The chill of leafbare buried deep within Darkstar's skin as he stared at the three seemingly sleeping warriors that had been arranged in the shadow of Highrock.
Darkstar's voice was low but it carried easily through the icy night air. "We sit vigil for our fallen warriors." His dull yellow eyes scanned the camp before drifting to the moon. "We will remember them always."
He dipped his head, hiding the fear that threatened to suddenly overwhelm him as he looked down on his grieving warriors. Was there anyway he could have prevented this? Of course not. No one could have predicted this. No one could have known what Tigerclaw was going to do.
I could have...
Tigerclaw did this.
Redtail had tried to warn him but he hadn't listened. He couldn't wrap his head around the idea of Tigerclaw betraying him. He still couldn't. Tigerclaw was born and raised a loyal ThunderClan warrior. He would never betray ThunderClan. He would never betray Darkstar.
But didn't he kill Bluestar? Whispered a familiar voice. Didn't he refuse to tell you of his plans when the two of you had been warriors in the same Clan? Who was Tigerclaw truly loyal to?
Am I expected to turn my back on my mentor? After everything we've been through?
The Clan was silent in mourning. Darkstar stared up at the stars, searching for the three new stars which were resting on the black hairs of Silverpelt, the great black leopard. Instead of announcing the next deputy, he bounded down the Highrock and pressed his nose into the snowy white fur of his former deputy. He could also smell the decay under the sweet scent of the mint leaves but lowered himself anyway to share tongues with his deputy one last time. His eyes were closed and he allowed himself to drift off into sleep.
Show me a sign, StarClan.
When he awoke, the cold dawn had arrived, bringing a rosy yellow light that bathed the camp in soft blood. Darkstar blinked and rose to his paws, stepping back to let the elders carrying the dead away to be buried. The camp felt emptier without the three warriors in it. Darkstar turned away and stormed into his den.
Why is this all on me? He wondered. I just wanted to sleep and let a competent deputy take care of everything for me.
A stab of grief caused his lips to curl into a snarl. He stopped near his nest, surprised to smell Frostfur's scent there. The she-cat was curled up half on his nest, reminding him that they were mates now. At least, until she moved out and had his litter. Then he'd have to find someone else to keep him warm at night.
Is it too much to ask for a real mate? He wondered with a sigh. He slowly lowered himself into the nest and pressed his cheek along Frostfur's spine until he was resting comfortably nearby.
Let the world handle it's own issues for today, he decided, his chest feeling empty where a purr should be. I need sleep.
He didn't even fall asleep before a paw prodded him awake. His lip curled at the stench of Yellowfang. "What do you want, healer cat?"
Her tone was flat. "You need to appoint a new deputy."
"Shut up and let me be," he growled. "I'll appoint a deputy when I'm good and ready."
"RiverClan might attack at any moment."
Darkstar kept his eyes shut and waited until Yellowfang huffed and padded out. He opened his eyes and stared at the long white fur of his mate. He wondered if all her kits would be white like her or dark tabbies like him and if he'd live long enough to see them. Would Frostfur name one of them Darkkit after he was gone? They were never close. She was more likely to name them after something else.
Did I really want a mate? Or was I just missing Tigerclaw?
The den still felt cold, even with Frostfur there.
He wondered if he would feel better if he had left with Tigerclaw and never became leader of ThunderClan.
Right now, he had never felt more alone and lost in his entire life.
His tongue rasped over his coat. He wasn't sure why but the familiar routine of cleaning himself brought him some peace of mind, even as his mind settled on conclusions.
He had never wanted a mate; he had just wanted his mentor back. But his mentor had betrayed the Clan and turned on Darkstar, going so far as to kill him. He was an enemy of Darkstar and an enemy of the Clan. If Darkstar had any hopes of returning to a peaceful life…
Did he have to kill Tigerclaw? Or Leopardstar?
Darkstar stopped washing himself and wrapped his tail thoughtfully around his paws, his claws digging into the moss. He could kill Leopardstar without any regrets. Three lives for the three ThunderClan lost in the battle.
He bounded up the Highrock and settled down on the top, his eyes narrowed.
"ThunderClan!" he yowled. "It's time to select a new deputy for the Clan."
Moonhigh had long since passed, but tradition demanded that he do it right away, especially when his future lay on the line. He needed someone the Clan could trust to follow the warrior code, yet someone who could be disposed of without any real worry of making the Clan weaker. Someone Darkstar wouldn't mind Tigerclaw or Leopardstar killing.
"The new deputy is Longtail," he mewed, skipping the traditional introduction and talking right over any mews of congratulations. "He will stay behind and guard the camp while we invade RiverClan territory tonight."
His Clanmates looked at each other in surprise.
"Are we going to avenge them?" demanded Runningwind loudly.
"How many RiverClan cats are we going to end up killing?" Willowpelt asked, her gaze hard and serious.
Darkstar's gaze swept the clearing and landed on Dustpelt. "Which RiverClan warriors were apart of the killing?"
The brown tabby flicked his tail nervously. "Loudbelly, Heavystep, and Tigerclaw."
"Heavystep is a young warrior," mewed Brindleface, her eyes wide. "We can't kill him."
"We won't," Darkstar promised. "But we will make them all suffer for what they have done." His claws clicked against the stone as he unsheathed them. "Longtail, prepare the attack patrol. I want hard and seasoned warrior on this trip. No mistakes."
The black and gold tabby dipped his head. "Yes, Darkstar."
A/N: Since I already had this mostly finished, I decided to post it. Only a few chapters left before we reach the end of the book, really, but I need a break to stockpile some of my creative juices. Otherwise, the story starts feeling a bit flat.
As a side note: Frostfur and Darkstar are not in love. That's not what mates are, at least not to early warrior cats. Mates are just cats who get together to have kits for the Clan. No love or romantic interest involved. I refer to you Willowpelt, who had three mates, and Goldenflower, who had two. Then there's the mysterious fathers of Bindleface's, Speckletail's and Frostfur's litters. They are never mentioned having any interest in their kits. Basically, I don't believe that every warrior cat story should have a romance or that every litter should be the birth of romance. Sometimes, they're like Frostfur, in which they just want kits for kits' sake.