Time for a New Deputy

[heartnet]

Hawkstar padded out of his den. He had slept lightly when he returned from the MoonPool, he had so much to think about. What was about to happen with the oncoming battle and the new deputy. And he had decided, knowing he was making the right choice. Leaping up on to highrock, he called out in a strong voice. "Let all cats who are old enough to catch their own prey gather under highrock for a meeting!"

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot lifted his head, hearing his leader call for the meeting below the Highrock. The gray tom rose to his paws, shook himself of dirt, and padded toward the large rock in which the leader sat. He sat, curling his tail around his paws as he awaited to her what Hawkstar had to say.

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Orchidtail sat down in front of the Highrock. Her eyes gleamed with pride for her mate. She felt Faunus's presence as he slipped up beside her and she could scent Honeyfrost padding over to sit beside Owlfoot. Desertflower herded Tussockpaw and Maplepaw over to the rock. They had been playfighting and weren't happy that they had been interrupted.

[heartnet]

Wolfheart padded into the camp, coming back from hunting. He had heard Hawkstar's call even before he reached camp. Quickly placing his mouse and thrush in the fresh-kill, he padded over to the high rock, sitting down beside Orchidtail. "Any idea what it's about? Think he's decided the deputy now?" he asked Orchidtail quietly, glancing at her curiously.

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot looked at Honeyfrost, nodding quickly before returning his attention to the Highrock, tail twitching. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel excited.

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Orchidtail smiled and winked at Wolfheart but didn't say anything. Faunus explained. "She's afraid if she opens her mouth she'll say something she shouldn't. Personally myself, I think you have a good chance of being deputy but you still seem quite young. Hawkstar is young himself and needs an older warrior," he whispered.
Honeyfrost gave Owlfoot a small smile. For some reason she felt awkward around him and it was a struggle not to stand up and leave. She took a deep breath and steadied herself.

[heartnet]

Wolfheart raised an eyebrow at Orchidtail's response, turning to Faunus for answers. He nodded to what he said, smiling. It was true, Hawkstar was a young, strong leader, he might need a little more experience on his side. He turned back to his leader as he started to speak

Hawkstar looked down to the cats gathered below. "It is time to appoint a new deputy." he started, pausing a moment before continuing. "After careful thought, I believe I have made the right choice. Owlfoot is the new deputy." he said, smiling warmly down at the tom.

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Honeyfrost stared at Owlfoot. Her eyes ere wide for pride and a little bit over astonishment. There was also a little bit of wariness. "Congratulations!" she meowed a little too loudly. She blushed and hurried away. Tussockpaw and Maplepaw bounded over to Owlfoot smiling. "Rogues will shaking in their pelts!" Tussockpaw cheered. He added a quick apology to Faunus, who simply shrugged and gave his own congratulations. Maplepaw lept up and down, bursting with excitement. Desertflower attempted to calm her daughter and touched Owlfoot's muzzle with her nose gently. "You'll do the clan roud," she whispered. Orchidtail padded over to the Highrock and looked up at her mate happily. "A most interesting choice," she murmured.

[heartnet]

Wolfheart smiled, congratulating Owlfoot as well before padding to the fresh-kill pile. Hawkstar jumped down from Highrock, landing easily on his feet and looking to Orchidtail. He smiled, shrugging. "Well, to be honest, it was between him and Adderstrike. It was hard decision and I just went with what I thought best. Why, any objections?" he asked curiously, nudging her shoulder gently.

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Orchidtail shook her head. "I'm meerly interested how he will handle this," she meowed cautiousily. Everyone knew Owlfoot's past and it was hard not to tread carefully around him. She glanced over to him and spotted Honeyfrost slinking off. "What are we going to about her?" she asked Hawkstar.

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot blinked up at Hawkstar, literally struck speechless. It was an honer, truly, but a shock. A true shock. He started slightly at all the cheers and affectionate touches being displayed for him. He smiled awkwardly and mumbled a slight 'thank you' to all of those congradulating him. He looked up at the new, young, strong leader, wondering why he had chosen him.

[heartnet]

Hawkstar nodded and glanced over at his new deputy, meeting his gaze with a reassuring smile. "I think he will handle it fine." he replied as he turned back to his mate. He turned to see who she was talking about, catching sight of Honeyfrost. He shrugged as he turned back to Orchidtail. "Just keep an eye on her for the time being."

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot nodded to Hawkstar, standing, and stretching. He smiled at everyone, not really sure how to begin his life as deputy.

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Orchidtail nodded. "I think she's sincerely guilty though. Silvercreek was her only friend here," she meowed," Faunus said that she's apologised a total of 5 times."
Faunus padded up to Hawkstar and Orchidtail. "Excuse me, but I'm going to see Scatter and Smoketalon. It's about time I paid a visit. Is that okay?" he meowed, flicking his tail.

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot stood there for a minute before padding over to the freshkill pile, eyeing it thoughtfully. It seemed full, but it would be safer to send out a hunting patrol just in case.

[heartnet]

Hawkstar nodded. "Yes, she does seem sorry for what she did to Silvercreek, though attacking Faunus that viciously wasn't acceptable, even if he was a rogue. He was no threat." he pointed out, then he smiled and glanced at Faunus, nodding. "That is fine by me, but don't be late. And if you run into to trouble, make noise, Owfoot will have a patrol out that will hear." he replied, the part about Owlfoot and the patrol coming out louder as he wanted the cat to overhear.

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot lurched slightly, looking toward Hawkstar almost guiltily. He had no idea how to be a deputy and, deep down, he was glad Hawkstar would be helping him.
(Now to learn all of the cats' names.)

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Orchidtail nodded. "I'll go with Owlfoot if you want," she meowed.
"Thanks Hawkstar," Faunus meowed," I can take care of myself. I'll take Smoketalon over to AquaClan if you don't mind. Could I join up with the patrol and all of this go to AquaClan? I wouldn't want them thinking I was attacking the camp." He shuddered, he would be badly out numbered.

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot's ears twitched, listening to their conversation. Looks like he would be going out on a patrol to escort Faunus to AquaClan territory. It would be safer to go in numbers, but the patrol could be mistaken for an attack party.

[heartnet]

"That would be good Orchidtail and go ahead Faunus. But to not appear as an attack party, walk out in the open of their territory, showing that your no threat. If any one of our cats so much as unsheathes a claw, I want to know. This is on friendly terms." Hawkstar said, voicing everyones thought and the solution. Then he licked Orchidtail's ear, smiling. "Be careful." he said, turning to pad into his den.

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Orchidtail smiled and turned to Owlfoot. "Lead the way!" she purred. Faunus nodded in agreement with Hawkstar's words and bounded out of camp, meowing a quick goodbye.

((Short...))

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot stood, nodded, and turned, watching as Faunus darted off. Three cats wouldn't seem like much of a threat to a passing patrol. It would be for the best that only he, Orchidtail, and Faunus went. Owlfoot smiled at Orchidtail, turned on his paws, and padded toward the entrance.

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Orchidtail followed Owlfoot out of camp. "Should we follow the border along to AquaClan? We'll have to wait for Faunus to fetch Scatter and Smoketalon," she meowed. She was finding it hard not to tell the cat what to do. He was the deputy and she had to follow his orders.

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot turned. "Yeah. That would be a good idea," he said, looking back at her as they exited camp. "And...sorry if I don't seem assertive enough. I never was good at giving orders." At his little statement, his tail drooped slightly.

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

"I'm sure you'll get better," she meowed encouragingly," It comes with time." She looked up into the canopy of leaves, admiring a maple tree. It sparked a thought in her mind. "We'll have to ask Hawkstar about who will mentor Maplepaw. The poor wee thing. First she was a moon late to become an apprentice because of the green cough, then the cat who cared for her ran away and then her mentor and leader dies! She hasn't had a decent training session and at this rate she'll never become a warrior." Maplepaw was the sister of Orchidtail's late apprentice Sunpaw. She felt it was her duty to protect the rest of Desertflower's remaining kits.

[Redcloud]

"Hmm...I'm pretty sure there's someone more than capable of training her," Owlfoot said, smiling back at her. He stopped for a minute, tasting the air. His body tensed, but he soon relaxed again. He began to pad on, his eyes oddly dark as they passed a small ring of bushes and mushrooms, a patch of hardened dirt in its center. He never liked this place...never liked this place. It was too far from camp to be scented from that distance, but it was also rarely visited. If it was used more maybe Robinpaw wouldn't have-
-no...he told himself he wouldn't think of that again...not again.

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Orchidtail wondered what Owlfoot implying. Her curiousity turned to concern as Owlfoot tensed. She gazed around the clearing trying to see what he could see. She looked back to him. "Owlfoot?" she prompted," Are you alright? Can you hear me?" She tried following his gaze but there was nothing. Something tugged at the back of her mind. Wasn't this where Robinpaw had been found?

[Redcloud]

Owlfoot said nothing and quickened his pace, eyes becoming slightly frantic to get away from that spot, that terrible spot. Poor Robinclaw, he was bloody, drying, flies everywhere, so much blood, and the STINK, oh the stink, it was just so wrong and disgusting and oh Starclan the SMELL. His slightly insane thought lingered on a bit, comepletely ignoring Orchidtail behind him.

(Robinpaw was a typo. I meant to type RobinCLAW...sorry.)

[á£Îmaý---♫♥]

Orchidtail trotted after Owlfoot, her pace quickly becoming a run to match his. She lept in front of him, cutting Owlfoot off. "You can't keep running!" she meowed urgently," The quicker you accept what happened, the quicker the wounds will heal." Her green eyes were wide with concern for the newly appointed deputy. "You have to be strong! I know what happened to Robinclaw was terrible. It was hard on all of us, you especially. But you're not the only one whose life has been hard," she told him. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm the only kit of 4 who survived leaf-bare. Imagine a queen losing three of her precious new born kits. My mother was killed in battle. Imagine losing the cat who cared for you so deeply. Imagine what is was like for my father losing his mate. Imagine losing your father when it seemed he would make it. Imagine your actions causing the death of a young cat! The daughter of a friend!"

[Redcloud]

Owfloot suddenly stopped, looking at her with scared eyes. Robinclaw...he had been so sweet...and they never found the badger that did it to him either. It was like StarClan had played a cruel joke on him, just to see his reaction. But it wasn't StarClan...it wasn't anything except the large, lumbering, beedy eyes monster that tore Robinclaw apart and left him there for his body to bake in the sun. He trembled slightly, eyeing his friend with uncertainty before nodding. he needed to accept that Robinclaw was with StarClan, probably with their father, Leech. He highly doubted it. Leech was a loner. He highly doubted the black tom would make to StarClan. And his mother...they never found her. She was probably with StarClan as well, but he hoped she wasn't. He could only pray that she was safe and far from harm from any creature that wished for her blood. He could only pray.