SkyClan
Leader Leafstar – elderly brown-and-cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Deputy Sharpclaw – dark ginger tom
Medicine Cat Echosong – old silver tabby she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice, Lightpaw
Warriors (toms, and she-cats without kits)
Patchfoot – black-and-white tom; senior warrior
Clovertail – light brown she-cat with white belly and legs; senior warrior
Petalnose – pale grey she-cat; senior warrior
Apprentice, Badgerpaw
Sparrowpelt – dark brown tabby tom
Bouncefoot – ginger tom
Rockfang – black tom
Tinyfern – small white she-cat
Mintcloud – gray tabby she-cat
Swiftwind – dark brown tabby tom
Darkfur – black she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentices (kits more then six moons old, in training)
Lightpaw – incredibly pale grey she-cat, amber eyes
Badgerpaw – black-and-white tom
Queens (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Cherrytail – tortoiseshell she-cat, mother of Sharpclaw's kits Brownkit (tabby tom), Sunkit (ginger tom), and Dovekit (tortoiseshell she-cat)
Blueshadow – blue-grey she-cat, expecting Sagefrost's kits
Elders (former warriors and queens, now retired)
Sagefrost – pale grey tom, retired early due to crushed hind legs
EarthClan
Leader Sandstar – sandy-colored tom with blue eyes
Deputy Yellowfur – beautiful ginger she-cat
Medicine Cat Waterfern – elderly black she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice, Stripedpaw
Warriors (toms, and she-cats without kits)
Wolfclaw – gray tom with green eyes
Gingerpelt – splotched ginger-and-black she-cat
Greenear –silver she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice, Ravenpaw
Nettlestorm – brown-and-white tom
Ravencall – pure black tom
Jadetail – sassy gray tabby she-cat, incredibly blue eyes
Apprentices (kits more then six moons old, in training)
Stripedpaw – gray tabby tom with brown stripes
Queens (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Birdwing – light brown she-cat, mother of Sandstar's kits, Liverkit (deep ginger tom), Dirtkit (muddy brown tom), and Fishkit (silver she-cat)
Elders (former warriors and queens, now retired)
Volefoot – brown tabby tom; former deputy
Cats Outside Clans
Hutch – dark brown tabby tom, gray with age, formerly of SkyClan
Oscar – Annoying black tom, kittypet, SkyClan blood
Sandy – pale ginger she-cat; Badgerpaw's and Swiftwind's sister
Prologue
The black she-cat padded through the woods, her ears pricked. Her Clan had just come to live in this gorge after being driven out by the four other Clans. She would not forgive them. She could not forgive them. Her brother had died on the journey. The four Clans had to pay.
But her leader didn't see it like that; he wanted peace, and so had led her Clan away, taking them on a hazardous journey, which many of their cats had not made safely. She knew her leader would never take revenge on the four Clans; but she was not so weak. She would kill her leader, take control of her Clan, drive their strongest warriors back to the forest, and make the other Clans submit. But she wouldn't do it alone; oh no, she would have help.
The black she-cat stalked into the clearing and dipped her head to the cat there. He nodded to her and raised his tail. Cats began stalking out of the bushes; the black she-cat purred. Mean, skinny, and desperate; these cats were exactly what she needed to take control of her Clan, and then make the forest cats pay for murdering her brother. The cats kept coming until the whole clearing was thronged with them. They stank of crow-food, but their eyes held respect for the dark she-cat that had brought them all together.
"Welcome," she meowed. "I assume your leader has told you why I am here." The cats growled assent. "Then will you help me?" the she-cat asked, her gaze sweeping across the clearing. "Once the forest cats are dead and gone, we will divide the territory between the two of us. You will no longer be hungry, and my Clan may return home."
A skinny brown tom stood. "We already said we would help. We go where Claw does, and he seems intent on following you."
The cat who had first signaled the cats nodded, his eyes cold. The black Clan cat looked at him in admiration. Here was a cat that knew how to gain others respect! She purred, her eyes narrowing coyly. The scarred Claw seemed pleased with himself, and he purred back at her.
"Well, let's go then." The black she-cat stood and signaled with her tail. The cats moved into the forest as a single unit, scaring up mice and voles with their churning paws.
"What's going on?" The sharp voice made the black she-cat look up. She narrowed her eyes when she spotted a black tom standing on the rise, his body rigid with shock. Her mentor, Nightfur.
She spat and charged up the hill to meet him. She hated this cat more then any other, even their leader, Cloudstar. He had convinced Cloudstar that it was best to head this way, best to try and not fight for their home. After the loss of his mate and kits, Cloudstar had obeyed without protest.
She leaped, sinking her fangs into Nightfur's throat. He convulsed once and collapsed. She purred with contentment and signaled for the rogues. They moved further on, the black she-cat leaving her mentor's body behind with no remorse.
They reached the top of the gorge and the black she-cat and Claw plunged down through the gorse and confronted her Clan. The rogues caught them off-guard, but they rallied quickly. The she-cat fought bitterly, but was quickly overwhelmed by their numbers. Her Clan was desperate, and the rogues were badly trained.
"You lied!" the black she-cat howled once when she spotted Claw nearby. He took a step back and fell into the waiting claws of one of her Clanmates. They tore him apart. The black she-cat flicked her tail contemptuously. Served him right, the big fool. He had told her his rogues were well-trained.
She found her leader quickly after that. She tried to kill him swiftly – he was tired, and emotionally drained – but his skills were intact. A sharp blow to the back of her head made the she-cat stumble. Another blow tore her stomach open.
The camp grew silent; the rogues had fled. The she-cat sneered in hatred even as her life blood welled onto the ground. She was dying, and she knew it. Her Clan gathered around her. A wail of grief went up from her mother. Cloudstar crouched over her and murmured, "I name you Darkheart. Take a warrior name to the dark forest." Flames washed over her eyes, and then nothingness. Maybe I did wrong, was her last thought. But I don't regret it. SkyClan are fools. I will live again someday.
A/N: Here it is, finally! I had to finish editing it before I posted it, and if there are any mistakes, I apologize, I'm not perfect. Please read and review (seriously, review. Reviews are what keep me motivated, readers, so if you like it, review it. Even if it's only two words. Heck, tell me if you hate it!). This is, for anyone who doesn't know, the sequel to EarthShaker, which is book one. If you didn't read that, you won't understand this. 'K? ForgeUpwards, signing out!
