Эрин Хантер: Legends of the Clans

“Thunder Clan’s new deputy will be Owl Eyes,” he announced. His mew felt rusty and stiff to him at first, but his voice rose and got more confident as he went on. “He’s proved himself more than deserving.”

“Hooray!” Apple Blossom burst out from the crowd below, and there were mrrows of laughter from all around her. “Sorry, Thunderstar.”

All the ThunderClan cats looked pleased, and the cats of the other Clans were nodding in approval. Thunderstar caught sight of Owl Eyes himself, looking stunned and happy, near the base of the Great Rock.

He’s the obvious choice, Thunderstar thought. Now I just have to be fair to him. He’ll be a great deputy and I can’t hold it against him that he’s not Lightning Tail.

After the meeting, Thunderstar caught up to Owl Eyes. “I’m sorry to spring that on you,” he mewed. “I hope you do want to be deputy. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I think you’ll be great.”

“I do. I do want to be deputy,” Owl Eyes answered quickly, tripping over his words. His round amber eyes were shining with emotion and excitement. “I just—I won’t let you down, Thunderstar.”

“I know you won’t.” Thunderstar was surprised to find that he meant it.

Owl Eyes suddenly looked solemn. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be as good a deputy as Lightning Tail was. He always knew what to do. But I’ll honor him by trying my best every day, I promise.”

Thunderstar purred. “You know, even Lightning Tail didn’t always know what he was doing. Remember when he was playing with Clover and Thistle when they were kits and he slipped and sent the whole prey pile flying?”

Owl Eyes twitched his whiskers in amusement. “I had forgotten that.”

“Lightning Tail made mistakes sometimes,” Thunderstar told him. “Every cat does. But he tried his best to take care of his Clan, and that’s all I can ask of you.”

Talking about Lightning Tail made Thunderstar’s heart lighter. He pressed his flank against Owl Eyes’s. “I know you’re going to be a great deputy.”

Back in camp, Thunderstar went into the nursery to check on Violet Dawn and the kits. “I made Owl Eyes deputy,” he told her, lying down next to her and sweeping up the smallest of the kits to cuddle into his side.

“About time,” she replied sleepily. “I told you he was the right choice.”

“Remember that your mother is always right,” Thunderstar instructed the kit, and the kit looked up at him with sleepy blue eyes and yawned, showing sharp white kit-teeth.

“Of course I am,” Violet Dawn mewed contently. “I am also right that you need to name that kit and his sister. I already named Shell Claw and Feather Ear. I can’t go on calling the other two the gray one and the tabby one, especially not now that their eyes are open. They need names.”

“I know,” Thunderstar nuzzled her cheek. “I will before we sleep tonight, I promise.”

He got up and wandered to the door of the nursery, looking out at the camp and watching his Clan settle down to sleep. He saw Owl Eyes bring Milkweed a piece of prey, then distract her kits so she had a moment to eat it. All was well.

In the nursery, there was a tiny mew behind him, and he turned around, feeling the pleasant swell that filled his chest whenever he thought of his kits. Three of the kits were sleeping, nestled against Violet Dawn’s side. But the third, the tabby she-kit, stared up at him with amber eyes that blazed like fire. She was only a quarter-moon old, but he could already see intelligence and courage in her eyes. She was going to be something special; he knew it.

The she-kit rolled over and stretched, showing the lightning-shaped splash of white on her belly. Of course, Thunderstar thought, something special.

“What do you think about Lightning Stripe for her name?” he asked Violet Dawn, and she purred in approval.

“It’s perfect,” she said.

“And the gray one should be Sleek Fur,” Thunderstar said, looking down at the sleeping tom affectionately. “He has the softest fur I’ve ever felt.”

“Wonderful,” Violet Dawn said. “Thank StarClan they have names now. I wouldn’t want them getting jealous of their littermates.”

A cool breeze ruffled Thunderstar’s fur, and he glanced back out of the nursery into the clearing outside. Clouds were gathering overhead; it looked like a storm was brewing. A flash of lightning lit up the sky for a moment, followed by a rumble of thunder that echoed around the camp.

Thunderstar purred. Lightning and thunder together, just like he and Lightning Tail had always been.

He knew that, from now on, whenever he saw lightning in the sky, he would remember the best friend he had ever had. And his own kit, beautiful, spirited Lightning Stripe, would remind him of his first deputy every day.

It was all right to be happy again, to look forward to his kits’ growing up, to accept his new deputy. He hadn’t lost Lightning Tail, not forever.

Lightning Tail will always be with me… and with all of ThunderClan.