Special thanks to Angelique.

ALLEGIANCES

RIVERCLAN

LEADER GULLSTAR — gray tom with a mottled pelt

DEPUTY CHESTNUTFUR — dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

MEDICINE CAT FEATHERDAWN — light gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

BRANCHLEG — long-limbed golden tabby tom

DAWNPOOL — pale ginger tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, NETTLEPAW

ANTLERCLAW — cream-furred tom
APPRENTICE, SOFTPAW

SORRELSPECK — brown tabby tom with green eyes

SWIFTLEAP — lithe black tom
APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW

FOXNOSE — narrow-faced ginger she-cat with white paws

RUNNINGCREEK — pale gray tom with lighter flecks

FINCHWHISKER — small gray she-cat, dark blue eyes

NIGHTWHISKER — dark gray — almost black — tom with yellow eyes
APPRENTICE, FLURRYPAW

ROOTPELT — brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

APPRENTICES (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

NETTLEPAW — black-and-white tom

SOFTPAW — gray she-cat

WHITEPAW — pure white tom with amber eyes

FLURRYPAW — very pale gray tom

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

PINECONEFUR — pale brown — with white flecks — she-cat with green eyes, mother of Runningcreek's: Sparrowkit and Tawnykit

LEOPARDBELLY — spotted brown she-cat with amber eyes

CLOVERFUR — tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, mother of Antlerclaw's kits: Shrewkit, Briarkit, and Warrenkit

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

SLATEPELT — dark gray tabby tom

LONGFLOWER — tall white she-cat with black-tipped ears

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER VOLESTAR — skinny brown tom

DEPUTY GINGERPELT — dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT MINNOWNOSE — stout brown tom with black spots

WARRIORS

FLINTFACE — dark gray tom, blue eyes

GRASSPELT — long-haired mottled black tom
APPRENTICE, MISTLEPAW

ASHBREEZE — pale gray tom
APPRENTICE, FAWNPAW

MORNINGPOOL — golden-brown tabby she-cat

APPRENTICES

MISTLEPAW — dark ginger tom, white paws, tail-tip, and belly

FAWNPAW — dark brown she-cat with green eyes

ELDERS

LEAFWHISKER — ginger tom with black spots

CLOUDYEYES — blind white she-cat

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER RYESTAR — white-and-golden brown she-cat with green eyes

DEPUTY PALETHROAT — gray tabby she-cat (light very light flecks)
APPRENTICE, DARKPAW

MEDICINE CAT MOUSELEAP — speckled black-and-white she-cat
APPRENTICE, DOWNYPAW

WARRIORS

KINKFOOT — black tom with a twisted hindpaw

OWLFEATHER — dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, BEEPAW

TROUTSPLASH — tabby tom
APPRENTICE, TUMBLEPAW

MINTWHISKER — tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, YARROWPAW

APPRENTICES

DARKPAW — jet black tom with yellow eyes

DOWNYPAW — long-haired gray tom

BEEPAW — tortoiseshell she-cat

TUMBLEPAW — slightly clumsy silver-tabby tom

YARROWPAW — golden tabby tom, yellow eyes

ELDERS

CURLWHISKER — very old white tom

WINDCLAN

LEADER RAVENSTAR — black tom with yellow eyes

DEPUTY SPRUCECLAW — dark gray tabby tom with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT SMALLFLOWER — small light tabby she-cat with amber eyes

WARRIORS

CINDERFACE — thin gray she-cat

MOLEFLASH — brown tabby tom with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, SWEETPAW (REDDISH-BROWN SHE-CAT)

TATTEREDPELT — ragged white tom

LIONCLAW — fiery ginger tom

QUEENS

LARKFUR — brown tabby she-cat, mother of Pinekit, Chipmunkkit, and Petalkit

CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS

CREAM — milk-furred tabby tom with a torn ear, loner

EDITH — ginger she-cat, kittypet, mother of a she-kit named Pumpkin

PROLOGUE

Crickets chirped in the starlight. An old hollow stood in a clearing, protected by a cluster of prickly brambles and swaying bracken.

A young cat crept beneath the briars and climbed up the side of the tree, her eyes flicking upwards in concentration. Her silver fur glistened in the night. She twitched her whiskers, taking in the scents around her. Settling down onto one of the branches she shifted her head to the left to look at the creature sitting next to her.

"I'm here."

The stranger faced her. Though its face was shadowed by darkness, the she-cat could somehow tell who she was speaking to. A skinny black tom with white paws. It was Wetweed, her old mentor and the former medicine cat of RiverClan.

"Featherdawn," the former medicine cat spoke, "I see that you are caring for RiverClan well." Wetweed's eyes glowed like moons. "Thank you for taking responsibility just after I joined StarClan." Less than six moons ago an outbreak of greencough took over RiverClan. Featherdawn and Wetweed worked from dawn till dusk, attempting to cure the sick. However, the old tom fell victim to the illness himself. Refusing to take herbs, he was the third and final cat in the Clan to die.

"It's my duty." Featherdawn brushed her muzzle against her mentor's cheek. "I learned as much as I could from you."

Wetweed cocked his head thoughtfully. "You show it well. RiverClan is lucky to have such a good, young, and healthy medicine cat to look after them. You'll serve your Clan for many seasons, just as I had."

Featherdawn's tail curled around her paws. "I hope so. Everything's been going easy so far. I've only been medicine cat for five moons; nothing major has happened yet. No battles, no raids, nothing."

"I'm afraid that will be changing within the next few moons." The old cat's voice grew dim. "A whole new danger is coming to the forest."

Suddenly the air grew eerily cold. Featherdawn could feel her breathing speed up.

Wetweed looked over his shoulder, staring up at the full moon. When he turned back towards the she-cat his face bore a strange emotion that Featherdawn could not read.

He opened his mouth to speak, and his voice grew as stoic as a mountain.

"When revenge is sought, the bird will restore peace to the forest once more."

"What did you mean by that," Featherdawn asked. "What bird? There are several cats in all of the forest named after a type of bird."

Wetweed rose to his paws. He stared down at the silver she-cat. The clearing became fuzzy and started to disappear.

"Wait!" Featherdawn bolted up. "You have to give me a clue, Wetweed! I can't do anything without your help!" She felt like an apprentice again, chasing after her mentor in search of an answer.

The tomcat's fur blended in with Silverpelt. Soon enough his body was gone and the clearing was as an empty black.

Featherdawn woke up next to the Moonpool. She glanced all around the stone hollow, her body shivering from the events prior to her waking. Her first prophecy. How was she to manage this on her own?

Another medicine cat that had gone to the Moonpool was slowly rousing from sharing tongues with StarClan. All was quiet except for the flowing of the waterfall across the pool. Moments later the shuffling of paws and the echoes of steadied breathing filled the hollow.

RiverClan's medicine cat wondered if StarClan had told the other anything important. But she knew she shouldn't ask; what happened in his Clan was none of her business.

He was a black tom with legs that were too small to be useful. Featherdawn wondered how he even managed to make the journey up here. The musty scent of ShadowClan covered him from head to paw. He caught her staring and scowled.

"'S the matter with you?" he snapped, lashing his tail irritably.

Who rubbed his fur the wrong way? Featherdawn thought. She remembered crouching in fear behind Wetweed whenever she saw this tom at Gatherings. And now, as the new medicine cat, she knew she had to face him.

"Nothing's the matter with me," she meowed. "I hope your encounter was exciting, Minnownose."

"Hmph," grunted the ShadowClan cat. He turned on his paws and padded down the slope without muttering a single word. Featherdawn felt her pads burn in embarrassment. Should she race after him? No, that'd be silly of her. She remained where she was for a few moments before she decided it was safe to leave without bothering Minnownose.

As she made the trek back towards RiverClan, Wetweed's words played over and over in her mind. "When revenge is sought, the bird will bring peace to the forest once more." Something in her belly flipped as a feeling of discomfort washed over her like a wave in the stream.

When she padded into camp it was nearly dawn. She passed by her Clan leader's den, catching a glimpse of him curled up with Dawnpool. The odd feeling in her gut was replaced with warmth; she knew it would only be a matter of time before the two had their first litter of kits.

"Gullstar will make a wonderful father," Featherdawn purred as she went into her den. And then she halted. Of course! Gullstar!