Эрин Хантер - Dark River

FIRESTAR—ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

BRAMBLECLAW—dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

APPRENTICE, BERRYPAW

LEAFPOOL—light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

APPRENTICE, JAYPAW

SQUIRRELFLIGHT—dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

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

APPRENTICE, HOLLYPAW

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

APPRENTICE, LIONPAW

SPIDERLEG—long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

APPRENTICE, MOUSEPAW

BROOK WHERE SMALL FISH SWIM (BROOK)—brown tabby she-cat, formerly of the Tribe of Rushing Water

STORMFUR—dark gray tom with amber eyes, formerly of RiverClan

WHITEWING—white she-cat with green eyes

BIRCHFALL—light brown tabby tom

GRAYSTRIPE—long-haired gray tom

MILLIE—silver tabby she-cat, former kittypet, blue 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

LIONPAW—golden tabby tom with amber eyes

HOLLYPAW—black she-cat with green eyes

JAYPAW—gray tabby tom with blue eyes

FERNCLOUD—pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes, mother of Dustpelt’s kits: Icekit (white she-cat) and Foxkit (reddish tabby tom)

DAISY—cream long-furred cat from the horseplace

LONGTAIL—pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight

MOUSEFUR—small dusky brown she-cat

BLACKSTAR—large white tom with huge jet-black paws

RUSSETFUR—dark ginger she-cat

LITTLECLOUD—very small tabby tom

OAKFUR—small brown tom

ROWANCLAW—ginger tom

APPRENTICE, IVYPAW

SMOKEFOOT—black tom

APPRENTICE, OWLPAW

SNOWBIRD—pure-white she-cat

TAWNYPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, mother of Tigerkit, Flamekit, and Dawnkit

CEDARHEART—dark gray tom

TALLPOPPY—long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

ONESTAR—brown tabby tom

ASHFOOT—gray she-cat

BARKFACE—short-tailed brown tom

APPRENTICE, KESTRELPAW

TORNEAR—tabby tom

APPRENTICE, HAREPAW

CROWFEATHER—dark gray tom

APPRENTICE, HEATHERPAW

OWLWHISKER—light brown tabby tom

WHITETAIL—small white she-cat

APPRENTICE, BREEZEPAW

NIGHTCLOUD—black she-cat

WEASELFUR—ginger tom with white paws

GORSETAIL—very pale gray-and-white cat with blue eyes, mother of Thistlekit, Sedgekit, and Swallowkit

MORNINGFLOWER—very old tortoiseshell queen

WEBFOOT—dark gray tabby tom

LEOPARDSTAR—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

MISTYFOOT—gray she-cat with blue eyes

APPRENTICE, DAPPLEPAW

MOTHWING—dappled golden she-cat

APPRENTICE, WILLOWPAW

BLACKCLAW—smoky black tom

VOLETOOTH—small brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, MINNOWPAW

REEDWHISKER—black tom

APPRENTICE, POUNCEPAW

MOSSPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

APPRENTICE, PEBBLEPAW

BEECHFUR—light brown tom

RIPPLETAIL—dark gray tabby tom

DAWNFLOWER—pale gray she-cat

GRAYMIST—pale gray tabby, mother of Sneezekit and Mallowkit

ICEWING—heavily pregnant white cat with blue eyes

HEAVYSTEP—thickset tabby tom

SWALLOWTAIL—dark tabby she-cat

STONESTREAM—gray tom

PIP—black-and-white terrier who lives with Twolegs near the horseplace

© 2008 Gary Chalke

The indigo sky stretched over the moorland, holding in the night’s chill.

Wind stirred the heather and set the hillside rippling.

Between the low bushes, feline shapes, their fur slicked flat by the breeze, streamed down the slope.

Among them, a tabby queen kept pace with a young tom.

“Are you sure you are ready for this?”

“I’m ready,” the tom answered, his green eyes flashing in the moonlight.

“You’re my eldest, Fallen Leaves,” the queen whispered.

“The first of mine to face the ordeal.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“He was trained well!” a low voice called from behind.

“Even trainin’ can’t prepare a softpaw for rain!” growled another.

Fallen Leaves glanced up. “But the sky’s clear.”

“I smell rain on the wind, I tell you.”

Murmurs of alarm spread among the other cats.

“The sky’s clear!” Fallen Leaves insisted as he stepped out from the swath of heather and halted. The moon lit his ginger-and-white pelt. His Clanmates crowded at his heels, their tails flicking. Beneath his forepaws, the slope fell away steeply. Here, moons of wind and rain had flayed the moorland, peeling away the earth until the stone beneath lay bare, a wall of jagged rock amid the rolling heather.

“Good luck, softpaw!”

Fallen Leaves bounded down the cliff and landed lightly on the sandy earth at its base. His mother scrambled after him. “Take care!”

Fallen Leaves brushed muzzles with the queen. “I will see you at dawn,” he promised.

Ahead of him, a black gash opened like a wound in the cliff face. The fur along his spine lifted. He had never been inside.