After the long night of sitting vigil, Dawnsky stretched out her paws and yawned. She watched sadly as Tawnyfoot and Grassblade carried Whitestar's body away to be buried. She could see that Nightpelt was getting ready to leave to make the long journey to the Moonstone.

He was being accompanied by Lakeheart, Longfang, and Firefur. Lakeheart left her den, her mouth full with bundles of traveling herbs for each cat. Nightpelt is sure to choose his brother to be deputy. Dawnsky thought. She could see the muscular orange and white tom make his way over towards the gaping hole that the dogs had made when they broke into their camp.

"You ready to go?" He asked Nightpelt.

"Yeah, I guess so." Nightpelt grumbled sleepily, "You ready Lakeheart?"

"Hold on!" She said, her voice muffled since she was carrying the herbs, "Eat these first." She placed each bundle in front of the cats.

Everyone lined up to wish them good luck, and when it was Dawnsky's turn, they were already about to head out. Firefur turned his head around and smiled.

"May Star Clan light your path." She mewed to the group.

They nodded, "We'll be back by tomorrow morning." Nightpelt confirmed, "Grassblade, you're in charge."

Grassblade looked up from scratching his ear, "Huh?"

Stormfeather shook her head, "Oh great..."

Dawnsky watched them leave with a concerned gaze. I hope nothing goes wrong while they're away... she let out a tired sigh, and waited for Grassblade to issue out the patrols for the day.

Grassblade cleared his throat and rasped, "Er, the dawn patrol will be uh Swiftwillow-"

"Swiftwillow was injured in the battle." Stormfeather softly corrected him.

"Oh. Right." He shook his head in confusion, "Okay then the dawn patrol will be Pebblefur, Specklefrost-"

"Specklefrost is in the nursery." She rolled her eyes, "Okay dawn patrol is Pebblefur, Talonpaw, me, and Agileclaw."

Grassblade sighed in relief, glad that Stormfeather took over. He whispered into her ear something else.

"Oh, right! We need some cats to fix the wall. Any volunteers?"

"I will!" Dawnsky and Willowfur both meowed at the same time. They turned and glared at each other with narrowed eyes.

"Okay, that's great!" Stormfeather mewed, though she looked uncomfortable, "Hopefully it will end their little feud..." Dawnsky heard her mutter under her breath.

"But isn't there anything else I can do that isn't with her?" Willowfur complained.

Ouch... Dawnsky thought.

"Well there's the apprentices duties." Grassblade suggested humorously.

Willowfur rolled her eyes, "Fine, I'll work with Dawnsky..."

Dawnsky held back a laugh. She waited until the dawn patrol left and then awkwardly walked up to her sister, "So... do we gather brambles?"

"I guess so..." she muttered, not making eye contact.

"Okay, let's go then." She sighed.

They walked with as much distance as possible from each other until they squeezed one by one through the thorn tunnel. Dawnsky shook her pelt and then moved on, not waiting for Willowfur to come out. I can find the brambles myself... she fretted like a kit.

"Hey, wait up!" Willowfur hissed.

"Sorry..." she grumbled under her breath.

Once they reached a spot that had enough of what they needed, Dawnsky started to gather the brambles. She fully focused on her job, not even looking towards Willowfur. She shouldn't be the one mad, I was only trying to protect her! She thought, furiously pulling more brambles down, she is so ungrateful, and rude, and- "Ow!" She cried.

"Are you okay?" Willowfur asked, coming over to her.

"Yeah," she winced, "I just stepped on a thorn.."

"Here, let me see it. I can help you." She mewed.

Dawnsky reluctantly showed Willowfur her paw. The thorn was large and had stuck deep into her paw pad.

Willowfur flinched a little, but she didn't take her eyes off of it, "That's in pretty deep. Now hold on, this may hurt a little."

Willowfur carefully grabbed the thorn with her teeth and once she had a good hold on it, she quickly pulled it out. Dawnsky clenched her jaw and held back a cry of pain.

She closed her eyes, "Wow... that hurt..."

Willowfur showed her the thorn, "Well, it's out now." She mewed, flicking it away.

Dawnsky looked away for a second, "Er thanks Willowfur." She mewed.

Willowfur nodded, looking at her paws, "It was no problem..." she sighed, and there was a long pause of awkward silence, "I- I'm sorry I got mad at you about Storm."

Dawnsky looked up, surprised, "Really?"

"Er yeah, I guess."

"Well I'm sorry for trying to make you stop meeting with Storm." She mewed.

There was another long pause of silence, "You don't have to answer," Willowfur started carefully, "but I was just wondering, why were you so concerned about me and Storm?"

Dawnsky sighed, "I... I went through the same thing myself..."

"Really?!" She gasped, "With Storm?!"

"What? No! Not with Storm. With another rogue." She mewed. she felt like there was a rock forming in her stomach.

"Oh." Willowfur looked relieved, and then worried, "So how did you stop meeting with this rogue?"

"Well, I didn't. That is, until after I ran away with him." She explained.

"So that's why you left!" She exclaimed.

"That's most of the reason." She wasn't going to mention Shadowstripe.

"Why did you come back?"

Dawnsky felt the rock in her stomach get bigger, "I just wasn't happy where I was and I know that my loyalty lies only to the clan."

"Oh." She looked dissapointed, "You must really love Ice Clan to abandon your entire love life just like that."

"I guess you could put it that way." I'm not telling her about my kits... "Well, we should probably get these brambles back to camp before Grassblade claws our pelts off." She immediately changed the subject and started gathering the brambles.

"Oh. Right. Okay." Willowfur sighed, obviously not satisfied with what little information Dawnsky had given her.

Once they had gotten everything, they headed back to camp, walking closer together this time.

***

The sun had began to set after they finished their job of repairing the wall. Leafkit and Darkkit had constantly wondered out of the nursery to try and "help" them with their chore.

"I'm going to be the greatest warrior ever!" Darkkit would exclaim, "So that's why I need to start my apprentice duties early."

Leafkit would happily agree, and then they would somehow get in a play fight and knock the wall down. Raggedpelt was always calling them both to come back into the nursery.

"Phew! We're finally done," Willowfur sighed happily.

"If it weren't for Leafkit and Darkkit we would have never finished, since they were so helpful." Dawnsky purred sarcastically.

Willowfur laughed and then headed over to the fresh kill pile. She picked a mouse for herself and a small thrush for Dawnsky.

"Thanks!" Dawnsky mewed, hungrily biting into the bird.

Willowfur ate her mouse more slowly, while Dawnsky nearly inhaled her fresh kill. Willowfur held back a laugh and kept eating. Dawnsky got up and stretched, "Well, I'd better get some sleep. Nightpelt and the others will probably have us up early so he can name the deputy."

Willowfur yawned, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Dawnsky sleepily padded into the warriors den and plopped down on her nest. The second her head touched the soft moss and feathers, she fell asleep.

***

"Dawnsky! Dawnsky wake up!" Willowfur whispered harshly.

Dawnsky groaned and lifted her head, "Go away..." she muttered.

"Dawnsky, get up now! Nightstar is here!"

"Nightstar?!" Dawnsky quickly sat up. She shuddered, knowing that the cat who apparently hated her would now be her leader.

"Come on, let's go." She mewed.

"Okay, okay. I'm up." She got to her paws and followed Willowfur out of the warriors den.

A crowd of cats had already gathered near the camp entrance, and she could see Nightstar right in the middle of the crowd. He made his way across the clearing and jumped easily atop the highrock, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey join here for a clan meeting!" He yowled.

Everyone was already gathered around the highrock, so he began, "I say these words before Star Clan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve my choice." He paused for effect, "The new deputy of Ice Clan is Grassblade!"

Everyone looked surprised and Dawnsky stifled a gasp. Grassblade?! Grassblade looked the most shocked out of them all, and he slowly padded up to the front of the crowd right below the highrock.

Nightstar waited for him to speak, his tail flicking back and forth impatiently.

Grassblade took a deep breath, "As much of an honor that it is to be chosen as deputy," he rasped, "I'm afraid I have to refuse."

Everyone around him gasped and started talking at once. "Can he do that?" Pebblefur asked Agileclaw, who just shrugged.

"Everyone please be quiet!" Nightstar yowled, "Grassblade, why do you refuse to be deputy?"

"Well, first of all: I'd be a terrible leader, " he mewed, "and second of all: I'm just too old. Yesterday at the gathering, I was planning to ask Whitestar if I could retire to the elder's den, but as you can tell that didn't work out."

"Soo you want to be an elder?" He asked, squinting his eyes.

"Yes." He mewed, his head still held high.

"And I would like to become an elder too." Meowed another cat in the crowd.

Everyone including Dawnsky turned their heads. It was Stormfeather. She walked up to where Grassblade was standing and waited for Nightstar to reply. The new leader looked mildly surprised and a little annoyed.

He sighed, "Are you sure about this?"

Grassblade and Stormfeather firmly nodded, "I am positive."

"Okay... er is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?"

"It is." They both mewed.

"Your clan honors you and all the service you've given to us. I call upon Star Clan to give you many moons of rest."

"Grassblade! Stormfeather! Grassblade! Stormfeather!" Cheered all the cats.

Grassblade nodded, his watery yellow eyes looking relieved. Nightstar was about to jump down from the highrock, when he suddenly spun back around, "Oh. Right. The new deputy of Ice Clan is, uh, Dawnsky. Meeting dismissed."

Dawnsky's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open in shock. She wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat. Nightstar casually jumped down from the highrock and went into his new den. Why did he choose me?

Everyone started to leave, and Willowfur, Firefur, and Lonfang rushed up to congratulate her, "Wow! That's so cool that you're the new deputy!" Purred Willowfur.

"I was surprised." Longfang admitted, "But you deserve it."

"I'm happy for you, Dawnsky." Firefur mewed.

"Thanks!" She mewed, still in shock. She walked to her den, thinking happily about being chosen as deputy. I can't believe it! Me? Deputy? She sighed, just think... I could be Dawnstar, leader of IceClan! With that thought in mind, she happily drifted off into sleep.

((Sorry this took me forever to publish. I literally used every break I had in school to work on this XD
Anyways, 3 MORE CHAPTERS LEFT!!!!!!))