Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 3. (A Dead Star)

~A Dead Star: Chapter 12~

The next day, when Whitestripe woke, the warriors' den was basically empty aside from Flameclaw, Spiraltail and Windcaller. But the clearing sounded like it was full of noise.
Whitestripe sat up from beside Flameclaw and quickly groomed her paw, waking up her friend.
She woke up Spiraltail and Windcaller and the lot of them ducked out of the den.
"You aren't going to lay a claw on her!" she heard Ashpelt growl as she and the others entered the clearing. Ashpelt was facing Swiftflight with his teeth bared, tail lashing and claws unsheathed.
"She doesn't belong here," Swiftflight snarled. "And neither do you! You're barely Clanborn!"
"I have more ancestors from ThunderClan than you!" Ashpelt retorted. "At least I was born here. You were a rogue before you came to this Clan!"
"You had not been kitted," Swiftflight replied angrily, her fur bristling. "All you've heard of my past is filled with lies and rumours."
Ashpelt growled. Horizon was trying to back away, but cats surrounded the two of them. A few others lingered around the side of the crowd, as though they weren't sure about joining in to defend a side.
She spotted Fuzzyear and Rockhopper looking as if they'd also woken up to this and were still barely awake.
"Should we not be choosing a deputy?" Beeflower interjected during the brief pause between the arguing cats.
"Until Fernfeather wakes up and has fully recovered, we can't do anything but wait," Willowleaf said quietly from the nursery entrance.
"I am Fernstar now," said the recognizable voice of the former deputy. "And who is this? A loner, kittypet or spy?"
"A kittypet spy," Spidertail grumbled.
"I'm not a spy!" Horizon hissed.
"Before you two start tearing fur from each other's pelts, I suggest you tell me what happened," Fernstar demanded. "We'll handle it after I appoint a new deputy."
Whitestripe and Spiraltail sat beside Ashpelt and Horizon as they dove into their explanation. Whitestripe noticed that Ashpelt left out the part with him and Horizon being in love.
After a long moment of thought, Fernstar said, "You risked your life by coming here. You do know this?"
Horizon nodded, ignoring the angered glares of Swiftflight, Spidertail, Windcaller and the rest of the older ThunderClan cats.
"I told my Clan a short time ago that any kittypet, loner or rogue should be held hostage or killed," Fernstar said firmly.
"However," she continued, "I will make an exception. Because it was Ashpelt who found you, he will decide what to do with you, after I've chosen a deputy."
Without waiting for a response from anyone else in the clearing, she jumped up onto the Highledge, head held high as she sat down, taking a deep breath.
Some of the ThunderClan members gathered beneath the Highledge, but most of them stood behind the small group of apprentices, queens and elders.
"I say these words before StarClan," Fernstar began hesitantly, "so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice."
There was a short pause before she went on, and Whitestripe was wondering whether she was having second thoughts about waking up at all.
"The new deputy of ThunderClan will be..."
Every cat waited in tense silence, listening hard for any word that Fernstar said.
"Tigerfur," she said quietly. Again, louder, she repeated, "Tigerfur will be ThunderClan's new deputy."
Angry murmurs came from the few cats that surrounded Whitestripe and her two siblings, as though they had wanted to be deputy themselves.
To her relief, the elders, queens, apprentices, some warriors and Amberkit didn't protest. Although they didn't celebrate either.
"Why him?" Spidertail hissed. "Out of every cat in ThunderClan, why would you choose him?"
"There were cats from inside ThunderClan and outside of it who thought I would not be good enough for the role of deputy," Fernstar said. "I handled myself well, as you can all see. If Redpelt hadn't declined the honour, he would've been deputy."
"While he was an excellent warrior, he still would've been too impulsive as a deputy and could've gotten us killed if he were still alive as a deputy today," Specklefern agreed unexpectedly. "Fernstar was the better choice out of the few at the time who wanted to be deputy and were able to do it without undergoing painful stress."
"Such as I and Windcaller. Why do you think we fought so much?" Fuzzyear added with a hint of amusement. "We, as well as you, Redpelt and Fernstar, knew we were capable of being deputy at the time. Then time caught up, and neither of us regret a second of it."
Fuzzyear and Windcaller sat side by side, purring. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about Horizon, and then Spidertail spoke.
"I would've been a good deputy had Stonestar given me an apprentice sooner," he grumbled.
"I suppose you'll have to wait until Fernstar appoints you a new one," Tigerfur said bluntly. "You'll have to prove you won't be so unreasonably selfish though."
"If I'd been given an apprentice sooner and Fernstar hadn't woken so soon," he whispered, standing up to Tigerfur, "I'd be in charge of every cat inside and outside of this Clan."
"I don't think you know how the position of deputy works," Tigerfur whispered back, his tone unwavering. Nobody else seemed to hear their quiet argument, but Whitestripe was still trying to grasp the meaning of Spidertail's words. Inside and outside ThunderClan?
"I hope the Dark Forest takes you!" Spidertail snarled quietly.
"With your attitude, I'd be surprised if I were the only one to go," Tigerfur retorted. Louder, he said, "If you're done, I believe we still have the matter of this kittypet to discuss. Fernstar?"
"Indeed," Fernstar said, her gaze shifting to Horizon. "Ashpelt? What say you?"
Ashpelt looked nervous, his eyes darting from Whitestripe to Horizon to Fernstar to Spidertail and back again.
After what felt like an age to Whitestripe, Ashpelt finally said, "I think we should let her go about her business. She'll leave us alone if we leave her alone."
"Likely story," Swiftflight muttered in resent.
"You're sure you know what you're doing?" Fernstar said, ignoring Swiftflight.
"I'm sure," Ashpelt said with a confident nod. "I don't want her to come to harm while she leaves. If she enters our territory again, please tell me before doing anything?"
Fernstar looked reluctant, but gave Horizon a nod. Tigerfur shoved Spidertail away and Beeflower and Willowleaf stood aside to let the brown and white kittypet pass.
Horizon gave Whitestripe a grateful look before running away, off in the direction of her Twoleg nest.