Here are cat descriptions for our four new characters, and Graystripe and Millie as well;
Flame – muscled bronze tomcat
Shadow – black she-cat with olive green eyes
Saber – dark gray tabby she-cat
Wolf – agile light brown tom
Fox – dark orange tom, black legs
Night – pure black tom, dark blue eyes
Graystripe – steel gray tom
Millie – gray tabby she-cat, dark gray stripes
I hope you are all enjoying the story so far! We may alternate perspectives in one chapter and maybe have an entire one dedicated to Flame and his group. Please tell me how you like this development!
The shocked caterwauls of the Clan rose like a mouse's silent death cry. Mistyfoot herself was shocked. She staggered backward, then halted. She had to show strength for her Clan. Fixing her gaze into one of tight control, she padded forward and crouched beside Willowpaw. Her gaze focused on the wound.
"It looks like she was clawed and then bitten," commented Mistyfoot emotionlessly. She was anything but emotionless; in fact, her current mental state was as violent as the mountain-water.
A sudden yowl came from Blackclaw. "Scent trail, rogue cat," reported the smoky black tom. His amber eyes glared with vengeance, and his tail lashed impatiently. Knowing instantly what the senior warrior wanted, Mistyfoot meowed "Mosspelt, Pouncetail, go with him. Be back by moonhigh,"
The patrol nodded and, with Blackclaw leading, followed the scent trail deeper into WindClan's territory. The patrol would have to swim, but why worry? RiverClan were adept at the skill.
Mistyfoot turned back to her Clan and rose her voice. "Cats of RiverClan, our leader has not been killed by the mountain-water, but by another cat. Blackclaw's patrol will find this cat, either that or we will hunt him down without mercy. Until then, we must travel outside of Clan territory and find a temporary home. The prey will return in one moon. Until then, we will be safe,"
Mistyfoot couldn't help but shiver at the last part. It was dead in the middle of leaf bare. Graymist was expecting kits – probably Voletooth's – and Icewing would be giving birth very, very soon to Beechfur's kits. RiverClan needed to be stabilized for the potential kits' wellbeing.
She lashed her tail. There was so much to get done…..
"I will also be going to the Moonstone when we reach Highstones to be appointed as leader before StarClan. StarClan be with us....." Her meow trailed off uneasily, and she lashed her tail again. "Until Blackclaw's patrol returns we will wait here and grieve for Leopardstar. I know it isn't nighttime, but tradition must be broken for the good of our Clan. We will die if we continue to live on the slim pickings we have here,"
Her Clan meowed with agreement. Dapplenose called out "What about hunting? Who will the new deputy be?" Mistyfoot's yowl rang loud and clear. "Every cat can hunt, but not alone. At least two cats per hunting party, one a warrior," Completely unnecessary, you know she thought to herself. Seeing as Willowpaw is the only apprentice.
The Clan began to break up without being told. All of the cats turned and settled themselves around their fallen leader. A similar tale of grief was spun in each pair of eyes. The warriors touched their pelts to one another, sending strength to their Clanmates. Mothwing had padded to take her place at Leopardstar's head, her eyes fixed on the sky. Mistyfoot knew it would stay there until the stars emerged. Willowpaw copied her mentor, a smaller version of the RiverClan medicine cat looking up to seek the stars in the blue skies of day.
Graystripe and Millie hesitated before joining the Clan. Graystripe looked very sad to see a cat who had once been his leader dead, while Millie just looked awkward. Mistyfoot watched them, then decided to leave them alone. She couldn't afford to watch them right now and make sure the Clan treated them all right. It seemed like the Clan was too grief-stricken to care anyway.
Mistyfoot felt exhausted by grief. She padded to her leader and crouched down beside her, resting her muzzle on Leopardstar's shoulder. Everything would be different now….
She straightened up, and glanced at her Clan. They all seemed to be paralyzed by grief. She knew that they all needed to hunt, and glanced around for a cat to take with her. Even if she was Clan leader she had to abide by her rules.
Her gaze fell on Reedwhisker. The black tom was crouched by his leader like the others, but he was fidgeting, as if he knew there was other work to be done. Mistyfoot gathered herself and meowed "Reedwhisker!"
The tom looked up, then stood and padded over. "Mistyfoot?"
"Hunting patrol," meowed Mistyfoot shortly. "Is there any other cat we can bring with us?"
Minnowstream approached, her silver pelt dirty from lying in the mud next to Leopardstar. "I'll go," she volunteered. Her long claws dug through the mud. "I wouldn't mind seeing if we could meet up with the Murderer,"
Mistyfoot nodded to him, slightly amused that the Clan was already naming the killer of their leader. But it wasn't a funny matter, and there was work to be done. She shook out her pelt, and then meowed "Right, follow me," She led them up to ShadowClan's territory, keen to explore what had become of the marshy land.
It was dirty, all right. They could hardly move through it. Mistyfoot hissed as a frog, startled by their approach, took off. Minnowstream flashed after it, moving clumsily through the wet, and Mistyfoot hissed again. It would be impossible to hunt.
She and Reedwhisker quietly padded through the muck. Their paws made sucking sounds on the ground. It was scaring all the prey away. Bracing herself, Mistyfoot leaped onto a fallen trunk and then leaped from pile to pile of debris as quietly as possible. Her flashes of movement still gave plenty of warning to any prey that was there.
Knowing it was her only hope, Mistyfoot paused on a particularly large rock and became a statue. Her mud splattered pelt blended with all the other mud-splattered stuff. It was similar to a technique used by the Tribe of Rushing Water, she realized. Well, here's to hoping it works she thought, and waited.
Eventually, a small, thin mouse appeared. It was moving very slowly, ears and nose on high alert while its eyes searched for food. Mistyfoot watched it with narrowed eyes, not even daring to breathe as it came closer and closer. At last she tensed her hind legs, and then pushed off.
The mouse saw her coming and squeaked with terror, whipping around and heading for a small space in the debris where Mistyfoot couldn't follow. Mistyfoot's leap brought her to where the mouse used to be, and the leader doubled her pace. With one last leap she had the mouse in her teeth, killing it with one sharp bite. She sent a quiet prayer of thanks to StarClan before turning to find her patrol.
Reedwhisker had been watching her admiringly. His amber eyes were impressed. "Well done Mistyfoot!" he exclaimed. "You must be on the life where you're a great hunter," Mistyfoot purred with amusement. 'Have you had my luck today?" Reedwhisker shook his head, then added "I think Minnowstream might have caught something,"
Mistyfoot didn't risk putting her hard-caught prey on the muddy ground. She followed Reedwhisker to where Minnowstream was holding a mouse similar to Mistyfoot's – small and skinny, barely a mouthful and definitely not what the Clan needed. Mistyfoot groaned in her head. This was their catch, and it was pathetic.
She flicked her tail and led her cats back to their make-shift camp. The sun was still nowhere near setting – there was plenty of time to hunt yet. She returned and saw that her Clan was still clustered around Leopardstar. Finding a dry patch of ground, Mistyfoot dropped her catch and Minnowstream added hers. Reedwhisker had disappeared, but Mistyfoot found him leading out another patrol with Graystripe, Millie, and Rippletail. She purred. Reedwhisker knew what he was doing.
Minnowstream padded over to her leader and settled herself down next to Dapplenose. The two cats sought comfort in each other. Mistyfoot tore her gaze away, instead padding to the medicine cats. "Do you need anything? Prey?" she prompted. Both shook their heads, gazes still trained on the sky. Mistyfoot nodded in respect and padded to the side of her dead leader. She would begin to grieve now.
She lifted her head after many hours to see the sun sinking into the sky. There was an oncoming scent of RiverClan, and she stood as Blackclaw and his patrol appeared. All of them looked like they had been fighting, their fur ripped in some places. Pouncetail was bleeding on his shoulder, and Mosspelt was limping slightly like she had something stuck in her pad.
She bounded forward, and Blackclaw meowed "We met up with the Murderer. He's a black tom called Night, and he's cleverer than StarClan," His voice had snarled the last part. "He tricked us, and then fought all of us at once. He's an amazing fighter – too good. He made us walk right through a thorn bush, and when we came out he clawed Pouncetail's shoulder. Mosspelt couldn't walk because of the thorns, and I had to fight him. He got scared and ran away, but left his mark. Great StarClan, I want to kill him!" His hissing was echoed by his patrol.
Mothwing appeared. "I only have cobwebs to staunch your bleeding. Some marigold leaves too I think, but no poppy seeds," She treated the two warriors then and there, cleaning Pouncetail's wound with her tongue and then patching it up with marigold and cobwebs. She pulled a thorn out of Mosspelt's pad, causing Mosspelt to hiss with the sudden pain, and then patched it up with cobwebs. The two warriors she treated murmured their thanks and went off to sit by their leader. Blackclaw joined them, lashing his tail.
Mothwing nodded once to Mistyfoot and then joined the Clan again. She resumed her position by Willowpaw's side.
Graystripe and Millie appeared with Reedwhisker then. Graystripe carried a small shrew, Millie a mouse. Reedwhisker had a thin, bony rabbit. They dropped their catch beside the two mice and then joined the grieving party.
Mistyfoot realized it was moondawn. Would the Clan expect her to name a new deputy? She lay down by her leader and thought as the moon climbed higher and higher in the sky. She ran through all her choices, but only one stood out to her.
The Clan was beginning to grow restless. She shared their restlessness, and knew they all needed a good sleep. Raising her head to the stars she saw it was moonhigh, and time to name a new deputy. She stood, and at once the eyes of the entire Clan focused on her. Mistyfoot padded to an open space where she could be seen by every cat, and then meowed "Moonhigh is here. It is time to name a new deputy,"
RiverClan murmured agreement and all stood to form lines in front of her. Mistyfoot began to speak. "StarClan, it has come time to name RiverClan's new deputy before your watchful gaze. May you hear and approve my choice. The new deputy of RiverClan will be Reedwhisker,"
As if in answer to her words a shooting star blazed across the sky. Mistyfoot though it was similar to the two that slashed through the moon, and contentment filled her. The Clan accepted her choice without question. They chanted "Reedwhisker, Reedwhisker,"
The black tom had stood, his amber eyes glowing with pride. "Thank you RiverClan, thank you Mistyfoot. I hope to be as good a deputy as you were, and that I will help you take up Leopardstar's mantle,"
Meows of agreement and admiration rose from the Clan. Mistyfoot dipped her head, then waved her tail. "We have a leader to grieve for, and we have a journey tomorrow,"
She walked forward and settled herself at Leopardstar's side. The Clan gathered around, and together they grieved until the sun was peeking over the horizon.