CHAPTER ONE- Red

Red is a significant color in my life, as it is, identically, to many other lives. Red does not appear much in nature- perhaps it does with Twolegs; their surroundings and belongings often possess bright, iridescent colors- but when it does, it s usually accompanied by something very beautiful and precious. For example, a rose- a delicate-petaled flower with a cloying scent- is rare and fragile, most gorgeous when dyed deep red. You can have roses that are pink or orange or white, but red is the most beautiful. You cannot deny it.

Red also appears in sunrises and sunsets- daily events that we don t pay much mind to. Cats are much too busy to think about things such as the sky s rapid changes, as pretty as they are. There s constant bickering among Clans and we don t have time for that. Sunhigh is the best time for us, anyhow; nights and mornings are drowsy and can sometimes be sprinkled with battle here and there. Sun-high is a time of hot and prey-plentiful, of sweet golden sunlight and brisk leafgreen breezes. A time of romping kits, loyal apprentices, toiling warriors, and memories in the making. But the sky during that time is blue- a color that is very attractive in its way, but also very ordinary- and, therefore, not as special as the sunrises or sunsets. When this happens, the two-times-a-day dipping or rising of the great burning disc, it claws the sky with a burst of color- lavender, salmon, gold, and maybe even a little rubbing of green in between. But red is always the great finale, coming early in sunsets and late in sunrises. That s why I like sunrises- it gets red at the end. Stars ebb into the sky, and light washes over the land. Day pushes its way into the world, promising new beginnings and happy times.

So, usually, red is the color of something beautiful.

But red is also the color of blood.

Blood is abundant in the cat Clans. Oh, sure, we all have it inside our bodies pulsing and coursing through our veins. There might have been a time where we would mew casually, Blood should stay in the body where it belongs, , but in truth, after all these moons, it really isn t where it belongs. Blood spatters the grass frequently. There isn t a day that passes without some kind of bloodspill. It tears at me, but I have to go along with it, too. I hate to see that beautiful red liquid splash the ground, the very life draining away from its suitor. Blood may be a sign of anger and battle, but it s also precious. Without blood, we would be dry, dead life forms. It s one of our gifts from StarClan, this red liquid.

So why do we always waste it?