Warriors: The Following
Book 1: The Stream
"The blue-eyed cat will seal the fate of the river and let the warring winds cease."
Icepaw is a newly apprenticed cat in Riverclan, ten years after Firestar's mighty rein and the Great Journey to the new forest. But once again, the clans of the forest find themselves threatened by an unseen force. A new prophecy runs through the lands, lingering over Riverclan. Twolegs have found the clans forest and worse, some clans are growing restless, aching for more. The destiny of all of Riverclan lays in the paws of one small cat…
Riverclan
Leader:
Silverstar- beautiful gray tabby with a sharp tail.
Deputy:
Pinetail- dark brown tom with green eyes.
Medicine Cat:
Owlear- young dark gray tom with pointy ears.
Warriors:
Wingfeet- light brown tabby tom.
Miststorm- white she-cat with blue eyes.
(Apprentice- Tinypaw)
Fernfoot- black and white she-cat.
(Apprentice- Crabpaw)
Greybelly- dark gray tom with white splotches.
Birdsong- long legged she-cat with black fur
(Apprentice- Rainpaw)
Coldsnow- calico tom with hazel eyes.
(Apprentice- Icepaw)
Queens:
Dawncloud- grey and white she-cat.
Rosetail- small brown and white tabby.
Elders:
Petalcoat- dusky brown she-cat with dark green eyes.
Dewfur- solid grey tom with a torn claw.
Oldwhisker- oldest cat in Riverclan, blind tabby tom.
Apprentices: Tinypaw- small white and grey she-cat.
Crabpaw- black and white tom.
Rainpaw- grey and black tabby tom.
Icepaw- light grey she-cat with blue eyes.
Kits:
(Dawncloud's and Wingfeet's)
Rockkit- black tom with hazel eyes.
Willowkit- brown tabby she-cat.
Pondkit- black and brown tom.
Thunderclan
Leader:
Redstar- red furred tom with green eyes.
Deputy:
Applefall- light brown she-cat with white paws.
Medicine Cat:
Foxtail- reddish-brown tom with a bushy tail.
Warriors:
Larkfeather- grey tabby she-cat.
Quickstep- calico tom.
Molefur- dark brown tabby tom.
Bluesky- light grey and white she-cat.
Goldenpelt- light blond tom.
Apprentices:
Badgerpaw- heavy black and white tom.
Sootpaw- dark grey she-cat with green eyes.
Lightpaw- calico she-cat with white paws.
Windclan
Leader:
Strongstar- black tom with silver fur on his muzzle.
Deputy:
Beechfoot- light brown tabby she-cat.
Medicine Cat:
Littlewood- white and brown tabby tom.
Warriors:
Spottedmask- splotchy black and white she-cat.
Peachpelt- light orange tabby she-cat.
Darkears- black tom with blue eyes.
Tallwhiskers- long-legged tom with tabby brown pelt.
Volefur- brown and white tabby tom with sharp claws.
Apprentices:
Sparrowpaw- dark brown tom.
Cloudpaw- white tom with black spots on his tail.
Deerpaw- brown tabby she-cat.
Shadowclan
Leader:
Tearstar- dark grey tabby she-cat.
Deputy:
Lilyshine- brown tabby she-cat with green eyes.
Medicine Cat:
Tosstree- scraggly black tom.
Warriors:
Irisclaw- light grey she-cat.
Purepelt- calico she-cat with hazel eyes.
Yellowtip- harsh-looking black tom.
Junetail- dark grey and white she-cat.
Brushfur- tail brown tabby tom.
Apprentices:
Winterpaw- white tom.
Brookpaw- light grey tabby.
Robbinpaw- orange and white tabby tom.
Prologue:
The moon was high in the star-jeweled sky as it sparkled down on to the water that was slowly trickling down the tiny river. A clump of bushes obscured a wide sandy clearing, which housed many sleeping cats. A breeze twirled through the trees as whiskers twitched on the silent forms. A hollow tree trunk was filled with tiny kittens, their mothers sleeping just outside the opening. Further along, two adjacent boulders formed a den for a group of cats that were all sleeping huddled together. A large, abandoned badger set was occupied by young cats, not yet at adulthood but past a kitten's lifestyle. Next to the badger's set was a series of short, wide bushes. Underneath one cluster of leaves slept an ancient trio of cats, their breath rising and falling slowly. Hidden under the other bushes lay a silvery sleek cat and a dark brown tom. They too slept on peacefully. Behind the clump of bushes was a small den constructed of reeds from the river. Inside the den, a dark gray tomcat was roughly licking the body of a newborn kit. The kit's mother, a brown and white tabby, was on her side, panting heavily after just giving birth. The gray tomcat stopped licking the kit long enough to peer over at the new mother. He nosed a few tiny pale seeds towards the she-cat.
"Here Rosetail, eat these, you'll feel better," he said gently.
"How is she?" asked Rosetail while lapping up the seeds.
"Strong. Healthy," the other cat replied in between licks. Suddenly the cat jerked his head upwards like he had been stung by a bee. His eyes glazed over for a few seconds and then he let out a soft pained meow.
"Owlear? Owlear what is it? What's wrong?" asked Rosetail, panicky. Owlear flicked his tail in distress and rapidly blinked his eyes like he had just woken up. He looked down at Rosetail, whose tail was curled tightly around her kit. "Are you okay?" she mewed.
Owlear nodded. "Starclan has sent me a sign," he murmured, glancing down at the kit. "I saw a gray cat, so light colored she was almost white with piercing blue eyes. Then I heard a voice come into my head. I think it was…an ancient warrior I once heard of…the voice said: 'The blue-eyed cat will seal the fate of the river and let the warring winds cease.'" Owlear fixed his gaze upon the tiny grey kit below him. There was a silence in the den until the kit began to cry, mewling for its mother and her milk. Owlear gently nosed the kit towards her mother who promptly scooped her kit towards her stomach. As the little kit grappled for the brown queen's milk, Rosetail looked at Owlear and said, "My kit? She is part of this prophecy?"
"It looks like it. Starclan is always right," Owlear said, watching the kit snuggle in closer to her mother. "I will have to tell Silverstar first thing tomorrow. But don't spread this around. Not even the kit herself must know about this prophecy," he finished. The two cats watched as the kit suddenly cracked open its dazed eyes. Rosetail would later be amazed by the brilliant blue color.