Chapter Text
Being chose as Deputy so soon after becoming a warrior came as a shock to Squirrelflight.
So many cats would be better for the position. Brambleclaw, for one. Or Dustpelt. Or Brackenfur. Starclan, even Brightheart would've been a better choice.
But, according to Leafpool, Starclan chose her.
At least it means she'll be able to lead with Leafpool as her medicine cat if Firestar died.
Wait... Squirrelflight thinks. If I become leader, it means that... Firestar would've died.
Suddenly, the position didn't feel like such an honor.
As the cheering of her name dies out, Squirrelflight shakes her head, ridding herself of these thoughts.
The first to congratulate her was Leafpool.
"Squirrelflight, this is amazing!" She twines her tail around Squirrelflight's happily, pressing their nuzzles together with a purr.
Squirrelflight can't help but reciprocate the purr, leaning against her sister, her previous thoughts forgotten as their mother, Sandstorm, pads up to them.
Squirrelflight pulls her tail away from Leafpool's, leaning up to press her muzzle against Sandstorm's.
"I'm so proud of you," Sandstorm purrs. "Both of you."
The crowd around them parts as Firestar approaches, his ginger fur pressing against Sandstorm's pale fur as he waits to congratulate Squirrelflight. After a moment of relishing in the comfort of her mother's purrs, which has become a luxury since she was apprenticed, Squirrelflight pulls away to speak to her father.
Firestar smiles proudly, as he presses his nose to hers, before pulling back. "Don't think that you'll be able to relax, just because you're my daughter. A deputy has a lot of work to do."
Squirrelflight nods. "I won't disappoint you, Firestar." She promises.
"I know you won't."
Squirrelflight purrs louder as all her clanmates approach to congratulate her. All except one.
Where's Brambleclaw? She thinks.
The scent hits her before she hears it. Paws fast approaching the camp, and the scent of another clan.
Shadowclan. Squirrelflight recognizes, her fur bristling, before laying flat as she recognizes the specific scent. Tawnypelt!
She rushes out of the crowd, coming face to face with the tortoiseshell warrior as she crashes through the thorn tunnel. Green meets green as they look at each other.
Squirrelflight's momentary joy fades as she sees the panic in the beautiful she-cat's gaze.
"Tawnypelt, what's wrong?" She asks, pressing her muzzle to Tawnypelt's comfortingly.
The Shadowclan warrior relaxes briefly, before remembering the reason for her panic. She quickly pulls away.
"It's Brambleclaw!" She announces, out of breath. "Russetfur and Rowanclaw are helping him, but he's injured. Ashfur and Hawkfrost attacked him!"
Squirrelflight's eyes widen, before she narrows her eyes. "Take me to them."
Tawnypelt is briefly surprised by the determination in Squirrelflight's eyes, but she nods. Turning around, she races out of the thorn tunnel, Squirrelflight on her tail.
The ginger she-cat doesn't even register the pawsteps behind them as she runs, her tail streaking behind her.
Arriving to the battle, Squirrelflight doesn't waste a second launching herself at the nearest attacker, Hawkfrost, with a yowl of rage. She knocks him over, and they tumble with a flurry of scratches and bites. She pins him down, clawing at his exposed underbelly with a hiss.
She doesn't have time to register what happens as she's flung off of him, and into the lake a few feet away.
She hears her sister and Tawnypelt call out for her in panic.
When did Leafpool get here? She thinks, as she goes under the water.
She can see Hawkfrost pushing Tawnypelt away from the edge of the water with scratches aimed at her muzzle, as her head briefly emerges from the water.
She feels anger bubble as she watches Ashfur lunge for Leafpool as she tries to get to the water, but he's quickly pulled off by Russetfur. Rowanclaw was trying to stop Brambleclaw's bleeding with what little herbal knowledge he has.
Squirrelflight watches Leafpool rush into the water, but she's unable to swim, and even if she could keep herself afloat, she couldn't save the ginger she-cat. They'd both drown.
Daring to open her eyes under the water, Squirrelflight sees a flash of golden fur, feeling the unknown cat grab her by the scruff and pull her out, as Leafpool rushes over.
Leafpool and her savior work together to warm her up, licking her fur backwards like they would a newborn kit.
Her eyes flutter shut briefly, enjoying the silence.
Wait... Silence? She realizes. She opens her eyes to see Tawnypelt standing a few tail lengths away, her gaze moving between Squirrelflight and a dark ginger shape.
With a pang of sadness, she realizes what it is. Russetfur's dead body. She had been killed saving Leafpool.
Feeling warmer now, Squirrelflight stumbles to her paws, against her sister's protests, and walks over to the fallen Shadowclan warrior. She presses her nose to her fur briefly.
"Thank you, for saving us. I will forever be grateful for your sacrifice." She says a silent prayer to Starclan, before looking at Tawnypelt.
The adrenaline wearing off, she stumbles a little as she goes to thank her tortoiseshell friend. Fatigue hits her as she falls into Tawnypelt's side.
Tawnypelt's tail wraps around her gently. "Don't push yourself." She warns.
"No, I'm fine." Squirrelflight protests, trying to stand up, but eventually succumbing to the warmth and comforting feeling of Tawnypelt's fur. Her eyes flutter closed, as she leans against the Shadowclan she-cat.
"Listen to her, Squirrelflight." A new voice calls. Mothwing, the Riverclan medicine cat. Suddenly, she knew who saved her.
She tries, and fails, to open her eyes to thank the she-cat. Luckily, her sister was there to say it for her.
"Thank you, Mothwing. I don't know what we would've done without you."
Before Mothwing can respond, Firestar's voice is heard.
"Great Starclan. And here I thought we would need a few extra warriors."
Squirrelflight manages to open her eyes a little, just in time to see Ashfur rise to his paws, clearly in pain.
"This... Isn't fair..." He announces shakily, looking at Squirrelflight, before pointing with his tail at Brambleclaw, who is laying there, his bleeding finally stopped. "What does he have, that I don't?"
Squirrelflight can't help but feel confused. "I'm gonna need an explanation..." She trails off.
"Why did you choose him as your mate?"
Squirrelflight can't help the quiet snort she lets out, which soon develops into laughter, before she's collapsing on the grass in response to the hilarity of Ashfur's words, Leafpool following soon after.
"What... Is happening?" She can hear Sandstorm ask.
It takes a solid few moments for the sisters to collect themselves. When they finally do, Leafpool rises to sit next to Mothwing, but Squirrelflight doesn't stand up, instead just looking at Ashfur.
"You think I like that mousebrain?" She questions. "Please. He's a tom."
"Now I'm gonna need an explanation. I think I hit my head during the fight." Tawnypelt tilts her head at Squirrelflight, who can't help but think the sight is adorable.
Squirrelflight looks up at everyone. Well, I guess this is as good a time as any to tell my family. Nothing but trusted warriors, and Rowanclaw, here. And Ashfur is clearly almost dead, so I might as well tell him. She thinks.
She rises to her feet, Tawnypelt supporting her. Leafpool comes up on her other side, fixing her with a look. 'Are you going to tell them?' Her gaze asked.
Squirrelflight nods, her tail twitching anxiously. Focusing instead on the feeling of Tawnypelt's fur, she speaks. "I... Don't like toms. I never have."
She waits patiently for everyone's reactions. To her surprise, everyone except Ashfur, who stares in shock, and Tawnypelt, who's expression is unreadable, smiles at her. Even Rowanclaw.
"We're so proud of you for telling us." Her mother is the first to speak, her voice full of love. Soon enough, different voices speak up to express their support, except Tawnypelt. She's so filled with joy that she doesn't even realize that Ashfur has collapsed and stopped breathing.
Once everyone else has finished speaking, Squirrelflight notices Tawnypelt's silence, and looks at her anxiously. "Tawnypelt...?"
The tortoiseshell finally speaks up after a few moments longer. "Does that mean that you like she-cats?"
Squirrelflight nods, her tail and ears falling a little as she looks at Tawnypelt, her heart racing with fear.
Tawnypelt notices her anxiety, and presses her muzzle to the ginger she-cat's gently. "It's okay. I don't hate you. I'm just processing right now. It'd be hypocritical of me to hate you, anyway, considering I also like she-cats. And toms, but mostly she-cats."
Squirrelflight's ears and tail perk up, both at the support, and at Tawnypelt's admission, a purr rumbling in her throat.
Squirrelflight pulls back after a few moments, before the last bit of adrenaline remaining seems to fade. Suddenly feeling exhausted, she collapses, and the last thing she sees before blacking out is Tawnypelt's worried gaze.