Warriors:
Starsong's Omen
Allegiances
CedarClan
Leader: Cedarstar - Burly tabby tom with thick, deep red pelt and dappled ginger legs
Deputy: Fletchleap – Handsome deep red tabby with unusual aqua-blue eyes
Medicine Cat: Starsong – Lithe grey tabby she-cat with startling deep purple eyes
Warriors:
Larchwhisper – Tortoiseshell she-cat with black tail
Apprentice: Hillpaw
Ashfrost – Brown tabby tom with long foreclaws
Apprentice: Waterpaw
Willowlight – Fluffy tan dappled-white tom with deep red muzzle
Rushstorm – Grey-spotted white tom
Smokeburr – Mottled grey tom with brown eyes
Dewpelt – Pretty white she-cat
Applesplash – Grey thickset tom
Apprentices:
Waterpaw – Grey tabby she-cat
Hillpaw – Dappled tan she-cat
Queens:
Mapleheart – Light ginger she-cat (mother of Cedarstar's kits: Redkit, Lightkit, and Smokekit)
Emberbright – Glossy dark ginger she-cat (mother of Willowlight's kits: Glowkit, Lanternkit, Royalkit, and Nectarkit)
Elders:
Beechshine – Light brown she-cat
Creekberry – Greyish-blue sleek tom with impaired hearing
Stoneleaf – Dark grey mottled tom
SpruceClan
Leader: Sprucestar – Sleek dark grey tom with amber eyes
Deputy: Reedspring – Thick-pelted brown tom with powerful hind paws
Medicine Cat: Shadefire – Brown tom with ginger splotches
Warriors:
Patchwillow – Dappled tan she-cat
Apprentice: Mousepaw
Flintslip – Grey tom with sharp claws
Molesnow – Stout white tom with brown muzzle
Apprentice: Whisperpaw
Icestorm – Lithe white she-cat with deep blue eyes
Archflight – Brown tabby she-cat
Nightskip – Black tom with emerald eyes
Apprentices:
Whisperpaw – Small fluffy white she-cat
Mousepaw – Light brown agile tom
Queens:
Shimmerdust – Glossy white she-cat with grey roots (mother of Flintslip's kit: Cavernkit)
Doveburr – Small tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Sprucestar's kits: Lilykit and Coarsekit)
Elders:
Jaystem – Tortoiseshell she-cat
Willowcloud – Large white tom
Vixenslip – Fluffy brown she-cat with one missing tooth
FirClan
Leader: Firstar – Lithe tortoiseshell she-cat with powerful hind legs
Deputy: Kestrelbreeze – Sleek, agile tom with spiky brown fur
Medicine Cat: Thrushtail – Huge dark grey tom with milky brown eyes
Warriors:
Hazelhawk – Light brown tabby she-cat
Marshflight – Grey tabby tom with black paws
Apprentice: Frondpaw
Skywhisker – Burly white tom with grey tipped tail
Berryhawk – Poweful tortoiseshell she-cat
Apprentice: Leafpaw
Mottledfly – Dappled brown tom with muscular legs
Badgerleap – Dark glossy tom with pale yellow eyes
Apprentices:
Leafpaw – Tortoiseshell she-cat with one olive-green ear
Frondpaw – White tom with sharp canine teeth
Queens:
Owlwing – Brown tabby she-cat (mother of Marshflight's kits: Haykit and Nipkit)
Mistlespring – Red tabby she-cat with dark silver eyes (mother of Kestrelbreeze's kits: Cinnamonkit, Woodkit, and Mintkit)
Elders:
Finchdapple – Dappled ginger tom
Featherfur – Sleek tan she-cat
Morningbird – Brown she-cat with deep green eyes
PineClan
Leader: Pinestar – Muscular white tom with emerald eyes
Deputy: Sagefire – Sleek, dark ginger tom
Medicine Cat: Mistypetal – White she-cat with dappled grey hindquarters
Warriors:
Redspot – Ginger thick-pelted tom
Apprentice: Sharppaw
Mosspeck – Tortoiseshell she-cat with black forepaws
Addersnow – Brown tabby tom, dappled white with sharp front teeth
Spottedwillow – Brown-spotted white she-cat
Gorsetooth – Heavy grey tabby tom
Flintheart – Glossy grey she-cat
Apprentice: Thornpaw
Apprentices:
Thornpaw – Black tom with yellow eyes
Sharppaw – Dark grey tom with long front claws
Queens:
Fallownose – Tan she-cat with amber eyes (mother of Addersnow's kits: Copperkit, Granitekit and Dustkit)
Whitebranch – White she-cat with grey paws (mother of Sagefire's kits: Burnkit and Grasskit)
Elders:
Fernmouse – Light brown tabby tom
Starlingbriar – Small grey she-cat
Halfbranch – Burly dark tabby with blue eyes
CypressClan
Leader: Cypresstar – Glossy brown she-cat
Deputy: Fawnfrost – Light brown she-cat with dappled white back
Medicine Cat: Ashpuddle – Small grey tabby tom with light blue eyes
Warriors:
Stormleaf – Burly dark grey tom
Aspenbreeze – Fluffy tan she-cat
Apprentice: Lakepaw
Flamefall – Dark ginger she-cat
Creekfrost – Soft grey tabby tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Airpaw
Cloverclaw – Calico tom with black ears
Oakfall – Heavy brown tabby tom
Apprentices:
Airpaw – Muscular white tom with deep silver eyes
Lakepaw – Fluffy light grey she-cat
Queens:
Breezefern – Glossy tan tabby she-cat (mother of Creekfrost's kits: Flakekit and Winterkit)
Sorrelpelt – Tortoiseshell she-cat with olive-green muzzle (mother of Stormleaf's kits: Blizzardkit and Perchkit)
Elders:
Heronflake – Thickset brown tom
Troutrush – Greying tabby tom
Pearwhisper – Old tortoiseshell she-cat
Chapter 1
I jump off the ledge and onto the cushioned carpet. My paws are ready to take me on this morning's trek, hungry for an adventure after being confined to the house for a day. I love my housefolk, but they can be really stupid.
I scratch at the glass door, and caterwaul pitifully. It feels mousebrained, but it usually gets their attention. Sure enough, my housefolk come running. They coo for a few moments, scratch my head, and then open the door. I bolt before they can change their minds, or what little minds they have.
The feeling of the wind in my fur relaxes me as I dart around the feet of twolegs. This twolegplace, while smaller than some, is always busy. The twolegs take no notice of me; they've seen me exploring the streets for long enough. I always take this route to the hill.
The snow begins to fall when he appears. "Star!"
"Fletch!" I respond. I spot the deep red tabby pelt only a little distance away. My best friend, Fletch, always meets me at this spot in the streets; right where the large thunderpath stops in front of the park. His paws have fresh snow on them; he's been out in the forest awhile. His housefolk live on the edge of the city.
"You should wear snow more often. It goes well with your pelt," he jokes, slightly. I'm not one who usually brings my good points to attention, but I have to admit that he's right; the snow does look good against my grey tabby pelt.
"Are we going for a walk, or are we just going to sit?" he continues. I can see by the hopeful look in his eyes that he really just wants to rest.
"We can sit," I say. I pad over to the boulder that sits at the front of the park and, with some difficulty, I leap up onto it. Fletch follows closely behind, and, as always, he amazes me by his jumping ability. With effortless grace he pounces up and lands silently beside me. I shake the snow from my pelt and press against him for warmth.
"Did you have a good day yesterday? I didn't see you here," he asks.
"I guess. My housefolk locked me in, so I stayed warm, but I didn't really do anything fun. Were you waiting for a while?"
"Not really. You're always on time, so when you didn't come I went back home."
"That's good. Did you do anything fun without me?" I query, secretly hoping he didn't.
"No, I just padded around the forest for a little bit and tried to catch a mouse."
"Did you get it?"
"No, it was too quick."
I can tell by the look on his face that he's disappointed. Fletch loves to hunt, even though he has plenty of food back home. He's caught a few mice and even a rabbit once. He shared the rabbit with me. I thought it was good; at least, better than the food my housefolk give me. Sometimes on special days they'll give me cream. It's alright, but I prefer the meat. It's more…satisfying, I guess.
"Remember the squirrel I almost caught once?" he says with a wild look in his eyes. I nod because I do. It was the first time he took me into the forest. I was scared at first because of all the crazy stories I'd heard about cats getting eaten by wolves and even bears, but Fletch convinced me that I'd be safe with him. And I knew I would be. So I went. It was a bit spooky, with all the trees looming over me and the forest sounds. But after a little bit I got used to it and, even enjoyed it.
Fletch was leading me to a hollow that he'd found when suddenly, a grey squirrel dashed from a tree and tried to make it to its nest in a pine on the other side. Fletch raced across the clearing and almost had it, but it swerved around a cedar that he wasn't watching for and Fletch ran into it. It knocked him out and twisted his ankle. I was so scared that he was going to die, but a few moments later he just came to and seemed fine. Ready for another chase, in fact.
The woods are the only place Fletch really feels alive. He thinks living with his housefolk is a prison. The only reason he hasn't ran off is because of me. He's tried to get me to come with him a few times, but I've always said no. Not because I don't trust him to hunt for me and keep me safe, but because I really don't want to leave twolegplace. My housefolk may be a bunch of idiots, but I still love them. And where would they be without me? Who would be there when they need comfort and entertainment?
The word pulls me up short. Entertainment? Are we just the housefolk's playthings? I refuse to believe that's true. But it does have me thinking…
"What's going on in your head?" Fletch says softly. He must have felt me sit up straighter, or sensed a change in my attitude.
"I'm just confused, I guess."
"What about?" I think he knows what I'm thinking, so he's hoping I'll say it. Anything that'll give case to his argument about leaving twolegplace.
"Nothing."
He doesn't press the matter, and I knew he wouldn't. He respects my judgment, no matter what he likes or wants to do.
We sit in peace for a few more moments until something disturbs us. Out of the blue, something dark grey bolts across the thunderpath and races into the park. At first I think it's a squirrel, but it's too big for that. In fact, it's another housecat.
"Hey look, it's Harvey!" says Fletch. Indeed it is. He's this huge dark grey cat with milky brown eyes. He lives a few houses away from me. He's nice, but he's what Mouse would call "messed up in his melon". Mouse is this funny old cat who lives at the pet store in town. The owners keep him around for company, even though he's technically up for purchase. But they're too fond of him to let him go. He always uses wild expressions.
"Whatcha up to, Harvey?" I shout. It catches him by surprise and he comically slips on some snow and lands on his side.
"Star! Fletch! I didn't see you there," he says dazedly.
"We noticed!" Fletch calls humorously. Harvey wanders over to us, slightly dizzy.
"Why in such a hurry? Are the twoleg kits chasing you again?" I ask
"No!" he says, annoyed. Then his face fills with emotion and he gets a faraway look in his eyes. "I had the strangest dream last night. A cat came to me and told me to go to the forest at the full moon. She was the prettiest cat, too! No offense to you, of course," he says hastily, looking at me, "but I'm serious! It looked like she had stars glittering in her fur!"
Fletch gives me a sideways look. Harvey did always have a vivid imagination. But he plays along. "It's not the full moon for another few days, Harvey."
"I know; I just want to get used to the forest if I'm going to be living there," he responds.
"Living there?! What did the cat exactly tell you?" I ask.
"She said that at the full moon, I would meet a bunch of other cats in a clearing beyond the ice river who would settle down in the forest. She said I would be given a special position with their groups."
"Oh? And how organized are these groups?" says Fletch. The inquisitive look in his eyes scares me.
"She didn't say; she just said that they would form groups and I would be important! And she told me that she would be back to visit me!" Harvey responds, nearly hysterical. He looks back toward the tree line. "I can't waste any more time; I don't want to be trapped in there at nightfall. If I'm going to be lost, it should be now." He dashes off without another word.
"That was interesting," says Fletch after a few silent moments.
"I wonder if she means the loners," I say absentmindedly.
"What?"
"The cat from his dream. She could have meant the loners that live around the forest. I heard that there were quite a lot of them."
"Oh come on, Star, you don't actually believe him, do you?" Fletch says bluntly.
"Harvey may be crazy but he's no liar," I say. "If he truly believes that his dream was true, then I'm not going to ignore that. It may have been just a dream, but I'm sure he dreamt it."
"I don't deny that. But he's still crazy," Fletch argues.
"For what? Wanting to live in the forest?"
I shouldn't have said that. That hit too close to home. His face darkens, a look I've rarely seen on him. "For thinking he should listen to a stupid dream," he snaps, his voice full of spite. But he sobers up before hurt can register on my face. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too," I say. We never get short with each other, not even by accident. This conversation has been a first, on many different fronts.
We waste the day strolling around twolegplace, getting the occasional handout from the different food stores around town. Fletch eats the twoleg food quietly, even though I know he's itching for mouse. We run up and down the hills and through fields, completely circumnavigating the town. When evening falls, I'm wiped but very happy.
Fletch walks me home, as always. The snow started falling harder around sunhigh, so it's a bit of a hard trek. But we make it okay.
"Take the small thunderpath route on your way home. I don't want you to get hurt," I tell him when we're at my door.
"I'll be okay," he says, straightening up. "Nothing can hurt me."
"That's not true and you know it," I say, genuinely concerned. He must see the worry on my face because he leans down and licks my ear gently.
"It's okay; I'll be safe," he reassures me.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" I ask.
"You should! Same time, same place!" he says brightly. He brushes my shoulder with his tail tip before meowing a final goodbye, and then he leaves, bounding through the snow.
I shake the snow from my own pelt before scratching at the door. In a heartbeat my housefolk are there to let me in. They pet me for a few moments, then pour food into my bowl. I eat some of it, but after all the treats we got today I'm just not that hungry. Plus, we spent the morning talking about forest food, and it makes my mouth water just thinking about our conversation.
What would living in the forest be like, I wonder? My mind and my paws are too tired to answer that at the moment, so I wander over to my pillow and settle down. Before I know it, my eyes close and I descend into a world of darkness.