A/N: I usually do a prologue and allegiances on here, I couldn't come up with something that was good enough to warrant its inclusion.
Redwhisker, deputy of MarshClan; son of a kittypet and the sister to the previous leader, he was destined for greatness on the path towards destruction in the clans. It had been many moons now since he stopped the murderous deputy of his clan, since Silver had named him deputy after the disaster of a final battle in which he had saved his leader. The same battle that had claimed his mentor since he first joined the clans, who was his deputy predecessor.
Now, as the sunrise's light interrupted his deep slumber, the reddish brown tom raised himself up to his paws. It had been a long time coming, the comfort of his nest that he had many a day longed for. As he stretched the sleep out of his legs, his gaze flickered out through the opening to the clearing beyond. The grass glowed a bright orange as he stepped out onto the largest patch of dried ground that the clan had made their camp many generations before upon.
His pawsteps carried him quickly over to the leaning oak at the fare edge of the camp, as he approached the thin aging pale gray tom emerged from his den. Silverstar greeted his deputy with a smile and a dip of the head, which Redwhisker returned warmly as his leader steadily ascended the tree. Turning to look at his emerging clanmates from the den, as the warriors gathered around their deputy.
"Lilystem, I want you to lead the morning patrol. If you would please take Darkleap, Mallowpaw, Whiteclaw, Tanglepaw, and Rivertail with you." Redwhisker first addressed the pale blue gray tom who bowed his head, before turning to jerk his head to the other listed cats before they head straight through the gorse camp entrance.
"Oaktail, Rabbitnose, and Willowfur you will take a hunting patrol out to catch more prey." Redwhisker assigned the next four cats who nodded before heading out, the reddish brown tom could feel his leader looking down from up above. As he scanned the clearing which had opened a lot more now, he could see the not so small anymore young ginger she-cat bounding towards him.
Foxpaw was quite the pawful to deal with when she was a lot younger, he still remembered the days it took for her to mellow out somewhat. She was the apprentice that made him eligible to become deputy in the first place however, and she was a lot easier to handle these days; but still full of energy and excitement. As the nearly six moons old apprentice came to a skidding halt in front of her mentor, her closest friend Wetpaw soon followed her as the white tom looked up at the deputy.
"Are we going to be doing more battle training today?" foxpaw inquired, dropping down to a crouch with a grin spread out across her face. As she playfully swatted at Redwhisker's hindlegs before jumping up immediately after, turning to look at the younger and a little more timid apprentice behind her. Then the ginger she-cat's gaze snapped back to Redwhisker as he let out a chuckle.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were excited about learning more about how to fight." The reddish brown tom mused as he headed towards the fresh kill pile, Wetpaw's mentor; Goldenmane; was there grabbing a meal to start the day with as she turned towards the party of three approaching the pile. After suffering through a rough leafbare, it was a relief to have a more reasonably prepared pile in the camp.
Foxpaw rolled her eyes as she grabbed a mouse from the pile, shoving her friend playfully as she bounced towards the apprentices' corner to eat; Wetpaw following soon after with a sparrow. As Redwhisker watched them go he smiled, before turning back to Goldenmane who was smiling at the two as well. Redwhisker picked up a vole from the stash and watched as the she-cat picked up a fish.
"I'm beginning tot think that separating those two might not be a good idea." The golden she-cat mused, her whiskers twitched as she sat down and dropped her prey. Glancing sideways at her deputy as he sat down beside her, green eyes glowed from her half open lids. "Oh how I long to be young once again, when things were simpler. Those two remind me of a pair of friends I used to know.
Redwhisker glanced sideways at the golden she-cat, whose gaze turned towards the hollow log at the opposite end of the camp. As Redwhisker followed it he sighed. "Yeah, maybe it does." He murmured as he dropped his gaze to the meal lying down at his paws. His pelt burned hot with the memory, of the times of embarrassment he had went through about cats talking about it. Honestly, he'd rather everyone forgot about it… or that he could go back and change it all if he could.
"Well I am sure that you two will see eachother before you leave, being cooped up in that den for the better two moons must be frustrating I bet." Goldenmane mused, before she tore off a piece of her meal. "So it will be you and I taking our apprentices out today, I am guessing… but what should we have them do?"
Clearing his throat, Redwhisker was thankful for the quick change of topic. "I was thinking we would try out some battle tactics, then assign the two to a hunting assessment to burn through the energy levels." The reddish brown tom answered as he bit into his vole and ripped off a good chunk. "Then we all head back to camp before the next patrol needs to leave camp, the apprentices can resume duties and we all take a load off."
"Sounds good to me, supposing we aren't all assigned to the gathering tonight." Goldenmane mused through a yawn as she stretched out her legs lazily before her." I don't want to sleep through half of another one this time, do you know who all are going to be going though? Well aside from you of course, Silverstar, maybe Vinefoot or Sparkleap."
"Silverstar is usually the one to assign them, but he did say that maybe one day I would get to." Redwhisker answered, slightly amused as he looked back towards his leader. "But I might put a word in for you to sit this one out if you really aren't feeling up to it." He chuckled as he turned to the still sleepy looking golden she-cat sitting down beside him.
"Are you kidding, I just need a little more sleep and I should be ready to go for tonight." Goldenmane laughed as she shoved her deputy's side. Stetching her limbs as she finished her meal and yawning, before nodding her head as Redwhisker also stood up. As the two warriors quickly cleaned up their mess, Foxpaw and Wetpaw were wrestling behind them. But as Goldenmane went to get her apprentice, she shoved Redwhisker towards the Nursery.
As the reddish brown tom poked his head around the corner, the dim den was fast asleep except for the one he was there to see. Illuminated in the rising sun's light, the brown tabby she-cat; Doespring; was laying stretched out in her nest. The leader's daughter, and oldest friend of Redwhisker's, had her bright golden gaze fixated on the father of the kits that she was stuck bearing. But her gaze and face were warm and welcoming, as the tom stepped out of the shadows to approach her nest.
"Good morning to you." She greeted as Redwhisker treaded carefully around the other resting Queens in the nest, "I hope my presence wasn't too missed this morning." She mused as the reddish brown tom came and sat not too far away.
Redwhisker hesitated, not very sure on how he should answer that, truth be told he had rather enjoyed the extra space he got while she was gone. There had been a catch with becoming Silverstar's deputy, since for a long time he had been pushing for Redwhisker to get with Doespring. As the reddish brown tom recomposed himself, he nudged the round belly of his "mate". "I might've missed your teasing in the morning."
Doespring's face turned to a mischievious grin as she kicked Redwhisker softly and playfully. "Oh just you wait, once I am out of here you will be getting more of that." She mused, "Doubled, in fact."
Redwhisker leaned back as his whiskers twitched bemused. "Well, I should look forward to it I guessed." He put all his effort into making his voice sound convincing as his ear twitched. Thankfully Foxpaw was calling for him from outside of the den, as he turned his head with a twitch of the ear he scrambled together something quick. "I should go, my apprentice wants to practice today."
"Visit as soon as you get back, you'd have to tell me how it all goes." Doespring says as the reddish brown tom got to his paws, still tip toeing his way out before sprinting all the way to the entrance. As Foxpaw was waiting there anxiously.
But before he left the camp, he turned to look back at the Nursery. Feeling a bit of guilt, and a sort of longing to tell the she-cat the truth in his gut. But his attention also switched over to the branch where Silverstar was resting, what would his leader say if he did tell her how he really felt about the relationship. But before he could dwell on the thought, he turned and lead his apprentice out into the marshes.