Forest of Secrets

Warriors Forest of Secrets Erin Hunter

To Schrödi, hunting with StarClan,

and to Abbey Cruden,

who has met the real Fireheart

Special thanks to Cherith Baldry

Allegiances

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER

BLUESTAR —blue-gray she-cat, tinged with silver around her muzzle.

DEPUTY

TIGERCLAW —big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws.

MEDICINE CAT

YELLOWFANG —old dark gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face, formerly of ShadowClan.

APPRENTICE, CINDERPELT —dark gray she-cat

WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)

WHITESTORM —big white tom.

APPRENTICE, BRIGHTPAW

DARKSTRIPE —sleek black-and-gray tabby tom.

LONGTAIL —pale tabby tom with dark black stripes.

APPRENTICE, SWIFTPAW

RUNNINGWIND —swift tabby tom.

WILLOWPELT —very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes.

MOUSEFUR —small dusky brown she-cat.

APPRENTICE, THORNPAW

FIREHEART —handsome ginger tom.

APPRENTICE, CLOUDPAW

GRAYSTRIPE —long-haired solid gray tom.

APPRENTICE, BRACKENPAW

DUSTPELT —dark brown tabby tom.

SANDSTORM —pale ginger she-cat.

APPRENTICES (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

SWIFTPAW —black-and-white tom.

BRACKENPAW —golden brown tabby tom.

CLOUDPAW —long-haired white tom.

BRIGHTPAW —she-cat, white with ginger splotches.

THORNPAW —golden brown tabby tom.

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

FROSTFUR —beautiful white coat and blue eyes.

BRINDLEFACE —pretty tabby.

GOLDENFLOWER —pale ginger coat.

SPECKLETAIL —pale tabby, and the oldest nursery queen.

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

HALFTAIL —big dark brown tabby tom with part of his tail missing.

SMALLEAR —gray tom with very small ears; the oldest tom in ThunderClan.

PATCHPELT —small black-and-white tom.

ONE-EYE —pale gray she-cat; the oldest cat in ThunderClan; virtually blind and deaf.

DAPPLETAIL —once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with a lovely dappled coat.

BROKENTAIL —long-haired dark brown tabby; blind; formerly ShadowClan leader.

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER

NIGHTSTAR —old black tom.

DEPUTY

CINDERFUR —thin gray tom.

MEDICINE CAT

RUNNINGNOSE —small gray-and-white tom.

WARRIORS

STUMPYTAIL —brown tabby tom.

APPRENTICE, BROWNPAW

WETFOOT —gray tabby tom.

APPRENTICE, OAKPAW

LITTLECLOUD —very small tabby tom.

QUEENS

DAWNCLOUD —small tabby.

DARKFLOWER —black she-cat.

TALLPOPPY —long-legged light brown tabby she-cat.

WINDCLAN

LEADER

TALLSTAR —black-and-white tom with a very long tail.

DEPUTY

DEADFOOT —black tom with a twisted paw.

MEDICINE CAT

BARKFACE —short-tailed brown tom.

WARRIORS

MUDCLAW —mottled dark brown tom.

APPRENTICE, WEBPAW

TORNEAR —tabby tom.

APPRENTICE, RUNNINGPAW

ONEWHISKER —young brown tabby tom.

APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW

QUEENS

ASHFOOT —gray she-cat.

MORNINGFLOWER —tortoiseshell she-cat.

RIVERCLAN

LEADER

CROOKEDSTAR —huge light-colored tabby with a twisted jaw.

DEPUTY

LEOPARDFUR —unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat.

MEDICINE CAT

MUDFUR —long-haired light brown tom.

WARRIORS

BLACKCLAW —smoky black tom.

APPRENTICE, HEAVYPAW

STONEFUR —gray tom with battle-scarred ears.

APPRENTICE, SHADEPAW

LOUDBELLY —dark brown tom.

APPRENTICE, SILVERPAW

SILVERSTREAM —pretty silver tabby.

QUEENS

MISTYFOOT —dark gray she-cat.

ELDERS

GRAYPOOL —thin gray she-cat with patchy fur and a scarred muzzle.

CATS OUTSIDE CLANS

BARLEY —black-and-white tom who lives on a farm close to the forest.

BLACKFOOT —large white tom with huge jet-black paws, formerly ShadowClan deputy.

BOULDER —silver tabby tom, formerly of ShadowClan.

PRINCESS —light brown tabby with a distinctive white chest and paws—a kittypet.

RAVENPAW —sleek black cat with a white-tipped tail who lives on the farm with Barley.

SMUDGE —plump, friendly black-and-white kitten who lives in a house at the edge of the forest.

Maps

Prologue

Cold gripped the forest, fields, and moorland like an icy claw. Snow covered everything, glittering faintly under a new moon. Nothing broke the silence in the forest except for the occasional soft rush of snow sliding from the branches of trees and the faint rasping of dried reeds when the wind swept through them. Even the murmur of the river was stilled by the ice that stretched from bank to bank.

There was a flicker of movement at the edge of the river. A large tomcat, his bracken-colored fur fluffed up against the cold, emerged from the reeds. He shook snow impatiently from his paws as he sank into the soft drifts with every step.

In front of him, two tiny kits struggled forward with faint mews of distress. They floundered in the powdery snow, the fur on their legs and belly matted into icy clumps, but every time they tried to stop, the tomcat nudged them on.

The three cats trudged along the river until it widened out, and they drew level with a small island not far from the bank. Thick beds of reeds surrounded it, their dry stems poking up through the ice. Stunted, leafless willow trees concealed the center of the island behind snow-covered boughs.