Dovetalon watched with narrowed eyes, as Antstar hobbled to her den, being supported by Archspeck and Tigerslip.
Not long now he thought, not long now until the leader was gone, and he'd be leader.
Of course, there was also Tigerslip to worry about.
He shook his head, he'd have to think about a solution for him later.
"So, when we form a clan, I think we should only have the biggest and strongest warriors," Brambleburr meowed, flicking her tail over to where Quietmouse was playing moss-ball with Reedmoon and their kits.
Dovetalon flattened his ears with annoyance.
"If we form our own clan, my mate's brother is joining."
"But Dovie, look at him!" the large brown she-cat hissed, "His kits are almost as big as he is, and they're not even apprentices yet!"
He rolled his eyes, not bothering to correct the annoying she-cat, that his name was Dovetalon, and not Dovie, he knew she'd never learn.
"Dovetalon! Dovetalon!"
The white tom turned to the direction where his name was being called, and he saw his kits, Pigeonflight, Wildstorm, and Boulderdawn staring excitedly at him.
Boulderdawn had a rabbit in her mouth, that was almost as big as she was.
"I caught that!" Wildstorm meowed, puffing his chest out proudly.
"Isn't it great?" Pigeonflight purred, "It's the biggest rabbit I've ever seen! It should be enough to feed the whole clan!"
Dovetalon mrrowed with amusement, and rested his tail-tip on the tom's shoulder, not bothering to tell him, that the rabbit couldn't possibly feed the whole clan.
Why ruin his happiness?
"You think that puny rabbit can feed the whole clan?" Brambleburr scoffed, obviously having different thoughts.
Dovetalon fought the urge to claw off her ears, when he saw the distraught look on his kits' faces.
"I-I did my best," Wildstorm meowed softly, looking down at his paws.
"Yeah!" Pigeonflight spat, "He went into the burrow and everything to get it."
"You're just jealous because you're too fat to even dream of catching rabbits," Boulderdawn meowed, her words muffled by the prey in her mouth.
Brambleburr stared with her eyes open wide in horror.
"How dare you raise such brats!" she spat at Dovetalon, before storming off.
He breathed a sigh of relief at her retreating form.
She was a strong warrior, one of the strongest in the clan, but he could hardly stand her.
She was constantly criticizing his family, and trying to be his mate.
He shook his head, like that'd ever happen, he was loyal to Fallingfrost, and only Fallingfrost.
"Dovetalon!"
The white tom turned his head to where Tigerslip was standing with some other cats.
"Marshwater said he smelled fox on a hunting patrol yesterday, I want you lot to go check it out."
The aforementioned dark brown tabby padded forward.
"I'll lead the way!"
"Yes Tigerslip," Dovetalon meowed, dipping his head at the deputy, before following Marshwater out of camp.
He didn't much like following a cat, who had just gotten his warrior name a moon ago, but he knew that if he wanted Tigerslip to pick him as deputy, then he couldn't do anything to get under his fur.
"How far away is it?" Sandymask asked, "Because if it's too far, then that's going to be a problem," he raised one of his sand colored paws, "My pads are still tender from the last time I went on a patrol."
Snaileye rolled his eyes.
"Maybe you should join the elder's den, if you can't keep up."
"Watch how you talk to my son," Ferretspeckle growled, staring Snaileye down with her fur bristled.
"Everyone calm down," Dovetalon growled, stepping between the fawn tabby and the tortoiseshell snowshoe.
"He's right," Deerear meowed, "We need to take care of the fox, before it starts causing trouble for the rest of our clanmates," he glanced towards the entrance of the camp, "I haven't told anyone yet, but Lionfur is expecting my kits, and I don't want anything to happen to them."
"Oh great, just what we need, more cats," Sagestep muttered.
"Kits are a blessing," Deerear growled.
Nutswoop nodded.
"Everything is a blessing! But kits especially."
"I agree, I can't wait to have kits of my own someday," Rippleflower meowed.
"No, we do not need more cats!" Sagestep spat, "There's already more cats then we know that to do with, do you know how many hungry bellies there are in the clan?"
"Well, maybe if Tigerslip sent out more hunting patrols, then we could catch more prey," Mintdust meowed.
"And risk eating every bit of prey in the forest?" Sooteyes shook her head, "We still need to leave some prey behind, so they can repopulate."
"My sister has been talking about how we should split into different clans, and I'm beginning to think that wouldn't be such a bad idea, if we spread out into different territories, then there'd be more hunting spots," Whistlestream meowed.
"That's a really bad idea, Stormthorn meowed, "What about our families?"
"Yeah, besides, we went through all this trouble setting these borders, and designating this territory as ours, why change it?" Sagestep asked.
"Um, maybe because it's flawed?" Rainsong meowed, shaking his head.
"He's right," Dovetalon meowed, deciding to stand silent no longer, "If we want to thrive, then something has got to change."
"All we have to do is stop having kits for awhile," Sagestep meowed, casting a glare over at Deerear.
"Oh, what do you want me to do?" the fawn fur tom hissed, noticing her glare, "Push Lionfur onto the thunderpath?"
"Don't be mouse-brained," Sagestep growled, "I'd never dishonor the warrior code by suggesting the death of one of my clanmates, all I'm saying, that maybe if you spent more time hunting, and less time-"
Her words were suddenly cut off, by Marshwater's tail over her muzzle.
"Let's just go, we can discuss all of this after we take care of the fox, and with our other clanmates."
All the cats muttered their agreements, and Dovetalon padded along with excitement bubbling up in his chest.
If enough cats wanted to split into different clans, then he could be leader of one of them!
He couldn't wait until he heard his clanmates chanting Dovestar.