Pineshade's Loss

Chapter 35

Pineshade wakes up inside the warriors' den to hear wailing coming from outside of the den. The dark gray tom looks around, noticing that the other healthy warriors have been awaken by the sound too, which is not many of them. A large amount of the nests in the warriors' den are empty, only Spikepelt, Frogleap, Flamepelt,  Wolfclaw, Swiftfang, and himself can be found in the warriors' den at the moment.

"Should one of us go investigate?" Spikepelt asks the other warriors.

"I will," Flamepelt meows bravely, getting up out of his nest.

"Be careful!" Frogleap meows to his friend as the fluffy dark ginger tabby sticks his head out of the warriors' den. After only a few seconds, Flamepelt turns his head back at the other warriors.

"They're dragging a body out of the medicine cat den, it looks like another cat has been lost. Hawktalon and Ebonyfrost are over there, that must be why they're not here right now," Flamepelt informs the other warriors.

"So that's why they weren't here when we woke up..." Wolfclaw meows.

"So, does that mean that something happened with Lizardtail?" Swiftfang asks with concern.

"I'm afraid so," Flamepelt responds.

Just yesterday, the Clan's deputy had caught a bad case of greencough. It must've been very bad because after only one day, he's already seemingly dead.

But Milktail is still fighting. Pineshade thinks.

"We lost an excellent deputy, it will be hard for Boulderstar to choose a cat who will live up to his legacy," Spikepelt meows, bowing his head and closing his eyes in respect of the old deputy's life, and the rest of the healthy warriors join in on the moment of silence. After a few seconds, the cats open their eyes and raise their heads.

"Who do we think Boulderstar will choose as the new deputy? He will have to choose before moonhigh," Flamepelt asks the other warriors. "It will have to be a healthy warrior who has had an apprentice before," he brings up.

"That only leaves Hawktalon, Spikepelt, and myself as his options..." Pineshade meows. "That's not many options at all. Only three choices."

"But I believe all three of you would be great deputies," Swiftfang meows. "Even though there's not many options, it will be a hard decision to make for him, especially since he is close to joining StarClan himself. So, he knows he will probably be choosing the next leader of ShadowClan," he mentions.

"He'll probably choose you, Pineshade!" Frogleap meows, exciting for his friend. "You're his son, after all!"

"Hm... I don't know. I haven't really been my best lately," Pineshade meows. "I personally think he'll choose Hawktalon. She's the oldest and more experienced out of the three of us, and she is so much like her father."

"Something has seemed off about her lately," Spikepelt brings up. "It's probably because she lost her mother and now she lost her father too, but I don't think a grief-ridden cat will be the best choice for a deputy."

"We're all grief-ridden, though, Spikepelt," Wolfclaw reminds her father. "Don't tell me you've gotten over Snowpetal and Goosecloud already?"

"No, I haven't," Spikepelt grumbles. "But I'm definitely handling loss better than she has. I think I'll be chosen as deputy. I'm definitely more emotionally stable than the other two."

"Oh yes, bring up your precious ego even more," Pineshade meows sarcastically.

After a little more chatting between the warriors, they all fall back asleep, waiting for what will happen the next day.

***

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the high branch for a meeting!" Boulderstar yowls weakly. The clan then gathers around the high branch, knowing exactly what this is for. Pineshade sits with Frogleap and Flamepelt, feeling nervous for this announcement since he knows there's a high chance he will be chosen as the new deputy. He can tell that his father is in very bad shape, looking extremely weak, skinny, and he is even beginning to lose some of his fur.

"Sadly, we lost Lizardtail overnight due to an extreme case of greencough his old body could not handle. He lived a happy and successful life and StarClan will forever honor him as a great deputy of ShadowClan. Now, as my duty as the leader of ShadowClan, I must name a new deputy before moonhigh," he meows. "After a lot of thought, I have decided on who should be ShadowClan's new deputy," He tells the clan. "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 ShadowClan is Hawktalon. Hawktalon, you are one of Lizardtail's daughters and a strong, loyal, and brave warrior of ShadowClan. You care so much about your Clan above anything else, which makes me believe you would be the best fit for the role of ShadowClan's deputy. You are a cat I can trust to be a great leader of ShadowClan if I were to join StarClan," Boulderstar meows. The clan cheers and congratulates Hawktalon. Frogleap cheers especially loud for his former mentor.

Pineshade lets out a sigh of relief, kind of glad he wasn't chosen as the new deputy. There has been too much on his mind lately with Milktail and their kits. He wouldn't have been the best choice.

"Thank you so much, Boulderstar," Hawktalon meows with a dip of her head as the rest of the Clan watches her. "I will try my best to live up to my father's legacy as a great deputy."

Is Hawktalon expecting kits? She can't be, she has no mate and if she was, she would be in the nursery. She must've been eating well lately, she could easily be mistaken for an expecting queen. Pineshade thinks.

"Hawktalon! Hawktalon!" The Clan cheers.

"The Clan meeting is now dismissed," Boulderstar meows hoarsely, almost slipping off the highbranch as he comes down.

We might have to be calling her Hawkstar before we know it. Pineshade thinks as he looks at his father with concern.