[wren]

Blazingstars reign had been long, the tom lead the clan with a a valiant judgement and vigorous enthusiasm that he hadn’t seen before. The bundles of confidence and eagerness to bicker amongst the other leaders, he wondered how it felt to be caught in an argument between the now gone Fallenstar and passed Snowstar without cracking under the pressure. A question he would never have answered. News had spread quickly of the tabby toms death, most distraught and others seemed un shaken by the news. He supposed the new information would’ve produced multiple different responses, the casual signs of shock and remorse and of course the quiet ones and yet something baffled him. Those who didn’t seem to care at all. He wondered then how many cats had been preying on his downfall, no doubt under wraps there was those warriors who only wished for an opportunity such as these. The deputy position flung wide open and a wide array of cats to be picked from. It was anyone’s game.

how many cats want to be deputy?

He was sure there ought to have been plenty, the clan itself was lively and bursting at the seams with new kittens and more on the way. They seemed to actually be running out of space. He estimated in the near future the clan dens would require extending and perhaps even the camp itself. Buttercupbreeze would likely address that issue later as the opportunity arose to do so, but now he wondered if the grief of Blazingstar still was her main focus or a new deputy. His thoughts briefly drifted back to those bloodthirsty ambitious youngsters hiding behind eager masks. It occurred to him that it would be impossible for the leader to tell those cats from the realistic candidates. They looked just like each other, bright eyed and excited. He’d only hope Blazingstar was up there prodding her with the right choice. His eyes fluttered closed briefly as another sharp wind cut across camp. The suffocating grey of the clouds had darkened over the last 20 minutes that he’d been sitting there, he was sure it would rain or even snow soon. Not that it would last long.

With the first snow there was always a melt, and this recess of the cold whether would repeat in a pattern for a while until one day the snow stayed and before long they were bellies deep in snow. An unpleasant thought. His thin fur made the colder months a struggle- on top of the fact prey was harder to detect and chase he wouldn’t last very long hunting outside. He’d tire quickly having to wade through it and a chase? The mice and shrews were light enough to run overtop but the cats would have to go through. A sigh trickled between his lips as he reflected briefly on previous leaf bares. Harsh but at the same time hopeful- it drew cats together in a way that made them one of the best clans. Leaf bare hit hard here, but it only strengthened their trust in one another. He took another deep breath and cocked his head back to watch as the clouds swirled anxiously above him, twirling and twisting itself into a horrible shape that hung lazily above them. The weather wouldn’t hurt them.. it would only make them stronger.