The New Prophecy
Warriors
Moonrise
Erin Hunter
Special thanks to Cherith Baldry
Allegiances
THUNDERCLAN
FIRESTAR—ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt
GRAYSTRIPE—long-haired gray tom
CINDERPELT—dark gray she-cat
APPRENTICE, LEAFPAW
MOUSEFUR—small dusky brown she-cat
APPRENTICE, SPIDERPAW
DUSTPELT—dark brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, SQUIRRELPAW
SANDSTORM—pale ginger she-cat
APPRENTICE, SORRELPAW
CLOUDTAIL—long-haired white tom
BRACKENFUR—golden brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW
THORNCLAW—golden brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, SHREWPAW
BRIGHTHEART—white she-cat with ginger patches
BRAMBLECLAW—dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes
ASHFUR—pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes
RAINWHISKER—dark gray tom with blue eyes
SOOTFUR—lighter gray tom with amber eyes
SORRELPAW—tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes
SQUIRRELPAW—dark ginger she-cat with green eyes
LEAFPAW—light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and white paws
SPIDERPAW—long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes
SHREWPAW—small dark brown tom with amber eyes
WHITEPAW—white she-cat with green eyes
GOLDENFLOWER—pale ginger coat, the oldest nursery queen
FERNCLOUD—pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes
FROSTFUR—beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes
DAPPLETAIL—once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan
SPECKLETAIL—pale tabby she-cat
LONGTAIL—pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight
SHADOWCLAN
BLACKSTAR—large white tom with huge jet-black paws
RUSSETFUR—dark ginger she-cat
LITTLECLOUD—very small tabby tom
OAKFUR—small brown tom
APPRENTICE, SMOKEPAW
TAWNYPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes
CEDARHEART—dark gray tom
ROWANCLAW—ginger she-cat
APPRENTICE, TALONPAW
TALLPOPPY—long-legged light brown tabby she-cat
RUNNINGNOSE—small gray and white tom, formerly the medicine cat
WINDCLAN
TALLSTAR—elderly black and white tom with a very long tail
MUDCLAW—mottled dark brown tom
APPRENTICE, CROWPAW—dark smoky gray, almost black tom with blue eyes
BARKFACE—short-tailed brown tom
ONEWHISKER—brown tabby tom
WEBFOOT—dark gray tabby tom
TORNEAR—tabby tom
WHITETAIL—small white she-cat
MORNINGFLOWER—tortoiseshell she-cat
RIVERCLAN
LEOPARDSTAR—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat
MISTYFOOT—gray she-cat with blue eyes
MUDFUR—long-haired light brown tom
APPRENTICE, MOTHWING—beautiful golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes
BLACKCLAW—smoky black tom
HEAVYSTEP—thickset tabby tom
STORMFUR—dark gray tom with amber eyes
FEATHERTAIL—light gray she-cat with blue eyes
HAWKFROST—broad-shouldered dark brown tom
MOSSPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat
DAWNFLOWER—pale gray she-cat
SHADEPELT—very dark gray she-cat
LOUDBELLY—dark brown tom
CATS OUTSIDE CLANS
BARLEY—black and white tom that lives on a farm close to the forest
RAVENPAW—sleek black cat that lives on the farm with Barley
PURDY—elderly tabby tom that lives in woods near the sea
Map
Prologue
One by one, the cats crept into the cave. Their fur was streaked with mud and their eyes stretched wide with fear, reflecting the cold moonlight that filtered through a crack in the roof.
They crouched low with their bellies close to the ground, their gazes flickering from side to side as if they expected to see danger lurking in the shadows.
The glimmer of moonlight was caught in pools of water on the cave floor. It lit up a forest of pointed stones, some rising from the ground and others hanging from the cave roof.
Some of the stones joined in the middle to form slender trees of gleaming white rock. Wind gusted through them, ruffling the cats’ fur. The air smelled damp and clean, and was filled with the distant roar of falling water.
A cat stepped out from behind one of the pointed stones.
He was long-bodied, with lean, muscular limbs, and his pelt was completely covered in mud that had dried into spikes, so that he looked like a cat carved in stone.
“Welcome,” he meowed in a rasping voice. “Moonlight lies on the water. It is time for a Telling, according to the laws of the Tribe of Endless Hunting.”
One of the cats crept forward, dipping his head to the mud-covered cat. “Stoneteller, have you had a sign? Has the Tribe of Endless Hunting spoken to you?”
Another cat spoke from behind him. “Is there hope at last?”
Stoneteller bowed his head. “I have seen the words of the Tribe of Endless Hunting in the pattern of moonlight on rock, in the shadows cast by the stones, in the sound of raindrops as they fall from the roof.” He paused, letting his gaze sweep over the cats around him. “Yes,” he went on. “They have told me there is hope.”
A faint murmur, like the rustle of leaves in the wind, passed through the group of cats. Their eyes seemed to grow brighter, and their ears pricked. The one who had come forward first mewed hesitantly, “Then you know what will rid us of this dreadful danger?”
“Yes, Crag,” Stoneteller replied. “The Tribe of Endless Hunting has promised me that a cat will come, a silver cat not from this Tribe, who will rid us of Sharptooth once and for all.”
There was a pause, then: “Are there other cats, not in the Tribe of Rushing Water?” a voice asked from the back of the group.
“There must be,” another cat replied.
“I have heard tell of strangers,” meowed Crag, “though we’ve seen none here in our lifetimes. But when will the silver cat come?” he added desperately, and other mews rose from all around him.
“Yes, when?”