This Can't Be.. [DONE]

The last thing the ginger tom remembered was the moon illuminating the camp as the sleep in momentary bliss, unsuspecting of the devastation that was about to ravage their camp and their lives. The tornado had swept through, taking with it much of their camp, prey, and even the life's of some of their Clanmates. The loss was detrimental and it caused a great sadness to fill the tom's eyes as he took in all the damage, until the pain was too much and it flowed into his heart.

This was Redfeather's home, and now the RiverClan camp was completely destroyed, bodies laid everywhere and debris littered the floor. Amongst the bodies... Their laid the body of his former mentor, Blackfrost. The giant black tom locked small and lifeless now, and it was with a heavy heart he realized he had lost the only cat he could ever consider his friend. "Goodbye, old friend..." The Warrior whispered, padding into the wreckage of camp with his Clanmates. As he walked, he winced, not realizing that he had taken damage to his shoulder. In the chaos, the tom hadn't been aware of much and his adrenaline had kicked into overdrive, causing him to ignore his own suffering. His shoulder was pulsing continuously now, with every step it pounded harder, but he ignored the pain; after all, he was lucky enough to be walking away with his life. Some cats didn't get that privilege. There was also a long gash on his flank, but not deep enough to be deadly.

Redfeather had been helping as much as he could, the hours had dragged on and his stomach rumbled audibly, reminding the tom he hadn't eaten yet today. No one had though, their was no food in camp and every cat had been needed to help clear the wreckage and mourn for the fallen. He awaited further instructions from Willowstar when he noticed the she-cat Duskpaw buried in the fur of her mentor, whose form lay motionless on the ground. He was about to join her and see if he could ease her pain, the apprentice was dealing with a terrible loss, he knew the two had been close. Even though the tom was very independent, he wasn't heartless, and he would be there for another if he could. Before he reached her, however, he heard the commanding voice of his leader.

"...The new deputy of RiverClan will be Redfeather!" His head instantly snapped around to face her, his emerald orbs locked onto her own gaze. The declaration was unexpected, I mean, of course the tom had passion for his Clan and he thought he would make a good Deputy one day... But not after an experience like this. The Clan needed time to recover, but instantly he processed their situation. The Clan had lost many lives, including Greywhisker, the Deputy; Willowstar needed to assert a strong front in her leadership. Part of every leadership was in the deputy that aided her, and a cat who could give cats courage in a time of weakness.

Redfeather was that cat. He was experienced and hard-working and his loyalty was unwavering, no one could doubt he was a good choice. So, the ginger cat did the only thing he could do. His body straightened, his eyes still held Willowstar's, "Thank you, Willowstar. It is the greatest honor you could give me." His voice was courteous but unwavering. He was nervous though, it wouldn't be easy to replace Greywhisker especially after a tornado, but he would make sure that he would be the best deputy RiverClan has seen. Redfeather raised his voice for all the Clan to hear. "No cat could have known the devastation we were going to face; but we are RiverClan, we are stronger than anyone and we will not let this destroy us! I promise I will do everything in my power to see that we survive." His voice carried throughout camp, and he nodded - both accepting Willowstar's offer and accepting the fact they would need strength after the fate they had just encountered. It would not be easy for RiverClan to recover after such a cataclysmic event, but they would survive. Not just survive, Redfeather thought, they would flourish; the tom vowed he would be the one to see to that.




As he approached Duskpaw, raindrops fell from the sky, landing lightly on everything both alive and dead. Somehow, the cool drops refreshed him, made him cherish the lives that had been spared. That was one thing he always believed; you let yourself focus on the bad in the world, you will never be able to grow or move on. You need to be able to acknowledge the good, to value what you still have. Then again, maybe that is why he wasn't so hurt by the loss of his parents, or even his old mentor for that fact. Maybe it made him weak in a way, not letting himself emotionally linger on the losses he faced; but right now it is what gave him strength.

The tom sensed the she-cat's disdain, but knew her anger was misguided, and not really directed at him. So he replied with a cool and even tone, "No, Duskpaw, I want you to let yourself grieve as much as you need. I also want you to know that we all mourn for the lost life of your mentor." He paused, noticing her shifted gaze, "But you need to channel that grief; accept it but you cannot let it control you. You could not control what has happened here," Redfeather bent and touched his nose gently to the fallen Warrior, a sign of respect and farewell before raising his head and speaking again, "But you can control who lives from this point on."

The fiery tom swept his tail around to accentuate the ruined camp and the injured cats, that looked dazed and hopeless, but alive. "Because we are still here, and these cats need your strength right now, Duskpaw," Redfeather's voice hardened a bit, determination emanated from his words. "No one expects you to forget him because he is gone; he will still live on from you and the memories we have of him. But he would want you to fight for this Clan, to make sure that it survives. And that is what I want you to do," The deputy finished, answering her original question, motioning to their territory beyond the ruins of camp, "Hunt, patrol, be on the lookout for danger so that we ensure RiverClan's survival." Redfeather gazed at the apprentice, admiring her will power, but they both had a duty to the Clan, and the Clan always had to come first. He hoped she understood that from his words.