"Darktail." Leafstar stood up. "Will you allow us to collect our dead and wounded?"
"Of course," he said, smiling brightly. "I'm not a savage." Emberpaw could hear the unspoken words in every Clan cat's mind.
Yes, yes you are. As soon as they had made their way out of the gorge, Leafstar jumped onto a rock and, her voice heavy with grief, began to speak.
"Sharpclaw and Frostpaw are dead. We will sit vigil for them, in the forest." No-one objected. They were too overcome with shock.
Emberpaw pressed herself against Hawkwing. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked.
"No." he said and shook his head. "My father died bravely, fighting for his Clan, and that's more than many can say."
"Hey," she said brightly. "Pebblepaw's over there. Go see her."
"Okay," he muttered. The column of cats stopped. Leafstar leaped on to a stone.
"A new deputy must be appointed," she meowed. "But first, let us give thanks to StarClan for the life of Sharpclaw. Tonight he sits with his fellow warriors among the stars."
Silence fell as all the cats looked up into the sky, which was beginning to darken as evening crept over the forest.
"And now I shall name SkyClan's new deputy," Leafstar continued. "I say these words before the body of Sharpclaw, so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice."
"Hawkwing," meowed Leafstar, "will be the new deputy of SkyClan. Now let's go to sleep. In the morning, we'll go pick up any daylight warriors who want to come with us." She stopped talking, and Emberpaw could hear the weariness in her voice. She understood. It was the first major battle since Firestar left, and they had failed.
"Wake up, wake up!" Emberpaw rolled out of the bush she'd been sleeping in. Her fur was damp with dew, and she couldn't get used to it.
"Be quiet, Ferretpaw." she snapped. She was tired to the bone, as if she hadn't slept a wink.
"Never!" crowed Ferretpaw. "Besides, you're a sleepy furball. Hawkwing already brought Macgyver, Bellaleaf, Billystorm and Harrybrook back to the Clan."
Emberpaw looked up to the sky. The sun had completed a quarter of it's long journey across the sky. Emberpaw got up.
"When are we leaving?"
"Right now, birdbrain!" purred Ferretpaw. Emberpaw saw Hawkwing leading the Clan towards the river.
"Oh, okay." she said, and ran to catch up with them, with Ferretpaw close behind.
Eventually, they made it to the Riverlog, a long tree trunk stretched over the water.
"I'm going first!" yowled Hawkwing, his voice fighting over the roar of the river. He balanced on the log, and slowly made his way across.
Then Patchfoot. Smokepaw. Sagenose. Plumwillow. Sandynose. And then Cherrytail hung back.
"I've decided not to come,'' she said.
"Me too." said Fidgetpaw.
"And me," said Cloudmist. "But please take my kits."
"I'll go with you." said Rockwhisker. "Sandynose, will you take them?" Sandynose nodded.
"I've always wanted a Finkit." With sorrow in her gaze, Leafstar nodded as well, and they walked off. Heronpaw crossed.
Then Blossomheart and Sandynose, Plumwillow and Rabbitleap, Leafstar and Echosong. Sparrowpelt and Bouncefire, Fallowfern and Ferretpaw, Billystorm and Pebblepaw.
Clovertail, Harrybrook, Bellaleaf and Macgyver were the last to go, so only Emberpaw was left. She slowly walked forward, and got on the trunk.
It was wet and slippery. And then a bird pecked her paw, and she fell into the river.
Now how was that for an ending? *evil chuckle* Too bad Leafstar ain't gonna send a patrol to look for her- she's probly dead!
