear." 

"A-A cat?!" Snowpaw exclaimed with distress. "Wh-What sort of cat could do... this to her?!"

"You'd be surprised," the old molly stated, coughing. "Her paws are facing you. Check her claws for fur," the medicine cat ordered. 

Tautly, the medicine cat apprentice checked each of her claws. "N-No fur," Snowpaw replied. "Her paws have blood on them, though."

"Mmm... A smart killer, hiding their tracks," Dappledleaf muttered. "There's no lingering scent of live cats on her body, only the smell of basil. I suspect whoever murdered her must've hid their scent. Though, let's disregard that for now." The molly's gaze sharpened as she stared down at the corpse. "Obviously, that wound along her throat and stomach killed her. Either that, or blood loss." The medicine cat sighed. "Unfortunately, the body is useless to us now."

"Useless..?" Snowpaw questioned, taken aback.

"The body provides us no clues about who the murderer might be," Dappledleaf explained as she sprinkled meadowsweet on Dewspring's corpse. "This is nothing more than an empty shell now. It has no purpose anymore, other than to decompose. Dewspring now belongs to StarClan." The molly brought her voice down. "It's a shame I haven't been able to speak to them for moons, since I am unable to go to the Stream of Stars."

"I... thought that StarClan could visit dreams?" Snowpaw instinctively whispered, tilting his head. If the Place of No Stars can, then surely StarClan is able to as well? "If we were to fall asleep right now, perhaps we could hear from Dewspring? She could tell us who killed her. And," he added, "are we certain that she was murdered? She could've died from a rogue." Dewspring left camp last night. From what I know, she did not tell my mother where she was going.

After a few moments of coughing, Dappledleaf shook her head. "A rogue would not go through the trouble of removing their fur from her claws, or concealing their scent. In terms of StarClan, however? That's a hapless lie we medicine cats spread, so swear secrecy." The old cat sighed. "No cat can receive dreams from StarClan. The only way to reach them is via the Stream of Stars. However, it can be a dangerous process. I won't put you on that journey until you're a full medicine cat, but by then, I'll already reside with StarClan."

Snowpaw narrowed his yellow eyes. Why is Nightpaw able to receive dreams from the dead if not even medicine cats can? ...I suppose the Place of No Stars is different from StarClan, but that's still a contradiction. "What's dangerous about it?"

"When we visit StarClan in our 'dreams', our souls are removed from our bodies. If you're too young of a cat, your body and soul won't be able to handle it, and you will die. The same is for when you're too old, like me," Dappledleaf described. "Meeting with StarClan at the Stream of Stars might seem simple, but a lot goes into play. For example, you must already have a strong connection with the spiritual realm. Your body will also need to be strong. StarClan must be fully trusted by you." The molly smiled at her apprentice, beginning to purr. "We, as medicine cats, are StarClan's vessels. Our soul belongs to them, and our body is only a temporary form. We must praise our holy ancestors and devote our entire lives to them, so we are blessed and allowed to successfully pass to and from the Stream of Stars."

I didn't expect such a response. I don't think I'm willing to feel that way, and... do all that. Snowpaw forced back a scowl, taking a deep breath instead. "Wh-What about the... Place of No Stars?" the white tomcat cautiously asked. There should be no issue with my question. After all, before Nightpaw told me about Coldgaze,- and I suppose Acornpaw as well -I already had limited knowledge of the Place of No Stars. Seedstep's stories were always quite... interesting, he remarked. I thought their appearances in dreams were nothing more than fabricated stories to scare kits, but Nightpaw proved otherwise.

"That's an entirely different story," Dappledleaf growled in response. "The Place of No Stars focuses on the heart and mind, unlike StarClan who focuses on the soul. Cats who are easily influenced, are naturally ambitious, or with darkened hearts and minds are the ones most likely to be met. These individuals also have an abnormally high connection with the spiritual realm. If you ever hear of a cat visiting the Place of No Stars, you must turn them back to StarClan's paws. As medicine cats, it is our duty to carry out StarClan's will, no matter the consequences our bodies may face."

I never knew that my mentor was this obsessed with StarClan, Snowpaw thought, almost horrified. At least I learned a lot from her. Nightpaw declined those offers from the Place of No Stars, anyway. The tomcat suppressed a shudder. ...Not like I would've carried out StarClan's supposed will if he hadn't.

After a coughing fit, Dappledleaf glanced back down at Dewspring's body. "Snowpaw," she started, completely changing the tone. "Could you alert the king and queen that we've finished? If the warriors and apprentices have finished their investigation, then our Clan's trial will begin."

"Our Clan's trial?"

"Typically after these murders, a trial is held. The goal of the trial is to discuss who could've been the murderer."

"But why do we conclude to murder?"

"There's been many murders in our Clan's history, so murder would be the most logical solution." Dappledleaf stared into her apprentice's eyes. "We all may be Clanmates, but in situations such as these, you must choose who to trust. My advice is to be vigilant in that regard, because if you make the wrong choices, you might die. I would love StarClan to have new members, but not if those members haven't already fulfilled their purpose while alive."

"R-Right... I'll go alert the king and queen now." I remember Nightpaw warning me a while ago, Snowpaw recalled, exiting the medicine den. He told me to be careful with deciding who I can and cannot trust. If the entire Clan is convinced that this is a murder, then it must be, as much as I'd hate for that to be the case. I'll take both his and Dappledleaf's advice. As the white tomcat approached the two leaders, who stood at the centre of camp, he pinned his ears. There's no way Nightpaw could've foreseen this event, right? Actually, no, that's impossible. Nobody can see the future. He was just being helpful and friendly when he said that, that's all.

Silverhawk, upon noticing Snowpaw's approach, softly gazed down at the small, white tomcat. "Have you and Dappledleaf finished?"

Snowpaw nodded in response. "Y-Yes, we have."

"Then-"

"Cats of MistClan, it is time for the trial to begin!" Softheart's voice echoed throughout camp as she interrupted Silverhawk. "Gather around camp centre, just like the king and I. Be sure to form a circle!"

Snowpaw backed away as he watched his Clanmates fill the centre of camp, forming a circle as Softheart ordered. He gazed towards the medicine den, watching as Dappledleaf slowly made her way there as well, slightly limping. Once she arrived, she beckoned Snowpaw to take a seat next to her. His placement put Dappledleaf on his left, Larchpelt on his right, and Honeymoon a few fox-lengths in front of him. Searching through the cats, he saw Dancingleaf and Whitespeckle sitting next to one another. Towards the right side of the circle, he also noticed Nightpaw, whose eyes were narrowed at the ground and devoid of emotion.

"It's been moons since we've had a trial," Softheart suddenly began, pawing at the ground. "For the younger cats who haven't experienced this before, allow me to explain." The white molly fluffed out her fur, clearing her throat. "In a trial, we are to figure out who, or what, killed the victim, the victim being Dewspring. We will take turns sharing our thoughts and debating until we reach a consensus. Another thing to note is that King Silverhawk and I are not to be treated as the king and queen. During this trial we are all equals, which means that you can cast doubt upon us... not like there'd be any reason to," she quietly added in a whisper.

"If everyone understands, then we can proceed with the trial," Silverhawk suggested. "So, are there any questions?"

"Where are the princesses? Shouldn't they get to experience this as well?" the warrior, Greyheart, asked. "Also, why are we leaving Dewspring's body in the medicine den? Typically we bring the body to the centre of the circle." 

"Silverhawk and I left the princesses in our den. They don't have anything to offer here, since they're just kits. As for the body, I don't think any of us would like to stare at her corpse the entire time," Softheart replied. "Anymore questions?"

Snowpaw searched through the crowd once more. It seems that there are no other questions, he silently noted. I hope the culprit is found, despite the lack of evidence found on Dewspring's body.

"The trial has begun, then," Silverhawk stated. "Uhm, Dappledleaf and Snowpaw, may you explain the condition of Dewspring's corpse?"

"It is highly suspected that Dewspring was murdered by a cat," Dappledleaf rasped. "She had many lacerations and gashes on her body. The deadliest blow on her body was a wound which started at her throat and ended at her stomach. She also had the scent of basil." The old molly nudged Snowpaw, beckoning him to give his insight.

"We... We checked her paws, and noticed no traces of fur in her claws. However, she had blood which wasn't hers staining them, which means that whoever did kill her ended up hiding their tracks," Snowpaw added. 

Dappledleaf nodded. "I noticed that the claw marks on her corpse did not align with those from the double murder case of Brindlewing and Rookfeather from a few moons back, which means that whoever killed them is not the cat who killed Dewspring."

"Brindlewing and Rookfeather?" Larchpelt questioned, tilting his head. "I never heard of them."

"Oh, riiiiight!" Badgerblaze exclaimed. "You rookies have absolutely no idea who those two are!" The black and white molly narrowed her honey gaze. "How about you make yourself useful and explain their case, Dancingleaf?"

After a few moments, Dancingleaf sighed with frustration. "Brindlewing and Rookfeather used to be two warriors," she lowly murmured. "They were both found dead near the thunderpath, their bodies viciously shredded by a cat. However, their case remains unsolved, since the killer hid their tracks. It was probably-"

"It's really a shame," Softheart interrupted. "When my birth parents died, they had to take me in as their own. They were so kind to me, and I considered them as my real parents. Unfortunately, they didn't live long enough to see me become queen."

"Yep yep! It was a shame. But, Dancingleaf, you forgot to mention how they're your birth parents. Don't be so careless," Badgerblaze chided. 

Brindlewing and Rookfeather... Snowpaw repeated the names in his head. Dewspring accused my mother of murdering her parents, along with other things related to them. Queen Softheart's description of them is a contradiction! Who am I supposed to believe?

"We'll get nowhere if we stay on this topic," Honeymoon interjected. "If it's been concluded that Dewspring has been murdered, then let's come up with suspects."

"What are we supposed to do, create suspects out of mid air?!" Fleetrunner rolled his eyes, scowling.

"Not at all," Honeymoon replied, completely unbothered. "For now, our primary suspects can be those who have already murdered cats in the past."

"Cats who have already murdered?" Windtail questioned. "Cats have 'murdered' with good intentions, you know. I don't think it's fair to narrow the list down like that."

"That is true," Longwhisker agreed. "However, it takes a lot of mental fortitude to be able to kill a cat, nonetheless a Clanmate. If someone was able to do it before, they'd be able to do it again. Any good cat should be willing to be a suspect if that means we uncover the truth behind Dewspring's death. I'm willing to be a suspect." The pale tabby snapped his head towards the elder. "Honeymoon, could you compile a list for us?"

"Yeah, I can do that." The yellow dappled molly closed her eyes for a few moments, a look of deep concentration written across her face. "Seedstep... Longwhisker... Badgerblaze... Huh. That's not as many cats as I expected. I guess the rest are dead."

"You forgot the Holly Leafed Genocider," Seedstep growled. "Dappledleaf should also be a suspect, y'know! Just because she's your older sister doesn't mean she can't. I've been your mate for countless seasons and yet you're suspecting me, so this hurts."

Holly Leafed Genocider..? Snowpaw noticed confused expressions from all his Clanmates, even Silverhawk and Softheart. Honeymoon appeared shocked, before softening her gaze once more. Why did Seedstep call Dappledleaf that? The white tomcat looked up at Dappledleaf, who held a distressed, anxious, and also shocked disposition. 

"I didn't forget about her," Honeymoon countered, ignoring Seedstep's last sentence. "She's barely able to walk, there's no way she could've done it."

"My grandmother is correct," Hazelstripe hesitantly added, noticeably still confused. "Dappledleaf hasn't left camp in seasons because she's physically unable to. She even had trouble walking here, to the centre of camp. It's impossible for her to have done it. Plus, she's a medicine cat. Medicine cats are the least likely to kill."

"Well, you're wrong." Seedstep glared at the golden tabbied molly. "I already solved the case."

"If you're so certain about how my mate was murdered, then explain it," Leaftuft hissed, his voice slightly cracking.

Seedstep chuckled, raising his head with confidence. "Dappledleaf planned her attack at night, while everyone was asleep," he began. "She must've asked Dewspring to meet her in the medicine den, and when she arrived, killed her there. Then-"

"There's already a flaw in your statement," Spottedpaw quietly interjected.

"Excuse me? You're just an apprentice, what do you know?!" Seedstep angrily retorted.

"My age does not matter," Spottedpaw asserted. "The scene of the crime does, however. If Dappledleaf is the culprit, there is no way that she could've murdered Dewspring in the medicine den. From the descriptions of her wounds, it would've been impossible to get her corpse out of camp without the spillage of blood. A seasoned elder such as you should've known that already."

 "You didn't let me finish, so you didn't hear the rest of my summary! That's why it might not make sense," Seedstep muttered.

"Then, continue. But, do keep in mind that any inconsistencies or unfeasible statements will be refuted."

"Right..." Seedstep cleared his throat. "So, as I was saying, Dappledleaf killed her in the medicine den with a simple bite to the throat, but stopped the blood flow with herbs."

"How was Dewspring's body taken out of camp?" Spottedpaw questioned. "We already established that Dappledleaf is physically unable to leave camp."

"Stop interrupting me!" The orange and white tomcat snarled. "That's the role Snowpaw plays. He took her corpse, dragged it out of camp, and to cover up their crime, brutally messed with it."

...What-?! Snowpaw's eyes widened in horror as he stared at Seedstep. That's not-! As a result of the elder's statement, chaos ensued between all the gathered cats. Amid the sea of voices, and trying to steady his heart and breath, the white tomcat gazed back up at his mentor. Dappledleaf still remained silent, though her green glare was piercing through Seedstep. Why won't you say something about this?! We're suspects, and there's no way they'd believe me! As the commotion began to die down, Fleetrunner's voice was heard.

"Are you braindead?! Seriously, are you?!" The white tomcat yelled at Seedstep, his tail lashing. "That puny thing can't even move a rock, and you expect him to carry an entire corpse?! I can't deal with this amount of stupidity! Obviously, the killer isn't Dappledleaf, and Snowpaw wasn't the accomplice." 

"Did you forget about the blood on Dewspring's paws, Seedstep? The blood that wasn't hers? She would've fought back," Leaftuft stated. "And, since when can an apprentice commit these types of crimes, anyway?"

"Apprentices very well can murder! There's been many crazy apprentices out there, so my idea wasn't too far-fetched!" Seedstep desperately shouted. "There's been my StarClan forbidden sister, Acornpaw, who murdered, y'know?! And, Dappledleaf, remember your old apprentice, Dovepaw?! That little tomcat tried killing us all! And- and- AND-"

"That's enough!" Softheart's voice silenced Seedstep. "Calm yourself, Seedstep." The white molly turned to Honeymoon. "Let's disregard your list. It won't get us anywhere."

Snowpaw, noticing his claws had been engraving the soil, sheathed them. Seedstep seems very paranoid, but I can't blame him. He said Acornpaw was his sister... the same Acornpaw who visited Nightpaw? He redirected his train of thought. Why would Dappledleaf stay so silent? This entire situation is confusing in the worst way possible.

"This is a messy trial. We still haven't discussed the crime scene," Flameleaf stated. "While there wasn't much to it, there were multiple pools of blood-stained grass and dirt around the location her corpse was found."

"When my patrol found her body, she was contorted in a way which allowed most of her blood to drain into the river. We also noticed a strong fragrance. I believe it was basil, as Dappledleaf previously mentioned," Finchsong added. "I don't think the crime scene will be of much use. We searched through the entire forest for clues, but we got nothing."

Once a few moments of perturbed silence passed, a new voice started to speak.

"I'm not sure if an observation like this has any use in this trial, and I know it's off-topic," Nightpaw began, "but I noticed something strange this morning. Even before Dewspring was found dead, Kestrelpaw had been behaving quite differently. He was much quieter and seemed bereft."

"Now that you mention it, I noticed that as well," Fernpaw affirmed. "Like, Kestrelpaw didn't have his usual spunk."

"Are you... trying to say I could've murdered Ma?" Kestrelpaw asked, his voice faltering. "If you're going to say that, shouldn't Bramblepaw be a suspect as well? She... hasn't spoken all day."

Ripplepaw shook her head. "She was part of the patrol which found Dewspring's corpse. Considering Bramblepaw's already quiet nature, I think she's traumatised." She looked towards the red tabby molly, who stared at the ground. "The poor molly shouldn't have seen her mother like that."

Snowpaw kept his eyes trained on Kestrelpaw, who appeared distraught as Nightpaw listed every suspicious thing he had done. I can't help but feel bad for him, despite his typical treatment towards me. He couldn't have done it, because when I went into the apprentice den last, he must've been asleep. Plus, his reaction seems too genuine for it to be faked.

"You've got this all wrong!" Kestrelpaw desperately exclaimed. "I just got into an argument yesterday with Pa, that's all! Right?"

"Right," Leaftuft confirmed. "That flea-brained tomcat doesn't know his place."

"So, it's impossible!" Kestrelpaw claimed. "If anyone's suspicious, it's Snowpaw, because he was at the apprentice den last night!"

He wasn't asleep, then? Snowpaw's breath hitched as he stared at the apprentice.

"Actually..." Kestrelpaw murmured, backtracking. "I got the order wrong. My head is all fuzzy. He was outside of it, talking with you, Nightpaw." The tomcat lashed his tail, "What if both of you worked together to murder Ma? If you didn't, tell us all about your conversation!"

Am I seriously a suspect again?! The white tomcat unsheathed his claws, watching as Nightpaw carefully spoke.

"When I had gone to the medicine den, I had taken poppy seeds since I haven't been able to sleep in days. I requested Snowpaw to walk to the apprentice den with me, because I had something to say to him." Nightpaw chuckled, his green eyes full of both warmth and an emotion Snowpaw couldn't identify. "Snowpaw and I had plans to stargaze together in the centre of camp before going to bed. Unfortunately- or I suppose fortunately in this case -due to being such an idiot, I had already eaten those poppy seeds. I told him that, but I promised to make up for it. Isn't that right, Snowpaw?"

I can't allow both Nightpaw and I to falsely remain as suspects. If I tell the truth of our conversation, then he'll further be suspected. I'll go along with his lie. "That's right," Snowpaw confirmed. "Nightpaw and I decided to move the date three nights from now so that he could catch up on sleep."

"Aww, how sweet~! The only issue with that is the fact that we don't have any leads now!" Badgerblaze angrily remarked. The black and white molly lowered her voice, taking a serious tone. "Who was the last to speak to Dewspring before her death?"

Snowpaw gazed towards his mother, who remained silent. She doesn't want to be suspected as Dewspring's murderer, he noted. But, the case won't move along unless she confesses to speaking with Dewspring. I think I'll have to-

The click of a tongue interrupted Snowpaw mid-thought. All eyes turned towards Jaggedfur, who stared at Dancingleaf. Did she overhear as well?

The mute, red tabby pointed towards the grey molly, who seemed to be worried. With her body, Jaggedfur reenacted what she saw. Her message conveyed that, while in a state of being in and out of sleep, she had noticed Dewspring and Dancingleaf exit the warrior den, but that only Dancingleaf had returned. 

"Why didn't you mention this sooner?" Ravenpaw asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Jaggedfur narrowed her amber eyes. She claimed to have been keeping an eye on Dancingleaf to see her reactions.

"Well, I n-never left the w-warrior den!" Dancingleaf anxiously swore, a stutter reaching her voice. "Th-Th-That's a lie! Y-You foxheart! I-I bet you're th-the one wh-who-"

"I apologise for doubting you, Jaggedfur, but are you certain of what you saw?" Whitespeckle interjected as he tilted his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. "As far as I'm aware, Dancingleaf had slept right beside me the entire night. I never felt her leave my side, and I'm a pretty light sleeper. Furthermore, you're the only cat with these memories."

Snowpaw nervously flicked his grey-tipped tail, digging his claws into the ground. Whitespeckle is wrong, because I also have those memories. If I speak up about this, then both my mother and I will be suspicious. If I remain silent, then Jaggedfur will be our suspect. 

"So we found the pretty culprit, eh?! Go on and confess, Jaggedfur!" Badgerblaze urged, playing with her claws. "This trial is getting boring, so if you confess now then it'll fiiiinally be over with!"

"I agree with you, Badgerblaze," Softheart purred, fluffing out her fur. "I think we've finally found our culprit. All cats who believe Jaggedfur is the killer, raise your tails!"

Snowpaw momentarily held his breath, watching as Queen Softheart, Fleetrunner, Leaftuft, Badgerblaze, and a few others raised their tails. For some reason, I can't believe that Jaggedfur killed Dewspring. I can't believe my mother killed her, either. I have to speak up about this, before it's too late. I must clear Jaggedfur's name, and hopefully my mother's as well, even if I might be suspected for a third time. "Whitespeckle," the white tomcat began, taking a deep breath. "You claimed that Jaggedfur is the only one with those memories, correct?"

"Yes, I did. Why do you ask?"

"Because that's wrong. Jaggedfur is not the only one with those memories. I also saw it."

As chaos once again ensued in camp, Dancingleaf's voice rang above the others, silencing them. "I-I never l-left the w-warrior den! Wh-Why do y-you hate me s-so much?!"

I'm not doing this because I hate you, Snowpaw silently replied. I'm doing this so we can find the truth behind Dewspring's murder. 

"I can't help but feel bad for you, Dancingleaf. Being doubted by your own son? You must feel so hopeless right now." Softheart's voice was low as she spoke. "What did you see, Snowpaw? Explain yourself," she solemnly demanded.

I can leave out the fact that I was in the apprentice den. That'll only make me more suspicious, Snowpaw dully noted. "Last night, I had trouble falling asleep. My nest in the medicine den is near the entrance, so I was able to see my mother and Dewspring. They appeared to be... conversing. I couldn't quite make out what was said, though," he deluded. The contents of their argument would almost instantly result in the conclusion of my mother being guilty. I can't let that happen. "Afterwards, I saw Dewspring leave camp. I think I heard her say she had to meet with someone, but didn't give a name. After she left, my mother re-entered the warrior den. I didn't see any other cat leave camp." If Dewspring had said who she was meeting with, then her death could've been solved already.

"I see." Softheart narrowed her eyes in thought. "Dancingleaf, will you confess to this?"

The grey molly remained silent for a few moments, before sharply exhaling. "I-I was the last to speak with Dewspring before her death. B-But I didn't kill her! I re-entered the warrior den, just as Snowpaw and Jaggedfur said I did. Dewspring was my best friend, I would never kill her."

"I guess that settles it," Foxsight murmured. "But, why lie about that in the first place? I get that you probably didn't want to be suspected, but you held the trial up."

"Yeah," Stonepaw agreed. The grey tomcat glided a paw over his ear. "If Dewspring was murdered, and no cat left camp other than Dewspring, then how did the crime play out? I mean... of course, the cat could've left after everyone was asleep, but that seems unlikely since, clearly, not everyone was asleep." The apprentice took on a grave disposition. "If the killer doesn't confess soon, then I'll poison everyone with apple seeds."

"Let's not do that," Ottersplash scolded, flicking his tail. "Hmm... Perhaps there's some sort of secret exit out of camp? If only Dewspring left through the exit of camp, then the murderer could've slipped out some other way while Dancingleaf and Dewspring were preocuppied."

"That's impossible," Fleetrunner growled. "A secret exit? It would've been noticed by now if that were the case."

"That's true," Clearshine agreed. "We're perceptive enough to notice one."

Foxsight dipped her head in agreement. "I can confirm that there definitely isn't a secret exit. Queen Softheart, didn't you ask me to search around camp a few days ago? You wanted me to repair any imperfections."

"Oh, that's right. You did ask her to do that." Silverhawk gazed at Softheart, remembering. "Softheart and I can also confirm that there's no secret exit, because we both walked around camp to admire Foxsight's work."

"That's great and all, but now we're right back where we started!" Seedstep exclaimed, glaring at his Clanmates. "We have made absolutely no progress! We have no idea who the murderer is!"

Seedstep's words prompted cats to continue sharing their thoughts and alibis, resulting in a discussion. Snowpaw pinned his ears down as he heard his Clanmates speak. All these words won't get us any closer to the culprit. Is this impossible to solve right now? Everyone claims to have been asleep, and there's no way to prove them wrong. 

Futile minutes passed, yet there was still no suspect. Any deduction was easily disproved, which meant the trial was nothing more than baseless accusations, thrown around as if they held little to no merit. Soon, Softheart demanded silence, her voice drowning out any others. "This trial has gone on for far too long, and yet, there doesn't seem to be an end to it any time soon. As much as I hate to say this, I believe that Dewspring's murder is an unsolvable case, just like Brindlewing and Rookfeather's."

"And we're certain that a rogue could not have done this, correct?" Longwhisker asked, his aqua eyes narrowed.

Multiple cats confirmed this, before turning their heads to focus back on the queen.

"Unfortunately," Softheart sighed, "this trial will be put to an unceremonious end."

. . . . .

Snowpaw waited outside the medicine den, his grey-tipped tail flicking nervously behind him. It's been hours since we held the trial to find whoever murdered Dewspring, but we were unsuccessful. Whoever killed her was clever. I just hope that there won't be another murder. The white tomcat gazed towards Pine Rock, watching as Rainkit trotted towards him. There's still so much I'm confused about. Dappledleaf hasn't said a word since she was called the 'Holly Leafed Genocider.'

"Hey," Rainkit greeted once she arrived, locking eyes with Snowpaw. "I'm sorry that I didn't come last night. I would've, but I felt much more tired than usual. Minnow did as well." The blue-grey molly sighed. "I know that I wouldn't have gone far even if I tried, but maybe it was a good thing, after hearing what happened to Dewspring." 

Snowpaw nodded in response. "It's fine, you don't have to apologise. It was a good thing, as you said."

Rainkit anxiously looked at the ground. "I'm... scared, Snowpaw. My parents told me that the culprit wasn't found. I may not know anyone well, but I don't want another cat to die. Especially not you."

"I won't let anyone kill me, and if I can, I'll try my best not to let anyone else die," Snowpaw promised, smiling up at the molly. 

Rainkit purred, slowly blinking. "I'll believe in you, then. Just... please don't get yourself killed in the process. I know you just said you won't let that happen, but still." The blue-grey princess stood up. "I'll be heading back now. I don't want to stay out too long. I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully."

Snowpaw watched as the molly walked away and re-entered the den she shared with her kin. He then gazed towards the apprentice den, and watched as Nightpaw slunk towards him. I... still don't know what to say to him, considering Dewspring was his mother. I have to come up with something.

"Hello, Snowpaw," Nightpaw purred, his green eyes warm and welcoming. "I'd rather not leave camp tonight, if that is alright with you, of course."

"Yeah, that's fine by me," Snowpaw murmured. "...Nightpaw, I'm sorry about-"

"It's fine." Nightpaw sat down next to Snowpaw, intently watching the stars. "I'm not upset by her death. There's no reason to be upset, right?"

"I-I mean... Dewspring was your mother. Bramblepaw and Kestrelpaw seemed to be distraught," Snowpaw stated, pinning down his ears.

Nightpaw laughed in response to this, his voice raspy. "Dewspring was just an ordinary cat! Cats will forget about her soon enough. Actually, the only thing I'm upset by is the fact that we couldn't find the murderer. Our Clan is incompetent, and that's the truth."

"Wh-What are you saying-?" 

"...Nothing important. Heheh..." Nightpaw raised a paw towards the stars, unsheathing his claws. "It must've taken courage to admit what you saw last night. Thankfully, nobody voiced any suspicions towards you." The black tomcat gazed down at Snowpaw, grinning. "No matter what happens to you, you just push through it. It's a very admirable trait; a cat like me could never do that! There's a very special word for it. Would you like to know what it is?"

Snowpaw hesitantly nodded, his mind racing. 

Nightpaw leaned close to the small, white tomcat. "I like to call it, 'fortitude'." The black tomcat leaned even closer. "And I think I'm in love with your fortitude, Snowpaw."