Creamfluff's Hope

*/\* Chapter Twenty-six */\*

"Windycloud."

Purrs and meows of approval and congratulations came from the warriors as the white and gray furred warrior opened his eyes in surprise. He quickly got to his paws despite his injuries and hobbled to the front of the crowd to stand in front of his new leader. His ear was torn, and his muzzle was wrapped in cobwebs along with the center of his tail and his hind paw. 

"Windycloud, do you accept your new position as my deputy as well as MistClan's deputy?" Blizzardspots asked him. Windycloud replied with a quick nod.

"I do."

"Very well. MistClan's new official deputy is Windycloud!" Blizzardspots touched her muzzle to the top of his head as the Clan errupted in cheers. Everyone limped or ran forward to congratulate Windycloud. Creampaw saw Hawkflight rush forward to congratulate his former mentor. 

"Windycloud is a good choice," Creampaw mewed to Rainspeck who nodded in agreement. Aloeheart had come to sit next to them in the middle of the ceremony and nodded along with his mate.

"I still think it should've been me instead of Windycloud," he snarled lightly. Rainspeck turned to look at the brown tabby.

"We all think it should've been us," Rainspeck purred. "But we're lucky to even have survived that so-called ambush."

Aloeheart shrugged. "I guess so." Then he turned to Creampaw. "If anyone's been lucky to survive the battle, it's this little one! I saw Darkenedfrost run up to you and strike the back of your neck and shoulder. I was trying to get to you, and I could've held Darkenedfrost back if Soaringbird hadn't pinned me down."

"And I saw that shoulder drop of yours, by the way," Rainspeck praised Creampaw. "Your mentor taught you well. If anyone should be praising you beside me, its Thrushwing who should."

"She taught herself all of that, not me." Thrushwing's voice rasped as he approached the three cats. The scar Thrushwing had gained from the fox attack last moon had reopened from the fight, and his lip was torn along with his ear. A claw had fallen from his paw, and his flank had a long scar crossing from his shoulder to his hind leg. The scars and injuries had all been treated, thankfully. Creampaw felt guilty for only having two wounds, but remembered how serious they'd been and decided she was lucky to only be scratched twice. 

But the tan tabby tom continued. "I described moves to her and she repeated them before going on to practice them every day."

Aloeheart's eyes widened at this. "Wow! You're even more determined to become a warrior then I was when I was an apprentice!" 

"Even Acornstar praised me," Creampaw replied. "He said I was ahead of my seventh moon of training."

The cats fell silent at the mention of their fallen leader. Acornstar had fought bravely in the battle, giving his life for his Clanmates only to lose territory he'd tried so hard to keep. He hadn't even agreed to give it up! Cedarstar had just killed the MistClan leader, claimed Moss Rocks for himself, and left. 

Remembering how Cedarstar had claimed Moss Rocks as his own, Creampaw had something to ask Blizzardspots. She rushed to her paws, ignoring Rainspeck's confused meows of where she was going. Creampaw saw Blizzardspots limping toward the medicine den and skidded to a stop before she could crash into her new leader.

"Blizzardspots!" She panted as pain shot through her shoulder where her wound was. "Can I ask you something?"

"Is it important?" The gray and white she-cat questioned.

"Very," Creampaw mewed, sitting down and curling her tail over her paws. She knew her fur was ruffled, but she couldn't take forever to fix it. Her leader might just think she was stalling her from seeing Silverleaf. "Did you hear how Cedarstar claimed Moss Rocks for his own after killing Acornstar?"