Hello Feline Friends

She swatted at his ears.

Treewhisker used his one good hindpaw to batter at her belly, laughing fiercely as he covered Violetwing's face in playful nips and bites.

She flopped down on top of him.

"Oww." Treewhisker grimaced, batting right back at Violetwing playfully with his forepaws.

She cuffed him over the ears for shaking his broken leg because it was Stupud.

Treewhisker nodded, shaking his broken leg in irritation before realizing that hurt and stopping.

"I know! And (insert deputy's name here) agrees with me too so we're going to do our best to convince Sapstar that it's a very bad idea."

Treewhisker froze for an instant at her news before thrashing until he was free from her paw. "I can't be deputy though! I'm not old enough for that!"

Violetwing placed a paw on his muzzle to shut him up. "Hush. So, apparently (insert deputy's name here) is going to retire soon and Sapstar is going senile and wants to appoint you as the new deputy."

The deputy padded off. Treewhisker barraged Violetwing with hundreds of questions seemingly all at once once she returned to his side.

She nodded.

"Yeah..." The deputy looked away. "What Treewhisker did was brave, but the clan is not ready to fully accept him. Not just yet." Beginning to pad back to camp, the aging deputy stopped in her tracks, adding "You make sure he never gives up hope, though."

She grimaced, wrinkling her nose.

"I know, but in my state I have little chance of swaying her mind."  The deputy replied.  "That said, I will try and hold off retirement until he recovers.  That gives you some time to convince her that he is not the proper choice."

She blinked slowly. "He was just made a warrior, hasn't had any apprentice, and many other warriors do acts like that often, too. Also, hardly anyone trusts him." She scowled briefly. "No offense to either Sapstar or Treewhisker, but the Clan would implode. I love him, but he's too inexperienced."

"Sapstar was deeply moved by his actions two nights ago." The she-cat explained, her shoulder popping loudly as she stood back up, making the formerly formidable warrior cringe in pain and embarrassment.

She blinked repeatedly, in confusion. "Treewhisker?"

"Well..." the elderly deputy shuffled her paws a bit. "Treewhisker is basically confirmed to replace me, once he recovers. And I want you to know that it's important you support him. Sometimes with this role, it doesn't matter what decision you make because they all feel wrong." She pinned her ears, clearly remembering something she'd done that the clan disapproved of.

She blinked, then, "Okay...why are you telling me this?" She asked in confusion despite the small seed of suspicion that had been planted the moment the deputy asked to speak to her alone. "It's not like you have anything to gain from telling me, specifically."

When they were a little ways out of camp, the deputy sat down, sighing softly. "Violetwing... I fear that my time to give up my responsibilities as deputy and join the elder's den is near."

Violetwing looked confused but nodded, following the deputy.

"Excellent." The she-cat's gray was showing on her muzzle, the deputy fairly advanced in age. "Violetwing... could I talk to you in private?"

Violetwing relaxed her tense muscles in relief after working the kinks out, looking at the deputy. "He's doing fine."

The deputy poked her head inside the den, mewing "Violetwing, how's Treewhisker doing?"

"Present!" Treewhisker grunted from behind the she-cat, confirming in his usual goofball nature that he was doing alright.

Violetwing poked him in the belly, the not-a-morning-cat dragging herself out of the nest and standing up and stretching with a thunderous yawn.