#y1-lb

Deadstar did not have much time to pick a deputy. It was always preferable to ask a new deputy for their assent the night before they were named, but he didn't return from the Moonstone until past dawn.

"Come with me," Deadstar said, summoning Mudclaw with his tail.

His breath caught. Mudclaw was no more ambitious than most, but still, he yearned for the position. And he respected Deadstar. The tom had been his mentor, and a good one.

"I suspect you know what this is about," Deadstar said, and Mudclaw nodded.

"No point in being modest," he said, his ears flattening slightly.

Deadstar laughed. It was clipped short, halted by the grief of the night and severity of the moment. "I've chosen well," he murmured, seemingly to himself. "Mudclaw, will you be deputy? Will you fight by my side for the grace of WindClan?"

Mudclaw swallowed before answering. "I will. I will lay down my life for any cat in this Clan."

Fernpaw laid with her tail over her legs. She was sore from training, and the cold from the leafbare ground was soothing, but it would only make her stiff in the morning.

Ashpaw was still training.

She sighed. Darkstripe had brought her back early, providing no explanation. She could have kept going, she was sure of it. Ashpaw was panting harder than her when they left the hollow. But Darkstripe had delivered her in camp, told her to eat something, and left again.

Fernpaw studied the freshkill pile. She should make sure the queens had eaten.

She stood, and licked down the ruffled fur on her side, before padding towards the nursery. Brindleface's scent clung to the walls, and although Fernpaw knew her mother had returned to patrols, she was still surprised not to see her inside the nursery.

Fernpaw blinked at Birchflower. The queen was still adjusting to Clan life, and Fernpaw couldn't imagine it was easy. She had four kits, and apparently, kittypet queens raised their litters by themselves. Brindleface had shook her head explaining it to Fernpaw.

"Do you need anything?" Fernpaw asked.

Birchflower opened her mouth for a moment, when one of her kits — the pure white one — cried. She licked his head.

"You don't have to take care of me," Birchflower said, softly. "I'm alright."

"It's my responsibility," Fernpaw said, licking one paw. One of the kits started to crawl towards her, and Fernpaw purred. They would make strong warriors. "The other apprentices are still training, anyway."

She nudged the kit back towards Birchflower. "I'll bring you some prey," she said. "And I can help watch them."

Birchflower looked uncertain, but her nest was practically overflowing. They had brought moss in yesterday, but the kits had made quick work of tearing it to shreds.

Mudfur yawned.

"Dawnkit is coughing," Mosspelt said, before he could even open his eyes.

"She's fine," Mudfur said, wrapping his tail around his nose.

"She's coughing," Mosspelt repeated. "She could have greencough."

"Does she have a fever?"

"No."

"Then she doesn't have greencough." Mudfur shifted in his nest, trying to avoid the light that streamed in through the cracks in his den.

"But what if it's the beginning?"

"The fever comes first," Mudfur said. "In kits, anyway. We haven't had a single case of greencough. She's fine."

Mosspelt sighed. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as the rain."

Mosspelt sighed, again. "Can't you give her a little coltsfoot?"

"I'm not wasting herbs on a cat who doesn't need them," Mudfur said, giving up on sleep. He blinked open, watching as Mosspelt's claws dug into the earth.

"Won't you look at her?"

Mudfur touched his nose to her shoulder. "She'll be fine, Mosspelt. Bring her to me if it gets worse."

"Okay." The queen blinked anxiously at him. "You're certain?"

"Completely."

"Mudfur!" Podpaw called. "Dawnkit is coughing!"

"You will be known as Applefur," Nightstar said. "StarClan honours your courage and bravery."

He rest his muzzle on her head, and she could smell the sickness on him. Applefur licked his shoulder gingerly.

"Applefur! Ratscar!"

The few scattered voices of the Clan called out their names, and Runningnose hurried to them.

"Eat this quickly," he said, dropping a pile of herbs.

"What is it?"

tallstar loses his last life, protecting gorsekit from a hawk. this one he doesn't survive. (acting out the story of the first hawk-killer, effectively.)

deadstar succeeds him, appointing mudclaw (his first apprentice) as his deputy.

webfoot becomes a warrior, but downpaw, barkface's apprentice, dies.

a Season.

things go...pretty well? overall, things go well for thunderclan.

runningwind and patchpelt both die. maybe in a battle? not sure.

fernpaw and ashpaw become apprentices...to darkstripe and tigerclaw.

yes, i'm very happy with my decision thank you for asking.

cinderfur dies. nightstar doesn't pick a new deputy. whoops.

brightflower also dies of the sickness, along with whitethroat, blossompaw, swamppaw, firpaw, and chaparralkit.

applefur and ratscar become warriors, lavenderpaw is apprenticed to tangleburr.

nothing terribly interesting this season.

whiteclaw dies, because of...let's go with starvation into illness. or maybe a battle. i'm not sure. i only come up with interesting plots for interesting occurances.

greypool's surviving kits become apprentices; pinepaw to crookedstar, podpaw to mudfur, and larchpaw to greenflower.