"Oh, Bluefur, I'm so sorry."

Brambleberry stared sympathetically at the warrior as Mossdapple tended to her wounds. The main medicine cat smiled at her apprentice.

"You're doing well, Mossdapple," she purred. Then she turned to Bluefur, her eyes turning serious. "I truly believe that StarClan has a special path set out for you. Maybe these are just stepping stones of your great destiny?"

Bluefur stood up, staring at Brambleberry with disbelief in her eyes. "Just a stepping stone?!" She hissed. "Cats died! I thought you would care! You're a medicine cat!"

Brambleberry flicked her tail. "I do. But I really think that you will overcome your grief and become a cat the Clan can be proud of."

Bluefur snorted and stalked away from the medicine cats. "I need to go talk to Hailstar. He wants me in his den."

Bluefur strode out of the medicine den with her tail lashing, leaving Brambleberry and Mossdapple staring at each other nervously.

--

"Ah, Bluefur. Are you alright?"

Hailstar stared at her with concerned amber eyes. His grey tail swished on the rock of the den and his ears were pricked.

Bluefur dipped her head and sat down in front of the tom as he lay down in his nest. "Fine, thank you. Are you?"

Hailstar nodded, sitting up. "Just thinking about who should be deputy," he meowed, beginning to groom himself. He opened one eye, staring at her. "And about the prophecy."

Bluefur's ears flicked up. "You know about the prophecy?" She asked.

Hailstar smiled. "Of course I do. Medicine cats tell their leader if there is something to be reported, like a prophecy or a warning."

Bluefur licked her chest fur, embarrassed. "Right, of course."

Hailstar turned back to a wall of the den. He sighed. "What do you think it's about?" He asked.

"You don't have any idea?" Bluefur asked, surprised. She stood up, bristling a bit.

Hailstar blinked. "No. Do you?"

Bluefur sat back down, looking at her paws. "No, I just thought..."

Hailstar chuckled, to Bluefur's surprise. "Of course. Leaders know everything. If you're ever a leader, you'll know how much you don't know!"

Bluefur smiled. The way he talked sounded like he was considering her for deputy! Maybe she still had a chance to stop Thistleclaw. Bluefur lifted her head and met his eyes warmly.

"If I know anything about the prophecy, or have any theories, I'll let you know, okay?" the blue-grey she-cat meowed, turning to head out of the den.

Hailstar nodded. "See you later, Bluefur."

--

Bluefur padded out into the clearing and began to groom herself. She looked up in the middle of her grooming and saw Oakheart padding towards her with dull eyes. Bluefur sighed, nuzzling her mate as he approached. "I'm so sorry," she murmured, licking him on the cheek. The two lay down together, twining tails and grooming each other. Bluefur felt rage burning inside her once more. Tigerclaw and Thistleclaw were making her and her mate pay for breaking the code. She stopped grooming Oakheart and the two lay there, not saying a word.

Bluefur woke up, realising she had dozed off. She stretched and got to her paws. Oakheart had left. She looked up and realised Hailstar was about to call a Clan meeting. Her stomach lurched. Was he going to announce the deputy?! It was still the afternoon!

Then she noticed Whitepaw was sitting in the clearing as well. He still looked a bit sick and tired but he stood tall as he stared at his leader.

"One of the best moments as a leader is naming a new warrior. Yesterday, Whitepaw fell into the flooding river but was extremely brave. He definitely deserves his warrior name. Whitepaw, step forwards."

The apprentice stepped forwards shakily, his eyes gleaming. Hailstar dipped his head.

"I, Hailstar, Leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has learned to understand and respect the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Whitepaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of our noble code, and to protect and defend this Clan with your life?"

Whitepaw dipped his head. "I do, Hailstar."

"Then from this day on, you will be known as Whiteclaw. StarClan honours your kindness and loyalty and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan."

Whiteclaw lifted his chin as the Clan called his name. Bluefur raised her voice to cheer for her former apprentice. She padded over, not saying anything and nuzzling his cheek.

"You were such a great mentor," Whiteclaw purred. "Thank you."

Bluefur only dipped her head, turning and padding back into the crowd. Her tail drooped as she sat down at the edge of the camp. She watched cats congratulating the new warrior. Though she felt proud, she felt even sadder about the fact Thrushpelt would never see him get his warrior name. She knew how fond the warrior was of Whiteclaw.

Quietly the blue-grey warrior turned and sat guard for the camp, until the sunset.

By the time the sun had begun to set, Bluefur was almost asleep. She drifted off for a few seconds and then snapped out of it and continued to guard. A few times she thought she had seen Mapleshade or Thistleclaw, but dismissed it as paranoia. Even if they were here, she would fight with her life to make sure they never got inside the camp.

Bluefur turned around as she realised Hailstar had called another Clan meeting, and she was sure this one was about who was going to be the new Deputy.

Hailstar sat down on the highrock, looking down at his Clan with a proud look in his eye. How amazing it would be to stand up there, she thought. Looking down on the whole Clan.

"All cats old enough to swim, gather under the highrock for a Clan meeting!"

The Clan gathered, curiosity and excitement mingling in their gazes and postures. Hailstar lifted his chin.

"I say these words before Crookedjaw, so he may hear and approve my choice. The new Deputy of RiverClan will be..."

His gaze travelled the Clan, and Bluefur wondered if it had maybe just rested on hers for a second. The Leader inhaled deeply and then finished.

"Bluefur."

Bluefur felt a lurch in her stomach and then stood up, enjoying and basking in her Clanmates praise. For once in the days since Thrushpelt had passed, she felt truly proud and happy.

She was now the Deputy of RiverClan. Maybe she had a shot at destroying Thistleclaw and his followers.