"...take Ratscar and Snowbird."
"Excuse me?"
"Hm?"
Tigerstar turned a furious eye to his deputy, "Ratscar and Snowbird? They're 'paws!"
"Not anymore," he muttered simply, "I gave them their names and Leopardstar made it official. She's as much a leader as you are."
"Riverclan's leader!"
"She is Tigerclan's leader alongside you, she holds as much power as you do," Blackfoot shook his head, turning back to camp, "I don't know why you're biased toward them, but you can't deprive them of warrior names forever. They've earned it."
A growl rose in Tigerstar's throat, but he swallowed it down, faking calmness. "Have you called all your patrols?" Blackfoot nodded, "Good. Gather up two Riverclanners and Leopardstar, and one more Shadowclan warrior."
Blackfoot took a deep breath, staring up, trying to recall the names of any other Riverclan warrior. Looking back down, he loudly meowed, "Leopardstar, Skyheart, and Mistyfoot-!"
"Choose someone else than Mistyfoot," he said, voice a level below a retch, "Blackclaw! You instead. Leopardstar, Skyheart and Blackclaw!" Tigerstar decided for him.
"Russetfur," Blackfoot said, defeated, hoping Tigerstar didn't change her out too. He had no doubts it was because Mistyfoot was half-clan, and Russetfur was full kittypet. But Tigerstar didn't make a sound, merely hopped off his Bonehill perch toward the waiting cats.
"Teach us to swim," he demanded, meliasiously smiling at Leopardstar.
Leopardstar glanced at both of her warriors. Blackclaw held surprise while Skyheart held disgust and outrage. Russetfur looked confused as to why she was chosen. Leopardstar closed her eyes, giving a single nod and padded out the entrance. Tigerstar quickly followed, and Blackfoot could only imagine the tall tom was breathing down her neck, literally. Skyheart and Blackclaw glanced at eachother worriedly, before quickly looking at Blackfoot and scampering off. Russetfur gave him a tired glance, the two leaving slower.
"Can't wait to see some beautiful she-cats with water-dappled pelts, huh?" he muttered bluntly.
"You bet."
"I'll be training Blackfoot," Leopardstar said, already paw-deep in water, "Skyheart, you can take Russetfur. And Blackclaw, if you wouldn't mind Tigerstar?"
The small tom shook his head, though his eyes were filled with anxiety and he licked his smokey chest to try and cover it. Leopardstar swam out to the middle of the river, turning and bobbing her head above the water.
"I think you can make it out here!"
Blackfoot gulped, taking nervous steps into the water. The two had done this before, Blackfoot hadn't been good, nor had he made in to the middle of the river. As it reacher his shoulders and he had to get off solid ground, he figured, he only had to get to Leopardstar. If he started going under he could flail and stay up and Leopardstar would save him.
He closed his eyes tightly and turned his chin up so he couldn't shallow water. Scared, he slapped his back paws against the water.
"It's just like running!" called Skyheart.
Blackfoot let out a breath. Leopardstar was close, he could feel it. Kicking his front paws harder, he let his back feet sink, then started running. He didn't go fast, not at all, and he looked ridiculous, he knew, but he eventually bumped into Leopardstar's own nose.
He shot open his eyes, "I-I'm so sorry!"
Leopardstar just chuckled, "To turn you just-" she evened her body, leading with her shoulders and chest, turning in a circle, "You know?"
Blackfoot shook his head, letting out nervous breath. Just like… making a sudden running turn. Yeah. When he managed to get turned around, Leopardstar pressed her shoulder against his, helping him back to shore. He'd never been happier to touch solid ground. In his joyful dissociatis aon, Leopardstar shook. The water droplets across his face made him, too, sitting. Tigerstar recoiled as he got wet.
"You'll get wet anyway," Blackclaw commented, softly, then turned his attention to Blackfoot, "That was very good! I could hardly get half-way across on my first try, great job!"
"Too quickly, I'd say," muttered Tigerstar, giving him a look.
Blackfoot just licked a paw and drew it over his ear, trying to stop breathing so heavily, "I'm not scared of getting wet. And Leopardstar's a very good teacher."
"Teacher!" Skyheart retorted quietly with a laugh, "She hardly said a word to you." The louder, she looked at Russetfur, "Ready?"
Russetfur shrugged, Skyheart swam half as far as Leopardstar, nodding and putting her paws just below the surface, ready to stepped in, splashing nervously whenever the ground left.
"Just pretend like you're running!" Skyheart repeated, "Running! Running! Running!"
Russetfur's head submerged a moment, and Blackfoot stood, ready to jump in after her. She bobbed up, splashing up and taking a deep breath. Skyheart caught her as she fell, spluttering. Russetfur groaned, apologizing as Skyheart dragged her to shore. For a minute she just laid with her chin flat on the ground, waves still lapping her hind paws.
Tigerstar nearly stepped on her getting to the water. Blackclaw looked him up and down.
"Hm," he muttered, swimming across the river, "I think a big strong warrior like you can make it all the way across!"
Tigerstar jumped in, ready. His splashes made Russetfur stand and jump behind a tree, shaking sand from her fluffy chest. Blackfoot took a few steps back as well. Tigerstar was yowling, splashing and bobbing beneath and above the water.
"What are you- brgh!- mousebrains waiting for?! Get me- brlugb!- out of here!"
Leopardstar and Skyheart passed a knowing glance at Blackclaw, eyes glittering in laughter. The three dived in, pushing Tigerstar up from his belly, Blackclaw briefly choked between the water and thick fur, but Leopardstar kicked him out from under before anything could happen.
"If you'd stop splashing we could grab you!" Skyheart yowled.
"If you would get me out-!"
Skyheart hissed and batted his head so it was briefly underwater again, kicking him forward. Tigerstar spluttered to land, standing quickly and shaking. Leopardstar and Blackclaw looked absolutely exhausted, but Skyheart was just furious.
"What were you trying to do, drown me!?" Tigerstar yowled, not at any of the three in particular.
"We got you out, didn't we? Isn't that what you wanted?" Skyheart retorted, still swimming.
"Why you-!" Tigerstar turned his attention to the light brown tabby, getting into the attacking crouch.
"Oh no, don't attack me!" Skyheart called, faking fainting over, popping back up immediately and floating around on her back, "The big bad river might come back to get yoouuu~!"
Tigerstar stood, growling, "Exile!"
Skyheart turned half-lidded blue eye to him, not worried in the slightest, "You can't do that. You're not my leader. Leopardstar is, and, with joint leadership, the two of you have to agree!"
Tigerstar turned angry glance to Leopardstar. "You can't exile everycat you have a fight with," she said calmly.
"She tried to drown me!"
"You were drowning yourself, she got you out."
Tigerstar just hissed, realizing this wasn't a battle he could win, and ran off into the forest.
"Get up here, Skyheart," Leopardstar went on. It was then the anxiety set in on her. She slowly swam over, dipping her head so Leopardstar would look down at her. "That was all uncalled for."
"I know," she whimpered, "I'm sorry. I got angry."
Leopardstar placed soaked chin to her head, "That's alright. Try to contain it next time alright?"
Skyheart raised her head again, sighing, "I'll try, but no promises. Tigerstar's got so many cattails in his brain I don't know if I'll be able to take them all!"
The Riverclan warriors all snickered to eachother, before Leopardsar turned back to Blackfoot and Russetfur.
"Blackfoot, you did amazingly," she purred. Blackfoot felt the heat of embarrassment and being flustered rise in his chest and looked down to lick, "Russetfur… you need a bit more work. Would you like to continue?"
Russetfur came out from behind her tree nodding. Blackfoot laughed, looking up from his grooming. Russetfur shot him a glance. Blackfoot just looked off innocently, humming, and after a moment moved on to groom the rest of himself.