I want to thank The Seventh Sage and EradrinSkyleaf for reviewing :). I love you both so much right now! :3

Let's get this started from a ThunderClan kitty! :3 I think you all will like him X3.

Regards,

Author xx

chαptєr σnє - thundєrclαn

Sunlight streamed through a hole in the warriors' den, warming Northclaw to a certain standpoint. The dark brown ThunderClan tom let out a meer purr at the way it warmed his flank and back; for a mere moment, Northclaw wished he could stay in here, under the sunlight, for as long as he could breathe.

But as far as Northclaw was concerned, living and breathing was undoubtedly better than sunlight on his pelt.

Sighing, the dark brown tom slowly got to his paws and shook out his pelt; doing so made it an even bigger mess than what it had been, and Northclaw smoothed it down rather quickly with his tongue. He had to look good today, for himself and his Clan; being Clan deputy under the rule of Hickorystar meant he had to look his best, otherwise he wasn't permitted to set a paw outside the den until he looked perfect to his peers - the cats he would one day lead, as Hickorystar often put it.

Satisfied with his washing, Northclaw padded out into the clearing. The sun shone brightly down on ThunderClan camp, and he longed to bask in the warming rays for just a small while. But he had patrols to make, and duty came before bashfulness in Northclaw's life; it always had, and it probably always would.

Northclaw shouldered his way through a massive crowd of cats waiting below Smoothstone, the place where Hickorystar made his announcements and performed ceremonies. His sharp and inquisitive green eyes settled on each of the cats' before him as he spoke in a high orderly fashion, "Tallstem, you lead a hunting patrol with Heatstep and Gorsewing..." he watched as the long-legged warrior did as he asked and gathered his cats, going out of camp swiftly. He turned back to his task, blinking at a blue-gray she-cat. "Lapshore, you can lead the second hunting patrol with Thistlepaw and Redstripe."

The she-cat nodded, gathered her apprentice and the white tom, and took off into the forest after Tallstem's patrol.

His eyes finally settled on the sole remaining cat - a brown-and-white she-cat. "Flightbird, you can join together with two other cats on a border patrol to ShadowClan."

The two she-cat's nodded and went to talk with Heatstep, the only other cat in camp that wasn't an apprentice, queen, medicine cat or leader. The two then bounded over to Thornpaw, the medicine cat apprentice; the tom happened to be sorting herbs out in the sunshine, while his mentor, Tornwing, was inside the den doing whatever. Northclaw watched as the tom shouted out to his mentor, Tornwing's calm reply seeming to say yes by the way the apprentice jumped to his paws and bounded after the two warriors, his tail waving behind him.

"You're getting pretty good at this," purred a voice behind him, and Northclaw pricked his ears. "For an apprentice just made a warrior, and now deputy... You have it all at your paws, Northclaw."

Northclaw turned his head and saw the she-cat Pinestep sitting a tail-length away, watching him. Her forest-green eyes were glimmering with wonder, and Northclaw felt his heart pounding in his chest; he had always had a crush on Pinestep, ever since they were kits together. But an accident with Cherrywing, the only living elder in ThunderClan at the time, forced the former ThunderClan leader Settingstar to postpone his apprentice ceremony. Pinestep had been an apprentice and a warrior before him, but his liking of her never lessened.

Northclaw nodded at the she-cat, forcing himself not to smile. "I guess I do, don't I?"

Pinestep settled down onto her belly and placed one casual, darker-spotted paw over the other. "Mhm," she mused, twitching her ear-tips. "Most definitely - any cat would give everything they have to be in your place..."

Northclaw couldn't help but smirk at that, and he found himself unwillingly asking, "Even you?"

The mottled brown warrior snorted playfully and scratched behind her ear with her hind paw. "Oh, no," she meowed, shaking her head. "I don't think the Clan would prefer to have a cat like me as the deputy - I'm too willing to help others in need, no matter what Clan they're in."

That's true, Northclaw thought. You did help those RiverClan cats when the heat got to them and dried up the river - you fed them our prey for a little over a moon, around the same time that Settingstar came down with greencough...

"But no matter, anyways." her voice snapped Northclaw from his thoughts as his eyes settled on hers again. "Hickorystar thought well, choosing you as deputy. You're a new warrior, young and indesicive; you'll need the guidance from both him and us, as warriors..." she blinked thoughtfully at him, and Northclaw felt the ends of his fur tingle. "You're going to find yourself asking us more questions than you did when you were an apprentice!"

"I did ask Shatterstep quite a lot of questions..." Northclaw admitted sheepishly, and he heard Pinestep purr in amusement.

"I should know, with him being my father!" Pinestep purred, rising to her paws and stretching. Her tail quivered behind her as she continued, "He told me everything you asked him one day - it was quite the mouthful, really..." her eyes shone in pride of her father, who now resided in the elders den. "But he taught you well - I hope that one day, you can - will - do the same to your own apprentice." the she-cat turned around and waved her tail in farewell, her green eyes glowing. "Good day, Northclaw - I hope to be seeing you around some other time."

"You, too!" Northclaw called after her as she padded off towards the old holly bush and snuck inside. With a bounce in his step, Northclaw set out into the forest, the scent of Pinestep still fresh in his mind.

xXxXxXxXx

The day was still young when Northclaw padded into camp, his jaws feeling heavy under the weight of three pieces of prey. Though they were only mice, the animals were plump, perfect for a warrior or two. As he dropped two onto the fresh-kill pile, his gaze flickered to the nursery, where the queens Quietflame and Frostwind were sunning themselves outside. Quietflame's only kit, Littlekit, was batting at a twig while her mother watched, amusement and love shining in her bright yellow eyes.

Northclaw decided better of taking the mouse that was still hanging from his jaws for himself and instead padded over to the she-cats, placing the animal at Frostwind's paws.

The white she-cat opened her eyes and beamed at the sight of the mouse; then, noticing a pair of paws before her, she looked up into Northclaw's eyes and asked, "Is this for me?"

"The both of you," Northclaw inquired, to which Quietflame looked up from her daughter to him as well. The pale gray queen's eyes glimmered with thanks, and Frostwind purred at him, obviously pleased with his answer. "I - I mean, I didn't know if you'd already eaten, but if you have... I can take it." his stomach rumbled in pleasure at his words, and his mouth watered ravinously.

"I haven't had a decent meal all newleaf!" Frostwind meowed jokingly and shook her head, looking at Quietflame. "Have you, Quietflame?"

"Not that I can remember," the pale gray she-cat responded, her eyes still on Northclaw.

"We'll take it," Frostwind confirmed happily, and Northclaw's heart sank a small bit. "Thank you, Northclaw."

The brown tom dipped his head to the two queens, a slight pang in his chest. "You're welcome." he padded off in the direction of the pile again, the sound of Frostwind gossiping to Quietflame dying off as he got farther and farther away.

Not wanting to look self-concieted, Northclaw fished out a small finch from the bottom of the pile. He thanked StarClan for the life of the finch and padded over into the shade of an oak tree, settling down and beginning to tear the bird's feathers from its bony frame. As he did finished his meal, he allowed his gaze to travel around camp. Near the apprentices den, Lapshore and Heatstep were teaching Thornpaw and Thistlepaw how to do a low-belly swipe; at the base of Smoothstone Gorsewing, Flightbird, and Redstripe all sat talking to one another. Northclaw watched as Flightbird lightly shoved Redstripe, and their laughter floated from one end of the clearing and into the brown tom's ears. He watched as Tallstem padded over to Quietflame and rub muzzles with her before beginning to play with Littlekit, Quietflame watching her mate and daughter fondly. Frostwind rose to her paws and padded away to meet her mate, Heatstep, beside the apprentices den; the two mates brushed muzzles and Heatstep stopped his training session to focus on Frostwind.

Northclaw's heart thumped in his chest as Pinestep padded out of the warriors den, her pelt ruffled from sleep. She shook her pelt free of bracken strands and moss, licking her chest fur into smoothness; she then padded over to the fresh-kill pile and selected one of Northclaw's mice before looking around the clearing for a free spot to sit.

He hadn't noticed Pinestep had chosen a similar spot as him until her soft voice echoed in his ears: "Can I sit here?"

He looked to the spot next to him shyly, feeling his pelt growing warm and his face flush. He dragged his gaze up to hers as he meowed, "Sure, I guess."

Pinestep beamed brightly at him, smiling behind her mouse. "Thank you!" she settled down a pawstep out of reach from him, and for once Northclaw was glad for the barrier; any closer to the she-cat and Northclaw just might have pressed against her on 'accident'. Trying to keep himself busy, the dark brown deputy began to wash one of his forepaws, then the other, then his two back paws; though his mind wandered on the aspects of Clanlife, Northclaw found his eyes often dragging towards Pinestep. Whenever he caught it the tom mentally slapped himself in the face, scolding his eyes for even looking at a she-cat in such a profound way - even if it wasn't profound.

"How is deputyship? Is it treating you well?" Pinestep asked suddenly and Northclaw's tongue lolled out of his mouth as he flopped his back right paw on the ground.

"It'h goin' gid," the ThunderClan tom realized his speech inpediment a little too late and hurriedly stuck his tongue back in his mouth where it belonged. "U - uh, I mean... It's going good." his pelt grew hot again, and his ears flattened to his head in shame.

"That's great!" Pinestep mewed happily, his previous falter not seeming to faze her. "Do you like it?"

"Somewhat," Northclaw stated. "I mean, the early rising thing kind of catches up to me by sunhigh, but..."

"I can imagine," Pinestep agreed wholeheartedly. "I don't think I could do that - waking up just before dawn to make up patrols? Great StarClan, that must be hard!"

"At first, but by the fourth of fifth time you start getting used to rising up before the sun."

Pinestep nodded in agreement and rose to her paws, lapping at her paw before dragging up along her whiskers. "Yes, well... I still don't think I could do it." the she-cat looked back at him, her green eyes wistful as she padded away and began talking with Lapshore.

Northclaw felt a small smile creep onto his lips as he watched the one she-cat he loved, yet knew he couldn't have.

Hickorystar says to look the best for your Clan - when in reality, I'm looking my best for her...

Well. Yeah. :3

Long and nice, I guess.

Regards,

Author xx