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(The previous book in the series was Song of the Shadows: Losing Myself.)

Dance of the Stars (DotS) Series

-Book 2-

Hymn of the River: Finding Truth

By Stormshadow3, a Starkit-like, orange (the fruit) lover, close-to-getting-a-book-published, occasionally strange, person who is neutral on water-related activities, *insert adjective here* she-cat and fellow sheep

My life has always been one of running away. Everyone knows it, and no one minds. Because we are all running. I don't know from what, but my mom said it was scary, so I guess I don't need to know after all. But danger is not the only aspect of life. Sometimes it can be deadly, but the world is beautiful.

Just as the rivers are beautiful. Just as I know I will be in the end.

Dance of the Stars (DotS) Series Book Two: Hymn of the River: Finding Truth

Copyright 2017 by Stormshadow3

-all rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address the author, Stormshadow3.

(Of course you knew that was coming, heh.)

For the artists of the world (writers, musical artists, that includes you too, and more). Make the world a better place. Inspire.

Useful Information to Have Before You Start Reading

-RiverClan (also called the Wanderers, at the BEGINNING of the story)-

Director (leader): Clovershadow, a dark tortoiseshell tom with light green eyes

Representative (deputy): Stormwing, a mottled gray tom with clouded blue eyes and black stripes

Healer (medicine cat; open to both genders): Roseshade, a reddish brown she-cat with soft amber eyes

Hunters (warriors who hunt for the clan and fight off and capture intruders; all toms): Nettlepetal, a tortoiseshell and brown tom with leaf-green eyes; Flintscar, a dark gray tom with a stern gaze and amber eyes; Jaggedfeather, a steely-looking tom who has stone-gray eyes and a slightly crooked muzzle

Blizzardsun, a pale white tom with round yellow eyes; Pebblepounce, a cloud-gray tom with small, nimble paws and darting amber eyes; Snakeear, a small tortoiseshell tom with squinted dark green eyes

Embergust, a grouchy dark brown tom with slanted yellow eyes; Brambletail, a light brown tom with a gray underbelly and paws and clear blue eyes; Ravenflight, a jet black tom with slitted green eyes

Brookwind, a carefree brown-and-gray tom with pale eyes

Scavengers (warriors who gather herbs, occasionally fight, and are also tasked with finding the next camp every half moon; all she-cats): Hazelleaf, a light brown she-cat with a posh attitude and meadow-green eyes; Doerunner, a tall sand-colored she-cat with spots of brown fur and beautiful hazel eyes; Quietripple, a dark gray she-cat who needs a severe attitude change, despite her name

Mothfoot, a tiny, quick ginger she-cat with dark gray eyes; Bluepuddle, an emotional blue-gray she-cat with watery dark eyes; Crowfall, a black-and-white she-cat with beady black eyes

Ferretflower, a gray, brown, and white she-cat with large forest-green eyes

Hopefuls (apprentices): Brightpaw, a playful gray tom with large light brown paws and glowing orange eyes; Icepaw, a pale blue-gray she-cat with intense silver eyes

Kits: Tigerkit, a dark orange tom with slicing black streaks and unusually calm blue eyes; Stonekit, a light gray she-cat with darker gray stripes and amber eyes; Frogkit, a tortoiseshell tom with staring green eyes

Cedarkit, a dark brown tom with thin white streaks and sky-blue eyes

Queens: Sagewhisper, a feathery, thin, and sometimes depressed tortoiseshell she-cat who has to be often force-fed (kits: Tigerkit, a dark orange tom with slicing black streaks and unusually calm blue eyes; Stonekit, a light gray she-cat with darker gray stripes and amber eyes; Frogkit, a tortoiseshell tom with staring green eyes) - mate is Ravenflight, a jet black tom with slitted green eyes

Smokethorn, a pale gray she-cat with long tabby stripes and unblinking green eyes (kits: Cedarkit, a dark brown tom with thin white streaks and sky-blue eyes) - mate is Brookwind, a carefree brown-and-gray tom with pale eyes

Elders: Leapingspark, a wiry blue-gray tom with shifting amber and yellow eyes; Silverswirl, a silver-gray she-cat with small brown spots along her underbelly and blue eyes; Condorgaze, a broad brown-and-white tom with piercing yellow eyes

Prisoners: Owlear, a confused-looking tawny tom with sad yellow eyes; Robin, a grouchy she-cat with stiff white fur, a brown underbelly, and sharp black eyes

The Laws of the Wanderers:

1. Queens and their kits must be fed before hunters, scavengers, hopefuls, healers, and elders.

2. Every half moon, the "camp" must be vacated along with the clan searching for another temporary home.

3. Lone cats found near the Wanderers' camp (unless they are kittypets) must be captured and have to stay in the camp for a decided amount of time, while being interrogated about their purpose. If in a group, attack and then move camps.

4. Do not murder, steal, or mate on ill terms.

5. Hunters switch places of being director every half moon. Scavengers cannot take that high position.

6. Healers are the third-highest position after director and representative. They are to be treated respectfully.

7. Cats may not go out of camp alone at any time. Guards are stationed at the camp entrance every single day and night.

8. Being a follower of StarClan is highly discouraged. The Wanderers are independent cats that have nothing to do with the supposed warrior ancestors that have failed them.

9. Members of the Wanderers are free to leave any time they want. However, they cannot rejoin and the camp has to move every time that happens.

10. "Do not go beyond the thick forest of undergrowth and the steep narrow Gorge, for there lies unpleasant cats you do not want to meet." Those were the final words of StarClan given to the last medicine cat of RiverClan, Twistedmoon. This rule is also how no cat came to disturb LightClan for a long time until a she-cat named Glowpaw finally came along.

(See Song of the Shadows: Losing Myself. )

Basics of Present-Day RiverClan:

Over the many endless moons of running away from dangers and hiding with no clear home in sight, RiverClan has come to call themselves the Wanderers. Only a few mottled old elders would occasionally sleeptalk out the name, "RiverClan," but even that is rare now.

The former beauty of the world has been forgotten.