But Firestar recognized the truth in his ramblings of long-ago cats, and when the new SkyClan rose from the dust, Skywatcher was welcomed as an honored elder. He lived just long enough to see his mother’s distant memories reignite the gorge, and then died, taking his place among his ancestors.
But Skywatcher never forgot the debt he owed to Firestar, and it was he who was chosen to deliver the greatest prophecy of all to the ThunderClan leader: “There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.”
LEAFSTAR
LEAF WAS A LONER in the woods near the sandy gorge when Firestar first approached her and told her about the cats who lived there long ago. Leaf was happy as she was, hunting for herself, occasionally sharing tongues with her friend Scratch. But she was curious enough about what Firestar said to come to a meeting of cats in the gorge. His tales of StarClan, and of cats that helped each other survive the harshest leaf-bares, drew Leaf in, and along with several others—loners and kittypets alike—she agreed to join the new Clan.
With the warrior name Leafdapple, she learned fast from her ThunderClan mentors. She was given an apprentice of her own, Sparrowpaw, and she helped her Clanmates set border markers around the gorge, protecting the territory that belonged to them now. She fought as fiercely as a lion to defeat the rats that had begun to torment them, just as the old SkyClan had been tormented so many moons ago.
A vision of leaf-shadowed sunlight in the midst of leaf-bare prompted the new medicine cat, Echosong, to speak with Firestar, who realized that this must be a sign for him to choose a leader. At first, Leafdapple resisted taking on so much responsibility when there was still much to learn, but faith in her newly discovered ancestors gave her courage, and she became Leafstar.
With the support of her mate, Billystorm, and her deputy, Sharpclaw, she led SkyClan through its turbulent early seasons, fending off attacks from foxes and hostile cats, as well as negotiating a new kind of Clanmate, a daylight-warrior, part-kittypet and part-Clan cat. Leafstar knew this would not be accepted in other Clans, but she was wise enough to recognize that things were very different for SkyClan. They had to exist alone, and they needed to swell their numbers by any means in order to stay strong and well-fed. Some questioned the loyalty of the daylight-warriors, and some daylight-warriors proved inadequate, but Leafstar’s decision was the right one, and SkyClan flourished.
Leafstar had her own litter, Firekit, Stormkit, and Harrykit, and rescued them when a well-meaning elderly Twoleg took them to her den. Her mate, Billystorm, realized how much his family meant to him after this and decided to stay in the gorge forever. Perhaps the only fatal mistake
Leafstar made was sending away the would-be warrior Sol; fatal not for her Clan, but for the Clans far away that she had never met.
ECHOSONG
CHOSONG WAS PURE KITTYPET, with no hint of SkyClan in her long, fluffy coat and delicate paws. But she dreamed of cats with the light of stars in their fur, and when Firestar and Sandstorm came looking for new warriors in Twolegplace, Echosong was expecting them. Already made restless by her strange dreams, Echosong was willing to leave her housefolk and go live in the gorge. Her sensitivity to the stars and her quick knowledge of herbs, thanks to Sandstorm’s patient teaching, made her an obvious choice for SkyClan’s new medicine cat.
The loners in the Clan, including Sharpclaw, were suspicious of the soft-furred kittypet, but Echosong was patient and loyal and proved her worth. She saved lives after the battle with the rats, and shared her Clanmates’ grief when it was too late to help the brave warrior Rainfur. It was Echosong who received the sign of dappled leaves to indicate StarClan’s choice for the leader of SkyClan, and she traveled with Leafstar to watch her receive her nine lives from their ancestors.
Firestar knew that with these two cats, he was leaving the young Clan in the safest paws.
SHARPCLAW
WHEN FIRESTAR AND SANDSTORM first came to the gorge, Sharpclaw was a loner known as Scratch.
Firestar only needed a chance meeting to realize that this cat had the SkyClan ability to jump, and the courage of a fully trained Clan warrior. Sharpclaw was more than willing to join the new Clan and learn how to defend its borders and stock the fresh-kill pile with enough prey to fill every mouth. But his zeal spilled over into arrogance, and he was dismissive of the former kittypets, claiming they could never learn to survive in the wild.
His impulsive need to protect his Clan caused trouble when he leaped too quickly into skirmishes with passing cats, but his bravery and strength played the greatest role in helping his Clanmates to victory against the horde of rats. Leafstar didn’t hesitate to ask him to be her deputy; in his heart, Sharpclaw thought he deserved to be leader just as much, but his loyalty to the newly formed SkyClan made him equally committed to this supporting role.
His impatience with kittypets spilled over when the daylight-warriors seemed too slow to keep up with Clan duties and too quick to return to their housefolk’s cozy dens at night. But Leafstar made him give these cats a chance to prove their worth while his growing closeness to the young warrior Cherrytail gave him a contentment and sense of purpose he had not known before. It remains to be seen what kind of leader he will make after Leafstar joins StarClan—perhaps SkyClan will be steady on its paws by then and able to withstand Sharpclaw’s tendency to aggression and battle. But for now, he is the ideal deputy, guiding the young Clan toward a secure and star-blessed future.
TRIBE OF RUSHING WATER
Introduction to the Tribe of Rushing Water: Stoneteller Speaks
THE TRIBE OF RUSHING Water has been shaped by the mountains that are our home. We are lithe, quick-moving, and the color of stone, our pelts blending into the rocks. Even our names echo the stark beauty that lies all around us: the sharp peaks outlined against the sky, the dazzle and foam of the waterfall, the clouds that drift high above us or lie heavy on the summits.
As the Teller of the Pointed Stones, leader and healer of all the cats behind the waterfall, it is my duty to share tongues with my ancestors, to read the signs of moonlight on the surface of the pools, in the drip of water and the wind that ruffles it. Clan cats look up to the stars for their omens; we look down into shining water, sheltered in our cave.
The first cats to settle in the mountains came here from the lake. I wonder if the Clan cats know they have come full circle, for it was mountain cats who went to find a new home in the forest, where the Clans lived for so many warm and generous seasons. At first, we struggled to survive in the harsh and lonely mountains, persecuted by the endless wind and the tendency of our eagle prey to kill us before we could pluck them from the air. The cats began to divide according to their talents, the brave and quick fighters taking on the role of protecting those who were skilled at tracking what little prey there was. We named these cats “prey-hunters,” and the sturdy cats who protected them “cave-guards.” Our young we called “to-bes,” because they were to be cave-guards or prey-hunters one day themselves.
In spite of everything, we carved out a life for ourselves and found a way to survive everything the mountains could hurl at us—until Sharptooth came, and we found ourselves helpless as prey, waiting for a silver cat to save us.