Erin Hunter - Starlight

FIRESTAR—ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

GRAYSTRIPE—long-haired gray tom

CINDERPELT—dark gray she-cat

APPRENTICE, LEAFPAW

DUSTPELT—dark brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, SQUIRRELPAW

SANDSTORM—pale ginger she-cat

CLOUDTAIL—long-haired white tom

APPRENTICE, SPIDERPAW

BRACKENFUR—golden brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW

THORNCLAW—golden brown tabby tom

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

SORRELTAIL—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

WHITEPAW—white she-cat with green eyes

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

FERNCLOUD—pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes

GOLDENFLOWER—pale ginger coat

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

APPRENTICE, SMOKEPAW

CEDARHEART—dark gray tom

ROWANCLAW—ginger tom

APPRENTICE, TALONPAW

TAWNYPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

TALLPOPPY—long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

RUNNINGNOSE—small gray and white tom, formerly the medicine cat

BOULDER—skinny gray tom

TALLSTAR—elderly black and white tom with a very long tail

MUDCLAW—mottled dark brown tom

BARKFACE—short-tailed brown tom

TORNEAR—tabby tom

APPRENTICE, OWLPAW

WEBFOOT—dark gray tabby tom

APPRENTICE, WEASELPAW

ONEWHISKER—brown tabby tom

CROWFEATHER—dark gray, almost black tom with blue eyes

ASHFOOT—gray she-cat

WHITETAIL—small white she-cat

MORNINGFLOWER—tortoiseshell she-cat

RUSHTAIL—light brown tom

LEOPARDSTAR—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

MISTYFOOT—gray she-cat with blue eyes

MOTHWING—dappled golden she-cat

BLACKCLAW—smoky black tom

APPRENTICE, VOLEPAW

HEAVYSTEP—thickset tabby tom

APPRENTICE, STONEPAW

HAWKFROST—dark brown tom with a white underbelly and ice-blue eyes

SWALLOWTAIL—dark tabby she-cat

MOSSPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat

DAWNFLOWER—pale gray she-cat

SMOKY—muscular gray and white tom who lives in a barn near the horseplace

DAISY—she-cat with long creamy brown fur who lives with Smoky

FLOSS—small gray and white she-cat who lives with Smoky and Daisy

Moonlight washed over the hillside, casting heavy shadows around a thick wall of thornbushes. The bushes surrounded a hollow with rocky sides that sloped down steeply to a pool in the shape of a full moon. Halfway up the side of the hollow, a trickle of water bubbled up between two moss-covered stones, glimmering like liquid starshine as it fell into the pool below.

The branches rustled and parted as cats emerged at the top of the hollow and began to pick their way down to the water’s edge. Their pelts shone with a soft, pale light, and their pawsteps left a frosty glitter on the moss behind them.

A tortoiseshell she-cat was the first to reach the pool. She looked around with glowing eyes. “Yes,” she purred. “ This is the place.”

“You’re right, Spottedleaf. When we chose the four cats to lead the Clans out of the forest, we chose well.” The reply came from a blue-gray warrior who was approaching from the other side of the hollow. She leaped down from a jutting rock to face the tortoiseshell across the moonlit water. “But the Clans still have a hard task ahead of them.”

Spottedleaf dipped her head in agreement. “Yes, Bluestar.

Their courage and faith will be tried to their limits. But they have come this far—they will not give up.”

More starry warriors joined them, clustering around the water until the hollow was lined with their sleek, shining shapes.

“Our journey was hard, too,” one cat meowed.

“We felt the pain of leaving the paths we had walked for so long,” added another.

“Now we must learn to walk in new skies.” Spottedleaf’s voice was full of confidence. She sat on a rock near the tumbling stream and wrapped her tail around her paws. “We must guide our Clans to this new meeting place, where we can speak to the leaders and medicine cats. Then this will truly be home for all five Clans.”

A murmur of agreement rose, and a gleam of hope shone in the eyes of the cats around her.

“They will catch fish from the lake,” one cat meowed.

“And prey is running in the hills and beside the water,” another put in. “All the Clans will find food, even in leaf-bare.”

The blue-gray warrior still seemed uneasy. “There’s more to life than fresh-kill,” she mewed.

A bracken-colored tom thrust his way to the front of the crowd. “They’re not kits,” he pointed out impatiently. “They know how to avoid Twolegs and their dogs. Foxes and badgers, too.”