Allegiances

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER:         Firestar - ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt.

DEPUTY:         Graystripe - long-haired gray tom.

MEDICINE CAT:     Cinderpelt - dark gray she-cat.
                                          Apprentice: Leafpool

WARRIORS:   (toms and she-cats without kits)
                     Brambleclaw - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
                             Apprentice: Berrypaw
                     Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom.
                             Apprentice: Hazelpaw
                            Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat
                             Apprentice: Honeypaw
                           Cloudtail - long-haired white tom.
                             Apprentice: Cinderpaw
                     Brackenfur - golden brown tabby tom.
                     Sorreltail - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes.
                     Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom.
                              Apprentice: Poppypaw
                            Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger patches.
                     Ashfur - Pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes.
                     Spiderleg - long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes.
                              Apprentice: Mousepaw
                           Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes.
                     Birchfall - light brown tabby tom.

APPRENTICES:  (more than six moons old,  in training to become warriors)
                           Leafpool - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes.
                           Berrypaw - cream-colored tom.
                           Hazelpaw - small gray and white she-cat.
                           Mousepaw - gray and white tom.
                           Cinderpaw - gray tabby she-cat.
                           Honeypaw -  light brown tabby she-cat.
                           Poppypaw - tortoiseshell she-cat.

QUEENS:  (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
                 Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes. Mother of Ashfur's kits: Hollykit (Black she-kit) Lionkit (golden tabby tom) and Jaykit (gray tabby tom, blind)
                 Daisy - cream long-furred cat from the horseplace.
                 Ferncloud - pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes, mother of Dustpelt's kits: Icekit (white she-kit) and Foxkit (reddish tabby tom)

ELDERS:  (former warriors and queens, now retired)
               Longtail - pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight.
               Mousefur - small dusky brown she-cat.

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER:     Blackstar - large white tom with huge jet-black paws.

DEPUTY:     Russetfur - dark ginger she-cat
MEDICINE CAT:     Littlecloud - very small tabby tom.

WARRIORS:  (toms, and she-cats without kits)
                      Oakfur - small brown tom.
                      Rowanclaw - ginger tom.
                           Apprentice: Ivypaw
                             Smokefoot - black tom.
                           Apprentice: Owlpaw
                              Snowbird - pure white she-cat.

APPRENTICES:  (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)
                          Ivypaw - black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat.
                          Owlpaw -  light brown tabby tom.

QUEENS:  (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
                Tawnypelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, mother of Tigerkit, Flamekit, and Dawnkit.

ELDERS:  (former warriors and queens, now retired)
                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: Kestralpaw

WARRIORS:   (toms, and she-cats without kits)
                     Tornear - tabby tom.
                          Apprentice: Harepaw
                           Crowfeather - dark gray tom.
                     Owlwhisker - light brown tabby tom.
                     Whitetail - small white she -cat.
                     Nightcloud - black she-cat.
                     Weaselfur - ginger tom with white paws.
      
APPRENTICES: (more than six moons, training to become warriors)
                          Kestralpaw - mottled gray tom.
                          Harepaw -  brown and white tom.

QUEENS:   (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

ELDERS:   (former warriors and queens, now retired)
               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.
                      Apprentice: Dapplepaw

MEDICINE CAT:  Mothwing - dappled golden she-cat.
                                    Apprentice: Willowpaw

WARRIORS:   (toms and she-cats without kits)
                      Stormfur - dark gray tom with amber eyes.
                      Feathertail - light gray she-cat with blue eyes.
                      Blackclaw -  smoky black tom.
                      Voletooth - small brown tabby tom.
                           Apprentice: Minnowpaw
                      Reedwhisker - black tom.
                           Apprentice: Pouncepaw
                      Mosspelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes.
                           Apprenitce: Pebblepaw
                      Beechfur - light brown tom.
                      Rippletail - dark gray tabby tom.

APPRENTICES:  (more than six moons old, training to become warriors)
                           Willowpaw - gray tabby she-cat.
                           Dapplepaw - mottled gray she-cat.
                           Minnowpaw - dark gray she-cat
                           Pouncepaw - ginger and white tom.
                           Pebblepaw - mottled gray tom.

QUEENS:   (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
               Dawnflower - pale gray she-cat.

ELDERS:   (warriors and queens, now retired)
              Heavystep - thickset tabby tom.
              Swallowtail - dark tabby she-cat.



CATS OUTSIDE OF THE CLANS
      Feather - snowy white she-cat with dark gray, black tabby-striped patches and a black tail tip, green eyes.
      Splash - light medium gray she-cat with deep hazel eyes and darker tabby patches.

Prologue

   Shadows sprawled over barren sidewalks, stretching far from the entities that cast them. Diminutive scraps of grass, lodged in the cracks of the concrete, swayed slowly in a light, whispering breeze. Down a long, dark alley, a muffled clamor could be heard. A group of cats had congregated at the end of the alley, all wearing tooth-studded collars around their necks. They were circled around two young she-cats, who were crouched in defensive stances. A small black tom with one white paw stepped into the circle, looking the she-cats in the eye.
   "You realize what you've done," he said coldly, ice blue eyes flashing. He received no reply from either cat, so he went on. "You also realize that you must die."
   "Please, Scourge," one of them pleaded. "Just let us go. You'll never hear from us again." Despite the fact that they were bigger than the black tom, they seemed deathly afraid of him.
   "You can't just leave BloodClan!" he spat, whirling around to face the cat that had spoken. "You either give your undying loyalty, or you die."
   "But, we'd go far away," the other she-cat said. "We wouldn't be harming anything!"
   The tom hissed and raked his claws across the she-cats cheek, splattering dark crimson over his clean white  paw. The she-cat cried out and staggered backwards, flinching with pain. Scourge didn't say anything, just gave a quick flick of his tail. The other cats began to close in on the two she-cats, fur bristling. Screeches rang out, shattering the dawn. Though the battle was impossible, the she-cats fought hard for as long as they could. Then, one of them noticed a break in their attackers ranks. "Run!" she cried to her sister, then both cats ran into the streets, intent on the forest that lay beyond.

~~~

   
   Both she-cats had narrowly escaped the torment of Scourge and fled from their territory. Dawn sunlight dappled the ground, and the she-cats were making their way through the forest, which was another part of BloodClan's endless territory. The task was painful for both who were limping and covered in wounds. No bird song filled the air, like you would expect in a forest, but the land was unusually quiet, and it had been so ever since BloodClan set their paws on the mossy ground. Coming clear of the wood revealed a trail of blood in the sister's wake.
   "Where are we going?" one of them, a gray she-cat with tabby patches scattered over her fur, eventually spoke up.
   "Anywhere. It's better than here, that's for sure," the other one rasped, her voice no louder than a whisper. From the time it took them to leave the false safety of the woods and make their way across the open moor beyond, they walked in dead silence.
   When the edge of the moor came into sight, they seemed to pick up their pace, longing for the freedom that lay ahead. Finally, one of them collapsed to the ground, staining the grass scarlet.
   "Let's rest, we can't walk forever," the fallen cat pleaded.
   "We can't stay here, what if we get caught!" the other one hissed through gritted teeth. With some encouragement the tired she-cats forced themselves to stand and continue walking.
   A soft breeze blew the fleeing cat's scent back to the forest, however, they didn't seem to notice or care. All they wanted was to get away.
   "BloodClan can't be the only clan, can they?" one of them finally spoke up.
   "If there are more, I'd hate to see what their leader's are like," the other grunted. With a silent nod from the questioner, they continued in silence. After a few minuets their stomach's would growl with hunger, but they continued with the occasional whisper of, 'Just keep going,' or 'Just a little farther.'