Cats of the Clans

by Erin Hunter

  It’s not always easy to befriend a WindClan cat—they have become like the rabbits they chase: suspicious and quickly startled, fiercely protective of their Clanmates. But they know that they are in less danger from allies than enemies, which is why they have a reputation for being a peaceful Clan, the least likely to invade another Clan’s territory for food or power. Since Firestar came to the forest he has watched them join with RiverClan, then ThunderClan, and even fall under the thrall of ShadowClan when that seemed the only way to protect themselves against a worse attack. Whatever their enemies say, this farsightedness is a strength, and it is a mistake to think WindClan cats are ever truly loyal to any but their own Clan.

  They suffered most when the Twolegs made the Thunderpath in the forest wider. They watched huge yellow monsters turn their territory to rabbitless mud, then became prey themselves as the Twolegs tried first to poison them, then rounded them up and imprisoned them. They showed great courage in not fleeing the forest long before the other Clans made up their minds to leave. For as long as there are cats living by the lake, WindClan will be among them, swift pawed and watchful, clinging to the warrior code like moss to a rock.

  TALLSTAR

  TALLSTAR KILLED THE snake that bit you; did you know that, Adderkit? He spent nine long lives fighting for his Clan, defending the borders, forging alliances that would grant his Clanmates one more moon of peace, and battling the creatures within his territory that wanted to harm his kits. Some cats thought he was too quick to make friends with other Clans, too willing to let another leader take responsibility for the safety of his Clanmates. But what was he supposed to do when Firestar and Graystripe risked their lives to bring his Clan home from the Thunderpath? Gratitude and respect for two brave young warriors is not the same as rolling over and showing the soft parts of your underbelly.

  Tallstar fought as fiercely as a lion when he needed to, but he preferred not to watch his Clanmates bleed scarlet onto the grass. When Bluestar tried to lead her Clan into battle against him, believing his cats had stolen prey from ThunderClan territory, Tallstar trusted Firestar’s warning that Bluestar was mistaken, and refused to fight.

  He gave up his ninth life at the end of the Great Journey, knowing he had led his Clan safely to their new home. And with his last breath, all his wisdom, all his farsightedness, deserted him. Suspicious of his deputy Mudclaw’s ambition, he made Onewhisker his deputy instead, thus cheating Mudclaw of becoming leader. Foolish Tallstar. He should have known that Mudclaw would harbor a grudge in his heart like a poisonous thorn. He must have watched in dismay as his final decision nearly destroyed the Clan he had struggled for so long to protect.

  TALLSTAR

  ONESTAR

  THIS CAT COULD TELL you a tale or two about the loneliness of power. He was a good friend to Firestar from the moment they met on the journey back from the Thunderpath; the two young warriors recognized in each other a sense of fairness and ambition to serve their Clan. It was partly thanks to Onewhisker that Tallstar agreed not to fight Bluestar over her accusations of theft; and WindClan cats were treated generously more than once when they crossed the border. Firestar believed he could depend on their friendship forever, and was only too pleased when Tallstar changed his deputy at the end of his ninth life.

  But Onestar could not be the leader of his Clan as well as Firestar’s loyal ally. Suddenly the friendship that had supported him from across the border seemed like a burden, a debt of gratitude. Onestar knew the other Clans called him Firestar’s kittypet, ready to roll over and have his belly tickled when it suited the ThunderClan leader.

  He needed respect from his own Clanmates, too, many of whom had supported Mudclaw’s claim. The only way to do this was to make his Clan independent, confident they could face challenges without running to ThunderClan. There were no favors owed or expected, no tolerance of border crossing or friendly patrols. It was a hard lesson for Firestar, but harder for Onestar. He missed his ThunderClan friend, especially in the early days, when he struggled to convince himself he had any right to be WindClan’s leader. At the time when he most needed an ally he had to walk alone, and watch a long friendship ebb away.

  ONESTAR

  MUDCLAW

  MUDCLAW WAS WINDCLAN’S most senior warrior, made deputy because even Tallstar recognized that his own peace-pursuing leadership needed the support of a warrior not afraid to show his claws. Tallstar’s decision to replace Mudclaw with Onewhisker was a terrible betrayal of Mudclaw’s loyalty. Would Mudclaw have made such a dreadful leader? Yes, he was ambitious—but his ambition was to become leader of his Clan, and no cat can doubt that he would have surrendered all his lives to defending his Clanmates and the Clan’s borders.

  He wasn’t the only cat to think he’d been cheated. He had supporters in RiverClan and ShadowClan. And while Mudclaw sought to take back the leadership that he’d waited for for so long, another cat saw an opportunity to divide the Clans from within and seize power over all of them: Hawkfrost, goaded on by his father, who walked in his dreams.

  Mudclaw had no idea what Hawkfrost was doing. As far as he was concerned it was a fair battle, and his quarrel was not so much with Onewhisker as it was with Tallstar, who had not honored the debt owed to a loyal deputy. The attack failed, and Mudclaw was killed by a falling tree. Was this StarClan making their loyalties known once more, making it clear they wanted Onewhisker to be the new WindClan leader? Or a lucky strike of lightning that got rid of a troublesome cat and formed a bridge to the Gathering place at the same time? Little kits, there are some questions even I cannot answer.

  MUDCLAW

  CROWFEATHER

  WHAT MADE STARCLAN pick this inexperienced, reserved, defensive apprentice to travel to the sun-drown-place on WindClan’s behalf? He was the only cat in the prophecy who was not a full warrior, and the only one without an old friend on the journey. Mosskit, you may well say he was grumpy and unhelpful, but he agreed to go, didn’t he? Crowfeather never once tried to turn back, fought as bravely as the rest against hostile kittypets and hungry foxes, and faced Midnight side by side with his companions, knowing he had a right to hear her message too.

  Feathertail saved him, in the other cats’ eyes, because she saw past his shyness and his sharp tongue and found something to love. He loved her too, with a quiet fierceness that nearly split him in two when he watched her die in the cave behind the waterfall. He chose his own warrior name to honor her memory, you know.

  When Crowfeather fell in love again, this time with Leafpool, the ThunderClan medicine cat, I wondered if StarClan had forgotten about him completely. Or perhaps they were punishing him for some misdeed he hasn’t yet done? It was always bound to end in disaster. It wasn’t only Leafpool’s loyalty to her Clan that brought them back to the lake; Crowfeather was the one who said they had to return to save ThunderClan from the badger attack. He loved Leafpool too much to force her to abandon her medicine cat duties. By letting her go, did he lose any hope of happiness for himself?

  CROWFEATHER

  NIGHTCLOUD AND BREEZEPAW

  IF NIGHTCLOUD WERE A gentle, loving cat like Leafpool, or feisty and warmhearted like Squirrelflight, it would be easier to feel sorry for her. After all, Crowfeather took her as his mate to prove that he was loyal to WindClan in spite of trying to run off with the ThunderClan medicine cat. But she’s a difficult she-cat to like, with her short temper and her possessiveness over Crowfeather and her son, Breezepaw.

  Don’t hiss, Adderkit. I speak only the truth as I see it, and what some might call the love of a she-cat for her kits I call jealousy and arrogance. Nightcloud should trust her son to prove his own worth, without leaping in to defend him first. And maybe she should remember that of all Crowfeather’s mates, she is the one StarClan have spared to live side by side with him.

  Breezepaw shares his mother’s arrogance, but perhaps we can forgive his readiness to draw blood in defense of his Clan. He has heard the whispers about his father, the doubts that Crowfeather is truly
loyal to WindClan, and the rumor that he has a weakness beyond the borders. Breezepaw doesn’t know this weakness has a name, but he will not let his Clanmates think the same about him. He is what Onestar needs most: a fierce, brave warrior loyal to WindClan and with complete faith they can win every battle. But Breezepaw needs to learn that a battle is unfair from the start if there are secrets waiting in the shadows, and if the cats around him have left a legacy of mistakes and ill judgment that has not reached its end.

  NIGHTCLOUD AND BREEZEPAW

  HEATHERPAW

  HEATHERPAW WAS HERE once, little kits. Just like you she sat below this ledge, imagining places and cats far away. But for her it was only a game, and the cats were members of DarkClan, which she and Lionpaw conjured up when they played in the tunnels. To Lionpaw she seemed like the bravest, most devoted companion he could wish to meet this far under the ground; but what made Heatherpaw so determined to meet her ThunderClan friend in secret? Did she think the warrior code would not apply to her? She insisted they weren’t doing any harm, but Tigerstar and Hawkfrost saw the danger in Lionpaw teaching a WindClan apprentice their best fighting moves. I don’t think Heatherpaw was guilty of anything but selfishness; she stayed loyal to her Clan, although luckily she never had to face her friend on the other side of a battle.

  You could argue that Heatherpaw showed great courage in entering the tunnels to look for the lost WindClan kits, but would they have found their way down if they hadn’t followed her first? Seven lives were nearly lost that night, seven more scratches to go uncrossed on my recording branch. StarClan had no power to save them down here. The river spared them, that’s all.

  Don’t worry, little ones. It’s not raining tonight; the river won’t rise. You’ll be safe till morning comes.

  HEATHERPAW

  RIVERCLAN

  YOU COULD SWIM THAT river if you tried, Mosskit. Are you drawn to the rushing black water? Can you guess how it would feel sliding over your fur? You are half RiverClan, remember, and those cats are born with a love of water not shared by any other Clan. This means that they alone can take prey from lakes and rivers, so they go sleek and well fed even in leaf-bare, when other Clans go hungry. They’re not so willing to share prey, either; they were quick to accept Firestar and Graystripe’s woodland fresh-kill when the fish in the river made them sick, but I can’t imagine the favor being returned. Although they let ThunderClan shelter from the fire on their side of the river, so perhaps I am doing them an injustice. I just find their pride too close to smugness; they say their territory is safe because the other Clans fear and respect them, but surely it’s a matter of the other Clans not knowing what to do with one end of a fish? Rabbits, voles, and birds can be found on the fresh-kill piles of the other Clans, but they don’t hunt for prey in the lake even though they all have territory that runs down to the shore.

  The price RiverClan paid for living by the river in the forest was the invasion of Twolegs every greenleaf. They lived in little dens made of flapping green pelts that were planted in the field next to the water, and they filled the river with bobbing boats that scared away the fish. Did you know that more RiverClan cats were stolen by Twolegs than from any other Clan? For no more sinister reason than to be kept as kittypets; Twoleg kits would see a RiverClan cat sunning itself on the shore and want that handsome, glossy-furred warrior to live in their own nest. What’s that, little ones? You’ve never heard this before? I’m not surprised; RiverClan keep quiet about it, even now, because hardly any of the warriors came back.

  CROOKEDSTAR

  CROOKEDSTAR WAS THE leader of RiverClan when Firestar came to the forest. When he was a kit RiverClan won back the rights to Sunningrocks, and the cats used to swim across the river and stretch out whenever the sky was clear, just to taunt their ThunderClan rivals. Crookedstar and his littermates played too roughly on the rocks one day and he fell and broke his jaw, giving him his warrior name. From then on he had to fight more fiercely, catch more fish, and defend his Clan more loyally to earn the respect of his Clanmates; a less than perfect cat is not welcome in RiverClan.

  Crookedstar knew that a united Clan, even if it contained half-Clan blood, would always be stronger than a Clan that quarreled within itself. He knew who Mistyfoot and Stonefur’s mother was from the moment Oakheart came to him with a tale of finding two kits lost in the snow. It was obvious from the color of their fur and the scent that clung to them. Crookedstar also knew that raising Bluestar’s kits would provide two more strong warriors for his Clan, and give the ThunderClan leader a weakness when it came to launching an attack across the river. So he chose to be publicly ignorant about where the kits came from.

  He was less welcoming when Graystripe crossed the river with Feathertail and Stormfur. Graystripe’s mate, Silverstream, was Crookedstar’s daughter, and Crookedstar wanted to have his kin in his own Clan. But there was no place in RiverClan for a warrior whose heart lay on the other side of the river, and Crookedstar did nothing to stop his Clanmates from making it clear they could never trust Silverstream’s former mate. It was this cunning, this confidence and farsightedness in dealing with his own Clan, that made Crookedstar one of the strongest leaders the Clans have ever seen.

  CROOKEDSTAR

  LEOPARDSTAR

  LEOPARDSTAR WAS Crookedstar’s deputy, and became leader when Crookedstar lost his ninth life. She shared his pride and his ambition for their Clan, but she lacked his wisdom and tried too hard to defend herself against the other Clans. She couldn’t see Crookedstar’s attitude to half-Clan blood as anything but a weakness, which turned her against Firestar and his Clan of kittypet warriors. When Tigerstar took over ShadowClan and offered a way of making the forest pure Clan, with no petty fighting over boundaries because all cats would belong to one supreme Clan, Leopardstar formed an alliance that would nearly lead to the destruction of every cat.

  She realized her mistake when Tigerstar combined their Clans into TigerClan and made himself leader, then made half-Clan cats fight to the death. Whatever Leopardstar had hoped for, this was not it. But she was trapped by her pride and couldn’t speak out against Tigerstar—not because she was scared for her own safety, but because she couldn’t face losing the respect of her Clanmates by admitting she was wrong.

  Leopardstar saved her Clanmates by agreeing to join LionClan on the eve of the battle with BloodClan; thanks to Firestar she ended up on the winning side. But she has never forgotten how close she came to destroying her Clan, and if she seems hostile and defensive when dealing with the other Clans, it’s not because she doesn’t trust them; it’s because she no longer trusts her own judgment, and fears for the safety of her Clan if she makes another mistake.

  LEOPARDSTAR

  GRAYPOOL, MISTYFOOT, AND STONEFUR

  YOUR LITTERMATES, MOSSKIT! You should be very proud of them; they grew into strong, loyal warriors who served their father’s Clan well. Yes, you would have made a fine warrior, too. It is RiverClan’s loss that they didn’t get the chance to raise you with them. Oakheart gave his remaining kits to one of the oldest queens in RiverClan, Graypool. He knew she would recognize their scent, but he trusted her to keep quiet. Mistyfoot and Stonefur never questioned that Graypool was their mother; they had similar-colored fur, and she treated them the same as any of the Clan’s kits, so why should they? It takes two to make a lie: one to tell it and the other to believe it.

  All three of you inherited your father’s strength and courage, and your mother’s good sense and fighting skills. Leopardstar made Mistyfoot her deputy, and they mentored Stormfur and Feathertail. But when Bluestar revealed the truth about their birth, they became the thing Leopardstar hated most: half-Clan cats. When Tigerstar took control of RiverClan, Mistyfoot fled across the river to her mother’s Clan, but Stonefur was captured and killed by Darkstripe and Blackfoot on Tigerstar’s command. Mistyfoot returned to her Clan after the battle with BloodClan. She’ll succeed Leopardstar one day, which means a half-Clan cat will become leader. But it would be a
foolish ThunderClan cat who thought Mistyfoot had any loyalty except to the Clan that raised her and her brother.

  GRAYPOOL, MISTYFOOT, AND STONEFUR

  SILVERSTREAM

  SILVERSTREAM WAS Crookedstar’s only daughter, and the strength of his leadership earned her the respect of her Clanmates before she had caught her first fish. She was as dismayed as any of them would have been when she fell in love with a ThunderClan cat. She saved Graystripe from drowning not because she had been struck by his good looks from across the river, but because RiverClan were not in the habit of letting dead cats pollute their source of prey. Silverstream did not want to be in love with a ThunderClan cat; when they met in secret, it felt as if she were walking on thorns, and fish stuck in her throat when she returned to her Clanmates at the fresh-kill pile. But loyalty and love are two very different things: all my life I’ve chosen loyalty, which has made my path much simpler. Love makes cats risk everything for the sake of a few stolen moments, ears pricked for the sound of an approaching patrol even when one cat is on his own territory, and should be among friends.