Allegiances
ThunderClan
Leader: Rainstar - pale gray, almost silvery white she-cat with a stripe running along her back; has blue eyes
Deputy: Stormtail - gray tom with darker gray tabby stripes and a darker gray tail; has yellow eyes
Apprentice: Winterpaw
Medicine Cat: Grainwhisker - thin pale brown tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Nightpaw
Warriors:
Sagetail - light brown tabby tom with a bushy tail; has amber eyes
Flareheart - dark ginger tom with green eyes
Apprentice: Owlpaw
Paleflower - pale-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes
Mousefoot - small brown and white she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice: Dawnpaw
Raventail - black tom with a darker gray muzzle; has green eyes
Apprentice: Songpaw
Graywhisker - dark gray tabby tom with yellow eyes
Gingerheart - ginger she-cat with bright green eyes
Maplefur - golden brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentices:
Winterpaw - pure white she-cat with amber eyes
Nightpaw - mottled dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes
Owlpaw - light brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Dawnpaw - tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes
Songpaw - dark-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes
Queens:
Splashfur - dappled gray she-cat with amber eyes, mother to Leafkit and Willowkit by Raventail
Cinderleaf - dark tabby she-cat with piercing green eyes, mother to Opalkit, Sparrowkit and Brownkit by Sagetail
Elders:
Burrowgrass - large ginger and white tom with green eyes
Dustfur - gray tabby tom with yellow eyes
Kits:
Leafkit - gray and black tom with green eyes
Willowkit - dappled gray and black she-cat with amber eyes
Opalkit - dark tabby she-cat with green eyes
Sparrowkit - ginger and darker ginger tom with amber eyes
Brownkit - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes
ShadowClan
Leader: Hawkstar - dark brown tom with a lighter brown underbelly; has amber eyes
Deputy: Mothpelt - tawny colored tom with amber eyes
Medicine Cat: Midnightclaw - solid black she-cat with dark blue eyes
Warriors:
Rockbelly - black tom with a brown underbelly; has green eyes
Apprentice: Shardpaw
Icefur - gray-blue she-cat with yellow eyes
Apprentice: Larkpaw
Thorntangle - long-haired golden tabby tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Patchpaw
Fernstep - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice: Ashpaw
Littlefire - small ginger tom with amber eyes
Apprentices:
Shardpaw - spiky-haired mottled brown tom with amber eyes
Larkpaw - brown and white she-cat with amber eyes
Patchpaw - black and white tom with green eyes
Ashpaw - gray and white tom with yellow eyes
Queens:
Jaypool - black she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Shadowkit and Pinekit
Springfoot - dark brown she-cat with white feet, expecting
Elders:
Forestclaw - dark brown and white tom with amber eyes
Kits:
Shadowkit - black she-cat with blue eyes
Pinekit - black she-cat with gray feet and blue eyes
WindClan
Leader: Eaglestar - black tom with yellow eyes
Apprentice: Nimblepaw
Deputy: Barktail - light brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Medicine Cat: Snailfur - short-haired white she-cat with a gray muzzle; has blue eyes
Warriors:
Fleetfoot - black and white tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Rowanpaw
Badgerfur - large black and white tom with green eyes
Crowflight - ginger, black and white she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice: Blackpaw
Thistletail - brown she-cat with black feet and tail; has amber eyes
Apprentice: Whitepaw
Mudfall - long-haired brown tom with black feet; has amber eyes
Apprentices:
Whitepaw - white she-cat with gray ears and tail; has green eyes
Blackpaw - black she-cat with white feet and tail; has amber eyes
Nimblepaw - tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes
Rowanpaw - light brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Queens:
Mistlight - dark gray she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Tigerkit, Mosskit, Frostkit and Sootkit
Elders:
Echopelt - mottled brown she-cat with amber eyes
Kits:
Tigerkit - dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes
Mosskit - gray and white tom with amber eyes
Frostkit - pale gray she-cat with pale blue eyes
Sootkit - dark gray and white tom with amber eyes
RiverClan
Leader: Sandstar - ginger and white she-cat with green eyes
Deputy: Rapidriver - black and gray tabby tom with yellow eyes
Apprentice: Ripplepaw
Medicine Cat: Scorchtail - light brown tom with a darker brown tail; has amber eyes
Warriors:
Creekfeather - silver tabby she-cat with pale green eyes
Pebbleclaw - mottled light brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Bubblepaw
Streamfur - brown she-cat with a white underbelly and light blue eyes
Lilymist - very pale gray, almost white she-cat with amber eyes
Whiskernose - gray and white tom with amber eyes
Apprentices:
Ripplepaw - dark gray tom with a white muzzle; amber eyes
Bubblepaw - silver and gray she-cat with blue eyes
Queens:
Brightstripe - gray she-cat with a white stripe running along her spine, mother of Birdkit, Frogkit and Beechkit
Sorrelfern - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, mother of Ivykit and Larchkit
Elders:
Oakroot - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Petaldust - very old tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes
Kits:
Birdkit - small tabby tom with a white stripe running along his spine; has amber eyes
Frogkit - black and white tom with yellow eyes
Beechkit - dark gray tom with a white stripe running along his spine
Ivykit - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes
Larchkit - brown she-cat with ginger patches; green eyes
Prologue
It was dark outside. Night had fallen quickly over the forest, shrouding the forest into shadows.
A group of cats stood in the base of a stone hollow. They were crowded over the body of a slain Clanmate. Their pelts bristling with alarm, they looked around warily. No one could blame them for the fear that they felt. Every cat was filled with anxiety as they waited for the next victim to come.
A pale gray she-cat was hovering over the body, her ears and whiskers drooped in defeat. Beside her was a young looking gray tom with a darker gray muzzle. His face was a mixture of shock and horror as he looked down upon the body.
"Who could have done this?" the she-cat whispered.
"Someone obviously had the need to... get rid of Quailfeather," the tom replied grimly. "Otherwise this would never have happened."
"Stormtail, you were closest to Quailfeather," the she-cat murmured. "You must know what happened to her."
"I know nothing," Stormtail replied with a shake of his head. "The only thing I do know is that she had fought with Thorntangle of ShadowClan a few days after the Gathering. Maybe that could give us some clues as to what happened?"
"I wish StarClan would tell me what happened," the she-cat rasped. "Perhaps Quailfeather could tell me what happened to her."
Stormtail looked up at the starlit sky. He wished that StarClan would tell his leader, Rainstar, what had happened to Quailfeather. The only signs of murder he could find were two claw marks at the base of her chest. Grainwhisker, the medicine cat, had found the wounds.
"We will do whatever we can to find the killer," Stormtail vowed. Rainstar narrowed her eyes in surprise at his sudden change in heart. He had never been fond of Quailfeather or her ways of dealing with border patrols, but he respected her nonetheless.
"I must name a new deputy before moonhigh," Rainstar murmured.
Without warning she bounded up the slope towards the Highledge. Stormtail looked at his mother in surprise. More cats were beginning to watch Rainstar suspiciously as they wondered who the new deputy would be. No cat could ever replace what Quailfeather had done for the Clan.
"I say these words, before the spirit of Quailfeather and StarClan so that they may hear and approve my choice." Rainstar paused as the Clan fell into a deathly silence. "Stormtail will be my deputy."
Shocked gasps echoed around the hollow. Stormtail's jaw dropped in utter disbelief. Him? Deputy? He just couldn't figure out why Rainstar would choose her own son over the other good choices in the Clan.
Even Flareheart and Sagetail looked dumbfounded as they looked at Rainstar. He hoped this didn't cause a rift between the Clan. The last thing ThunderClan needed was fighting among themselves. With the death of Quailfeather the Clan would need to pull itself out of the shadows that surrounded it.
"Stormtail! Stormtail!" He was even more surprised when Gingerheart was the first to call out his name. The young she-cat had never shown any interest in him, but now he could see the glow in her eyes as she called out his name. Soon others joined in, until a loud cry was swept into the air.
"I... I don't know what to say," he stammered when Rainstar looked at him quizzically. "All I can really say is... I'm nothing like Quailfeather was, but I promise that her memory will be honored. I won't let you down, Rainstar."
"That is all I ask for," Rainstar meowed when she padded down the slope to join him.
Stormtail ducked his head in embarrassment as she gave him a gentle lick between the ears. She had never shown any affection towards him, as it was rare for a she-cat leader to have kits. But Rainstar had an exception. She had been a queen when she was named deputy of ThunderClan.
He shook his head as the Clan sat vigil over Quailfeather's body. He knew that her spirit would not rest until the murderer was found. And he was now more determined than ever to find out who had killed his former deputy.