Skyclan's Deputy | April 2024

The sun cast shadows over the quiet camp as Wolfstar leapt up to the tallbranch. The same shadows threatening to close around her heart as she stared down at the clearing. As it had when she'd sat up here after Birdstar's death, the weight on her shoulders felt like it would drag her to the earth below. Crushing, trapping, squeezing the breath from her lungs.

The clan could not afford for her to wait, for her to get her grief under control under her own terms. Wolfstar gazed up at the darkening sky where the first stars seemed to flicker into existence. Honeydew, so many more joining her.

Slowly, she took a breath and exhaled. The clan would come before her desire to curl into a ball and not move from her nest. They had to.

"Skyclan, gather before the tallbranch for a clan meeting."

Much of stormwatcher life had been in balance. On one paw he had honeydew to help guide him and to try and make him see reason - she was the logical side of input to the young warrior. On the other side he had sun. Sun was the counterweight- saw things similar to how storm saw things with riverclan - he was the emotional side of the afterwffects of the war.

And now- he had neither- the news of both them being gone hit like a monster. He slumped over not able to even glance upward to his sister for the meeting now being called

As Wolfstar called her meeting, a surge of bitterness and twinge of anger tainted Falconmoon's heart. He rose to his feet from the warrior's den, having been a useless pile of nothing for most of the day. It didn't seem like anyone blamed him though. He slow walked to underneath the Tallbranch, his head and tail low. He sat down in silence beside Stormwatcher. He had a feeling he knew what this meeting was about and he couldn't help but feel resentful at how fast things were moving despite everything. He knew why it had to happen, but it was far from fair. Having Honeydew replaced so swiftly left a bitter taste in his mouth despite the logic of it all. How dare the next deputy stand where she once stood?

He closed his eyes slowly and took a breath, banishing his emotions from him yet again, like he'd done so many times before. This was no one's fault, as much as he wanted to blame Starclan and go back to what he knew, what was comfortable for him. He would treat the next deputy with dignity and respect despite his wounds still so fresh.

Creamsky peered up from where he had been sitting, his expression dark and unreadable. There was no doubt what this was about - a deputy had to be named so shortly after the loss of the previous...It felt unfair in a way, to rob them of the opportunity to truly mourn the loss of Honeydew without having to... Replace her. It did her a disservice, but what else could they do? The rule had been put in place for a reason - the Clan would not survive with a deputy, not when the world was unknowing and cruel. He pushed himself to his paws, padding forward to take a seat with the others who were gathering - glancing out at his fellow Clanmates.

It did leave the question of...Who? He was an option to be sure, but he didn't feel like it was truly one - he did his best to hide it, but when the night fell upon the Clans, his breath could still struggle to reach him and with the loss of two of their medicine cats - one joining the Stars, the other joining WindClan... Well, he suppose it would just be something he would have to survive on his own. It was fine, it wasn't the worse - annoying, and it made sleeping hard but... It was still something that was effecting his duties and he couldn't see himself being fit for deputy ship if Wolfstar was aware of it. There were other cats - healthy cats - that would do a fine enough - or even better - job than he could. But guessing who would actually earn the mantle was...

Hm.

Wolfstar watched as her clanmates slowly gathered before her. Their expressions were still grief-stricken, weary, fearful. They had lost more cats in the last few days than had been lost in an entire season, and if the leader was not trying to cling to anything she could to avoid simply breaking down, she might have simply gone to her nest. But the code demanded this of her, and leading a clan was not something she could do alone.

Blue eyes lifted to the sky once more, a sigh falling from the leader as she spoke. "This is not something I had thought would be necessary for a long time. It's... Not something I want to do at all, truthfully." She rasped, "But Skyclan is still standing. We will continue to stand. Nobody will replace Honeydew, or anyone else that was lost. And I will not let my clan fall." Her gaze sought those of her clanmates. Mintglade and her kits, The hollow space where many of Skyclan's younger warriors would sit together. Harespring, the only survivor of his siblings.

"But I cannot lead without a deputy. My goal is similar to what it was when I chose Honeydew: a different perspective than my own, someone with experience beyond their years. Someone responsible, who puts the clan above themselves. I say these words before you, and Starclan, so that you might hear and approve my choice." Honeydew, Brackendawn, Sunfire... So many more. Were they watching as their clan struggling from the pits of despair? Was Starclan complicit, even? Wolfstar gave her head a tiny shake, gaze focusing on her clanmates.

"The new deputy of Skyclan... Will be Falconmoon." Perhaps it was imagined on her part, but Wolfstar could hear her mother's scream. The only thing worse than her kits becoming deputy perhaps was her nightmare becoming deputy... But Wolfstar did not care for what the stars had to say. Not when their clan had lost so much in far too short a time.

Falconmoon had been slumped over while he listened, almost wanting to drown out what his mother was saying. He'd only just now come out of the denial stage of his grief... he wasn't ready for all of this. The last thing he expected was to hear Wolfstar call out his name. He sat bolt upright, his eyes wide with surprise and his ears pricked forward. He was still for a few heartbeats, but to him it felt much longer than that as he processed what he'd heard.

Another consciousness lurched forward at the idea of another position of power. Shadowy tendrils of a malevolent monster that only took breath and delighted in the pain and terror of others warred with the bright rays of Falconmoon's mind, one that was wounded but overall yearned for peace.

Wolfstar... are you really sure? Powerful positions were like a siren song to the white and gold tom, even after all of this time. He got to his feet and his paws began to move almost of their own accord. He positioned himself under the Tallbranch and turned to face his clan... what was left.

"I am honored to be called forth to be the next deputy, but I will not do so without acknowledging the one before me. Honeydew was good and loved Skyclan with all of her heart. She didn't deserve to go the way that she did. Skyclan lost a deputy. I lost a daughter." He took a breath to collect himself, feeling pressure closing around his throat and threatening to choke out his words. Once he got it under control with a hard swallow, he continued.

"Skyclan has always been strong. Though we will never forget this great loss, nor should we, we will recover, we will rebuild and we will carry on. We are as unbreakable as the sky itself. Our ambition, our grit and the strength of our hearts are just as limitless. We will overcome." And with that, his eyes lifted skyward. He had nothing more to say, nor did he feel he should say too much while wounds were so fresh.

Beechfang. Flowerthorn. Help me. Keep me steady so I will not fall. Honeydew... I'm so sorry you had to find out who your father really was only after your death. Please forgive me. I meant to tell you. I just didn't know how...

Creamsky wasn't all that surprised in hindsight at the name that was called - Falconmoon had always proven himself to have a solid head on his shoulders. "Falconmoon, Falconmoon!" He raised his voice to cheer on the new deputy, before letting himself fall quite to listen to what he had to say. It would not be easy to rebuild SkyClan after...Everything. So many good cats were gone, so many cats that would never have their absence be filled. Honeydew among them - how cruel to have her father take her place, but he was certain that Falconmoon would do his best to make her proud among the Stars.

He pushed himself to his paws as the newly named deputy finished speaking, taking a step forward with a dip of his head. "Congratulation, Falconmoon - and I am sorry for your loss," he added, a soft sigh escaping him. In theory, he knew the pain of losing family - he had long accepted Blackbear as dead, and yet the possibility of her returning was still... But in the same sense, at least Falconmoon wouldn't have to wonder - he knew his daughter was at peace among the Stars. "...If there is any way I can be of aid, just let me know - both of you," he meowed, his gaze flickering up to Wolfstar as he gave her a nod as well. "We'll find a way to carry forward - to make sure their memories live on."