"Bluestar it's been a quatermoon since our journey to the Moonstone," Graystripe begins, unease prickling his pelt as he mentions the failed journey Bluestar went on with him. He and Cloudpaw had been the only ones allowed to pass, because of his help in bringing Windclan back home. And when he went he received a vision, which Yellowfang interpreted that though some cat else was prophesied to save the clans, another will rise in their stead. That interpretation had bugged him, but he had to ignore it and focus on the present.

He continues, "There has been no scent of any of the other clans in our borders and with so many apprentices in training and with the woods being bountiful I think it would be best if we keep two warriors in camp instead of three so that the clan can function more efficiently."

"But if we attacked again?" Bluestar frets, fear in her gaze.

"If Windclan has any ill intent towards us they wouldn't have let me and Cloudpaw pass on to the Moonstone and you go unscathed."

Bluestar nods, an unreadable emotion in her blue eyes, "Okay, only two warriors need to remain in camp."

"Thank you, it will make the task of assigning patrols, hunting parties and apprentice training a little easier. I'll sort out the patrols for tomorrow."

Leaving the den, he notices warriors are waiting for him, "Whitestorm, you can lead the Dawn patrol, take Brightpaw, and Sandstorm. Brackenfur, Dustpelt you'll guard the camp while I hunt with Cloudpaw."

Casting his gaze on the remaining warriors, an air of confidence makes him stand taller. He can't believe it's been a moon since his deputyship has started and already he's accustomed well to the role. Since Bluestar stayed in her den most days he has been sorting most everything by himself, something that worried him but no longer did. Though he hoped that Bluestar would feel like her old self soon, seeing this weak side of her always made him uneasy and uncomfortable. Pushing down those thoughts he continues the task at paw, "I will leave it up to you if you want to take your apprentices hunting or out training, but I want the fresh-kill pile as it is today." He smiles, "We are getting used to eating well."

Amused purrs rise from the warriors.

"Darkstripe, you lead the Sunhigh patrol tomorrow. Runningwind, you take the sunset patrol. You can choose the warriors you'd like to come with you, but just let them know ahead of time so they can be ready when it's time."

Runningwind nods, but Darkstripe eyes glitter and he meows, "Who will be going to the Gathering tonight?"

"I'm not sure," Graystripe admits, since he and Bluestar hadn't discussed who would be coming tonight.

Darkstripe narrows his eyes and with contempt in his mew asks, "Did Bluestar not tell you, or has she not decided?"

"We hadn't discussed it but she will tell us when she is ready," He mews calmly in response.

The dark tabby's head looks towards the trees and the shadows they cast by the setting sun. "She better tell us soon, the sun is setting."

"Then you should be eating some fresh-kill. You'll need strength if you are going to the Gathering tonight."

Darkstripe's tone made the uneasiness he felt earlier return. But he isn't letting it ruffle his fur, so he sits down and waits for the other warriors to leave. Patiently he waits for Bluestar to arrive out of her den. Bluestar needs to recover on her own from the mental wound Tigerclaw inflicted on their leader. He can't force her to. Even if it worried him alongside the vision he received a quatermoon ago from their trek.

"Ah Graystripe," mews Bluestar as she pads out of her den, making him turn his head around. She looks as if she just finished washing as her pelt shines. Relieved that she's taking care of herself he pushes himself to his paws.

"Yes?"

"When you've eaten, call the warriors together for the Gathering."

"Who should I call?"

Surprise shines through in her eyes, but she lists off the names anyway, "Mousefur, Runningwind, Sandstorm, Brackenfur, Brightpaw, Cloudpaw, and Ashpaw."

He dips his head and then turns around to the fresh-kill pile across the clearing. Noticing a fat juicy pigeon he leaves it for Bluestar. Perhaps it might tempt her to eat more than a few mouthfuls of prey. He settles for a vole, not feeling hungry himself. As worry gnaws at his chest for Bluestar. Knowing she was a capable leader and seeing so disheveled this past moon because of the ex-deputy Tigerclaw and the Moonstone incident, that did not help matters, did not make him feel good in the slightest. But the worry was lessened as she seemed to finally be getting better. As evident by her partaking in the Gathering tradition.

Taking a vole from the pile he headed to the clump of nettles. Spotting Bramblekit looking at him he purrs and nods a greeting to the young kit. The young tabby then turns around continuing to play scuffle with his sister and his kits near the nursery entrance.

His heart swells with gratitude that his kits and Goldenflower's have each other to play with. It might make the rest of the clan's subtle glances at them less noticeable. But even he couldn't ignore some of the subtle glances his clanmates gave him for the longest time, but they did fade since he has proved his worth for the deputy position.

Still he didn't want such innocence kits to experience that look just because of decisions made outside their control.

Finishing his meal, Graystripe glances around the clearing. The rest of the Clan is sharing tongues with each other as the night stretches out the shadows. Making it cool. He's glad he can swim in the River to cool off from the heat during the day thanks to Silverstream. A pang in his heart reminds him how much he missed her.

Glancing at the apprentices den he purrs as Cloudpaw and Swiftpaw are scuffling with each other pleased that Cloudpaw is getting along with his denmates.

Pushing himself to his paws and calls the cats together for the Thunderclan Gathering patrol. Running through the list of names Bluestar had given him,-Mousefur, Runningwind, Sandstorm, Brackenfur, Brightpaw, Cloudpaw, and Ashpaw"— with a sickening twist in his belly realized that Longtail, Dustpelt and Darkstripe, three cats with ties to Tigerclaw were not going. And Swiftpaw too because of his ties to Longtail. He wonders if Bluestar left them out deliberately because of it.

Darkstripe and Dustpelt exchange glances and then fix their gazes on him. A gleam of anger can be seen in Darkstripe's eyes which is unmistakable and his pelt burns hot at the glare.

Unnerved, he turns to find Longtail before waiting with the other cats for Bluestar to lead them to the gathering.

"Hey, uh, I'm sorry you won't be coming to the gathering…" he mews to Longtail when he finds him eating alone, chewing on a thrush.

"Don't bother. I know why Bluestar didn't pick me as one of the cats to go alongside my apprentice." Longtail mutters.

"You're my friend, it would be nice to have you there."

"Really? I'm a friend? Despite everything….."

"Of course. You've helped me in being a good mentor to Cloudpaw this past moon and a friend to hunt with and patrol together with besides Sandstorm."

Longtail purrs, "Thanks." He then flicks his tail, "You'd better go though. It looks like Bluestar is getting ready to leave."

Looking at the waiting cats, he notices Bluestar is already among them. Flicking his tail in good-bye he bounds off to where the other cats are.

"Whitestorm will be in charge of camp while we're away," she announces loud enough for the whole clan to hear.

"Bluestar?" Mousefur asks, approaching cautiously to their clan leader, "What will you do about the way Windclan let Graystripe and Cloudpaw go to the Moonstone and not you?"

"I shall say nothing," Bluestar answers firmly, "They know what they did was wrong. It is not worth their aggression on the matter by announcing it to the other clans."

The Thunderclan warriors greet her words with reluctant nods, and Graystripe wonders if they see weakness or wisdom from their leader's position on the matter as they follow her through the moonlit forest. He thinks it wise to not discuss it publicly when it only will, probably, inflame the situation.

Dirt and pebbles shower down as the cats scramble up the side of the ravine. The lack of rain has left the forest dry as crushed bones as the sun-scorched earth seems to turn to dust underneath their paws. Once in the woods, Bluestar races on ahead, and he falls back to the rear of the group as they race silently through the trees, ducking beneath brittle ferns, and swerving past brambles.

Sandstorm measures her pace until she matches Graystripe stride for stride, both of them clearing a fallen branch in a single fluid leap. As they land, she murmurs, "Bluestar seems to be feeling well again."

"Yes," he agrees wholeheartedly, but in the back of his mind he wonders if something will throw her off the edge. Concentrating on weaving his body through some prickly bramble stalks Sandstorm continues, " But she seems distant. She doesn't seem to be as…." she hesitates to finish.

Silence hangs over them as fear grows in Graystripe's belly. He had feared that the other cats would notice Bluestar's distance that had been caused by Tigerclaw's actions. He had just hoped this outing would mask some of it. Thunderclan shouldn't feel as if its leader is abandoning them.

"She's changed."

Instead of answering her, noticing a clump of nettles coming up, he veers towards the right, while Sandstorm leaps over them, landing further ahead than him.

Racing to catch up to her, he pants mewing, "She's still shaken from Tigerclaw's treachery."

"I don't understand why she never suspected him."

"Did you?"

"No," Sandstorm admits. "No cat did. But we all got over the shock while she is still recovering."

"She's getting better. She's leading us to the Gathering tonight."

"Yeah." Sandstorm admits, brightening up a bit.

"She's still the same Bluestar we know. She just needs a bit more time to recover from the shock and the whole Windclan incident didn't help matters."

Sandstorm nods and they quicken their pace. Jumping over a stream that was swollen with water during newleaf making it impossible to cross, but now it looked pitiful. A little stream trickling over a dry stoney riverbed that it was hard to imagine that it was overflowing with water before.

Their clanmates were just a bit ahead of them by the time they grew closer to Fourtrees. Graystripe leads Sandstorm down their trail, the undergrowth still trembling from their clanmates movements. It looked as if the leaves shared their anticipation for the Gathering.

Bluestar has stopped at the head of the slope and is staring down into the valley below. He sees lithe feline shapes slipping through the shadows and greeting each other with muted purrs. From the scents in the air he could detect the other clans, meaning Thunderclan is the last to arrive. He watches as Bluestar gazes at the Great Rock in the center of the clearing and witnesses a shudder ripple down her spine. She takes a deep breath and plunges down the slope.

Bounding with his clanmates they reach the clearing where the other clans are gathered slowing down. Scanning the clearing he notices Leopardfur talking to a Shadowclan cat he did not recognize. Crookedstar sits near Stonefur looking silently around the clearing. And when the Riverclan leader notices him, he bounds straight towards him.

"Hello Graystripe."

Dipping his head respectfully, he mews, "Greetings Crookedstar."

"How are your kits?"

"They're growing up just fine."

"Are you sure? They're getting enough to eat, and drink during this hot weather?"

He purrs, "I make sure they get enough food along with the apprentices and Goldenflower has been taking wonderful care of them alongside her kits."

The old Riverclan leader sighs, "That's good to hear, Graystripe. I admit I was worried for their well being."

"You don't have to worry. They'll grow into being fine warriors. You could visit them if you like."

"I'd rather not taint their loyalties, it's just a relief to hear they are doing so well. What are their names?"

"Featherkit and Stormkit. Featherkit is a she-cat and looks just like her mother, while Stormkit is a tom and looks like me."

Crookedstar purrs, "They'll be fine warriors if they're a mix of you and her. Is the prey also running well?"

"Yes, greenleaf has brought us bountiful prey despite the heat. You?"

"The same. We even have more kits in the nursery and Mistyfoot's kits, the ones you saved from the floods are about to be apprenticed soon."

"That's great. Thunderclan has also been blessed with apprentices."

"I am glad you are doing so well." Crookedstar then looks at the great rock and sighs, "I must be going but I am really glad the kits are thriving." The Riverclan leader then dips his head and pads over to the Great Rock.

Sandstorm bounds up to him, "What was that about?"

"He wanted to know if Silverstream's kits were well and how Thunderclan is doing." From her green glare he swiftly mews, "Don't worry. I didn't give anything vital away. Just that Goldenflower is taking care of them and they are growing up strong and that the forest has been bountiful with prey this greenleaf."

She sighs, "Good. Bluestar would rip your fur of if you said anything more."

He purrs, "I know."

"Did you notice how small Shadowclan's patrol is?"

"I saw one talking to Leopardfur, but not any other cat from Shadowclan."

A voice rings out and he turns his head around to see all the clan leaders on the Great Rock with Crookedstar being closer to the edge then the other leaders. Seeing Nightstar's appearance he is shocked. The Shadowclan leader is hunched over and looks frail and thin as a Windclan cat. But not in a good way. Though he didn't just look thin, his pelt seemed ratty and ungroomed. Nightstar was an elder when he got his nine lives, so perhaps that explains it. Though with the Shadowclan patrol being smaller than usual it makes him wonder if that isn't the case.

Crookedstar mews from the Great rock, "Bluestar wishes to go first."

Bluestar stands up and projects her voice onto the gathered cats below, "For those who might not have heard it from Windclan, Brokentail is dead."

Satisfied mews ripple throughout the crowd of cats.

Nightstar rasps, "How did he die?" But Bluestar doesn't seem to hear him and continues on, "Thunderclan also has a new deputy….."

"So it's true what Riverclan has been saying." The stunned mew of a Windclan warrior rises from the watching cats. "Something's happened to Tigerclaw!"

"Is he dead?" Mudclaw demands. His words bring a barrage of cries and Graystripe can't help but feel a twinge of loss because Tigerclaw was respected by other warriors outside his clan. He was a good warrior and would have made a great leader had he not been so ambitious by murdering Redtail and trying to kill Bluestar.

"Did he die of sickness?" another cat calls out.

"Was it an accident?"

He feels Sandstorm and the rest of his clanmates stiffen beside him. Clearly they do not want to share the truth of what happened a moon ago.

Bluestar's yowls authoritatively which silences the questions, "Tigerclaw's fate is Thunderclan's business and does not concern anyone else."

Dread fills his belly. Shouldn't they tell the other clans what the ex-deputy did so they can be warned about him slinking about on the edge of clan territory? The other clan cats fall into disgruntled murmurings, their curiosity not satisfied by Bluestar's answer.

Bluestar finally mews again, "The new Thunderclan Deputy is Graystripe."

Dozens of heads turn in his direction and its stifling being under their questioning stares. But he sits up proudly as Bluestar mentions the new apprentices that have been given mentors this past moon and how prey is running well. Sandstorm also leans on him and her tail wraps around his side, also showing her support. He purrs at the gesture and hopes to make everyone proud, despite his past shortcomings.