The elderly tom wound his way through a ravine and stumbled, his weak and feeble legs sending rocks rumbling into the river below. Though he was old and frail, he had no fear of falling. He was not afraid to tread this path that he had followed his entire life. He was off-balance yet sure-footed, and although he stumbled, he knew the canyon was his one and only home.

His amber eyes were downcast as he made his way to a small ledge. He ducked his head as he slid into a small cavern. The bundle in his mouth squirmed, yearning for freedom. The tom set the kit down cautiously onto the floor as he sought out the cat he had come to see.

"Rainstorm," he called, his hoarse voice filling the cavern, echoing off the walls like the croak of a frog. "Rainstorm?"

"Father!" replied the voice, as a she-cat emerged from the shadows. Her blue eyes grew troubled as she saw the tom in his weary and worn state. "You left camp again, didn't you?" she scolded softly. "Please, father, I don't want to lose you." The she-cat studied the floor. She was known as a strong warrior, and was not used to being seen in a state of such distress. "Not you too."

The tom let out a hoarse purr. "Hush, Rainstorm. Look," he mewed, as he nudged forward the kit he'd carried. He mewled, smelling the queen's milk, and he scrambled clumsily towards her. Rainstorm couldn't help but purr.

"Who is he, father? Who's kit?"

"I found him, scentless, half-drowned in the water," the tom replied quietly. The kit gave a feeble shiver.

Rainstorm frowned. "Look at him, covered in leeches! He must've caught a cold, too." Despite her harsh words and scathing tone, the blue she-cat was as concerned for his health as she would be for a kit of her own.

Quietly, her voice betraying hints of fear, she added. "And look at his fur. Certainly not RushingClan, I'd say."

When her father didn't reply, Rainstorm sighed, giving in. "He'll be okay, won't he? See him to Lillystep, will you?"

The tom looked his daughter in the eye. She was pretty. She was young. She was strong. And despite his better judgment, he had grown to love her. She'd be okay, and he felt she'd be a wonderful mother.

The she-cat flinched, tearing her gaze away. Why was he studying her so? Why did he act like he was seeing her for the first time? Was he truly as well and healthy as he claimed?"

The tom blinked, stammering, "Of- of course, Rainstorm." Did she hate him? Was she mad at him, did he do wrong?

As he turned to leave, winding his way through the canyon, she called out to him. "Father?"

He turned, fixing his weary gaze on his daughter. "Yes, my Rainstorm?"

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

RushingClan lies in a winding, stony ravine, almost like a canyon, rather. Carving the stone is a ferocious, quick-moving, snarling river. The camp lies inside a cave in the canyon, a cave beside the river but far enough to be endangered by its currents. A narrow tunnel leads from the back of the cave, and at several points becomes pitch black. It surfaces again near the StormClan border.

Leader: Ravinestar – a tawny tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Rapidleap – a dark blue-gray she-cat with a scarred white chest

Medicine cat: Lillystep – pretty creamy ginger she-cat

Apprentice: Dappledpaw

Senior warriors/riverguards:

Darkstorm – a nimble yet muscular dark gray-brown ticked tabby tom with eyes like cold hard amber

Rosethorn – a creamy fawn and white spotted she-cat with leaf green eyes

River-apprentices: Eaglepaw

Wetwhisker – a gray marbled tabby tom with ice blue eyes and oddly thick fur for a cat of the river.

Riverrocks – a sleek light gray she-cat with pretty blue eyes

River-apprentices: Dappledpaw

Warriors:

Brairtwist – cinnamon tabby tom with a golden right ear and hazel eyes

Hollowflood – ginger tabby tom with blue-green eyes

Lotustail – a ginger-red she-cat with a pale ginger patch on the tip of her tail

Caverndash – dark silver tabby tom with wary golden eyes

Apprentice: Eaglepaw

Mudspots – chocolate brown tom with lighter brown splotches

Otterdance – dark brown she-cat

Apprentices:

Dappledpaw – ginger/fawn tabby she-cat with white stripes

Eaglepaw – golden/brown tabby tom with golden-and-green eyes

Queens:

Skylight – pale silvery-white she-cat with ice blue eyes

Spottedblossom – cinnamon calico she-cat with bright green eyes

Kits: Ashkit and Lichenkit

Kits:

Ashkit – dark gray she-cat with black stripes and green-golden eyes

Lichenkit – a lighter gray than her sister, with dark gray stripes and a white chin. She has a black stripe down her back and a black tailtip. She has olive-green eyes

Elders:

Icestorm – a black and white tux tom with blind icy eyes

Twisttalon – a skinny brown tabby tom with a twisted hind leg

Rainsong – a pretty slate blue she-cat with elderly heather-gray eyes

StormClan makes their home in a leafy forest.

Leader: Fawnstar – a pale ginger she-cat with white splotches on her back and leaf green eyes

Deputy: Maplebark – a longhaired red-furred tom

Medicine cat: Brackenstep – a light brown tom born with three legs

Warriors:

Midnightstorm – jet black tom

Apprentice: Blazepaw

Fallenleaf – tortie she

Apprentice: Whitepaw

Dappledfern – ginger she-cat

Thundercrash – muscular brown tom

Mouseleap – nimble tawny tom

Apprentice: Starlingpaw

Aspenclaw – pale ginger and white she-cat with fierce green eyes

Twigsnap – gray-brown dappled tom

Fernwhisker – cinnamon and white she-cat

Apprentices:

Whitepaw – white tom

Starlingpaw – silver spotted she-cat

Blazepaw – red tabby tom

Queens:

Dawnwing – tawny beige she-cat

Kits: Littlekit, Russetkit, and Bravekit

Kits:

Littlekit – small pretty black she-cat

Russetkit – rowdy red tom

Bravekit – large chocolate-brown spotted tom

DarkClan dwells in a cold and shadowy pine forest.

Leader: Shadowthorn – dark brown tom with blue eyes

Deputy: Pineheart – russet brown tom

Medicine cat: Spruceflower – blue she-cat

Warriors:

Gravelfang – dark gray-brown spotted tom

Apprentice: Columbinepaw

Hickoryeye – smoky russet tom

Ivyspirit – gray dappled she-cat

Apprentice: Galepaw

Kestreltalon – dark gray she-cat

Crimsonstrike – muscular tom

Burningvine – fiery red tom

Ashenstorm – dark gray tabby she-cat

Apprentice: Nightpaw

Mothtwitch – dark brown she-cat with lighter gray flecks

Apprentices:

Columbinepaw – pretty ginger she-cat

Nightpaw – black smoke tabby tom

Galepaw – long-furred gray tom

Queens:

Boulderclaw – gray she-cat with white splotches

Amberlight – golden-brown she-cat with bright amber eyes

SwiftClan calls the open grasslands home.

Leader: Goldenstar – golden-pelted she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Falconcry – brown tabby tom

Medicine cat: Shadedheather – gray tom with pale gray eyes

Apprentice: Juniperdance

Warriors:

Blossomsong – fawn calico she-cat

Emberflash – russet tabby tom

Apprentice: Twistpaw

Flintfang – dark gray tom

Bumblepatch – dark tortie she

Apprentice: Willowpaw

Cloudfur – white tom with one blue eye and one green eye, half deaf

Leapinghare – skinny tawny tom

Grassstep – ginger she

Windstone – dark gray tabby tom

Goldenfield – golden tabby she-cat

Horsehoof – dark brown tom with dark amber eyes

Apprentices:

Juniperdance – red calico she-cat with green eyes

Willowpaw – pale gray she-cat

Twistpaw – brown tom with a twisted ear

Queens:

Wingedsong – ginger she-cat

Kits: Redkit, Morningkit, Hollowkit, and Skykit

Kits:

Redkit – red-furred tom

Morningkit – silvery-golden she-cat

Hollowkit – brown she-cat

Skykit – pale gray tom

Elders:

Strongheart – brown spotted tabby tom