(A/N - ty for the reviewers who told me how to fix the formatting!)
-
Allegiances
Mapleclan
Mapleclan is a clan of strong but nimble cats, best at silently moving among thick undergrowth undetected by enemies and prey alike.
Leader: Milkstar - elderly, pale silver tom with amber eyes, white paws, and a scar across his face
Deputy: Fallenbriar - dark gray she-cat with orange eyes a black- tipped tail
Apprentice, Lilypaw
Medicine Cat: Pricklestream - fluffy silver tabby she-cat with yellow eyes, a white chest, and white paws
Warriors: Pinewillow - dark brown she-cat with green eyes
Stonewind - mottled gray tom with blue eyes
Brackenfall - light brown tom
Apprentice, Flowerpaw
Streamleaf - sleek white she-cat with tabby patches and blue eyes
Needlefall - black tom with yellow eyes and a white-tipped tail
Barkpelt - brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Firepelt - bright ginger she-cat with dazzling blue eyes
Smokefur - fluffy gray tom with blue eyes
Molefleck - solid gray tom with yellow eyes
Snowwhisker - silver tabby she-cat with a white muzzle, white paws, and yellow eyes
Weedtail - brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Apprentices: Lilypaw - light brown she-cat with white paws and yellow eyes
Flowerpaw - brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
Queens: Gingertail - dark ginger she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Stonewind's kits
Mintleap - fuzzy gray she-cat (mother to Beekit, a ginger tabby tom, and Honeykit, a golden she-cat with amber eyes)
Elders: Sweetclaw - frail ginger she-cat, blind in one eye
Duckflight - gray tom with green eyes
Whiteleap - young white tom with broad shoulders and blue eyes, almost completely deaf
Beachclan
Beachclan is a clan of small but powerful cats, adept at swimming against the strong ocean currents to dive for fish, clams, and other shellfish in the sea.
Leader: Wavestar - slim blue-gray she-cat with yellow eyes
Deputy: Oakfall - calico she-cat with green eyes
Medicine Cat: Whisperpelt - light brown tabby tom with yellow eyes
Apprentice, Lightpaw - pale golden tom
Warriors: Sandfur - tawny tabby tom
Seashine - blue-gray she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice, Rockpaw - dark gray tom
Yellowfoot - golden tabby tom
Greenbelly - pale silver tabby she-cat with green eyes
Deerfur - light brown tom
Apprentice, Harepaw - tawny tabby she-cat
Fawnflight - light brown she-cat with white patches of fur
Underfur - stocky black tom
Patchfall - gray and white tom
Queens: Hiddenflight - small, dark brown she-cat, expecting Yellowfoot's kits
Elders: Oceanmist - dark-gray she-cat with blue eyes, Wavestar and Seashine's elderly mother
Mountainclan
Mountainclan is the clan of lithe but thick-furred climbing cats who live among the cliff faces of the neighboring mountain range, where they also catch prey like large birds. They also fish out of the mountain streams.
Leader: Applestar - pale ginger tom
Apprentice, Tawnypaw - small tawny tom
Deputy: Irispetal - scrawny golden she-cat with darker golden patches
Medicine Cat: Brookfall - silver she-cat with dark tabby stripes
Warriors: Hangingclaw - mottled gray tom
Leapingpelt - strong silver tom
Apprentice, Lionpaw - fluffy golden tom
Hummingsong - beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes and white paws
Windcatcher - gray tabby tom
Apprentice, Flickerpaw - pale gray she-cat
Rabbitcrash - silver tabby she-cat with dark gray splotches
Eagletalon - massive black tom
Juniperfur - small brown she-cat
Queens: Grayflight - gray she-cat, expecting Applestar's kits
Turtlepelt - mottled brown she-cat (mother to Branchkit, a small brown she-kit, Minnowkit, a pale gray tom, and Clawkit, a mottled gray tom)
Elders: Feathertangle - wirey black she-cat with silver hairs flecking her fur
Owlclan
Owlclan is a clan of strong-legged warriors, who take to the trees as easily as owls. They find great comfort being high above the ground.
Leader: Talonstar - fluffy, dark gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes
Deputy: Falconwing - gray tabby tom with a white chest, paws, and a black-tipped tail
Apprentice, Shadowpaw - black tom
Medicine Cat: Pointednose - fluffy white she-cat with a silver muzzle, ears, paws and tail
Warriors: Tansyfur - pale golden she-cat
Apprentice, Blackpaw - dark gray tom
Birdlight - pale brown tom
Twigfall - dark brown tabby she-cat
Apprentice, Cherrypaw - very dark ginger she-cat
Willowsong - pale gray she-cat
Darktuft - dark gray tabby tom
Shellflight - dark gray tom
Spinningbriar - beautiful white she-cat
Apprentice, Icepaw - pure white she-cat
Troutleap - dark brown tabby tom
Frogfur - red-brown tom
Queens: Webflight - pale silver she-cat (mother to Snakekit, a dark gray tabby tom, and Shadekit, a dark gray speckled she-kit)
Echomist - silver she-cat with dark gray tabby patches, expecting Falconwing's kits
Bumblewhisp - pale gray she-cat, expecting Birdlight's kits
Prologue
A dark gray cat sat outside a small bush, accompanied by a smaller tabby, her yellow eyes flashing in the moonlight.
"He is on his ninth life, is he not?" The dark gray cat whispered low enough to not wake any of the sleeping cats around her. The small tabby nodded.
"He is not to be with us much longer. Perhaps you should fetch Snowwhisker." The tabby flicked her tail toward a fallen tree, under which the shapes of several sleeping cats could be seen. The dark she-cat treaded quietly over and roused a pale silver she-cat, signaling to keep her voice low.
"Is it his time, Fallenbriar?" The she cat's mew was laced with worry. The dark she-cat nodded.
"Pricklestream says his time is near, Snowwhisker. I believe we should all say our farewells to our old friend." The pale cat nodded and slipped into the bush outside which they were guarded, the leaves rustling behind her.
Soft murmuring could be heard within the den, one of the voices a low, raspy whisper. The scent of fear and sorrow tinged the air, though hardly undetectable under a much stronger smell - sickness.
The medicine cat had been trying for moons to help the elderly cat recover from his cough and regain his strength, but the illness was resistant to every herb she attempted and his 7th and 8th life had slipped away quickly in the moon before tonight. Now, though the stars shone and the greenleaf air was warm, tragedy was about to strike their clan.
Snowwhisker slipped back out, her eyes misting with sadness as she sat outside her dying father's den. Fallenbriar and Pricklestream went inside the den, choked by the stench of death.
Milkstar's once powerful body looked small and shriveled inside his nest. His pelt was clinging to his frame with fevered sweat, showing the outline of every bone, as if each rib was a piece of prey he had been unable to eat. His amber eyes were clouded as he watched the two she cats settle near his nest.
"You have served me well, Fallenbriar," he rasped, his voice weak. "I know Mapleclan will be blessed to have you as their next leader." The dark cat dipped her head, her chest welling with sorrow for her old friend. Suddenly, he stiffened, seeming more alert than he had in moons. "A time of great trouble is coming!" He gasped. "Upon the day ice rains from the sky, a sudden death shall bring the destruction of Clankind!" He struggled for another breath. "Only warmth can heal!"
Upon his final words, the sickly cat exhaled his last breath. Fallenbriar exchanged an alarmed glance with Pricklestream, her pelt bristling.
A prophecy? She thought. But what could it mean?