Warriors: Skytail's Reckoning (COMPLETED)

Chapter 24

Skytail wanted to claw her own fur off as she padded through the camp. In the three sunrises since Sapfoot and Bluefeather's exile, the Clan was very on-edge and hostile around the new deputy. It's not like I wanted to be Clan deputy. She thought sourly, sitting down and wrapping her tail around herself with a sigh. She wasn't used to being deputy, having to manage all the patrols and know where every cat was at all times. How did the other deputies do this? She wondered and her shoulders slumped.

"Rough night?" Meowed a rash voice as Shadeheart padded from the medicine den and approached. Skytail tensed, remembering his hostility before and after she joined the Clan. I don't have to like you, she thought while narrowing her eyes at him, but I have to get along with you.

"You can't imagine," she groaned and twitched one ear, shivering as a drop of water hit the ground. "It's been raining for two days," she complained. "Why hasn't it stopped?"

Shadeheart watched her closely. "Warriors don't complain," he meowed sharply and Skytail bristled. What did he know about being a warrior? He's a medicine cat! "Deal with it, deputy."

Skytail ground her teeth together and straightened as the new warriors- Martenclaw, Mistyfrond, Shellwing, Brindlestalk, Weaselheart, Smokecloud, Poppywish, Grayriver, Voleskip, and Blizzardtail- padded from the camp entrance. They'd gotten their full names the day before, and had to sit vigil like every other warrior in the Clan.

"I'm so glad the night is over," meowed Mistyfrond as she looked at Brindlestalk, who was shaking out her legs as she stretched. "I thought it'd go on forever!"

Blizzardtail shivered from where he stood with Voleskip, who looked about ready to fall asleep on his paws. "At least our vigils were in greenleaf," he pointed out tiredly. He looked at Skytail. "When was your vigil?"

"Leafbare." Skytail thought back to the night when she, Bluefeather, Wispwren, and Greenscar had all been new warriors. It was a particularly cold night, she remembered, and Bluefeather had gone off to do who knows what, and came back at the end of the cold night. She shuddered and looked at the new warriors. "If you aren't too tired, could one of you lead the dawn patrol?" When the ten warriors didn't look too thrilled, she added. "You can have the rest of the day off."

Poppywish stepped toward the deputy, her eyes dim with exhaustion. "I'll lead it," she yawned and looked at the others. "And since I'm leading it, I'll take the lot of you." She looked smug as the others groaned.

"I'd rather face an entire patrol of ThunderClan warriors," Weaselheart muttered and looked at Voleskip. "I'm not going. I can hear my nest calling me from right here." Peering around at the other tired warriors, he added. "Anyone else want to sleep and not go on patrol?"

Voleskip shrugged. "I'm not that tired. I could go for a good scrap with a patrol, though." He blinked warmly at Poppywish, who seemed to straighten up as her gaze met his. "Come on, let's go."

As the pair moved off, Blizzardtail groaned. "Leave it to my brother to win over a she-cat right after becoming a warrior." His voice was tired, but teasing as he followed, calling. "Wait for me!" After the pair.

Skytail chuckled with amusement. She was glad to see the naive nature of the younger cats in the middle of so much death and dark times. With a pang, she turned to the other warriors. "Have any of you found possible mates?" She asked.

Martenclaw scuffed his paws on the sodden ground, ears flat with embarrassment. "W-well," he murmured, but a mrrow of excitement broke through his voice as Breezepaw, Cherrypaw, and Heatherpaw bustled out of the apprentice's den. At the sight of the young she-cats, Martenclaw stiffened and his eyes grew soft.