We must carry on.

Oakstar hated this. His heart still yearned for Beartooth. The strong and reliable tom had been a good deputy. So loyal and devoted to his clan… but StarClan had it’s laws. It’s rules… and he was bound by them to obey. His gaze fell to the large body in the middle of camp. By moonhigh. His decision had to be declared by then… there wasn’t any other option.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock for a clan meeting!" He yowled, voice cutting through the grief stricken air through lungs that felt broken and weak. This had to be done. There was no choice… but it stung just the same. He knew who he should pick… but he also had to make sure he never repeated what had caused Beartooth to collapse in the snow. He couldn’t let another death be His fault.

Mistwalker was shocked, he had to say. Beartooth was...dead. He had always seemed so strong, so much so that he could never die. Tears pricked at his eyes. Who could replace Beartooth of all cats? Those were some big paws to fill....literally. Mistwalker couldn't bring himself to look at the body, and instead sat under the tree.

Houndheart's anxious soul had not been soothed. Nothing could fix it. He longed to race out into the territory and fight the first enemy cat he stumbled upon. Maybe something so recklessly stupid could wash away the things that plagued him. He stalked to the edge of the clearing when Oakstar called and settled down away from other cats. A cross look skewed his expression and eyes as his tail lashed, "Hopefully he picks a better cat this time." It was loud enough for others to hear; he didn't care.

Stormpaw could barely drag herself away from Ferretnose and the body of Beartooth. Would Ferretnose be okay alone? Stormpaw's heart felt torn in two. How could this have happened? Had Beartooth overworked himself? Oh, how would ThunderClan cope without him? Would her beautiful clan ever be the same again? No, she thought bitterly, ThunderClan will never be the same. A new deputy meant a new opinion, different decisions. There was only one Beartooth in ThunderClan.

And he was dead.

Dacedream didn't know what to do with herself or what to think; the day prior had been one of the greatest of her life, and the very next morning that elation was shattered. Beartooth was dead. Why? How? So much had been left unanswered, but StarClan didn't wait and the warrior code was clear: a new deputy must be named. The new warrior sat near Houndheart, as she always did, shuffling her paws absently as she waited for the rest of the Clan to gather. His bitter words made her look towards him with a worried expression. While she wished he would use nicer words while other cats were grieving - herself included - Dacedream knew that Houndheart had the best interest of the Clan in mind. He wanted a good cat and had never believed Beartooth was it. Whether he was or not, Dacedream agreed that ThunderClan needed someone strong to help guide them through their latest tragedies.

Mossbloom remained near Ferretnose, pelt pressed reassuringly to her friends side as she looked up towards Oakstar. As Houndheart spoke again, she cast a sharp look in his direction, anger rising in her throat once again as she hissed at him, disappointed and angered by his lack of respect and remorse. Oakstar had to announce a new deputy, that much she knew as much as she wished it could be put off.... Who would Oakstar choose? Mistwalker, perhaps? Dustcloud? No, his mate was still recovering in the nursery.... If only Lynxtail hadn't disappeared, he would be chosen.... She looked over to Ferretnose and soothingly started to groom her ears in gentle strokes.

Ferretnose remained silent with bleary eyes. Her good eye shifted constantly back to Beartooth's lifeless body. As soon as the meeting was over, she was to make arrangements in the nursery and say her last goodbyes to him. She had so much more left to say. She paid no mind to Houndheart, rationalizing that everybody dealt with grief in different ways... or maybe he was entirely peeved to be receiving siblings. She would need to talk to him soon. In a way, she felt that she had a responsibility to at least attempt to show him she cared. Ferretnose was not his mother, and she didn't feel she needed to be. At minimum, she could be his clanmate.

ThunderClan was sad as Duskpaw had been. She sat on the ground below Oakstar's perch, gaze blank. Beartooth had been deputy. And Beartooth was dead. She had killed him. The apprentice blinked and let her large green eyes drift to Houndheart, watching as the warrior fought with the secret only they knew. Duskpaw didn't know why it had to be a secret. Beartooth had taken part in his trade, it was an honorable thing. But if keeping it a secret made Houndheart happy, then the she-cat would oblige.

The deputy's body was cold in camp, laying peacefully as if he was sleeping. Duskpaw remembered resting her head beside his dying frame in the forest, feeling the warmth drain from him. Beartooth had long fur, and long claws. He had kept her warm. Missing him, the dusty-gray cat padded quietly over to his lifeless frame, sitting between his hind and forepaws, letting the tom's long fur tickle her whiskers once again. Beartooth was gone. A new deputy would be chosen.

Oakstar watched as his clanmates gathered. Their gazes felt intense on his pelt as he raised his head and closed his eyes in thought. So many cats… and they all deserved deputyship, but at the same time, his heart sank at the idea of Mistwalker or Nettlefire becoming deputy and doing as Beartooth had done. They might work themselves too hard. Dacedream was a good and valuable she-cat, but she was barely a day into warriorhood.

His eyes opened, and fell to Houndheart. The tom had been crass to his father’s death. Yet, he spoke his mind. He wouldn’t let Oakstar push him too far without pushing back, he was certain. Still, such a deputy would require strong minding to prevent wars… as ShadowClan had learned.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new Deputy of ThunderClan will be Houndheart." He announced. His voice firm as his gaze slipped to the body of Beartooth. Would he have approved?

Oakstar’s amber eyes closed for a moment as grief threatened his senses. His voice rising to start the chant for Houndheart’s success before he leapt down to settle near Beartooth once again. His gaze fell onto the young tom he had just appointed.
"Houndheart… perhaps one day you’ll forgive me..." His gaze slipped back to Beartooth mournfully as he sank against the tabby’s pelt. Letting the guilt overwhelm him as he laid beside his former deputy.

Ferretnose had a suspicion that this was the direction the meeting would go in. Whether or not she was pleased, though? She couldn't be sure. Her pain masked every emotion, every thought. She didn't know up from down anymore. Still, as Oakstar leaped down to once more sit at Beartooth's side, Ferretnose found herself nodding to Mossbloom and waddling in a different direction. She waited patiently for Houndheart to catch her eye before bowing her head ever so slightly.

"I'm not a fool," she murmured. "I know you hated him. But my kits will not understand that." Her good eye glittered with a nurturing firmness. "I believe in second chances. He hoped to right his wrongs as a father and a mate. He would have been good to them. I suspect you wouldn't have appreciated that." Ferretnose tilted her head with a sort of knowing curiosity, as if she were peeling back his flesh to judge the weight of his heart. "Please do not blame my sons and daughters for your bad blood. Please accept them as your clanmates, if not as siblings. Give them this, and you have my respect.... Deputy." Her point had been made clear. She did not care to watch him sneer at her mate's dead body any longer, and she turned her cheek to him. She dragged herself to Beartooth's side.

They will know your name... all of them. Even if they all have Harefoot's ears... all have my eye... and they're not the least bit like you. They'll know you. And when the day comes that our kits are names warriors, then I will know that you haven't left us after all.

Oakstar took a moment to breath, and Mossbloom didn't look up, missing the way his eyes traveled to one warrior in particular. As the ceremonial words started, she tensed, bracing herself for whatever choice would come.... But no amount of preparation could have prepared her for Oakstar's choice. Her head shot up, staring in disbelief at Oakstar as the name he called sank in. Houndheart? After what he had said when Beartooth was brought to camp? No, she must have cobwebs in her ears or something, there's no way. Ferretnose stood up from beside her, approaching Houndheart and confirming what she had heard. Eyes narrowing slightly, she watched from afar, reeling from what had just happened. Houndheart was the new deputy of ThunderClan, taking his father's place... The father he had disrespected in death. Tail tip twitching as she cast one more clouded, stormy expression towards Oakstar, she relaxed only when Ferretnose returned. After the she-cat settled once more, she curled her tail around her friend, preparing to sit the night through. Maybe she'd talk to Oakstar later....

A wide grin befell Duskpaw's face as Oakstar announced the new deputy. Without a second glance, the she-cat ran to her friend's side and pressed her face into his chest as she did Beartooth's. It was warm, but his fur was short. "Houndheart!" She purred, green eyes wide and bright, gazing into his duller ones. "You're deputy!" They shared a secret between them only they knew. The two cats in the clearing now had witnessed Beartooth's death and altered the truth to better suit Houndheart's needs. Duskpaw had the metaphorical blood on her paws. And Houndheart was a liar. She was fascinated by him all the same. The tall tom was larger than her, a lanky friend from kithood, along with Dacedream, her lover. The apprentice giggled quietly, spared from the mourning of camp as she returned to her silent state. She did not deal in tones such as connections and sadness. Duskpaw loved Beartooth, and she had cared for him. She loved Houndheart, and would remain his friend. But her claws were blind to all such things, much to her dismay. The she-cat turned toward Oakstar above and meant his amber eyes, watching with quiet breaths, wondering what the leader thought of her all-inclusive sense of justice.

Cats all around continued in their grief and mourning and he just stared at the ground. Houndheart tried to look cross, screwing up his expression several times, but it did not seem to want to stick. Instead he just looked like some forlorn, grumpy, overgrown kit. The voice of Oakstar now drifting from above was what caused him to finally glanced upwards. It was time for a new deputy. After today, Beartooth would no longer sit at the base of the highrock at gatherings or organize the patrols that went out for the day. Some cat other than his father would take that place. The sensation that came with the thought was both crushing and freeing. Given the amount of other emotions that had ripped through him in the past couple of sunrises, it was easy to push this away too. There was no reason to think about Beartooth any longer; he wasn't Houndheart's father, and he was dead now.

He watched as Oakstar's maw moved, revealing the name of the new deputy of the clan, announcing his successor who would one day stand above the clan as well. Houndheart had never pictured Beartooth there. Nor had he pictured himself there. But it was his name that parted from that tongue. As soon as he heard it, the lanky tom straightened up. It made sense. If any cat deserved this honor, it would be him. Doubt nagged at the edge of his mind but he dismissed it with a flick of his ear. Standing up, he prepared to stride forward with a declaration for the clan. Yet he was stopped short by Ferretnose. Instead of the cheering of the announcement, there was a somber mood to the clan. Cats muttered and whispered, perhaps a shout here or there in an attempt for normalcy. They were all too wrapped up in their own grief to celebrate. Houndheart willed to shout that life had to move on and they couldn't dwell on Beartooth. He would be deputy now and he would be a good one for sure. Wouldn't he?

There was a mutter of an apology from the leader, hopes for forgiveness, from the leader he served. Houndheart longed to shout at him that none of it was his fault and to get over Beartooth. But his own harsh words from earlier would have contradicted it and now he felt more guilt. Everything was guilt. But he could not think much on it now. The older warrior, Beartooth's mate, stood before him and her words drowned out any other thought for a moment. He found himself stunned by her direct words. Being faced with his own emotions was something he didn't do often. He was far too much like Beartooth for his own good, but lacking the better traits his father had possessed. Houndheart didn't want to hesitated in his response, that would be weak, but his words were much softer than normal, even with their usual snark hidden underneath, "Any kits born in this clan are my clanmates. That's just how it is. I'll be the deputy they know, Ferretnose." He faltered under such boldness. Ferretnose had come directly forward, not with a harsh tone or abrasive in any way, but rather sure and forward. She confronted him with himself. Swallowing, Houndheart stepped back to look at the rest of the clan. Duskpaw pressed into his chest and greeted him with bright eyes. He would never look at her the same way as he once had, even if she was still simply his friend. That moment gave him what he needed to speak. His voice was bold, far more assured than he felt.

"I'll be the best deputy you've ever seen, Thunderclan."

Harefoot stayed by Beartooth's side throughout the ceremony, chin resting dejectedly on his paws. The shock was settling and the sadness was setting in, deep and heavy like a boulder in his stomach and chest. Even the cold wind didn't register. Only Oakstar's voice caught his attention, pulling his soft green eyes up towards the Highrock. So, a new deputy? Harefoot wasn't interested. The only news that could move him was his own appointment, but given his timid nature and new, all-consuming grief, it wasn't even a possibility. Instead, Houndheart had been picked. And Harefoot nearly got up to congratulate him... nearly. The brown tom simply didn't have the willpower to greet his former apprentice by his new title, instead closing his eyes to the outside world and allowing Ferretnose to speak for the both of them. He couldn't hear her words to him, but whatever she thought the new deputy should know, he stood by her. Metaphorically.

Dawngaze watched with interest. A new deputy ceremony hadn't even occurred to her, yet it was due. A wave of excitement flooded her when she considered that she could be the next deputy, but it was quickly snuffed out by her own thoughts. The tortie would be an absolute disgrace of a deputy and possible leader for the same reasons Beartooth had been: an inability to express any emotion or interest in her clanmates, a general disinterest in responsibility and leading, and a track record of violence. Further, her horrid bloodline overshadowed her every move and her mental state had not been at its best in recent moons. The whispers grew louder, like mumbles, and even in this public setting she could hear the insults and hisses of her littermates tingling in her ears. It was no wonder she'd been passed up for Beartooth's runt. It was better that way. "Houndheart! Houndheart! Houndheart!" She called dutifully despite her general revulsion for the tom.

Whether cats disagreed with Houndheart or not they said nothing, much to Dacedream's relief. At the other side of the clearing, where Beartooth's peaceful body still seemed to sleep - though he would never wake - Dacedream saw Duskpaw's sleek brown pelt. The apprentice's face was unreadable to Dacedream, but the way she sat in among his corpse said plenty to the she-cat: Duskpaw would miss him, too. Oakstar's voice quickly rang out again, calling the grieving Clan's attention to him. Dacedream looked at him with round, watchful green-hazel eyes. She could see the pain in her leader's face, and she hoped that whoever he chose would be able to help the kindly tom through his grief - and all of the Clan. He was strong always, even while in pain, and he spoke the words clearly for everyone to hear.

Houndheart would be the new deputy of ThunderClan. Dacedream gasped, perking up as some of the mist of grief was lifted. "Houndheart!" she said with surprise, though there was no disdain or malice in her tone whatsoever. In fact, the warrior immediately turned to her dear friend, eyes shining, and called out excitedly as the reality sat in. "Houndheart! Houndheart!" Almost immediately, however, the heavy mood of the Clan smothered Dacedream's enthusiasm, making her accutely aware of the discomfort with which every cat seemed to respond to the appointment. The tortoiseshell warrior trailed off as Ferretnose padded up - not to congratulate Houndheart, it didn't seem, but to discuss some... familial trouble. Dacedream turned her head away self-consciously until the queen moved away again.

At least Duskpaw was as excited as Dacedream had wanted to be before the unhappiness of the Clan made her feel uneasy. The she-cat came bounding up and bounced against Houndheart, pushing her face into his chest happily before stepping back to look in his eyes and congratulate him. Dacedream smiled, much more at ease with the joyful atmosphere expressed now, and looked happily between Duskpaw and Houndheart. The new deputy boldly declared that he would be the best deputy ThunderClan had ever seen. That made Dacedream grin and nod with enthusiastic approval. However confusing things had become in ThunderClan, for Dacedream, her friends and loved ones were happy, and that was the most important thing in the world.