Chapter 2

Bravery and Originality shall clash… only one shall emerge victorious.

Bravekit cowered in fear as her father slashed angrily at the RippleClan cat's face, crimson bubbling at the scratches.

"Gatorheart, stop this! They brought Reedpaw back safely and that's the best they could've done!" Lionclaw snarled, pulling the powerful gray tom off the surprised RippleClan cat.

Frogleap helped her wounded clan-mate to his paws, a look of concern spread across her face.

"I'll remember this the next time you come into my camp!" Nightgleam spat, the ginger she-cat leaping to restrain the angered tom.

Frogleap looked uncomfortably at her paws. "We should really be going now." She murmured.

The ginger she-cat nodded quickly, the both of them dragging Nightgleam out of camp. "What were you thinking?" Lionclaw snarled, his golden ears flattened angrily against his head.

"We don't even get to bury Silverstar." Gatorheart choked as if Lionclaw hadn't spoken.

Swiftbreeze padded out from her den, a dried out purple flower dangling from her jaws. "Where's Reedpaw?" She murmured, looking around for the traumatized apprentice.

"Right there." Bravekit squeaked, flicking her tiny ginger tail towards the fallen tom.

Swiftbreeze nodded in acknowledgement, trotting to the tom and placing two tiny dried out seeds on his tongue.

It took a moment for everything the RippleClan cats had said to sink for Bravekit. "Wait..." She began, looking to Willowkit. "Silverstar's… dead?" Willowkit nodded, her small gray body giving a shudder of grief.

Lionclaw looked to Gatorheart. "So when are you going to the Cypress circle? You know, to receive your nine lives?" He asked.

Gatorheart hesitated before responding. "Tonight. But first, Reedpaw needs a new mentor and I need to think of a good deputy." Gatorheart responded, choosing his words carefully.

Lionclaw nodded respectfully, backing away from his leader. Deepstream sat in the center of camp, her eyes wild with grief for her sister. "She can't be dead! She just can't!" She wailed, "those mangy furballs don't know what they're talking about! She's alive! Gatorheart we have to look for Silverstar, please!"

Gatorheart drew in a deep breath. "I'm sorry. But look at your son," He gestured to the traumatized ginger tom. "It's clear she was eaten alive."

Deepstream's ears flattened to her skull, her eyes wide with disbelief. "No! No! That's a lie! Please Gatorheart you have to!"

Lionclaw placed his tail over her flank. "Come on." He murmured sympathetically to his mate, leading her away.

Gatorheart walked slowly into his den in the roots of a large mangrove tree, his head low to the muddy ground. Brookfur urged the kits inside the nursery before joining her clanmates to grieve for her lost leader.

XXXXXX

Gatorheart had returned the following morning, his amber eyes gleaming in triumph. His clanmates gathered around him, chanting his new name. "Gatorstar! Gatorstar!" They chanted, hope sparkling in their eyes.

Gatorstar nodded at their support, making his way to the mangrove tree, sinking his claws into the damp bark, hoisting himself to the top of the tree. "WillowClan, as you know our dear leader, Silverstar, has fallen prey to a gator." He began. Murmurs of sadness echoed throughout camp, the memory fresh in every cat's mind. "But we must push past this tragedy, Silverstar would've done the same. She helped us get over Brownstar, and I'm going to help you get over her. But I can't do this alone." Gatorstar bellowed, his eyes scanning over the hoard of cats. "The next deputy of WillowClan will be," Lionclaw stepped forward as if expecting to be called to the tree. "Grovetangle." Lionclaw stopped, his eyes wide with disbelief. Grovetangle made his way out of the cats, climbing up the tree to join Gatorstar. "Thank you for honoring me like this." He meowed, eyes shining.

Willowkit looked to Bravekit, a smirk spread across her face. "Look who's daddy is deputy now."