Allegiances
IslandClan
Leader: Pouncestar: black she-cat
Deputy: Fishclaw: black-blue tom
Medicine Cat: Goldenfur: golden she-cat
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Watercloud: grayish-blue tom
Warriors:
Minnowtail: gray tom
Apprentice: Pinepaw
Silverfall: gray she-cat
Sandnose: light gray tom
Apprentice: Wingpaw
Scaleleg: black tom
Shellfur: fluffy white she-cat with black paws and ears
Apprentice: Willowpaw
Voleear: brown tom
Apprentice: Marigoldpaw
Owlfeather: fluffy brown and white tom
Apprentice: Troutpaw
Rosefur: ginger she-cat
Hawkbeak: black and white tom
Waspeye: cream she-cat with dark tabby markings
Apprentices:
Willowpaw: gray she-cat (14 moons)
Wingpaw: gray tom (14 moons)
Pinepaw: grayish-blue tom (9 moons)
Troutpaw: light gray tom with black forepaws (7 waffles)
Marigoldpaw: fluffy white she-cat (7 moons)
Queens:
Rosefur (Lightkit, Flarekit and Flowerkit, fathered by Owlfeather)
Silverfall (Moonkit, adopted)
Pouncestar (Fernkit and Wavekit, fathered by Fishclaw)
Kits:
Lightkit: cream colored she-cat with brown forepaws (4 moons)
Flowerkit: light brown she-cat (4 moons)
Flarekit: ginger tom (4 moons)
Moonkit: gray she-cat with white patch of fur on forehead (3 moons)
Fernkit: black tom (2 moons)
Wavekit: blackish-blue she-cat (2 moons)
Elders:
Berryeyes: cream-colored tom
Mousefoot: brown she-cat
MarshClan
Leader: Lilystar: dark tabby she-cat with white paws and underbelly
Deputy: Pinegaze: dappled gray tom
Medicine Cat: Poolflight: grayish-blue tom
Warriors:
Snakefur: dark brown tom
Apprentice: Thornpaw
Darkpelt: black she-cat
Twistedclaw: light brown tom with cream paws
Toad-yowl: dark gray tom with light tabby markings
Hoppingtail: light gray she-cat
Apprentice: Beechpaw
Bravescreech: brown she-cat
Bramblenose: brown tom with black paws and ears
Apprentice: Sleekpaw
Dovestorm: misty gray she-cat
Cedarleg: brown tom with darker brown paws
Apprentice: Spottedpaw
Duskwhisker: dark gray she-cat
Streamears: light golden tom
Apprentices:
Beechpaw: light brown tom (15 moons)
Thornpaw: dark gray tom with silvery-gray ears and muzzle (13 moons)
Sleekpaw: dappled black and gray tom (11 moons)
Ivypaw: tortoiseshell she-cat (11 moons)
Queens:
Darkpelt (Muddykit and Smokekit, fathered by Twistedclaw)
Bravescreech (Swampkit, Wolfkit, and Murkykit, fathered by Bramblenose)
Kit:
Muddykit: dark brown she-cat (4 moons)
Smokekit: mottled black and gray (4 moons)
Wolfkit: silvery-gray she-cat (3 moons)
Swampkit: dark brown tabby tom (3 moons)
Murkykit: brown she-cat with black ear tips (3 moons)
Elders:
Warmeyes: soft brown she-cat
ForestClan
Leader: Maplestar: tortoiseshell tom with black forelegs
Deputy: Acorneye: light brown she-cat with dark brown paws and ears
Medicine Cat: Sparkleaf: black she-cat
Warriors:
Bushpelt: long-haired black tom with white ear tips and underbelly
Apprentice: Applepaw
Thistlefang: fluffy gray tom with white ear tips
Sageflower: cream colored she cat with gray tabby markings
Apprentice: Birchpaw
Mistbreeze: misty gray she-cat
Boulderfrost: light brown tom
Mallowleap: ginger tabby she-cat
Skyleaf: light gray she-cat with darker gray stripes
Goosecloud: fluffy, longhaired white tom with black muzzle
Ashear: tortoiseshell she-cat
Apprentice: Mosspaw
Ripplefall: light brown tom with dark tabby markings
Apprentices:
Applepaw: ginger tom (12 moons)
Birchpaw: white she-cat (12 moons)
Mosspaw: dark tabby she-cat (8 moons)
Queens:
Mallowleap (Hazelkit, Firekit, and Lightningkit, fathered by Boulderfrost)
Mistbreeze (Rainkit, Graykit, and Whitekit, fathered by Thistlefang)
Kits:
Hazelkit: light brown she-cat (6 moons)
Firekit: brown tabby tom with paws tipped in ginger (6 moons)
Lightningkit: light ginger tabby tom (6 moons)
Rainkit: dark gray tom with white ear tips (4 moons)
Graykit: white she-cat with gray spots (4 moons)
Whitekit: fluffy cream colored she-cat (4 moons)
Elders:
Blackfern: fluffy black tom with white ears
Twigfoot: light brown she-cat
BranchClan
Leader: Highstar: gray tom with white patches
Deputy: Rustlingleaf: mottled brown tom
Medicine Cat: Redsplash: ginger tom with white underbelly, ear tips, and paws
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Mottledpaw: mottled gray she-cat
Warriors:
Browneye: longhaired golden she-cat
Glowingspirit: white she cat with silvery spots
Lemmingtooth: light gray tom with a sandy brown muzzle
Apprentice: Flatpaw
Stickclaw: bright ginger tom with muddy brown paws
Apprentice: Honeypaw
Twigleg: light brown she-cat with unusually long legs
Oakfrost: dark brown tom with light tabby markings
Apprentice: Littlepaw
Burstfall: ginger she-cat with cream fore paws
Leopardshine: light orange tabby she-cat
Apprentice: Creampaw
Tallheart: black tom with brown stripes and ear tips
Shortnose: blackish-blue tabby tom
Apprentices:
Flatpaw: creamy-gold tom (13 moons)
Honeypaw: dark golden tabby she-cat (13 moons)
Creampaw: cream colored she-cat (12 moons)
Littlepaw: black tom (10 moons)
Queens:
Twigleg (expecting Oakfrost's kits)
Burstfall (Sunkit, Sapkit, and Reedkit, fathered by Stickclaw)
Kits:
Sunkit: dark ginger tom (4 moons)
Sapkit: ginger she cat with cream underbelly (4 moons)
Reedkit: light brown she-cat with darker brown legs (4 moons)
Elders:
Amberstripe: ginger she-cat with a single stripe running down her back
Gingermask: dark tabby she-cat with a ginger head
MountainClan
Leader: Cloudstar: white tom with gray tabby markings
Deputy: Stonepelt: dark gray tom
Medicine Cat: Dapplecry: black and white she-cat
Warriors:
Soaringpetal: gray she-cat
Eaglewing: brown tom with black ears
Apprentice: Shadypaw
Birchfeather: white tom with black fore legs
Snowfall: longhaired white she-cat
Mothberry: gray tom with darker gray muzzle and ear tips
Apprentice: Emberpaw
Tigerfoot: orange tom with black fore paws
Apprentice: Rootpaw
Bloompelt: dark orange she-cat
Foxshadow: dappled black & gray tom
Apprentice: Pebblepaw
Sprucetooth: brown tom with white spots
Brightjaw: calico she-cat
Apprentices:
Emberpaw: reddish-brown she-cat (9 moons)
Shadypaw: light brown tom with darker brown tail (8 moons)
Rootpaw: brown tom with white paws (8 moons)
Pebblepaw: gray she cat with darker gray tabby markings (8 moons)
Queens:
Snowfall (expecting Mothberry's kits)
Soaringpetal (Hawkkit, fathered by Eaglewing)
Brightjaw (Leafkit, fathered by Foxshadow)
Kits:
Hawkkit: black tom with light tabby markings (3 moons)
Leafkit: light gray she-cat with dusty brown paws and white underbelly (1 moon)
Elders:
Sharprock: grayish-blue tom
Cloudspring: fluffy blackish-blue tom
Blackspeck: black she-cat with tiny white flecks
Prologue
"Branchstar!" Leafdapple's scream met the brown she-cat's ears just a second too late, and the medicine cat could only watch in horror as the muscular black cat bore down on her. BranchClan's leader fell silently, a glimmer of surprise still shining in her unseeing eyes. All around, the screeches of cats fighting viscously died away as they realized the death of Branchstar. The black cat growled low, a purr rising from her throat. She looked up, a sick, sadistic smile contorted her pretty face, her icy blue eyes narrowed with pleasure, flecks of malicious yellow speckling them.
"Your leader has fallen," she hissed, her unusual voice sending chills down the spines of the BranchClan cats. The black she-cat sat back, licking the crimson from her claws with slow deliberation. She chuckled at the horror that spread across the features of the stricken BranchClan, her gaze turning towards Leafdapple, the yellow fading.
The tabby medicine cat stared at the black she-cat coldly, hatred boiling beneath her fur. She growled defiantly, lifting her chin in challenge.
"Leafdapple," the black she-cat purred, sauntered forward and trampling Branchstar's body in her midst. Rainmoon hissed from several fox-lengths away, but one of the black she-cat's followers cuffed him hard, pushing him to the ground. The black she-cat ignored the entire happenstance, her eyes only for Leafdapple. "Your precious StarClan has abandoned your clan in their time of need. And now, they can watch on while I destroy their last medicine cat."
It happened so fast, Leafdapple might have missed the black she-cat's leap if she blinked. In the midst of a split second, Leafdapple found herself sprawling, the black she-cat's claws poised over her throat. She sucked in a breath, her skin hair-lengths away from the icy barbs that would claim her life in a matter of seconds. "Please, Li—" Leafdapple tried to speak, but the she-cat cut her off with a swift cut to the cheek.
"That is not my name!" The she-cat screeched, her eyes glinting with yellow once more. Leafdapple stiffened, recognizing the presence of power that they symbolized. "I am timeless, foolish cat. You will learn to fear me, in death and in life."
"Shreds is what you will be!" The black she-cat spun, her yellow gaze locked on Rainmoon, whose head rose above the mud. The follower had him pinned to the earth, but that did not stop the determined deputy from squirming under his paws.
"Hm, I think it will be more enjoyable for me to destroy everything you care about, Leafdapple, before I finally tear your broken soul from your body," the black she-cat said, blue now dominating her eyes. She released Leafdapple, and turned to Rainmoon, advancing on him with deadly intent.
"It is you whose soul is broken!" Leafdapple snarled, fearful for the BranchClan deputy. The black she-cat paused, but did not turn.
"Don't you see?" The she-cat hissed from where she stood, hatred and disbelief curdling her voice. "I didn't have a choice! I was born this way! You told me to believe in StarClan, but they let me suffer. I can't control it, so why fight it?" The she-cat turned now, yellow prominent. "Why fight death when it is inevitable?"
Leafdapple shuddered, realizing the black she-cat was beyond help. There was nothing that could be done to save her, she would be consumed by her own powers. She rose to her feet shakily, determined to defeat this menace if the cat it had once been was beyond reach. "I'm doing this for you, my friend," Leafdapple promised, leaping forward to pin the she-cat to the earth.
"Friend? You were never my friend! You let it take me, let it torture with pain and death, over and over! You let everything I cared about get torn away from me by it, and now it is your turn!" The black she-cat easily threw Leafdapple off of her, snarling. With that, the fight of color in her eyes was lost, and yellow consumed her once soft blue.
"Learn pain, you miserable simpleton!" The yellow-eyed demon's claws trailed Leafdapple's fur, and the dark brown tabby she-cat screamed in pain. She was dying, over and over and over again, in the most horrific ways. An imaginary fire burned her fur where the black she-cat had touched her, and she could feel invisible claws tear right through her body.
Suddenly, the rain that had been pouring in a heavy downfall gave way to a flash of lightning, illuminating the blood-streaked battle field. Someone screamed, and out of the corner of Leafdapple's eyes, she thought she saw the body of a cat slump into the mud. A dark creature, cloaked by dark storm clouds, stood over it, growling lowly. Of all things, Leafdapple had never expected to be saved by wolves.
"Run!" she screamed, leaping to her feet. All around her, the once still cluster of cats erupting into a screaming catastrophe as more wolves appeared in the clearing, their jaws easily snapping the bodies of BranchClan and followers alike. Leafdapple didn't dare stop though, keeping her body running towards the spot the group had agreed to meet up with the others in case the battle went horribly awry, and they were forced to leave the valley.
It felt like moons, but there they were, all the queens and elders and kits huddled together fearfully. They didn't bother asking any questions at the sight of the wild-eyed fleeing warriors, but turned tail and continued up the slopes of the mountain. Leafdapple paused at the pass leading out, turning to look back to where they had stayed for only so many seasons. It had been their home, their hope, but they were being driven away once again. The she-cat shook with sobs, horrified that they would have to leave the body of Branchstar and other fallen comrades behind, but there was nothing to be done. The yellow eyes had won.
Without another word, the medicine cat turned tail, her brown tabby tail disappearing quickly into the shadows of the trees beyond the cursed forest. To herself, the medicine cat knew that this was not the last of BranchClan's troubles with the valley. One day, they would return, and find out what the poor black she-cat had succumbed to. Leafdapple mourned for her death as well, for the creature within her had finally taken her body over. In that night of storms, she spoke the she-cat's name to herself, the memory of the cat she had once been.
If only she had known what dangers her clan would face in the future. Leafdapple would have made sure her clan never returned to the valley again.