Cats of The Outskirts
Blade—black tom with white chest and paws
Ginger—light ginger she-cat--mother of Blade (and Stripes from a later litter)
Stripes—pale ginger tabby tom
Auburn Frost--bright red-and-orange streaked she-cat with white chest, paws, eartips and tailtip
Lynx—black she-cat
Torrent—thick gray tom
Flare—silver tom
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ThunderClan
Blazingstar—blue-gray tom with streaks
Rollingthunder—black-and-gray tom with ginger flare on his chest
Stingpelt—brown tom with tortoiseshell patches and yellow eyes
Clearstone—light gray-and-white she-cat
Galefeather—pale ginger she-cat
Gustfoot—pale brown tabby tom
Frozenstorm—long-furred gray tom with glassy blind eyes
Kestrelwing—dappled brown she-cat
Smokefur—dark tom
Shadeflower—dark she-cat
Skykit (Skyfeather)
Tanglepaw—brown tabby tom (Tanglepelt)
Foxpaw—reddish-brown tom (Foxfur)
Heronpaw—dark brown she-cat (Heronflight)
Moonpaw—silver she-cat (Moonfrost)
Ivythunder—old off-white she-cat
The night was as silent as death. The starlight was cold and unfriendly, as always. The trees were dark and looming. Their branches hung over the black cat's head like the twisted bars of a cage. The grass was prickly on the cat's pads.
"Blade? What are you doing?" a kit said, padding up to his older brother. The kit had his mother's pale ginger fur. His face was round and innocent. Blade envied his innocence.
"Go back to Ginger, Stripes," Blade told his brother, staring straight at the chilling white light of the stars. Stripes hung his head.
"Can I come hunting with you tomorrow, Blade?" he asked hesitantly.
"Go back to Mother," Blade repeated.
Stripes opened his mouth to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat. Frustration and hurt mounted up inside of him, but he obeyed his older brother, as Ginger said he should.
Blade saw Stripes trudge away out of the corner of his eye. Poor scrap, Blade thought with a sigh. He doesn't understand… With luck he'll never fully understand… what dangers lie in the forest.
"Blade…" hissed a chilling snakelike meow.
A lesser cat would have shrieked at the dreaded sound of that voice. A lesser cat would have jumped up and ran for their life.
Blade had more self-discipline than that. His heart leapt against his chest with fright, but he made no sound. He stiffened, every muscle tensing up. Fear made his blood heat up and course through him in a panicked frenzy, making him hyperventilate. No, no! he thought, thinking of Ginger curled up in the hollow log, of helpless Stripes settling down beside her, a lump of soft tabby ginger fur. Go away, please, please, go away! Not them… not now... Please, StarClan! If there is a StarClan, no!