3. Eagleclaw Steps Down
There are many nights were Eagleclaw would sit at the edge of camp, guarding it from those who wish them harm, and just get lost in her thoughts. She knew it wouldn’t be much longer that she could continue her duties as the deputy and would need to move to the queen’s den, especially with the increasing sightings of the ghost cat, as he had been dubbed.
The she-cat had found herself resigned to her fate, knowing that all that she had worked towards was lost, all because of that charming tom that Thistlestar had so graciously allowed to rest in the camp before he continued on with his journey.
“You are just marvellous,” Maverick purred, looking at the deputy who was giving him a tour of the camp.
Eagleclaw’s smiled at the tom for the compliment. “You will be staying in one of our dens that are reserved for guests of the clan.”
As the sun rose, Eagleclaw found herself slowly padding over to the leader’s den, ready to step down as deputy so that she could raise her kits. The camp was eerily silent on the morning, with no cat being awake yet for patrols. Eagleclaw debated whether she should wait until Thistlestar was around the camp, definitely awake, but she knew herself. She knew that if she didn’t do it now, she would never do. “Thistlestar deserves to hear it from me,” she whispers sadly.
“Haha, so you just had complete free rein as a kit? No adult supervision at all?” The tom looked at her intrigued, drawn in by her stories of her kithood.
“No, my parents were too busy with my sister’s illnesses to worry about me or my brother. It was great in that we got away with a lot of things but it sucked because it was lonely a lot. It was only us two for a long time.”
Maverick looked at the she-cat sadly as she looked away, unable to meet his gaze. “I bet you’d make a great mother, much better than your own.”
Eagleclaw waited at the entrance of Thistlestar’s den, not wanting to disturb the tom if he were asleep with his mates, but with a deep breathe, she entered. Unexpectedly, there were three pairs of eyes staring back at her. “Thistlestar, we need to talk,” Eagleclaw announced, looking at the tom sternly.
The tom pulled himself out of his bed of moss, nuzzling the two she-cats as he walked towards Eagleclaw. “Let’s talk outside so Briargrove and Hollowglare can sleep in peace.”
Eagleclaw followed Thistlestar outside, running her lines through her head so she knows what she wants to say. “It’s a lovely morning,” Thistlestar chirps, looking at the clear sky above them. “Anyway, what is it that you want to discuss? Has there been more sightings of the ghost cat?”
Taking a deep breathe, Eagleclaw began. “No, sir. No more sightings that I am aware of. This is a more personal matter that I wish to discuss.”
The tom seemed to be politely listening, not wanting to cut in.
“I am going to need to step down as deputy; I am expecting kits,” she says, “The loner that passed through our territory the other moon, Maverick, is the father.”
“I’ve got to go. My companion, Goose is his name, he is waiting for me,” Maverick says to Eagleclaw, rubbing his head against her own.
“You don’t have to go; you could both join the clan. You’d be more than welcome,” Eagleclaw pleaded, desperate for the tom to stay.
“I can’t. We like living alone. I like that life. I’ll be back to visit, I promise,” Maverick replies sadly, turning and walking away from the she-cat.
Eagleclaw watched the tom walk away. “I love you,” she whispered, so quietly that she wasn’t even sure if she had really said it.
Thistlestar simply nodded. “Of course. You are relieved of your duties and I will find someone else to step up while you cannot.”
Eagleclaw looked surprised at the tom. “But…that’s not fair on the other cat. They-”
“They will know it is a temporary position while you raise your kits. When you are ready to come back, your position will be returned to you, unless you don’t want it.”
Eagleclaw just shook her head, trying to hide the grin on her face. “Thank you, Thistlestar. I do want it. I love being your deputy.”
The tom nodded, looking back at his den. “You are dismissed. Go rest. I will pick a new deputy when the clan awakens.”
Eagleclaw simply nodded, turning away and going to the queen’s den, getting ready to make herself a fresh moss bed in her new den. She was relieved, all her fears had not come to pass, all her hard work had not been for nothing.
The she-cat had found herself resigned to her fate, knowing that all that she had worked towards was lost, all because of that charming tom that Thistlestar had so graciously allowed to rest in the camp before he continued on with his journey.
“You are just marvellous,” Maverick purred, looking at the deputy who was giving him a tour of the camp.
Eagleclaw’s smiled at the tom for the compliment. “You will be staying in one of our dens that are reserved for guests of the clan.”
As the sun rose, Eagleclaw found herself slowly padding over to the leader’s den, ready to step down as deputy so that she could raise her kits. The camp was eerily silent on the morning, with no cat being awake yet for patrols. Eagleclaw debated whether she should wait until Thistlestar was around the camp, definitely awake, but she knew herself. She knew that if she didn’t do it now, she would never do. “Thistlestar deserves to hear it from me,” she whispers sadly.
“Haha, so you just had complete free rein as a kit? No adult supervision at all?” The tom looked at her intrigued, drawn in by her stories of her kithood.
“No, my parents were too busy with my sister’s illnesses to worry about me or my brother. It was great in that we got away with a lot of things but it sucked because it was lonely a lot. It was only us two for a long time.”
Maverick looked at the she-cat sadly as she looked away, unable to meet his gaze. “I bet you’d make a great mother, much better than your own.”
Eagleclaw waited at the entrance of Thistlestar’s den, not wanting to disturb the tom if he were asleep with his mates, but with a deep breathe, she entered. Unexpectedly, there were three pairs of eyes staring back at her. “Thistlestar, we need to talk,” Eagleclaw announced, looking at the tom sternly.
The tom pulled himself out of his bed of moss, nuzzling the two she-cats as he walked towards Eagleclaw. “Let’s talk outside so Briargrove and Hollowglare can sleep in peace.”
Eagleclaw followed Thistlestar outside, running her lines through her head so she knows what she wants to say. “It’s a lovely morning,” Thistlestar chirps, looking at the clear sky above them. “Anyway, what is it that you want to discuss? Has there been more sightings of the ghost cat?”
Taking a deep breathe, Eagleclaw began. “No, sir. No more sightings that I am aware of. This is a more personal matter that I wish to discuss.”
The tom seemed to be politely listening, not wanting to cut in.
“I am going to need to step down as deputy; I am expecting kits,” she says, “The loner that passed through our territory the other moon, Maverick, is the father.”
“I’ve got to go. My companion, Goose is his name, he is waiting for me,” Maverick says to Eagleclaw, rubbing his head against her own.
“You don’t have to go; you could both join the clan. You’d be more than welcome,” Eagleclaw pleaded, desperate for the tom to stay.
“I can’t. We like living alone. I like that life. I’ll be back to visit, I promise,” Maverick replies sadly, turning and walking away from the she-cat.
Eagleclaw watched the tom walk away. “I love you,” she whispered, so quietly that she wasn’t even sure if she had really said it.
Thistlestar simply nodded. “Of course. You are relieved of your duties and I will find someone else to step up while you cannot.”
Eagleclaw looked surprised at the tom. “But…that’s not fair on the other cat. They-”
“They will know it is a temporary position while you raise your kits. When you are ready to come back, your position will be returned to you, unless you don’t want it.”
Eagleclaw just shook her head, trying to hide the grin on her face. “Thank you, Thistlestar. I do want it. I love being your deputy.”
The tom nodded, looking back at his den. “You are dismissed. Go rest. I will pick a new deputy when the clan awakens.”
Eagleclaw simply nodded, turning away and going to the queen’s den, getting ready to make herself a fresh moss bed in her new den. She was relieved, all her fears had not come to pass, all her hard work had not been for nothing.