~Shadowclan~

Leader: Emberstar - Dark gray tabby tom with green eyes

Deputy: Redwing - Red brown tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Silverfern - Silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat Apprentice: Whitepaw - Pure white she-cat with green eyes; very sensitive to sunlight

Warriors:

Sunstorm - Dark ginger tom with amber eyes

Brackenpool - Pale ginger tom with amber eyes

Cloudpool - White tom with one black paw and blue eyes

Apprentice: Larkpaw

Nightstorm - Black and silver tom with amber eyes

Frostwing - White she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice: Toadpaw

Stormclaw - Blue gray tom with blue eyes

Bluemist - Blue gray she-cat with blue eyes

Hollywing - Black she-cat with ice blue eyes and a white chest

Hawkpelt - Dark brown tabby tom with a white chest and grass green eyes

Apprentice: Ravenpaw

Crowflight - Jet black tom with green eyes

Leopardstorm - Dappled golden she-cat with green eyes

Foxclaw - Tawny she-cat with a thick, fluffy tail and green eyes

Apprentice: Hailpaw

Icetail - White she-cat with a thick, fluffy tail and blue eyes

Sparrowflight - Black tom with a splash of ginger by his nose and amber eyes

Leafsplash - Ginger and white tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Larkpaw - Silver tabby and white she-cat with green eyes

Hailpaw - Dark gray and white tom with blue eyes

Ravenpaw - Black she-cat with green eyes

Toadpaw - Black tom with amber eyes

Queens:

Ivystem - Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes (Mother of Nightstorm's kits, Badgerkit, Darkkit, and Snakekit)

Kits:

Badgerkit - Dark brown tabby and white tom with blue eyes

Darkkit - Black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Snakekit - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Elders:

Fleetfoot - Silver she-cat with blue eyes

Scarsky - Dark gray she-cat with scars covering her pelt and blue eyes; oldest cat in the clan

Halfear - Pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes; missing half of one ear

~Thunderclan~

Leader: Ivystar - Silver and white she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Brightdawn - Brown and white she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Shadeheart - Dark gray she-cat with green eyes

Warriors:

Rainsong - Dark gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Ferntail - Gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice: Ratpaw

Sleekwing - Lithe black tom with green eyes

Birchpool - White tom with brown stripes and amber eyes

Brambletail - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Dewspots - Speckled gray tom with green eyes

Apprentice: Tigerpaw

Cindertail - Dark gray she-cat with blue eyes

Willowpool - Light gray she-cat with a white chest and green eyes

Duskstorm - Dark gray tom with green eyes

Blizzardstorm - Thick furred white tom with blue eyes; formerly a loner

Cherryfeather - Small cream and white she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice: Dustpaw

Sneezewhisker - Brindle tom with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Ratpaw - Skinny gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Dustpaw - Dark brown tom with green eyes

Tigerpaw - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Queens:

Daisypetal - Long furred cream she-cat with green eyes; formerly a kittypet (Mother of Brambletail's kits, Fallowkit and Stonekit)

Blackthroat - White she-cat with a black neck and blue eyes (Mother of Dusktorm's kits, Berrykit and Flamekit)

Kits:

Fallowkit - Pale ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Stonekit - Dark gray tom with blue eyes

Berrykit - White tom with amber eyes

Flamekit - Dark ginger tom with green eyes

Elders:

Sorrelpool - Golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Firetail - Dark ginger tom with amber eyes

Graystorm - Gray tabby tom with green eyes

Blossombreeze - Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes; retired earlier due to failing vision

~Windclan~

Leader: Stormstar - Dark gray tom with blue eyes

Deputy: Poppyfeather - Light brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes

Apprentice: Quailpaw

Medicine Cat: Rowanwing - Pale brown tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat Apprentice: Kestrelpaw - Silver tabby tom with blue eyes

Warriors:

Yellowflower - Dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Cedarfrost - Gray and white tom with blue eyes

Buzzardclaw - Black tom with blue eyes; formerly a loner

Heavytail - Russet tabby tom with amber eyes

Spottedmoon - White she-cat with small black spots and blue eyes

Apprentice: Wasppaw

Blossomtail - Long-furred pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Wildheart - Dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Cloverstorm- Black and white she-cat with green eyes

Adderheart - Black tom with a white chest and amber eyes

Apprentice: Webpaw

Hawkfeather - Pale ginger she-cat with a white chest and underbelly and amber eyes

Hollowstep - Large black tom with blue eyes

Breezeflight - Black she-cat with a white chest and blue eyes

Featherbreeze - Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Rabbitflight - Dark gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

Apprentices:

Webpaw - Dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Wasppaw - Dark gray tabby and white tom with green eyes

Quailpaw - Speckled brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Queens:

Icewhisker - White she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of Adderheart's kits, Mudkit, Seedkit, and Lilykit)

Rosepool - Cream she-cat with green eyes (Expecting Hollowstep's kits)

Kits:

Mudkit - Very dark gray tom with black stripes and blue eyes

Seedkit - Mottled gray she-cat with blue eyes

Lilykit - White she-cat with amber eyes

Elders:

Goldenfern - Golden brown she-cat with amber eyes

Grasstail - Light brown tabby tom with green eyes

Falconwing - Pale gray she-cat with dark brown speckles and a white chest and underbelly with green eyes; former medicine cat

~Riverclan~

Leader: Morningstar - Pale gray tabby and white she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Splashwhisker - Dark blue gray she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Streamfeather - Pale gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Warriors:

Troutclaw - Dark gray tom with green eyes

Sandfrost - Sandy colored she-cat with a white chest and green eyes

Mouseclaw - Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Brighmist - Pale ginger and white she-cat with amber eyes

Pondfrost - Gray and white tom with blue eyes

Apprentice: Brindlepaw

Ripplebreeze - Silver and white tom with green eyes

Whiteriver - Pretty white she-cat with a cream colored chest and blue eyes

Pebblefrost - White tom with gray paws and blue eyes

Creekmist - Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Tawnypaw

Whitefoot - Ginger tom with white paws and amber eyes

Shimmerstream - Glossy black she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentices:

Brindlepaw - Dark brown, pale ginger, and white she-cat with amber eyes

Tawnypaw - Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Queens:

Poolsplash - Off-white she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of Creekmist's kits, Silverkit, Swankit, Patchkit, and Starlingkit)

Mintleaf - Dark gray she-cat with a white chest and green eyes (Expecting Redwing's kits)

Kits:

Silverkit - Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Patchkit - Dark brown tabby and white tom with amber eyes

Swankit - Cream colored tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Starlingkit - Off-white tom with blue eyes

Elders:

Raggedstripe - Tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes

Moonfern - Black and white she-cat with green eyes

~Prologue~

A sodden red brown tom panted as he lay beside a thick patch of ferns, barely out of reach of the cold rain that poured from the sky. He wondered briefly if the weather were an omen but shook it off. "Mintleaf?" He called softly.

A dark gray she-cat, her belly swollen with kits, appeared on the other side of the thunderpath. "Redwing!"

Redwing darted across the thunderpath and pressed his muzzle against the she-cat's. "You shouldn't have come. What if you get sick?"

Mintleaf glanced nervously at her stomach. "My kits will be fine. Our kits will be fine. I needed to see you."

"The next Gathering is in a couple days," Redwing reminded her.

Mintleaf shook her head. "Streamfeather and Poolsplash both agree I'm too far along to go to another Gathering."

Redwing looked away guiltily. "Than you really shouldn't have come."

"Redwing," Mintleaf grew tense.

"Yes?" Redwing had started furiously licking his mate's fur in an attempt to dry her, despite still standing in the rain.

"How are we going to raise our kits?" Mintleaf asked.

"What do you meaning?" Redwing stopped licking.

"Are they going to be raised Riverclan or Shadowclan?" Mintleaf explained.

Redwing paused and let out a deep breath. "Riverclan. Their mother's clan."

"Are you sure?" Mintleaf felt torn.

"Yes," Redwing sounded as though he was trying to convince himself. "Mintleaf, I have to confess something to you."

"What is it?" Mintleaf's eyes grew tired and weary.

"My father is Thunderclan. My mother told me shortly before her death. Our kits will have blood from three clans," Redwing said in a rush.

"Really?" Fear flooded through Mintleaf.

Redwing nodded.

"Redwing," Mintleaf sat down. The earth seemed to sway beneath her paws. "My father is the Windclan warrior Cedarfrost."

Redwing balked. "You can't be serious."

Mintleaf let out a deep breath. "My mother took my brother and I to see him when we were eight moons old."

"Blood from all four clans will flow through the veins of our kits," Redwing whispered.

"No cat must know," Mintleaf meowed harshly.

Redwing hesitated before murmuring his assent.

Mintleaf pricked her ears at the sound of a snapping twig from across the thunderpath. "A patrol!" She hissed.

Redwing shoved her gently behind a holly bush and stepped out onto the thunderpath. The asphalt felt unnatural under his paws.

"Redwing, is that you?" A dappled golden she-cat cocked her head to the side.

"Leopardstorm," Redwing was obviously flustered. "I couldn't sleep."

"Oh," Leopardstorm didn't look convinced. A white she-cat and a pale ginger tom appeared behind her. 'What are you doing on Riverclan territory?"

"I was chasing a vole. It got away," Even as he said it, Redwing knew it was a lame excuse.

Leopardstorm chuckled faintly. "Alright. Don't stay out too long, Shadowclan needs its deputy healthy."

"I won't," Redwing assured the she-cat. He waited until the patrol was out of sight before turning back to Mintleaf only to discover the queen had already disappeared.