For Angelique, who will go far. And for Midnight, who is with her fellow warriors in the stars.


Allegiances

ThunderClan

Leader Bramblestar – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy Squirrelflight – dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat Jayfeather – gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Leafpool – light brown tabby she-cat

Warriors (toms, and she-cats without kits)

Brackenfur – golden brown tabby tom

Cloudtail – long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart – white she-cat with ginger patches

Millie – striped gray she-cat

Thornclaw – golden brown tabby tom

Spiderleg – black-and-brown tom with amber eyes
Apprentice, Amberpaw

Birchfall – light brown tabby tom

Whitewing – white she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice, Dewpaw

Berrynose – cream-furred tom

Mousewhisker – gray-and-white tom

Cinderheart – gray tabby she-cat

Ivypool – silver-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentice, Snowpaw

Lionblaze – golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Dovewing – pale gray she-cat, blue eyes

Rosepetal – dark cream she-cat

Poppyfrost – tortoiseshell she-cat

Briarlight – dark brown she-cat

Blossomfall – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Bumblestripe – very pale gray tom with black stripes

Cherryfall – ginger she-cat

Molewhisker – brown-and-cream tom

Lilyheart – small, dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Apprentices (over six moons old, in training to become warriors)

Amberpaw – pale ginger she-cat

Dewpaw – gray-and-white tom

Snowpaw – fluffy white tom

Queens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)

Daisy – cream-furred cat from Horseplace

Elders (former warriors and queens, now retired)

Purdy – plump tabby, former loner

Graystripe – long-haired gray tom

Sandstorm – pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Dustpelt – dark brown tabby tom


ShadowClan

Leader Blackstar – big white tom with one black forepaw

Deputy Rowanclaw – ginger tom

Medicine Cat Littlecloud – very small tabby tom

Warriors

Crowfrost – black-and-white tom

Tawnypelt – tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice, Grasspaw

Owlclaw – light brown tabby tom

Scorchfur – dark gray tom

Tigerheart – dark brown tabby tom

Ferretclaw – black-and-gray tom
Apprentice, Spikepaw

Pinenose – black she-cat

Stoatfur – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Queens

Snowbird – white she-cat

Dawnpelt – cream-furred she-cat

Elders

Snaketail – dark brown tom with tabby-striped tail

Whitewater – white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

Ratscar – brown tom with long scar across his back

Oakfur – small brown tom

Smokefoot – black tom

Kinkfur – tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Ivytail – black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat


WindClan

Leader Onestar – brown tabby tom

Deputy Harespring – brown-and-white tom
Apprentice, Slightpaw

Medicine Cat Kestrelflight – mottled gray tom

Warriors

Crowfeather – dark gray tom
Apprentice, Featherpaw

Nightcloud – black she-cat
Apprentice, Hootpaw

Gorsetail – very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur – ginger tom with white paws

Leaftail – dark tabby tom with amber eyes
Apprentice, Oatpaw

Emberfoot – gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail – light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Breezepelt – black tom with amber eyes

Furzepelt – gray-and-white she-cat

Crouchfoot – ginger tom

Larkwing – pale brown tabby she-cat

Elders

Whiskernose – light brown tom

Whitetail – small white she-cat


RiverClan

Leader Mistystar – gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy Reedwhisker – black tom
Apprentice, Lizardpaw

Medicine Cat Mothwing – dappled golden she-cat

Willowshine – gray tabby she-cat

Warriors

Mintfur – light gray tabby tom

Minnowtail – dark gray she-cat

Mallownose – light brown tabby tom
Apprentice, Havenpaw

Grasspelt – light brown tom

Duskfur – brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt – tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentice, Perchpaw

Shimmerpelt – silver she-cat

Lakeheart – gray tabby she-cat

Heronwing – dark gray-and-black tom

Apprentices

Lizardpaw – light brown tom

Havenpaw – black-and-white she-cat

Perchpaw – gray-and-white she-cat

Queens

Icewing – white she-cat with blue eyes

Petalfur – gray-and-white she-cat

Elders

Pouncetail – ginger-and-white tom

Pebblefoot – mottled gray tom

Rushtail – light brown tabby tom


Cats Outside the Clans

Socks – black-and-white tom with amber eyes

Ruby – very pale gray she-cat (mother to Butterfly and Koi)

Butterfly – dark gray she-cat

Koi – black tom with icy blue eyes and tufted ears

Sasha – cream she-cat with brown muzzle and tail


Prologue

The night was elderly and cold. Snow coated the ground, which oddly enough, reeked of drying blood. The scattered claws and teeth that were gleaming in the pale moonlight gave away hint of battle. There were also tufts of fur locked between grass blades, and even floating down the freezing creek.

A black-and-white cat slipped across the side of the lake. Its yellow eyes glistened with fatigue and its limbs quivered whenever it stepped. Staggering closely behind was another. Her creamy pelt was ruffled, making her look bigger.

The she-cat flicked her brown tail. "After all that, we only managed to catch a measly crow. Ruby will starve to death before the kits are even born." she meowed, the clump of feathers between her teeth twitching.

"If you shut up and hurry, it won't take as long as you intend it." The tomcat lead his comrade up the steep, moist bank of the forest. Fractures of moonlight seeped through the dead branches of the trees. There were claw marks scattered on this part of the forest, blood too.

The she-cat grimaced as her toes brushed against a crimson puddle. "Ugh, Socks, when will we get there? I can't handle being out here much longer." She lifted her head and sniffed the crisp air. "Smells like ShadowClan and ThunderClan. Must've gotten into a quarrel."

Socks grunted. "You don't say? Perhaps they were just playing around with each other. Bloodshed happens when cats are playful. Anyway Sasha, as I have said numerous times, we'll get there when we get there."

Sasha sighed, her slender brown tail flicking. As much as she had tried making decent friends with Socks, she knew deep down that her actions annoyed him to a breaking point. It wasn't her fault, really. She was an old cat, and a curious one at that.

What she didn't know was the reason behind Socks's agreement into letting her stay. The other cat in their traveling group – Ruby – knew good and well why Sasha was allowed to tag along. She knew the Clans' old territory, and now she was learning their new one.

The three had followed ShadowClan's scent especially, as that's where Sasha assumed her former mate would've been. But when she found that he was no longer living, she and Socks and Ruby stayed on the edge of the forest near the Twolegplace.

The snow pricked the cats' pads as they neared a bramble bush. Socks crouched in front of a dark entrance and sniffed. "I smell kits."

Sasha gave Socks's shoulder a friendly lick. "Go in and be the uncle you were meant to be."

The black-and-white tom nodded, then slipped inside. "Ruby, how – " He was interrupted by a sharp wail that nearly caused his ears to burst. He shook his head from side to side, then stared at his sister. Ruby was hunched over in a shadowed corner. Her slender tail was puffed and her spine was arched.

Her pale eyes were waxed over, looking ahead at two sleeping forms pressed against each other. They were tiny and wet, and the smallest was shivering. Socks padded up to Ruby, his head cocked.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"T-the black one! H-he looks like Tiny! He looks like Scourge!" Ruby's ears were pinned against her skull. The only movements she made were violent quivers of her tired muscles.

By now, Sasha had ran inside to investigate. She was now hovering next to the kits, her tongue rasping over their pelts. "Calm her down, Socks! She's going to have a heart attack!"

Socks sat beside of the gray she-cat, his tail slipping around her. "No, no he's not that tyrant. He isn't Scourge." Ruby whimpered and pressed her head into his chest. "Hey," the tomcat added, "you like koi fish right? Those pretty ones our former owners had in the yard's pond?"

The she-cat gave a shaky nod, then looked up at Socks. "What are you getting to?"

"Don't you see?" Socks's eyes flickered over to his new niece and nephew. "He isn't Scourge. He's Koi. We'll call him Koi. And we'll raise him right. I promise everything's going to be alright."