The first time Leopardfur noticed the ginger tom, it was at a Gathering.

Leopardfur's mind was as sharp as her yellow gaze as it roved over the crowd. Brokenstar was nowhere in sight, despite the fact that ShadowClan warriors still appeared at the river now and then. Some of them even tried their paw at fishing. She would have hissed when she saw a few catches going home if she hadn't seen the bones sticking out through their fur and caught a whiff of their stench.

It was a common rumor that ShadowClan smelled like crowfood, but they were far more rank than usual.

Had they no pride?!

Now, seeing that all of ShadowClan looked so… filthy and deserted, Leopardfur figured they could keep the fish. It might be all that was keeping them afloat. Besides, they were marshland cats. If any group had a chance at catching fish, it'd be ShadowClan. The small ones, anyway. About the size of the birds or reptiles that supposedly lived in their territory.

"Fox-dung." She grumbled.

"A bird steal your prey?" A ThunderClan warrior she hadn't paid much attention to sat beside her at the base of the Great Rock.

"Nope, but it looks like ShadowClan isn't going anywhere soon." She muttered as she glanced up to see the three leaders arguing. Leopardfur should probably pay more attention, but Crookedstar was already angry about giving up rights to the river. He wouldn't do anything to help either Clan further than he already had.

"We took care of them." The dark brown tabby offered smugly.

Apparently the older white tom was the only one with some decency in him. Since this piece of badger-fluff didn't have the sense a kit got from its mother. Brave of the elder to stand up to two of his Clanmates. For ShadowClan, of all cats. Granted, the younger warriors were around her age, and definitely wrong to laugh. But if the grey one said he did the fighting, then perhaps he was right to give himself some credit. Hopefully not too much, though.

Leopardfur noted with some amusement that the ginger tom greeted the ShadowClan cats enthusiastically, for all his joking a few heartbeats ago. She'd have to ask Blackclaw what he thought of those two when they got back to camp.

"I'll bet you did."

"I'm Tigerclaw.

"Leopardfur." She offered stiffly. "Welcome to deputyship. It's not all it's cracked up to be."

"You can say that again." The new ShadowClan deputy rasped.

The dark grey tom was not having a good night at all, with glazed over eyes that would give the impression he wasn't listening if he hadn't just responded. He and his Clan didn't look any better than the last time she'd seen any of them, but maybe their new leader would have better news.

Nightpelt's announcement that Brokenstar was gone surprised her. She couldn't imagine Crookedstar doing something so heinous that the entire Clan turned against him! Did his deputy not stick up for him? Had his greed for territory stretched to ThunderClan as well? Perhaps the tree-climbers had defeated the marsh-stalkers and driven him out for his attempt to overreach….

Which is exactly what Bluestar just confirmed.

The leaders turned to talk of the deserted uplands, and Leopardfur snorted. She'd been right to think that Crookedstar wouldn't give a pawstep more than he had to. The large brown tom was noble enough, but what self-respecting Clan cat would starve rather than let prey run free on unclaimed land?

Apparently ThunderClan, if Bluestar's sharp remarks were anything to go by. And Crookedstar's confusion might drag RiverClan right along with them.

Leopardfur decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Old friends though the leaders were, Crookedstar was no fool. He might not budge for the free prey.

Bluestar must have sensed it as well, because although they touched noses at the end of the Gathering, Crookedstar remained unmoved. She knew there would be orders to hunt wherever they could. Especially with the fish starting to head for warmer waters, likely in hopes of escaping the Twolegs. Leaf-fall was on the way and leaf-bare with it. Every Clan should take the chance to stock up where they could.

LEOPARDFUR'S DESIRE LEOPARDFUR'S DESIRE LEOPARDFUR'S DESIRE LEOPARDFUR'S DESIRE

The next time Leopardfur noticed the ginger tom, they were both in WindClan territory. Blackclaw was trying his paw at hunting, and not having much luck. She caught a whiff of ThunderClan scent and directed the smoky tom to it after his failed catch. They came upon a badger set that the ThunderClan cats must have also noticed, because they were nowhere in sight.

Clever, those ThunderClan cats. Leopardfur mused.

She turned around and led her Clanmates back through the way they came, the tall yellow grasses almost making her pelt blend in.