A yowl interrupted Lightstar's dream. It was the guard stationed at the camp entrance, Toadstep. Lightstar ran outside of the den, pushing aside all thoughts of her dream and Hawkfrost.
Toadstep was pinned on the ground by a broad shouldered brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Tigerstar.
Cats ran out of their dens, Brackenfur being the first. He yowled with fury when he saw his clan mate pinned to the ground. He lunged at Tigerstar. They grappled on their hind legs, before falling to the ground. Brackenfur reared up and raked his claws on Tigerstar's side, throwing him a fox length away. Brackenfur and the tabby tom jumped up at the same time. Tigerstar ducked underneath of Brackenfur's lunge, flipping over and raking his claws along the deputy's stomach and muzzle as he flew over him. Lightstar gasped, and bounded down from the Highledge to her deputy's side.
"Leafpool!" she yowled. The temporary medicine cat ran to Brackenfur, with Rabbitpaw and Brightheart carrying marigold and cobwebs, also with bundles of herbs Lightstar didn't know the name of. Rabbitpaw made a poultice of a strange herb and marigold, putting it on Brackenfur's wound and covering it with cobwebs. The blood quickly soaked through, and Brightheart and Leafpool replaced it, only to have the blood soak through again. Rabbitpaw started to replace the cobweb again, but Leafpool laid her tail on his shoulder.
"He's on his way to StarClan. There is nothing more we can do." Brightheart gently pulled him away from the dying tom.
Lightstar wailed in desperation, which quickly turned into a battle cry full of fury. She whirled to face Tigerstar, who had been watching with satisfaction and a smug look on his face. The Clan leader narrowed her eyes at him, hissing. Brackenfur had been a wise cat, and one of her friends. She lunged at him, this time not letting her eyes betray her. She looked at Tigerstar's shoulder, but leapt at his paws. Tigerstar crouched, and Lightstar barreled into him, bowling them both over into a screeching ball of fur. They sprang apart and circled each other. The ThunderClan leader's mind was roaring with malice, and it blocked out all thoughts of mercy.
Tigerstar feinted, pretending to jump at her, but turning to the left and scratching her side. Lightstar winced in pain. Before Tigerstar had time to stop, she flipped around and pinned him to the ground. She stuck like a snake, delivering a killing bite like she would with prey. Blood gushed out of the wound in his throat, and she looked away as he vanished, leaving a darkened patch on the ground. She walked over to Brackenfur's body as the Clan watched her, and she touched her nose to his still warm pelt.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, then turned around and stalked onto the Highledge, grief in her eyes. She had failed to protect her Clan mates. Lightstar looked at the Clan and spoke with a hoarse voice.
"We have lost a valuable member of our Clan tonight, and one of the kindest warriors I have ever known. Let us give thanks to StarClan for the life of Brackenfur." Lightstar surveyed her Clan, searching for the right cat to become the next deputy. Cloudtail, who would never want to have that kind of responsibility, Sorreltail, with three kits in the nursery, along with Squirrelflight, who had originally retired from being deputy to become a queen with Bramblestar's kits, Moonheart, Wolfpelt, and Adderspot. She was now pregnant again. Then her eyes fell on a white she cat, and she knew who would be the new deputy.
"I say these words before the body of Brackenfur, so his spirit may hear and approve of my choice." Lightstar paused and looked straight into the green eyes of the she cat who would be the new deputy. The she cat looked around her, then at Lightstar disbelievingly.
"Whitewing will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."