2

Snowpelt yawned and blinked open her eyes. Sun streamed through the tiny holes and not so thick of snow on top of the roof of the warrior's den. Ghostfur was nowhere in sight. Darkfoot was awaking and Snowpelt quickly darted out of the den. She ran right into Sunstar.

"Why hello Snowpelt, I was just coming to wake you to ask you two questions. Here they are, do you want an apprentice? Here's the next one; will you Snowpelt be willing to take on the duty of being deputy? I know you want an apprentice but I felt I should ask you about being deputy. I'm not sure about the others but you can be my deputy though I have to ask one more cat." Sunstar explained to her.

Snowpelt was filled with confusion and sadness at the offer but she wasn't sure she should take it. "Yes I would like an apprentice, but I'm not sure about deputy. I didn't know he died, and I'm so sorry he was my best friend and I'll never forget him but no. I really don't want to take Grayfoot's place as deputy. I'm sorry maybe another day." Snowpelt meowed with sadness in her voice. Grayfoot was the Clan deputy, but he died in and no one had told her, besides Ghostfur. She remembered what Ghostfur was telling her and had to give up the offer, besides she never did want to be deputy.

"Well if you're sure. I'd best get going, good bye Snowpelt." mewed Sunstar and hurried off.

Snowpelt walked towards the fresh-kill pile and saw that there was nothing there. She turned around and headed out of camp. She was back in the woods but her paws felt frozen. Snowpelt searched desperately for a rabbit or mouse, any kind of creature that cats could eat.

Suddenly a bush's leaves twitched. Snowpelt crouched in a hunter's position. She padded silently forward staying alert for any movement. She scented the air selling rabbit, what luck! Silent and swiftly she leapt into the bushes seeing the rabbit. It was white and fat. She clawed at it hooking her claws deep into it's skin. This stopped it from fleeing quickly but somehow it got out of her grip. The rabbits skin was torn and it was bleeding badly.

Snowpelt tore after it and notice how much blood the rabbit was losing. There were deep holes in the snow from where the rabbit had been. It white fur would have made it impossible to see but the red on it's coat gave it away.

With one final leap Snowpelt caught the rabbit. She quickly killed it and buried a huge pile of snow on it. She turned to head out towards Tallpines where the pines were still green, when yet another rushing noise stopped her.

She scented the air and smelled a cat. It had Thunderclan scent on it. Snowpelt sniffed again and realized the cat was Ghostfur. The ghostly gray cat appeared out of an old dead oak log, that had fell last newleaf. Her hauntingly amber eyes gazed at Snowpelt.

"Ghostfur is something wrong?" Snowpelt asked her worriedly.

When Snowpelt spoke Ghostfur snapped out of her trance, shaking her head as if to clear it. "No nothing's wrong." Ghostfur said quickly. She turned around and bounded off towards camp.

Odd,thought Snowpelt, What's on her mind? Hmmm. . . Something was wrong with Ghostfur or with somebody else and Snowpelt was going to find out. She started to head towards Tallpines to finish hunting.

Mice were plentiful at Tallpines. Snowpelt made a note to remind the Clan later about all the mice. One or two mice she caught chewing on the thick sharp pine nettles. Others were found in holes big enough for her to fit her paws through.

The hunt had gone very well and Snowpelt turned to head back to camp

Back at camp Snowpelt saw Bluetail eating with Whitefur and Sandfoot returning from hunting nothing in her jaws. Snowpelt had already gathered all of her prey, and chose a plump mouse from the now half full fresh-kill pile. Snowpelt took it towards Bluetail and Whitefur.

"I hear that Snowpelt was asked to be Clan deputy but turned it down." Bluetail told Whitefur. The big white cat nodded and sniffed the air. He'd smelled the big mouse Snowpelt was carrying and turned his big white head.

"Where did you find that huge mouse!" exclaimed Whitefur and Bluefur at the same time. Sandfoot looked at the mouse from a distance and back at the fresh-kill pile. It was stocked with big mice; she grabbed one and hurried over.

"I caught it at Tallpines, they were eating the pine nettles off the trees and grew so fat that they couldn't make a deep or small enough holes to bury into." laughed Snowpelt.

"I'm going there tomorrow!" yowled Sandfoot.

Let all cats old enough to catch their on prey gather here around the Highrock for a Clan meeting," Sandfoot was interrupted by the calling of Sunstar.

"We all know that Grayfoot was attacked by a Shadowclan patrol, he just died this a few moments ago. As it is already moon high I shall appoint a new Clan deputy." Sunstar explained to his Clan.

"I say these words before the body of Grayfoot so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice." (Grayfoot had been set down in the clearing, cats were sitting by him or looking at him.) " Sandfoot shall be the knew deputy of Thunderclan. Her loyalty is strong and she will make a fine leader some day."

Bluetail was picking herself up to go see how many big mice were left when a voice called her name. She spun around facing a single cat. It was bright like the sun, white fire danced on its pelts. Only the single faint scent told Bluetail who it was. A Starclan cat had come to see her. She had scented Grayfoot, the Thunderclan deputy. "Buletail great danger is coming an enemy is going to rise and fall, beware of them. they like to kill . . ." Grayfoot's voice faded and Bluetail awoke with a start.

Something smacked her hard. Bluetail growled and it smacked her again, this time a lot harder. "Get up you piece of fur!" snarled Darkfoot.

Snowpelt had been watching Darkfoot smack Bluetail continuously until she woke up. Or so she thought. Darkfoot was smacking her so hard that she knew that Bluetail couldn't open her eyes. Snowpelt leapt at Darkfoot, the best she could in the small warriors' den. Taken by surprise Darkfoot was winded and bleeding. Snowpelt sheathed her claws and looked at Bluetail's side where Darkfoot had beaten it, she noticed deep claw marks and blood seeping through it.

"You stupid little lump of fox dug! Look what you've done! Unsheathing your claws and trying to wake some on up isn't a good thing to do!" yowled Snowpelt, rage pulsing through her whole body.

Other cats in the warriors' den awoke with a start at all the yelling. Bluefur dared lift her head to see what was going on. Snowpelt was brisling and hatred ran like ice in her voice. She was telling Darkfoot off! That was a rare thing and a dangerous one.

"I'm telling Sunstar about hurting your on clan mate for no reason, Darkfoot! You wouldn't like that if you sat there with some deep gashes in your side and even on your head, would you?" snarled Snowpelt and then turned to Bluetail. Gasps in the background were low and many were talking so quiet that you could barely here it.

"Are you okay? Well I don't think so," Snowpelt answered her own question and went on mewing. "We need to get you to Redfur. It'll hurt when you stand because those may not be long but they're deep."

Bluetail stood up hissing and yowling in pain. On her head the blood ran towards her head blinding her. Pain seared in the left side of her skull. On unsteady paws she padded towards Redfur's den. The clearing was still coated in puffy white snow but many paw steps had trampled it. Flamekit and Stripedkit were playing with one another bowling each other over.

Flamekit pounced on Stripedkit biting him softly on the scruff. Then Stripedkit yowled, "Oh no I have been defeated by a kit! Okay now it's my turn to be the Riverclan leader!"

The kits continued playing and soon Bluetail came to the medicine cat's den. It was a hole under a rock that had been dug out. Redfur was sitting in a small dented place where a cat could fit. He was sorting herbs and other stuff.

"Can you have a look at these cuts Redfur?" asked Bluetail.

Redfur's head shot up and he padded over to her. He started examining her wounds and walked over to the neat pile of herbs he was arranging. "Here this will help, it's poppy seed and marigold. Chew the marigold and stick it on the wounds and eat the poppy seeds." mewed Redfur kindly.

Bluetail dipped her head and licked up the poppy seeds and chewed on the marigold, turning it to paste. She rubbed what she could on her head and side. Then she faced Redfur and meowed, "Thank you Redfur, these cuts were stinging badly." Redfur just nodded and went back to his herbs.

Bluetail turned around and padded towards the bush covered entrance. Sunstar met her half way. "What's this about? Snowpelt tells me you were hurt by Darkfoot, do you know why?"

"No, Sunstar he just unsheathed his claws and started batting me hard with them." answered Bluetail, wincing as the pain in her head increased.

"Ok, well I'm going to go talk to him to get some answers and also we need more fresh-kill. Go on and hunt, if the pain's not to bad."