Liongaze looked around proudly, the light returning to his eyes if only for a moment. Deputy! He just couldn't believe it.
"I'll be sure to be a deputy SkyClan will be proud of!" Liongaze vowed and stood tall.
Tigerpelt made his way over to his brother and gave him a friendly cuff around his ear. "Now you'll be as bossy as ever!" he teased.
Emberflower was purring too loudly to say anything. "And don't you forget it!" Liongaze teased back and butted his shoulder.
Flamestar jumped down from the Highrock and padded over to the newly named deputy. "The patrols for today are already taken care of," he mewed and flicked his tail. "Get tomorrow's patrols ready and then you should be good until tomorrow."
"Yes, Flamestar," Liongaze mewed and dipped his head before Flamestar padded away to his den.
Liongaze watched Flamestar sadly as he padded into Rainstar's old den. It's only been a few days since the search for their lost leader was ordered by Flamefur to stop looking. Rainstar had padded out of his den early that dawn and told Flamefur that he was going for a walk. It was the last anyone had heard anything from him. It was a hard decision, Liongaze knew, to call off the search after just four days. But with a Gathering coming up, they needed a leader to be present and there was no proof that Rainstar was alive.
"Liongaze?" Emberflower's mewed made Liongaze shake his pelt to clear his mind. "I asked you if you wanted to go hunting."
Liongaze looked at her. "Sure, if you want to," he mewed and turned to his brother. "You can take Blueflower, Adderfoot, and Dawnpaw with you on the dawn patrol tomorrow," he ordered Tigerpelt.
Icebird's and Flamestar's kits – Dawnkit, Firekit, and Ashkit – were all newly named apprentices.
"I'll go and tell them," Tigerpelt mewed and walked away to the warrior's den.
Liongaze turned to Emberflower. "Ready to go?" he asked her.
She nodded. "Ready when you are!" she purred and brushed passed him out of the camp.
The light dappling down onto the forest floor was cool and warm as the two cats padded along. Emberflower had already caught two mice and Liongaze gazed at her proudly as she brought down a large thrush.
"Nice catch! I've never seen anyone hunt like you," he praised happily.
"Thanks," she panted and scrapped dirt over the bird. "Not sure if I can keep it up, though. I'm tired and it's got to be nearly sunhigh by now!"
"Oh, I'm not going back until I've caught at least one fish!" Liongaze purred and flicked his tail over towards where his rabbit was buried. "I need more to show for our long hunt."
"Yes, O mighty deputy!" she mewed humbly and bowed her head to him.
Liongaze cuffed her playfully over the ear. "Oh, just come on!" he purred and ran off ahead of her.
Emberflower laughed and quickly followed him.