Moving Forward (ThunderClan's New Deputy)

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!”

ThunderClan’s new leader called out from the Highrock once more. There was one more important announcement that had to happen tonight before she could finally get some rest and process the events of the night. She had announced her leadership to the clan; now it was time to choose her deputy.

Nettlestar had known this moment would be coming for a while, and she had plenty of time to think over who she would name deputy when it inevitably arrived. So however unsure she was about what the rest of the future would hold, she at the very least felt confident that the choice she would be making tonight would, in fact, be the right one.

It was almost hard to believe that Oakstar- Oakheart, rather, had retired. Despite the fact that he was obviously aging, Robinloft had always seen him as a strong leader, one who almost never faltered. But even leaders were unprotected from the ever-tightening grasp of old age. Hearing yet another call from the Highrock, she poked her head out of the Warrior's den. It was pretty obvious what this meeting was about, especially after the topic of the last one. Thunderclan's new deputy. She herself was dying to find out who it was. She figured maybe Minkstream or Cedarheart, they were both pretty good warriors. Maybe even Beecloud! She would be so proud of him if he got to be the Deputy. She smiled at the thought. Focusing back on the task at hand, she trotted to the center of camp and sat down.

Ferretnose and Beecloud both crept towards the Highrock, with similar expressions of nervousness and optimism illuminating their faces. These were tumultuous times for ThunderClan, and Ferretnose wondered to herself if Nettlestar knew exactly what she was getting herself into. There was a thorn in the senior warrior's paw, and it was Rainstrike's strange presence in the forest. No cat had any idea if she had left or if she had stayed. It left a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Still, as she looked around at the cats in her beloved clan, she knew that whoever would be named deputy would protect their borders and ensure the safety of ThunderClan. And, perhaps most importantly, it would definitely not be her!

Beecloud, on the other hand, was not so naive to consider himself out of the running for such a prestigious honor. The very thought of it made him sheepish, glancing at the base of the Highrock and shifting his shoulders anxiously. What would life be like if Nettlestar chose him? He figured that, as with everything in his life, he would find his own rhythm and pace. Beecloud was very careful to not get his hopes up. There was very little talk of predictions that the young warrior had heard (maybe it was bad luck?), but he had his fair share of candidates floating in his mind. He stole a glance at Cedarheart and flashed her a grin from across the crowd. She'd make a fine deputy. So would lots of his denmates, come to think of it. ThunderClan was full of capable cats... he allowed himself a brief moment of smugness about his home Clan before relaxing at the base of the Highrock to watch the ceremony.

It could have been an ordinary ceremony, if not for the excitement crackling in the air so thick and bright even Thrushpaw had taken notice. Any cat who’d been taught about the code could guess the reason behind this meeting. Nettlestar’s ascension to leadership and Oakstar’s—Oakheart’s move to the elders’ den had left a vacancy, and according to the stars, they had until moonhigh to fill it. Honestly, Thrushpaw would’ve been more surprised if Nettlestar hadn’t had someone in mind. She’d always seemed like the sort of cat who had a plan for anything…though now that Thrushpaw thought about it, that might’ve just been what most apprentices thought about their mentors.

To be honest, ThunderClan’s soon-to-be deputy didn’t matter much to her. She only knew one condition for deputyship, and none of her littermates were warriors yet; neither was Pinepaw. Of course, her parents both filled that requirement, but even if one of them was chosen, they’d always be her family before any fancy title. (Would they want it any other way?) Still, though it wasn’t important to her, it was important to know, sort of like how it was important to know when someone had a litter or one of her denmates got their warrior name, so she pulled herself away from the camp’s exit and drifted toward the Highrock, gaze darting across the cats who’d gotten there first. A sea of cats she didn't know, and a few she kind-of-sort-of did. Thrushpaw considered her options, then sat somewhat apart from the rest, gaze angled upward.

It was strange, in a way, yet Minkstream felt almost relieved at Nettlestar's move to leadership. At least this time the former leader hadn't died. Oakheart's absence was only felt at ceremonies, the strong tom's presence otherwise familiar and still felt about the camp, unlike Jaystar. He felt an uncomfortable prickle mingle with a familiar hollow sadness in his chest as he joined the cats drifting to join the crowd underneath the High Rock. Jaystar, Torrentstar.... I feel like I've outlived everyone in RiverClan. At least, all of his relatives there.

A brown tabby pelt caught his eye, and he let his paws wander over to settle beside Mermurr, giving her a friendly nudge with his nose, noting her slightly indifferent look. "The new deputy doesn't interest you, huh?" He murmured, a hint of teasing to his tone. One day she might end up being called forward to fill that spot, but he could remember his own vague curiosity as a kit. When it didn't concern you, well, it wasn't really worth thinking over.

---

The recent events were a little weird - Lirista had only ever known Oakstar as leader, and Nettlefire as deputy. Now Nettlefire was Nettlestar and Oakstar was Oakheart, and she was legally forced to clean his bedding out and take the ticks and fleas from his pelt. If that wasn't strange... she didn't know what was.

Her ears twitched as she padded up to the crowd, glancing between her father and sister and her mentor before heading for the latter, glancing curiously up at the rock. Was this the deputy ceremony everyone was talking about? There're are a lot of warriors, how's she going to choose who to pick? Glancing sideways at Beecloud, she wondered if maybe he'd be picked. I'm glad apprentices aren't picked. Being deputy sounds hard.

As Nettlestar’s gaze moved across her assembled clanmates, she felt a bright smile form on her lips. She realized through her mess of emotions, through any hesitations and worries she had, the two feelings she could surely pin down were pride and gratitude. She was proud to call ThunderClan her home, and grateful for the opportunity to dedicate her life to it, to protect it to her utmost ability.

But like all the leaders that came before her and all the ones that would come after, she wouldn’t be doing that alone.

“There is of course one more thing I must do tonight, and that is choose my deputy,” The gray she-cat said, her light green eyes still moving across the crowd. “And so-- 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 Minkstream,”

Cherryblossom had been out hunting for the day, and as she padded into camp, mouth full of prey, she heard the familiar summons from the newly-named Nettlestar. She tossed her prey on the fresh-kill pile just in time to sit down right as she announced that Minkstream was to be the new deputy. Almost immediately, she popped back up to her paws, happiness filling her, grief momentarily forgotten as she began chanting.
"Minkstream! Minkstream! Minkstream!"

Batbite watched the proceedings with more detachment than usual after the news that Oakstar would no longer be their leader, though upon realizing what the ceremony meant her curiosity was clear. Her emotionless facade shattered entirely as her mate's name was called, her own enthusiastic voice carried alongside the crowd's. "Minkstream! Minkstream!"

(Perhaps, she mused, the future was brighter than she'd given it credit for.)

Quailpaw stepped out of the apprentice's den just as Nettlefire annoucennd that his father, Minkstream, was going to be deputy of Thunderclan. "Minkstream! Minkstream!" Quailpaw called, a hint of pride in his voice. His dad was the deputy of Thunderclan! Who wouldn't be excited?

Cedarheart followed just a pace behind her mother and brother as they gathered to see the deputy. She carried a childlike excitement at the prospect of a new deputy. There were many cats that could easily fill that position. Recently, many cats had been talking about who they thought Nettlestar would chose. Even the brown tabby carried a bit of hope that it would be her. Being deputy of Thunderclan would be an honor. But she knew that there were more experienced, capable cats for the role. And she hadn’t exactly been following the warrior code lately, but nobody knew that.

She grinned at Beecloud. If the new deputy was one of them, that would truly be an exciting experience.

Daisybloom settled in the growing crowd. Although she knew that there was no chance she could be deputy, she had speculated just like the others, and was excited to see the meeting’s conclusion.

As the new deputy was announced, both she-cats smiled.

”Minstream! Minkstream!”
”Minkstream! Minkstream!”

He turned his attention upwards again as Nettlef-star spoke, her stance somehow more powerful and commanding than before, her eyes deeper in wisdom and seeming to see more than they had the other times he'd seen her on the rock. Every leader has that look, He mused, feeling his tail twitch behind him. Then again, if they weren't this affected by getting nine lives, they wouldn't really be cats you'd want as leaders.

All these thoughts ran through his head as he looked up, waiting curiously for the name, his glance sliding down at some of the other warriors in the camp and catching his mate's black pelt, a smile twitching at the edge of his maw. She'd make a good deputy.

"Minkstream."

His ear twitched, and he glanced up at the rock, a suddenly blank expression on his face. She stood there, on that rock, the cheers of Clanmates bursting out all around her.

And her green eyes rested steadily on him.

"...What?"

His eyes flicked across the clearing, catching Batbite's sparkling ones as she yowled with the rest of them, a bewildered and numb feeling slowly creeping up his spine. A slightly dizzily incredulous smile tugging at the edges of his maw, he opened his mouth, a silent question slipping past the sudden block in his brain. Did you know about this?!

---

Lirista felt her jaw drop as the name slipped past Nettlestar's maw, and she twisted around to catch her father's ginger pelt, her blue eyes suddenly lighting up with excitement. "Dad?" She whipped back to Beecloud, a wide grin on her face. "Dad's deputy?"

Robinloft looked up eagerly at Nettlestar, the anticipation shown clearly on her expression. Despite this, she kept her form relatively calm, with the exception of her paws, which were busy messing with a small clump of grass. With the announcement continuing on, her eyes lot up when the deputy was announced. "Minkstream! Minkstream!" She cheered on with her clanmates. She wished there was something she could say to Minkstream, but she unfortunately had never interacted with the tom much. But she didn't need to have a strong relationship with him to know that he was a strong and respectable warrior, perfectly up for the job. Walking up to Minkstream, she said the only thing that she could think of. "Congrats! I'm sure you'll do great!"

It wasn't all too surprising that Minkstream had been appointed as deputy. Pinepaw couldn't help a frown though, casting a glance over to his brother, Beecloud. In his mind, the younger tom would've made a far better canidate, but the apprentice was sorely biased. Minkstream wasn't a bad choice, but the mediocrity of it failed to spark anything in Pinepaw's heart. He'd been contemplative ever since his moonstone journey, and failed to be stirred by the new changes of ThunderClan.

It wasn't all storm clouds and crowfood, however. Pinepaw was sure Thrushpaw must be thrilled to have her father crowned as deputy, and he let his tail drift across her shoulders in a kind gesture as he padded to Beecloud. "You're royalty, now, Thrush!" There was a genuine smile on the apprentice's face as he cast a wink at her from over his back. Consoling Beecloud could wait, he wanted to spend time with his best friend, now the princess of ThunderClan.