PROLOGUE
At the beginning of time, long before there were cats who wandered the wilds, there were four great beasts. They lived in the Stars, and had been formed from the Stars as well. Their names were Wolf, Eagle, Bear, and Crow. Although they had each other, they longed to create something of their own.
Wolf, who was clever and agile, longed for a family to hunt with. She created wolves, who lived in packs so they would never be alone.
Eagle, who was swift and had eyes that could see for many distances, wanted guardians for the skies he loved. He created eagles, who watched over the skies with careful eyes and flew with enormous wings.
Bear, who was strong and fierce, wanted large creatures who could wander the forests and also swim great rivers. He created bears, who with fierce strength just as his own could survive the harshest weather.
And finally Crow, who was solemn and wise, longed for nothing at all for herself. Instead, she wished to have creatures who would guide all of the mortal beings back to the Stars once their time was done. So she created crows, with wisdom and wings that could guide the dead back home.
The great beasts all had what they had wanted for themselves; family, guards, survivors, and guides. But there was something missing. Together, they called upon the Stars once more, and created something unlike any of them.
Wolf gave her agility and the strong ties of family. Eagle gave his eyesight and need to protect. Bear gave his strength and ability to adapt to anything. Crow gave her calm, the ability to speak to the Stars while alive, and the promise to return to the Stars when their time alive was over.
Combining all of these gifts, they created cats, and gave them a place in the mountains.
But the cats were disorganized. They wandered about with no direction. They fought each other for prey, or starved alone. They shouted to the Stars for help, but the great beasts could not speak to them all at once.
Crow found a solution. She took her gift of talking to the Stars and gave it to three cats only. Then, she split them into three groups, each in different territories that suited them and each with one cat that could speak to the Stars. They were divided, but united, and each had what they needed.
However, many cats resented this. They wanted to go wherever they pleased, hunt for themselves only, and live separate from the stars.
From their resentment, a darkness grew inside of Crow, like an infection. It was born from a hatred of the Stars, the opposite of what Crow had wanted. It was Coyote. Coyote was tricky, and refused to ally with the other beast's rules. He became chaos and malice. He ate the remains of other's catches and lived alone with no family or friends. Everyone was his enemy.
He sought out the hearts of the defecting cats, and encouraged them to leave the Tribes and spread chaos. He grew stronger and stronger, until his power was so great that it blocked out the Stars and prevented them from speaking to their chosen cats.
In this time of greatest need, the Wolf, Bear, and Eagle gathered what little power they had left. Crow was too weak from Coyote's sickness inside of her. The remaining three beasts sent their power to three cats, speaking through them and lending their power to them, a power to defeat Coyote.
Their plan worked, and Coyote was destroyed. His memory was erased from the tribe cats so they would not be tempted to follow his tricks again.
Legend says, however, that one day he will return, finding another cat to tempt toward chaos.
This is where our story begins...
THE TRIBE OF MANY RIVERS
LEADER: Hare Leap- big white molly with sharp yellow eyes
SECOND: Flame Path- long-legged tortoiseshell molly
HEALER: Fallen Pine- red-brown tabby tom
SENTRIES (cats who fight and guard the territory):
Hawk Feather- brown tabby tom
Playful Brook- pretty grey dappled molly
Starling Swoop- black and white tom with blue eyes
Leaping Trout- strong silver molly
SCOUTS (cats who hunt and retrieve):
Fox Chaser- ginger tabby molly with white markings
Clever Raven- lithe black tom
Dawn Song- pale ginger tabby and white molly
Curled Fern- brown tabby and white tom with green eyes
Lion's Pounce- light brown tabby tom
FLEDGLINGS (cats 6 moons or older training to be scouts and sentries):
Quiet Storm- dark grey molly with a white splash on her face, fledgling sentry
Deer Eyes- fawn colored tabby tom, fledgling sentry
Speckled Pebble- tortoiseshell and white molly, fledgling scout
QUEENS (pregnant or nursing mollies):
Rippling Water- long furred grey tabby molly, expecting Clever Raven's kits.