Hello everyone! You may be thinking that my story is going to be really gruesome, but it's not. Only the first three chapters. I had to live up to the summary somehow! The rest is going to be more calm. Just saying.

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Icefrost's breath caught in her throat. "Willowshine?" she whispered. As she staggered over to the medicine cat, Willowshine eyes fluttered open and moved to Icefrost.

The new leader breathed a huge sigh of relief. "You're alive!"

"Not for much longer. I am the second cat Minnowstar spoke of," Willowshine gasped.

"No! Not you, too! What will we do without a medicine cat and a inexperienced deputy as a leader? I need help!" Icefrost protested.

"You will make a fine leader in rebuilding the Clan." Icefrost was starting to feel like she was the one being swept down the river, and no cat was there to help her. She was flailing her paws around, trying to get a grip on anything, but she would always pull it into the river with her. She could hardly think, her mind spinning because of everything that had happened that day. She could not lose Willowshine. Yet at the same time, she felt as if the medicine cat was slipping away from her, even though her body was right where she had left it. It was her spirit that was leaving. Willowshine's breath was becoming slower and shallower each time, until it was hardly audible. With one more loud gasp, she nuzzled Icefrost. Then she relaxed, and that was her last.

Icefrost buried her face into Willowshine's fur, trying to hold back tears. There was a trace of sweet chervil scent in her pelt, which made the aching feeling inside Icefrost's belly worse. Willowshine had been so much of a friend to Icefrost and the rest of the Clan, it was hard to imagine life without her. She began to share tongues with Willowshine for the last time, smoothing down her soft grey fur until it was glossy.

In the back of her mind, she heard paw steps coming from the camp entrance. "Icefrost?" It was Acornstream, her mother. "There you are! We've been looking for you- Oh! Willowshine! What happened!?" Acornstream came hurrying over and settled down next to Icefrost.

"It was a badger that stole our prey." Icefrost chocked out between sobs. "It came after the battle and attacked Willowshine. I tried to fend it off but it was useless. It killed her." Acornstream began to sooth Icefrost and mourn the dead medicine cat.

Soon, more cats came out of camp to see what was going on, and gathered around Willowshine's lifeless body. A wail of grief was heard louder than most and Beechpaw ran over and pushed through the crowd of cats to get to her mentor before the body grew colder. Great StarClan! Both Minnowstar and Willowshine died in one day! Icefrost thought.

She backed away to let other cats in, and stumbled over to the warrior's den, as she realized just how tired she was. That was when she remembered that she was suppose to name the new deputy before moonhigh. Sighing, she wished she could just crawl into her nest.

Yet, she turned around and staggered over to the base of Highlog, which the leader sits on to make announcements and conduct ceremonies. She made sure to stop at the fresh kill pile to grab a squirrel to eat. She sat down to think a moment before making her important decision. By now, some of the cats had come in from sharing tongues with Willowshine, and were milling around the camp. Rushrunner is well liked, but he isn't very experienced. Robinwing would be good, but the clan might think I am just choosing family...

Thoughts like these bounced around in Icefrost's head, until she came up with a good choice. She leaped up the lower part of the log, then scrambled the rest. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath Highlog for a clan meeting," she yowled, reciting the words that Minnowstar used to mew. The thought brought a pang of pain to her heart at the memory of her dead leader. As the cats came out of their dens, some mumbling about not getting enough sleep, Icefrost shifted her weight, aware of her sore legs protesting against the moonhigh tradition. Once all the cats were seated, the silver tabby began speaking. "As you all have heard, Minnowstar died in the battle. She was too weak to swim, and was swept downstream by the current when she slipped in." At this there were sighs and sniffles, along with some whispering among the clan mates.

"Minnowstar? Dying because of the river? That seems unheard of!" some cat whispered.

"Well, it happened, whether you believe it or not," replied another cat solemnly. Icefrost couldn't tell who was talking.

"Anyways, this means I will need to choose a new deputy," Icefrost continued. "Grasspelt will be RiverClan's new deputy."

"Grasspelt! Grasspelt!" cats cheered, while the new deputy looked genuinely surprised. The clan seemed to approve of their new leader's choice.

"Thank you! I will be honored to serve RiverClan as it's new deputy," Grasspelt mewed as he padded up to the base of Highlog to take his place. Icefrost nodded, then jumped down off of Highlog.

"Everyone should get some rest, we have a busy day tomorrow." She crawled through the brambles and into her nest, then fell asleep in the blink of an eye.