ROWANCLAW—ginger tom
SMOKEFOOT—black tom
APPRENTICE, OWLPAW (light brown tabby tom)
IVYTAIL—black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat
APPRENTICE, DAWNPAW (cream-furred she-cat)
TOADFOOT—dark brown tom
CROWFROST—black-and-white tom
APPRENTICE, OLIVEPAW (tortoiseshell she-cat)
KINKFUR—tabby she-cat, with long fur that sticks out at all angles
RATSCAR—brown tom with long scar across his back
APPRENTICE, SHREWPAW (gray she-cat with black feet)
SNAKETAIL—dark brown tom with tabby-striped tail
APPRENTICE, SCORCHPAW (dark gray tom)
WHITEWATER—white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye
APPRENTICE, REDPAW (mottled brown and ginger tom)
TAWNYPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes
QUEENS SNOWBIRD—pure-white she-cat
ELDERS CEDARHEART—dark gray tom
TALLPOPPY—long-legged light brown tabby she-cat
WINDCLAN
LEADER ONESTAR—brown tabby tom
DEPUTY ASHFOOT—gray she-cat
MEDICINE CAT BARKFACE—short-tailed brown tom
APPRENTICE, KESTRELPAW (mottled gray tom)
WARRIORS TORNEAR—tabby tom
CROWFEATHER—dark gray tom
OWLWHISKER—light brown tabby tom
WHITETAIL—small white she-cat
NIGHTCLOUD—black she-cat
GORSETAIL—very pale gray-and-white cat with blue eyes
WEASELFUR—ginger tom with white paws
HARESPRING—brown-and-white tom
LEAFTAIL—dark tabby tom with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, THISTLEPAW (long-haired white tom)
DEWSPOTS—spotted gray tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, SEDGEPAW (light brown tabby she-cat)
WILLOWCLAW—gray she-cat
APPRENTICE, SWALLOWPAW (dark gray she-cat)
ANTPELT—brown tom with one black ear
EMBERFOOT—gray tom with two dark paws
APPRENTICE, SUNPAW (tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead)
HEATHERTAIL—light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes
BREEZEPELT—black tom with amber eyes
ELDERS MORNINGFLOWER—very old tortoiseshell queen
WEBFOOT—dark gray tabby tom
RIVERCLAN
LEADER LEOPARDSTAR—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat
DEPUTY MISTYFOOT—gray she-cat with blue eyes
MEDICINE CAT MOTHWING—dappled golden she-cat
APPRENTICE, WILLOWSHINE (gray tabby she-cat)
WARRIORS BLACKCLAW—smoky black tom
VOLETOOTH—small brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, MINNOWPAW (dark gray she-cat)
REEDWHISKER—black tom
MOSSPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes
APPRENTICE, PEBBLEPAW (mottled gray tom)
BEECHFUR—light brown tom
RIPPLETAIL—dark gray tabby tom
APPRENTICE, MALLOWPAW (light brown tabby tom)
GRAYMIST—pale gray tabby
DAWNFLOWER—pale gray she-cat
DAPPLENOSE—mottled gray she-cat
POUNCETAIL—ginger-and-white tom
MINTFUR—light gray tabby tom
APPRENTICE, NETTLEPAW (dark brown tabby tom)
OTTERHEART—dark brown she-cat
APPRENTICE, SNEEZEPAW (gray-and-white tom)
PINEFUR—very short-haired tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, ROBINPAW (tortoiseshell-and-white tom)
RAINSTORM—mottled gray-blue tom
DUSKFUR—brown tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, COPPERPAW (dark ginger she-cat)
QUEENS ICEWING—white cat with blue eyes, mother of Beetlekit, Pricklekit, Petalkit, and Grasskit
ELDERS HEAVYSTEP—thickset tabby tom
SWALLOWTAIL—dark tabby she-cat
STONESTREAM—gray tom
CATS OUTSIDE CLANS
SOL—white-and-brown tabby long-haired tom with pale yellow eyes
SMOKY—muscular gray-and-white tom who lives in a barn at the horseplace
FLOSS—small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace
PURDY—elderly, plump tabby loner with a gray muzzle
JINGO—dark brown tabby she-cat
HUSSAR—broad-shouldered gray tom
SPECKLE—flecked brown she-cat, nursing four kits
FRITZ—black-and-white tom with a torn ear
POD—scrawny brown tom with a gray muzzle
JET—long-haired black tom
MERRY—ginger-and-white she-cat
CHIRP—pale gray tabby tom
OTHER ANIMALS
MIDNIGHT—a star-gazing badger who lives by the sea
Map
PROLOGUE
Moonlight washed over the stone hollow, bright as day, but beneath the bushes and at the edges under the cliffs, dark shadows seemed to uncoil like claws. Leafpool crouched over Ashfur’s limp body. The pale light turned his gray fur to silver as she groomed it for his burial. Beside her, Jayfeather helped, smoothing Ashfur’s tail and fluffing it up as it dried.
Leafpool raised her head to gaze up at the icy glitter cast by her warrior ancestors. “May StarClan light your path, Ashfur.” She let her voice fall softly into the cold air as she repeated the words used by medicine cats for more seasons than any cat could count, whenever a Clanmate died. “May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep.”
The words that should have comforted her, promising a long and happy life for the fallen warrior, instead hurt her, sharper than thorns. Her mind filled with the moment she had discovered the neat teethmarks in Ashfur’s neck. Too small for a dog, too clean for a fox, too sharp for a badger. Only a cat could have left them. But which cat? Who hated Ashfur enough to kill him in cold blood, leaving no signs of a struggle? Had it been an honest clash over borders or stolen prey? Could it have been a WindClan cat, or a passing rogue? Please, StarClan, let it be that!