When Runningstar and Mossflower got out through the entrance to Mothermouth, Mossflower shot him a glare, the moonlight striking her black and white pelt and turning it silver.
"What were you doing?" She hissed. "You can't do that to the sacred tunnel to the moonstone!"
"But the other leaders had done it," Runningstar protested. "One clawmark for each letter of a name. I marked mine under seven clawmarks for thunder and noticed that there were three clawmarks under it. Mossflower, it means ash. Ashstar had done it!"
Mossflower's green eyes widened. "That's…amazing," She mewed. "How did you decipher it so fast?"
Runningstar shrugged.
"So I guess you are Runningstar now, am I right?" Asked Mossflower.
Runningstar nodded with pride. "Yup. I received my nine lives and everything." He had to admit, that even a while after receiving his lives his body still ached from the pain of getting his lives.
Mossflower dipped her head. "Hail Runningstar!" She purred.
Runningstar flattened his ears and wished that his name was still Runningshadow. He would miss his warrior name.
"Shall we get going?" Asked Mossflower.
"Sure," Runningstar mewed, "But can we eat yet? I'm starving!"
"We can't hunt until we get back home," Mossflower replied. "This trip is very sacred and we can't eat. That's why you eat those herbs?"
Runningstar sighed. She had a point. Besides, he should start acting more like a leader and less like a warrior.
As they returned back to the Thunderpath, Runningstar looked up at the skies, love for StarClan burning in his heart. He was happy to see that although the sunrise painted the skies, a couple of stars still flared in the sky, shining brightly. They seemed to be saying, "Hail Runningstar, leader of ThunderClan!"
Soon the feathery grass came to an end and they came to the Thunderpath. Runningstar looked across the path, but without fear this time. He felt that since he was a leader that he could cross without getting hurt.
"Okay, follow me," Mossflower mewed. "And don't get yourself squashed this time!"
Runningstar purred, following after Mossflower with confidence. Few monsters were crossing the street, so Mossflower started streaking out across the Thunderpath in heartbeats.
Runningstar tried to follow after her as fast as he could. Her tail kept whipping out of sight as a car passed or when Runningstar got distracted and took his eyes off of her.
Suddenly, Mossflower was out of sight. Runningstar felt fear stir in his heart. Where had she gone? A monster had ran past and the place where Mossflower had been before the monster was now empty.
Runningstar gulped and looked at both sides of the Thunderpath before struggling to the other end. He leaped into the grass on the other side and panted for his life. Mossflower's scent came flying up his nose.
"Mossflower," Panted Runningstar, "Are you there?"
Mossflower nodded, her body half covered by tall grass. "I'm right here. Don't worry, just follow my scent through this tall grass."
Runningstar kept his mouth open for a while, making sure that Mossflower's scent was strong as he followed her trail.
Soon, the tall grass ended and Runningstar emerged near the moorland territory, gasping for breath in the fresh air that wasn't being suffocated by grass.
WindClan was very close now. But another scent was on the air…ShadowClan?
"Ew!" Came a sudden response from Mossflower. "Runningstar, come look at this!"
Runningstar trotted over to Mossflower. He felt himself want to vomit as he saw was the medicine cat was hovering over.
A dead rat. It was huge and rotting, with maggots writhing over its fur. Runningstar backed away from the thing. "What in StarClan's name is that doing here?" He hissed, burying his nose in mud.
Mossflower, who was doing the same thing, shook her head. "I have no idea," Her now nasal voice came. "Why would WindClan leave a rat right outside their territory?"
"Perhaps for someone else to find," Runningstar growled. "So they would get as far away from their territory as possible."
"Good point," The medicine cat said. "Come on, let's get going. Quickly, I don't want this stench stuck in my nostrils!"
Runningstar pelted after Mossflower through WindClan territory. The trees and foliage seemed to fly past in the morning air as the two hurried back to their own territory. Runningstar couldn't help but wonder if something bad was happening to his Clan.
They soon were near Fourtrees. The thought of a soon Gathering popped into Runningstar's head.
"Shall we rest here for a little?" Asked Mossflower, her breath coming out in clouds through the chilly air.
Runningstar nodded, flopping down beside a bush surrounding the clearing of Fourtrees.
"I wonder when the next Gathering is," Runningstar mewed thoughtfully.
"Probably soon, since the moonstone was very bright last night," Mossflower commented. "I'm sure that an almost full moon would send off that much light."
Runningstar agreed with a grunt. For a long time he didn't say anything, for fear that any conversations would leave them there for a while.
"We should get going," Mossflower said. "The Clan will wonder where we are if we aren't there by Sunhigh."
Runningstar gladly got up to his paws and ran after the medicine cat toward his camp.
As the patches of wet, growing clover, soft under Runningstar's paws, appeared, the leader's thoughts wandered to Cloverpaw. Hopefully her leg was on the mend. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to make her a warrior with a broken leg.
Worried thoughts in Runningstar's head passed the time, for now they were already beside the Owl Tree. "We're there?" Asked Runningstar.
"Yes, haven't you noticed?" Chuckled Mossflower.
Runningstar didn't admit he was too busy thinking.
Suddenly, a group of cats that smelled of ThunderClan came passing by. It was Catkinheart, Chasewind, and to Runningstar's delight, Trailpaw was with them.
Runningstar came up to Chasewind. "Where did you bury her?" He asked in a low voice. All the other cat's heads hung.
Chasewind sighed. "Next to Stormfeather and Featherstream. She would be happy to be buried next to her kits."
Runningstar smiled. "Thank you so much," He mewed. "I knew I could trust you for this."
Chasewind shrugged. "Oh, it was nothing."
"So did you get your nine lives?" Asked Catkinheart curiously.
"Yup," Runningstar replied brightly. "I did. You may now call me Runningstar."
"Yay!" Cried Trailpaw, jumping up in the air. "Yay for Runningstar! Runningstar!"
"That means you'll have to appoint your deputy," Catkinheart mewed thoughtfully. "Do you know who you have in mind?"
Runningstar froze. He hadn't thought about who to appoint for deputy. Who should it be?
"I haven't decided yet," He said simply. "I'm going to go back to camp. See you guys later," He mewed.
Mossflower at his tail, Runningstar squeezed into camp through the gorse tunnel.
The first thing that Runningstar saw was Cloverleaf. "Runningshadow!" She squealed, dashing for him. She covered him in licks as he padded into camp.
"Cloverleaf! It's so good to see you," He purred, giving her licks too.
"I guess I'll have to call you Runningstar now," Cloverleaf confessed. "Sorry for calling you by your old name…."
"No, it's fine, don't worry about it," Runningstar purred. "It's just so good to see you again."
Cloverleaf turned to Mossflower. "Mossflower!" She cried. "Oh my gosh, you should let Weavepaw into the medicine cat den now. She's going to burst if she has to wait any longer."
Mossflower purred. "I'll go get that furball right now."
Runningstar laughed. "So how was Ashstar's burial ceremony?"
"It was okay," Cloverleaf said, a bit more glumly. "We buried her by her kits, so that's good for her. I bet that's where she wanted to be buried more than anything."
Runningstar nodded in agreement.
"Hey, you should start to think of who to appoint for deputy!" Cloverleaf cried. "Sorry, I probably should leave you alone for now."
"No, it's okay, I love your company," Runningstar mewed. "I love you, Cloverleaf."
The tabby looked surprised. She blushed and kneaded her paws. "I love you too, Runningstar," she murmured, extending her neck to give him a lick on the chest.
Runningstar felt so happy. If he could, he would appoint Cloverleaf as deputy, but she hadn't had an apprentice yet. There was really only one good option for him- but that cat hadn't had an apprentice yet. His almost instant loyalty to Runningstar was very surprising, and Runningstar loved how dependable he was.
But that wasn't the obvious decision. He knew exactly who was perfect for the job. But…it couldn't work out. There had to be a way. Perhaps he could appoint a temporary deputy and then when she was ready he could appoint her as deputy.
It was time.
Who is it gonna be? Any guesses?