Эрин Хантер - Moonrise

FIRESTAR—ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

GRAYSTRIPE—long-haired gray tom

CINDERPELT—dark gray she-cat

APPRENTICE, LEAFPAW

MOUSEFUR—small dusky brown she-cat

APPRENTICE, SPIDERPAW

DUSTPELT—dark brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, SQUIRRELPAW

SANDSTORM—pale ginger she-cat

APPRENTICE, SORRELPAW

CLOUDTAIL—long-haired white tom

BRACKENFUR—golden brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW

THORNCLAW—golden brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, SHREWPAW

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

SORRELPAW—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 and white paws

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

SHREWPAW—small dark brown tom with amber eyes

WHITEPAW—white she-cat with green eyes

GOLDENFLOWER—pale ginger coat, the oldest nursery queen

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

FROSTFUR—beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

DAPPLETAIL—once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan

SPECKLETAIL—pale tabby she-cat

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

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

TAWNYPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

CEDARHEART—dark gray tom

ROWANCLAW—ginger she-cat

APPRENTICE, TALONPAW

TALLPOPPY—long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

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

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

MUDCLAW—mottled dark brown tom

APPRENTICE, CROWPAW—dark smoky gray, almost black tom with blue eyes

BARKFACE—short-tailed brown tom

ONEWHISKER—brown tabby tom

WEBFOOT—dark gray tabby tom

TORNEAR—tabby tom

WHITETAIL—small white she-cat

MORNINGFLOWER—tortoiseshell she-cat

LEOPARDSTAR—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

MISTYFOOT—gray she-cat with blue eyes

MUDFUR—long-haired light brown tom

APPRENTICE, MOTHWING—beautiful golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

BLACKCLAW—smoky black tom

HEAVYSTEP—thickset tabby tom

STORMFUR—dark gray tom with amber eyes

FEATHERTAIL—light gray she-cat with blue eyes

HAWKFROST—broad-shouldered dark brown tom

MOSSPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat

DAWNFLOWER—pale gray she-cat

SHADEPELT—very dark gray she-cat

LOUDBELLY—dark brown tom

BARLEY—black and white tom that lives on a farm close to the forest

RAVENPAW—sleek black cat that lives on the farm with Barley

PURDY—elderly tabby tom that lives in woods near the sea

One by one, the cats crept into the cave. Their fur was streaked with mud and their eyes stretched wide with fear, reflecting the cold moonlight that filtered through a crack in the roof.

They crouched low with their bellies close to the ground, their gazes flickering from side to side as if they expected to see danger lurking in the shadows.

The glimmer of moonlight was caught in pools of water on the cave floor. It lit up a forest of pointed stones, some rising from the ground and others hanging from the cave roof.

Some of the stones joined in the middle to form slender trees of gleaming white rock. Wind gusted through them, ruffling the cats’ fur. The air smelled damp and clean, and was filled with the distant roar of falling water.

A cat stepped out from behind one of the pointed stones.

He was long-bodied, with lean, muscular limbs, and his pelt was completely covered in mud that had dried into spikes, so that he looked like a cat carved in stone.

“Welcome,” he meowed in a rasping voice. “Moonlight lies on the water. It is time for a Telling, according to the laws of the Tribe of Endless Hunting.”

One of the cats crept forward, dipping his head to the mud-covered cat. “Stoneteller, have you had a sign? Has the Tribe of Endless Hunting spoken to you?”

Another cat spoke from behind him. “Is there hope at last?”

Stoneteller bowed his head. “I have seen the words of the Tribe of Endless Hunting in the pattern of moonlight on rock, in the shadows cast by the stones, in the sound of raindrops as they fall from the roof.” He paused, letting his gaze sweep over the cats around him. “Yes,” he went on. “They have told me there is hope.”

A faint murmur, like the rustle of leaves in the wind, passed through the group of cats. Their eyes seemed to grow brighter, and their ears pricked. The one who had come forward first mewed hesitantly, “Then you know what will rid us of this dreadful danger?”

“Yes, Crag,” Stoneteller replied. “The Tribe of Endless Hunting has promised me that a cat will come, a silver cat not from this Tribe, who will rid us of Sharptooth once and for all.”

There was a pause, then: “Are there other cats, not in the Tribe of Rushing Water?” a voice asked from the back of the group.

“There must be,” another cat replied.

“I have heard tell of strangers,” meowed Crag, “though we’ve seen none here in our lifetimes. But when will the silver cat come?” he added desperately, and other mews rose from all around him.