The next day was a flurry. Ashfeather and the rest of SilverClan were training. Waterstar, who was the one who came up with the attacks, insisted on hunting and patrolling with the apprentices instead of training with her warriors. Ashfeather practiced her swipes, blows, and deadly maneuvers with her brothers and sister, and all of them joined the Clan for a full out formation seven claws sheathed battle. When they had finished, Ashfeather looked up at the sky. She could tell that it was already past sun-high, and it was already starting to go down behind the trees. Ashfeather hurried back to camp, expertly flushing a rabbit into Whitestorm's claws, and picked out some prey. Once she had finished eating, she waited for Waterstar's signal, nervous. She would be fighting against her kin! Once the sun's last rays were sinking and dying, Waterstar leaped onto the rock. Her pale pelt was barely seen in the dark.

"Warriors of SilverClan! It has come to the time where we will confront the traitors of our Clan and drive them out once and for all. Go to your assigned partners!" Ashfeather motioned to her sister and padded across the camp to Streamfur. Snowbreeze followed her and flexed her claws.

"I can't wait!" she growled savagely. "I'm going to make sure those dogs know their place!"

Ashfeather nodded to her sister. "Agreed!" she snarled, letting her fur bush out. Long shadows were creeping into the camp, gently turning the cats' fur dark.

Waterstar patiently waited for every cat to find their groups. Bearthorn quickly sidled up to Ashfeather and pressed close to her.

"Stay safe," he murmured.

Ashfeather pressed into his fur. "You too," she told him gently, not one for long, tearful farewells.

Bearthorn slipped away to his group, and Ashfeather's attention snapped back to leader as she began to speak.

"Remember the training! I have full trust in you, my warriors! Honor SilverClan!" she hissed sharply.

Ashfeather waited, claws out, for her command. When Waterstar arched her back and leaped down the path, Ashfeather and her companions raced after her. The rest of SilverClan fell in silently behind them, while two groups slipped off onto the sides, as they planned. They quietly ran down to the edge of their territory, and soon, all the groups were in position around the camp, claws out and teeth bared. They were arranged in a fashion where they could see Waterstar. And leader gave the signal, and lashed her tail twice. SilverClan snarled as one, and clawing at the branches, burst into the camp from all directions, bounding in silently. Ahstar's group was at the entrance of the camp. When Waterstar, off to the right, gave the signal, she had slid out of the brambles and launched herself, claws lashing, at one of the small dog-guards. It fell easily, throwing a feeble blow at her as it crumbed onto the ground. Snowbreeze had matched her sister's pawsteps and felled a small tawny dog. Streamfur gave both dogs a scratch for good measure and followed the she-cats into camp. The following scene rose before them in the dark: Cloudpelt, battling a ginger dog, as Mousetail and Skybright worked as one to defeat a big one, Leafshadow and Lemonheart, battling a russet-furred one, and many more skirmishes. In the center of the camp, however, Sunpelt, Grassflight, and an enormous, grey dog that looked half-cat, were fighting their hardest against five SilverClan warriors, not caring who they hit and how much damage they cast. Streamfur let out a hiss, and dodging blows from other dogs, bounded over to help. Snowbreeze and Ashfeather hastened to follow him, sliding under screeching tangles of fur and ducking blows and reeling their own. Ashfeather launched herself at the half-cat, and finding the key spot, bit down on his neck. It wasn't enough to kill him, but as he growled with rage and turned on her, Streamfur lashed at his exposed tail, making him howl in agony and run from the camp with Ashfeather quickly nipping his behind. Streamfur padded forwards her.

"Great job!" he said warmly. "Now let's-" his words were abruptly interrupted, and Ashfeather glanced over and did a double take. Sunpelt had fastened her claws into his neck and crouched there, a wild gleam in her eyes. Words choked Ashfeather.

"W-why?" she managed to croak out.

"Because it's all about battle, territory, and power!" Sunpelt growled, still clinging onto the deputy. "What have I told you earlier? I want to be leader of this Clan!"

Ashfeather found her paws and lunged at her sister.

"You hurt kits! You betrayed your Clan!" she howled, scratching her.

Sunpelt stopped struggling and went limp under Ashfeather's paws, and she released Sunpelt, only to have her fling herself at Ashfeather one more, her wild eyes gleaming again.

"You fell for it, didn't you!" Sunplet hissed gleefully. "To think I would have let you live! I killed Streamfur, and you're next!"

Ashfeather thrashed helplessly under her sister's paws. A heavy rage filled her eyes, and she remembered what Rabbitclaw had told her during training.

Fight like a rouge!

Ashfeather snapped at Sunpelt's exposed forepaw, and Sunpelt flinched back with a snarl. Ashfeather flung her sister away, not wasting any time, and leaped on top of her.

"You lived like a rouge, you can die like a rouge!"

Ashfeather reared up and dealt the death blow. Sunpelt batted at her weakly, and then she was still. After making sure Sunepelt was really dead, Ashfeather released her, grabbed her scruff, and sadly dragged her away from the battling cats and dogs.

Oh, my precious sister, I will miss you, the times we had together. if only you hadn't turned rouge. Goodbye.

There was no need for anything else. Ashfeather simply turned back to the battle, sped through the battling canines, dealt as many bites and scratches as possible, and after the last dog had been driven away, crouched down beside Streamfur's body. She sadly stared at his wise face and tried to think what he would tell her now.

There is prey to be caught, borders to be patrolled, camp to be protected, and kits to be defended.

Streamfur hazily swam before her eyes, and Ashfeather let out a tingling yowl of grief. Bearthorn bounded over to her and halted beside the deputy's body.

"Streamfur!" he gasped. "Oh, no, StarClan!"

Ashfeather crouched beside her mate, leaning into him as the rest of the SilverClan warriors crowded around. Waterstar padded up to her deputy, eyes glistening with sadness.

"He would have made a great leader," she murmured. Then Waterstar glanced at Ashfeather.

"Are Sunpelt and Grassflight dead?" she asked in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ashfeather motioned to her sister's body. "I killed Sunpelt, after she killed Streamfur, but I didn't see where Grassflight went."

Brackenfur raised his tail, his fur ruffled and torn. "I was fighting Grassflight and she raced out of here. We should head home."

Watterdapple nodded. "Dawnstripe, Lilyheart, Honeystripe, and Tigertooth, please bury any dead that are left behind. Leafshadow, help me with Streamfur."

The patrol set off around the camp cautiously, and Leafshadow grabbed Streamfur by the scruff. leader joined her, and SilverClan trotted back to their own camp.

When they padded into the camp, Frostfur came up to them.

"You won!" she exclaimed. "What happened to Streamfur?" she added, seeing Waterstar pad into camp exhaustively, bearing the deputy's ragged body.

Ashfeather nodded, too tired to answer. Goldenstripe and Willownose emerged from the medicine den with leaf wraps in their jaws, and went around the clearing, treating wounds. After leader had gotten her scratches stuffed with pulp, she bounded onto the boulder to tell the tale of the battle to the apprentices, queens and elders. Ashfeather closed her eyes and tuned out, patiently waiting for Willownose to finish with her. Suddenly, Ashfeather was jerked out of daydreams by hearing her name.

"Much, much too soon, I must name a new deputy. Ashfeather, you are one of the finest warriors of the Clan. Will you lead SilverClan by my side?" Waterstar looked at her.

Ashfeather straightened up, a feeling of intense pride in her chest. Yes! I am the SilverClan deputy! Mother, are you watching me?

"I will be proud to be your deputy, and I will serve my Clan to the death. Thank you, leader, for this honor." Ashfeather let the Clan call her name, thinking about Silverstar, and her prowess in battle, and her hunting skills, and her warm gaze. Bearthorn came up to her, eyes warm.

"Soon, maybe, you will be the leader of SilverClan," he said. "Then we will have kits, and raise them to be just like their mother: strong, beautiful, and smart."

Ashfeather blinked back at him. "Indeed," she murmured.

The two of them rested in the shade, looking at the sky as the sun rose up, bathing the clearing in its warm rays, birds twittering, and animals skittering.

That's it for my short super edition! It's not much, I know, but it happened! Leave comments and votes if you enjoyed!