ThunderClan.
Leader Redstar- dark ginger tom with green eyes.
Deputy Seedpelt - grey she-cat with darker flecks.
Medicine Cat Kestrelwing- small dark brown tabby tom. Apprentice Gorsepaw.
Warriors
Amberclaw- long legged ginger tom with yellow eyes.
Nettleclaw- grey tabby tom with dark grey stripes. Apprentice Spottedpaw.
Blizzardflight- white tabby she-cat with amber eyes.
Crowfoot- dark brown tom with one lighter paw.
Ripplefrost- light grey tabby she-cat.
Shadewhisker- black tom with green eyes.
Sterling- ragged dark silver tabby tom, former kittypet
Ferntail- dark tortoiseshell and white she-cat.
Thornfall- dark grey tom.
Apprentices.
Gorsepaw- dark brown tabby tom.
Spottedpaw- dappled tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes.
Queens
Thistlepelt- brown and white mottled queen, mother to Redstar's kits, who are Maplekit (ginger and white she-kit) and Russetkit (dark brown tabby tom).
Cindertail- fluffy silver and black she-cat, mother to Nettleclaw's kits, who are Echokit (white she-kit), Tawnykit (golden tabby tom) and Sweetkit (white she-kit with tortoiseshell patches).
Elders
Larchfeather- brown tabby tom.
Poppynose- tortoiseshell she-cat.
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Mapleshade raced through the undergrowth, the colours blurring and her vision spinning around her. The scent of the tortoiseshell medicine cat's blood was still strong on her pelt and she involuntarily gagged. Ferns whipped her muzzle hard, leaving stinging marks and briar thorns shredded her mottled tail.
She was running so fast that she almost didn't hear them. Three little kits, one white, one brown tabby and one ginger. They were mewing pitifully, which compelled her to stop and study them.
The brown tabby kit stared at her and Mapleshade gazed back. These kits reminded her for some reason of her's that she had watched drown, all those moons ago.
The memory resurfaced, unbidden. She was standing on the sloping riverbank once more, feeling the spray speckle her pelt as the hungry river washed her kits downstream. Mapleshade could still recall the roaring of the water as it devoured her hapless kittens.
"Who are you?" One of the kittens mewed, stretching out a white paw towards her. Reddish scars dappled the kit's snowy pelt and Mapleshade wondered why. She shook her head to clear the thoughts and focused on the she-kit.
Mapleshade was about to answer the kit's question when a cat slammed into her right flank. She spun, with murderous intent, only to spot a flash of white fur. It didn't take her mind long to register who it was when she saw the ugly scar.
"Snowtuft!" Mapleshade snarled, regaining her composure. The aforementioned tomcat scowled, glaring at the kits as they huddled behind the tortoiseshell warrior.
"Why are you protecting StarClan kits?" He demanded, tail lashing and claws out. Mapleshade fluffed up her pelt and matched his posture, claws out and tail lashing. It's now or never!
"You really want to know why? Then shaddup for once and listen, furball!"