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."
