Two moons had passed since Featherpelt's meeting with Eaglestar. She and her clan mates worked tiredly through extra patrols and multiple battle training sessions, all to be prepared for a supposed invasion.
"I don't understand why we have to do this," Sunpaw complained to his mentor while she and Cloudflight were on a hunting patrol with them.
"I don't either," Hawkclaw mewed, "Maybe if our deputy had some sense-" he glanced hatefully in Featherpelt's direction, "We could attack Shadowclan and Windclan before they invade us."
Featherpelt instinctively unsheathed her claws. How dare him! She thought. She was about to release a clever retort when Cloudflight whipped her tail over Featherpelt's muzzle.
The Thunderclan deputy glared at her. "Must I remind you that you happen to be a deputy?" her friend hissed. "Arguing with him is kittish."
Featherpelt swiped Cloudflight's tail away, spitting out the white hairs on clinging to her tongue. "I'm sick of him treating me like crow food!" she protested.
Cloudflight sighed in exasperation. She opened her mouth to say something when Hawkclaw, who was now ahead of them, cut her off. "If you two are finished gossiping, let's continue our hunt!"
"We were actually debating whether or not it would be a better idea to go hunting in pairs," Featherpelt retorted.
"Did you hear anything I just said?" Cloudflight murmured.
Featherpelt pretended not to hear her. "As deputy-" she relished rubbing it in Hawkclaw's face, "I think we should."
Hawkclaw curled his lip at her in the beginning of a snarl. She saw him unsheathe his claws, making her instinctively flinch. Though she did outrank him, she knew he would not hesitate to attack her.
Instead, he surprised her. The tabby tom turned his back to her. "Have it your way, then. We'll meet you at the Great Sycamore at Sun High," he said, curtly, walking away towards Tall Pines. Sunpaw gave his mother a sympathetic look before running to catch up with his mentor.
"Where do you want to hunt?" Featherpelt asked her friend as soon as they were out of earshot.
Cloudflight didn't seem to hear her. Her gaze still lingered on Hawkclaw's vanishing figure.
"Cloudflight?" Featherpelt called.
The white she cat tore her gaze from Hawkclaw and looked at Featherpelt, moony eyed. "Yeah?"
"Where do you want to go hunting?"
She looked at her confused. "Are we hunting?"
Featherpelt stifled a laugh. "Have you forgotten, or is a certain tom on your mind?"
Cloudflight shook her head fiercely. "Of course not," she mewed, indignantly. "I was, uh, thinking about where to find this…herb Whitetail asked me to find, um, for him."
"Uh, huh," she remarked. "What herb are you looking for?"
"Catmint," her friend said quickly.
Featherpelt couldn't hold it in any longer. She burst out laughing. "Busted! Catmint is found only in Twoleg gardens," she said in between laughs. "Even the kits know that!"
Cloudflight turned her head away, embarrassed. "Fine, you caught me. I like Hawkclaw. Happy now?"
Featherpelt grinned. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Cloudflight sighed. "Because I know you hate him and was afraid you were going to talk me out of it."
Featherpelt ceased laughing. Her friend wasn't wrong. Featherpelt thought Hawkclaw would be a terrible match for her. He was too arrogant and flirted with every she-cat in sight – excluding herself, of course. She knew he would break Cloudflight's heart if they ever became mates.
It's not my choice. Featherpelt thought. Thank Star Clan.
"Cloudflight," she said, seriousness in her tone, "Yes, I hate Hawkclaw, but I would never tell you what to do. If you like Hawkclaw, that's your choice, not mine." Cloudflight looked as if she was about to object, but the deputy cut her off. "No, I absolutely do not think he's a suitable mate, but, like I said before, it's your decision."
Cloudflight's face brightened. "Thank you, Featherpelt," she said. "Now, where are we going to hunt?"
Featherpelt turned in the direction of Snakerocks. "Wouldn't it impress Hawkclaw if we caught an adder?"
The albino warrior's pink eyes widened in excitement. "Yes! Let's go!" The two she-cats dashed off towards Snakerocks, giddy as two apprentices on their first hunt.

********

Featherpelt and Cloudflight decided to split up as soon as they got to Snakerocks.
"Do you mind if I catch the adder by myself?" Cloudflight had asked.
Featherpelt shook her silver head. "No. I'll check and see if there is any prey in the surrounding area. Just be careful, okay?"
"You're worse than a fussy queen! I'll be fine!" Cloudflight whirled away and ran towards the giant mound of rocks. Featherpelt watched her leave. Starclan help that she-cat. She prayed.
Featherpelt opened her mouth to taste the air for prey. Her mouth watered as she caught a whiff of mouse. Perfect. She crept through the undergrowth, crouching beneath bushes and sheltering ferns for cover. Soon, she spotted the mouse a few tail-lengths away from her, grooming itself. She needed to make this kill fast, for she was upwind of it. She quickly sneaked up on the mouse, careful not to step on any twigs that might alert her prey. She stopped a tail-length away, then, pounced. At the takeoff, Featherpelt had accidentally stomped on a leaf. The mouse heard its crunch and began to run away. The she cat stretched out her limbs, and, with the stroke of luck, landed right on top of it. There was an audible crack, and the mouse died.
Food for the Clan. The deputy scooped up her prize, grimancing slightly at the bloody taste in her mouth. She knew her kill had been sloppy, but, like her mentor had always said, "Prey is prey."
She padded towards Snakerocks to see how Cloudflight was doing when the rancid odor of crow food burned her nose. She gagged. "What in Starclan?" she implored. A few tail-lengths in front of her were the remains of dead thrush. Bile rose in her throat as she approached it. It was disgusting. The scent of decay was bad enough, but the sigh of maggots wriggling all over the corpse made Featherpelt shudder.
She turned away from it, using all her will power to not vomit. "I am a ThunderClan deputy, not a squeamish kit," she reminded herself. She took a deep breath and focused her attention back on the thrush. She sniffed the area around it and caught the acrid odor of Shadowclan mixed with…Thunderclan scent. Her pelt bristled in outrage. What cat would have the audacity to allow a Shadowclan warrior to hunt in our territory? She thought angrily. She sniffed the ground again, trying to pinpoint who the Thunderclan scent belonged to. She growled in frustration when she couldn't detect it. The odors of the dead thrush and Shadowclan overrode the Thunderclan scent.
I better report this to Eaglestar. she thought. It's time we took action against Shadowclan.
Featherpelt raced back to camp. As she dashed into the clearing, she noticed it was eerily quiet. There were no cats sharing tongues or eating fresh kill. Even Birdsong's kits were in the nursery, being unusually silent. Those extra patrols are really putting a strain on the clan. She pushed the thought aside. There were more serious matters at hand, besides a deserted camp. She ran to Eaglestar's den. "Eaglestar! Eaglestar, I need to talk to you!" she exclaimed, stopping at the lichen curtain.
No answer.
She poked her head into the den, checking to see if he was there. "Eaglestar? I-" The words never left her mouth. She stared in shock at her leader. The once powerful tabby was now laying limply in a pool of blood.