New Deputy
Lionheart had arranged a border patrol with Nightfrost, Sandpaw, Mousefur and Dustpaw. Dustpaw and Sandpaw were talking to each other, snickering to each other about him. They were near the Windclan border that morning, reeking of Shadowclan.
"Uh, the moors smells even worst with Shadowclan there," muttered Mousefur. The black tom nodded in agreement. It really does smell worst now, with the Shadowclan scent much heavier than before. The first border patrol he was in, Windclan's stale scent was still there.
"Let's continue. We don't want any trouble with Shadowclan," mewed Nightfrost. He lead the patrol away from what was once the Windclan border. The group checked the whole border, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Nightfrost had stopped the patrol for a while near the true Shadowclan border, noticing a cat's tail hidden in the bushes across the Thunderpath.
"What is wrong?" asked Sandpaw after nearly bumping into him.
"Did you see that?"
"See what?" Dustpaw asked as the warriors carefully scanned the other side of the Thunderpath.
"Don't you see that tail poking out of the bush," Mousefur mewed in a whisper.
"What should we do? That we stay here and warn them off?" Sandpaw asked.
Mousefur shook her head. "One of us will stay to see what that Shadowclan cat is doing. The rest of us will continue on to camp to warn Lionheart," the she-cat answered. "Now, which one of us should stay behind?" Both warriors looked at each other.
"I'll keep watch in the tree branches," Nightfrost offered. Mousefur nodded lead the two apprentices away to camp. Nightfrost followed them a bit to look like he was leaving as well and headed to the shadow of a tree, facing away from the Thunderpath. The black tom climb up the tree bark and clawed up to a branch. There, he can see a white tom with black paws at Shadowclan's side of the border. Blackfoot. What is he doing here? Unless for the obvious...
The deputy twitched his tail and a group of cats padded to the tom. Nightfrost's eyes widen as he realized what they were planning. He quickly headed back to camp in the branches. Nightfrost landed on a camp wall and slided down to Lionheart and Whitestorm. Both stared in shock at him as he panted. "S-shadowclan is coming to attack."
"You sure about this?"
"Yes, Blackfoot is leading it."
"I will alert the clan."
Lionheart yowled out a meeting.
The clan was ready as Shadowclan swarm in the camp. Nightfrost tackled a brown tabby. The two scrabble for a bit until he bit down in his leg hard. The tom yowled in pain before he let go, the tabby running out of camp.
Nightfrost looked around to see a Shadowclan warrior's white tail poking out of the nursery. He hissed and bounded to the tom, biting down the tail and dragged him out. Behind the tom was an elder with a pinkish tail lying on the ground. The tom hissed in pain and turned to him. Nightfrost scratched at the Shadowclan deputy's face and he clawed back at him.
The warrior ducked and slipped below him, making a blow to the stomach. Blackfoot winced in pain and attempted to crush him by falling on him. Nightfrost slipped out and attacked his side. The deputy yelped and ran out of camp. Looking around, he saw the cats journeying to the Moonstone were back.
"Retreat! Shadowclan! Retreat!"
The attacking patrol retreated, leaving a weakened clan. Nightfrost looked around to see injured cats. Spottedleaf was padding to them, putting cobwebs on their injuries. Frostfur wove her way back through the crowd, followed by Yellowfang. The white queen stepped forward and addressed them. "Our kits are all safe, thanks to Yellowfang. A ShadowClan warrior killed brave Rosetail and was trying to steal them from their nest, but Yellowfang fought him off."
"Her opponent was Blackfoot," Nightfrost included.
"The ShadowClan deputy?!" meowed Brindleface, who had fought so bitterly to protect the unborn kits in her swollen belly.
There was a stir at the edge of the group, as Bluestar limped forward and made her way over to the apprentices. The grave expression on her face was enough to tell Firepaw that something was wrong.
"Spottedleaf is with Lionheart," she murmured. "He was injured in the battle. It looks bad." She turned her head toward the shadow on the far side of the Highrock where the warrior lay, a motionless bundle of dusty golden fur.
A high-pitched wail rose from Graypaw's throat and he raced over to Lionheart. Spottedleaf, who had been leaning over the ThunderClan deputy, stepped back to let the young apprentice share tongues for the last time with his mentor. Nightfrost stared in shock of his friend. Firepaw padded to join his friend as Graypaw howled. The medicine cat pressed her pelt to Firepaw, whispering to him. Nightfost blinked, knowing medicine cats cannot have a mate.
His brother than padded to Lionheart. He licked the warrior's neck and says something to him. Nightfrost padded up to his dead deputy.
"Thank you for being a good friend, even with the short time we had."
He settles down for the vigil. Many cats came up to share their last tongues with him before sitting for his vigil. Bluestar soon stood and slowly hauled herself up onto the Highrock after Spottedleaf had treated her injuries. The Clan cats seemed to have been waiting for her. As soon as she had settled herself in her usual spot, they began to gather in the clearing below, unusually silent and somber-faced.
"It is nearly moonhigh," meowed Bluestar. "And it is once more my duty—much, much too soon—to name ThunderClan's new deputy." Her voice was tired and cracked with sadness.
Bluestar took a deep breath and continued. "I say these words before the body of Lionheart, so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice." She hesitated. "I have not forgotten how one cat avenged the death of Redtail and brought his body back to us. ThunderClan needs this fearless loyalty even more now." Bluestar paused again and then meowed the name loud and clear. "Tigerclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."
Tigerclaw lifted his chin proudly, his eyes half-closed as he listened to the Clan. Then he stalked through the crowd, accepting tributes with the smallest of nods, and leaped up onto the Highrock beside Bluestar. "ThunderClan," he yowled, "I am honored to accept the position of Clan deputy. I never expected to gain such high rank, but by the spirit of Lionheart, I vow to serve you as best I can." He gravely dipped his head, fixing the crowd with his wide yellow eyes, and jumped down from the Highrock."
The clan yowled out Tigerclaw's name. Only one apprentice wasn't. His eyes were wide in shock and muttered about Tigerclaw taking care of Redtail. His mutters reached to the two brothers.