Sunscar never found Firestar after she left the medicine cat den, searching and scouring the camp, but with no luck. She was starting to get worried about where the legendary Thunderclan leader from seasons past had run off to. She tried asking the warriors who were gathered around the medicine cat den if they had seen him, most of them being of no help, offering she go ask Greystar who had been perched on the High Ledge after his speech.

 Sunscar took their advice as she did notice he was simply sitting there watching the clan lick their wounds. The golden medicine cat approached the High Ledge and called out to the grey tom.

 "Greystar, have you seen Firestar? I have some very important questions to ask him. And some herbs to gather..." Sunscar muttered the last part to herself, knowing that if Hawkpath saw her asking around for Firestar outside she'd have her eyes burned into the back of her head. Greystar took a moment to respond, watching her as she climbed all the way up the High Ledge to him.

 "He left a while ago, not long after you and the Bloodclan cats returned. He decided he needed to put the alliance with the other clans into motion as soon as possible. He ran out of camp before I could even say a word." The grey leader said with a somewhat annoyed sigh, turning his attention back to the crowd of warriors still gathered outside the medicine cat den. A few had broken away and began spreading around camp after receiving some form of treatment, looking to the fresh-kill pile for their dinners, which was making it dwindle fast. Maybe that was one of the things Greystar was keeping his eyes on.

 Sunscar didn't think he would be very successful with refilling it, at least in finding enough warriors to go on a hunting patrol to replenish it. Most of the warriors all had injuries, though not all severe enough to keep them from hunting, but enough to make Snowpoppy fret over them opening their current wounds or even new ones. The she-cat sighed alongside her grey leader as she also pondered what could be done about it.

 Many of the Starclan infused cats were still in decent shape, but Sunscar feared they should rest for the sake of the bodies of the cats they hosted. Today was not a skirmish, it was a full battle, and they needed to respect it as such. Greystar turned to look at her, his eyes not losing the hopeful glimmer they always seemed to hold.

 "What did you need Firestar for? Do you plan to chase after him?" He asked, his tail seeming to twitched, a clear sign he was eager for her to say the opposite. Sunscar shook her head, taking a glance to the medicine cat den, her paws feeling anxious to go and do as she promised with gathering herbs, with or without Firestar.

 "No. Whatever it is he is doing, if he wanted me to be with him, he would've brought me along. I just had questions for him, he gave me... a tough decision. I-I have to go help replenish herbs for Snowpoppy and Hawkpath. They're waiting on me to resupply." She turned to go, but paused as a thought struck her. She had asked Snowpoppy for advice, but had never considered Greystar's opinion on the matter, he would have an unbiased and well informed opinion on every warrior in the clan. Maybe he could help her decide who to choose as her "champion".

 Runningwish always seemed to look up to Greystar, telling her of a few times she had sought the leader out herself for advice. But for now, she needed to fulfill her medicine cat duties.

 "Greystar, when I come back would I be able to talk to you? It's related to the tough decision Firestar left up to me. I... would like some advice, if that's alright.?" She asked sheepishly, realizing she hadn't really spoken to her leader except for this and maybe one other time The grey tom seemed to be surprised by the request, but also seeming to puff out his chest ever so slightly in pride of being asked in the first place.

 "I would be honored, Sunscar. I hope I can be of help to this... tough decision, of yours." He seemed to say the last part with a bit of humor igniting his voice as he smiled at the much younger she-cat. Sunscar's tail curled in a pleased manner, smiling back at the tom.

 "Thanks, Greystar, I appreciate it. Wish me luck on my herb hunt!" She called out behind her as she ran down the High Ledge to the fern entrance of camp. Greystar watched the young she-cat bound out of camp, her golden fur a blur, nearly looking the same as sunlight as it squeezed its way past the ferns. Sometimes he still wished he had that youthful energy to him.

 He returned his attention back to the fresh-kill pile, Sunscar's earlier theories of what was on the leader's mind were quite precise. Who could he send out to hunt for the clan's dinners? He had resources, such as the Bloodclan cats and the Shadowclan Rebels, but he didn't know if he could ask that of them.

 What if he offended the Shadowclan Rebels by asking them to do the hunting for his clan even when theirs suffered just as much? Bloodclan would be the easier choice, but they were a small group and were still in mourning over their fallen ally, the she-cat Squid. It would be wrong of him to ask more from them after all the aid they had offered, and the loyalty they had shown through their alliance.

 Greystar would simply not move on his own moral ideals of respect with Thunderclan's two most inner allies. He would have to look inward to the clan and ask those who were still capable to attempt building a hunting patrol to gather food for those who could not. His amber eyes searched the crowd for his sister-turned-deputy, wondering if he could lean on her to help him pick those to send out, and soon.

 He spotted the boldly white and black-striped she-cat among the crowd, her pelt ignited with small sparkling stars of the spirit possessing her, sitting alongside a few warriors and all the apprentices in the clan, seeming to be distracting them from the horrible conflict they had just lived through with much happier stories. The elders were also alongside her, probably helping add to the stories to continue giving the apprentices something else to think about other than the suffering that was brought upon their clan today. He sighed, a heavy breath filled with all the stress and exhaustion he had felt.

 His shoulders were becoming heavier, and his leg was weakened from the fighting, having luckily survived the attack from Shadowclan and the Dark Forest with a very minor leg injury. He was starting to suspect it was a sprain, but as long as he didn't stress his body too much, he would be just fine, and the medicine cats could focus on those who truly needed it. With his thoughts returning of how to solve the fresh-kill problem, he decided to put his leg to the test, slowly making his way down the High Ledge, nearly hobbling at a few intervals of the slope down.

 Only a few warriors seemed to notice him as he reached the bottom, the senior warriors merely giving him a small bow of their heads in respect as he began to pass them, making his way to his sister. She was born of their mother's second litter, the litter after his, but now her mind was Snowfur's.

 "Snowfur, may I bother you?" He asked as he got closer, beginning to stride with more confidence, mostly to hide his injury in front of so many of his clan mates, and the apprentices. He knew how important it was to always look your best in front of the next generation when you were a leader. Snowstrike's head swiveled to the side to look over at her brother.

 "Of course, Greystar." She glanced back at the apprentices, "Amberfur and Dewnose will tell you the rest." She promised as she rose and followed after Greystar towards the warrior den. Greystar didn't want to make the trip all the way back over to the High Ledge or to his personal den, he figured the warriors den was far enough away to have the fresh-kill pile discussion with her.

 When he stopped to turn back around to address her, he noticed her holding her left paw cautiously above the ground. Not even Snowfur could go hunting.

 "I know you're not Snowstrike, but she was my deputy before our ancestors came to our aid. I need someone I can rely on, like I could on her. Is that alright, if you take on that role while you're... her?" Greystar questioned, not sure how to properly address her, he wasn't sure how to address any of the cats that were under possession in the camp. Snowfur seemed amused by this question as she gracefully sat down, trying to keep from having to balance on three legs instead of four.

 "You may address me as Snowfur," She said, almost as if she could read his exact thoughts, "And yes, I understand our visit has caused a disruption in the flow of the clan. I can still speak for Snowstrike within our shared mind. She can see and hear you just as I do. I just have control over her body and voice." Snowfur explained gently, her demeanor a near opposite to Snowstrike's brash personality, though she did have compassion sprinkled in there somewhere. Greystar smiled with his approval, a great weight lifting from his shoulders and mind just from the idea of having a deputy at his side again.

 "Well, Snowfur, first things first is I need to organize a hunting patrol to do a rather generous refill of the fresh-kill pile. I've already considered asking the Shadowclan Rebels and Bloodclan, but have decided against it. I have to rely on my warriors, at least those who are still fit enough to hunt." Geystar presented his situation to the white tabby she-cat. Snowfur took a moment to consider the scenario, glancing behind her towards the large crowd.

 "There are a few who aren't nearly as injured as the worst of us, I can scout out a few warriors for a hunt. How many would you like?" She asked, looking back at him.

 "At this point, as many as possible. We're going to have the entire clan to feed once that pile dries up, I need them to hunt three times as much as they usually do." Greystar explained, gesturing to the small pile with his tail, only a few mice and birds left in it. Snowfur looked over with him and seemed to almost cringe at the reality of how little the fresh-kill supply truly was.

 "I understand your urgency, we have nearly fifty cats to feed now, those mice simply won't do. I will try to find warriors eager to hunt, but I will also ask the Shadowclan Rebels if there are any willing. A few of my fellow Starclan warriors are within their ranks, I'm sure I could recruit them if it is necessary." Snowfur said. Greystar tried to protest against this, having already decided he didn't want to seek out their help during all their equal injuries and burdens, but Snowfur gave him a look that silenced him before he could. He wondered if she learned that stern glare from his sister while sharing her body.

 "We have to do whatever we can do, Greystar. And if you're so worried about offending them by asking, let someone who doesn't represent the entire clan ask them instead. They will understand, it may even aid to building a stronger loyalty. They will recognize you want to help provide for their people as well." Snowfur stated. "And, they must realize you may be their host, but you do not need to compromise your clan solely for their sake." She insisted, standing up, still holding up her injured paw. Greystar knew she was right, but sometimes his heart hung too heavy, and bled too easily.

 "I understand, Snowfur. I appreciate your counsel... Fine, you may pursue the help of the Shadowclan warriors if you so please." The Thunderclan leader finally submitted to the Starclan she-cat. It was hard to argue against such an undeniable point over who should and shouldn't contribute among the two clans in this situation. His stomach felt like it held a heavy stone within it, maybe guilt or worry, Greystar didn't know which.

 The enchanted she-cat bowed her head respectfully to him and turned away to make her way over to where Shadowclan Rebels had gathered by the medicine cat den. Swiftrise was the first to greet her, one of the few warriors who didn't suffer a punishing injury. Snowfur approached him first regardless of his greeting, she knew he was, at least for now, the makeshift leader of the band of Shadowclan cats.

 "Hello... Snowfur, right?" He tried to remember her name even though he didn't even know the name of the she-cat the Starclan warrior was possessing. Snowfur smiled at him as she got closer, sitting in front of the brown tom.

 "Hello Swiftrise. I have a question to ask that I am aware will be difficult for you to answer." She paused as Swiftrise's face shifted to curiosity, sitting down now as well.

 "Greystar has tasked me with building hunting patrols to refill the fresh-kill pile, and I would like your help. Many Thunderclan warriors are too injured, so I need to reach out to your group for extra assistance." Snowfur explained, glancing over to the crowd of cats still surrounding the medicine cat den, as if to prove her point, even though it was already apparent. Swiftrise nodded as he followed her gaze.

 "Of course we will help. Shadowclan has been itching to prove ourselves and repay the debt to Thunderclan for allowing us into their home when we needed it." He looked back to the star-clad warrior.

 "Not nearly as many of us were as injured as Thunderclan's warriors. We were... more familiar with the enemy, for better or for worse... I'll make two patrols and get back to you." Swiftrise promised as he turned away to do just that. Snowfur watched as the tom began calling upon his fellow warriors to volunteer for the hunting patrols. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of leader he would become when this was all over.