𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 | 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

-Chapter Seven-

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I cry in the dark as I think of your voice

As I think of the changing tides that gave you no choice

You're in my heart but that's still not enough

This lonely feeling is just so rough

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Lion kit's paws felt numb as she helped carry Barkpaw's body back to camp , the only person who ever loved her the way she loved them was on her back, cold as ice. As soon as she heard the thump she had raced back to camp to get a patrol of warriors to help Bark paw and the whole time she had been telling herself Bark paw was just hurt even though she knew that it was a lie. Now with Bark paw gone a part of her was missing and she felt as though that part would never come back. As they brought her body through the buckbrush tunnel , she thought about the things her "clanmates" would say about her, they'd probably say she Pushed Bark paw off, but they'd never really know what happened that day. Oh Bark paw why'd you have to go, her heart cried out.

"I'm not gone..." A whisper sounded next to her "I'm still here, I'll always be here..."

For a moment it felt as though the pretty brown she cat was actually there stepping besides her, and helping carry the weight and then that moment was over and the weight of the body came back down on her and more tears blossomed in her eyes making the fur on her face feel sticky and wet. 

A yowl of pain and fear rang out and bounced against the caves walls , It was Sky paw.

"Who did this!" He shrieked

"Yes, Who did this to my daughter?!" Their father Owlfeather growled. Lion kit couldn't even bare looking at them, she knew it was all her fault , if she'd never ran away and never tried jumping Bark paw would still be there, and she would never have to have the only person who ever loved her ripped away from her and taken up into the stars.

"it was an accident" she meowed quietly, not sure if anyone could hear her but Sky paw pricked up his ears.

"what was an accident?!" he demanded in a sharp voice, Lion paw flinched away from him,

"w-we were at the cliff a-and sh-she was to close to the edge and i-it-" She couldn't finish what she was meowing it was to terrible, but she knew they had to know the truth she burst into tears, "it gave w-way!" her tears were only drowned out by the shrieking of Owlfeather and Sky paw . Suddenly Lion paw couldn't help but pity them, their sister and daughter was lost so soon after their mother, Dreamtail. 

"Cats of Sun clan" Called Gentlestar "A great sorrow has befallen us, Bark paw an apprentice of our clan, has passed from these mountains, we shall sit vigil tonight to honor her and send her spirit on its way. But until then we must continue our daily life and remember that she would want us all to be strong" his gaze lingered on Owlfeather, then Sky paw, and finally, Lion kit. 

"How do we know it wasn't murder?!" cried Darkfur 

"yeah! how do we know that Lion kit didn't push her off!" Called Blazing branch

"murderer!" someone called

"TRAITOR!" 

"Leave her in the forest!"

"Get that murderer away from us!"

"STOP!" Called Sky paw " Bark paw was a full grown apprentice Lion kit was a kit! how would she push her off? And why would Lion kit even do it! Bark paw was one of her only friends!" his voice had reason and even the most stubborn cats had to listen to it. 

"Yes." Called Gentle Star's commanding voice " No Clanmate would ever hurt another!  For now you two will stop those awful rumors and if I hear a peep about that again you will be on apprentice duties for a MOON!" his gaze scorched all the cats in the clearing below "Do I make myself clear?" 

"fine I'll stop.." grumbled Blazing branch whilst Dark fur simply snorted and and looked upwards. 

" Good!" Gentlestar meowed though his eyes were still narrowed " for now this meeting as at an end." 

As the meeting dispersed Lion kit slowly padded towards into the nursery she curled up into a ball but she didn't go to sleep instead she watched the clan doing their daily things, and as time passed on she thought about Burning Branch and Darkfur, I'm not angry at them, of course they think i'd do that, they've been listening to Swift Falcons lies since I was kitted. Suddenly she cried, It was her fault all of it! if she hadn't ran away Bark paw would never of died, she sat there and cried until no tears were left and her throat was dry . She sat vigil for the entire night, her face buried into Bark paws limp dead fur , and in the morning she watched as the elders carried bark paw to her final resting place, Sky paw had told them about a small pine tree near a pond that Bark paw had loved, and as Lion kit laid her flower on the mound of dirt that was over Bark paws body she realised she'd never see the brown she cat again and her heart split in two.