Эрин Хантер - Skyclan’s Destiny

SKYCLAN

LEADER LEAFSTAR—brown-and-cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes

DEPUTY SHARPCLAW—dark ginger tom

MEDICINE CAT ECHOSONG—silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

PATCHFOOT—black-and-white tom

PETALNOSE—pale gray she-cat

APPRENTICE, SAGEPAW

SPARROWPELT—dark brown tabby tom

CHERRYTAIL—tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

WASPWHISKER—gray-and-white tom

APPRENTICE, MINTPAW

SHREWTOOTH—skinny black tom

EBONYCLAW—striking black she-cat

APPRENTICE, FRECKLEPAW

BILLYSTORM—ginger-and-white tom

APPRENTICE, SNOOKPAW

HARVEYMOON—white tom

MACGYVER—black-and-white tom

ROCKSHADE—black tom

BOUNCEFIRE—ginger tom (Clovertail’s son)

TINYCLOUD—small white she-cat (Clovertail’s daughter)

APPRENTICES (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

SAGEPAW—pale gray tom (son of Petalnose and Rainfur)

MINTPAW—gray tabby she-cat (daughter of Petalnose and Rainfur)

SNOOKPAW—black-and-white tom

FRECKLEPAW—mottled light brown tabby she-cat with spotted legs

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

FALLOWFERN—pale brown she-cat (mother to Hunchfoot’s kits: Rabbitkit, Creekkit, Nettlekit, and Plumkit)

CLOVERTAIL—light brown she-cat with white belly and legs (expecting Patchfoot’s kits)

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

LICHENFUR—gray mottled she-cat

TANGLE—ragged tabby tom loner

CATS OUTSIDE THE CLAN

EGG—cream-colored tom loner

HUTCH—dark brown kittypet (formerly Shortwhisker)

OSCAR—black kittypet

BELLA—tabby-and-white kittypet with amber eyes

ROSE—elegant brown-and-cream Siamese kittypet with slanting blue eyes

LILY—Rose’s sister

STICK—brown tom with yellow eyes and a torn ear

CORA—black she-cat

COAL—black tom

SHORTY—brown tom with amber eyes and half a tail

SNOWY—white she-cat

PERCY—dark gray tabby tom

RED—dark ginger she-cat

DODGE—dark brown tabby tom

SKIPPER—ginger-and-white tom

HARLEY—gray-and-brown tabby tom

MISHA—cream-colored she-cat

ONION—silver-and-black she-cat

NUTMEG—tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

VELVET—silver kittypet

ANCIENT SKYCLAN

CLOUDSTAR—pale gray tom with white patches and very pale blue eyes

BUZZARDSTAR—ginger tom with green eyes (deputy when SkyClan left the forest)

FAWNSTEP—light brown tabby she-cat (medicine cat when SkyClan left the forest)

BIRDFLIGHT—light brown tabby she-cat with long fluffy fur and amber eyes

FERNPELT—dark brown tabby she-cat

MOUSEFANG—sandy-colored she-cat

NIGHTFUR—black tom

OAKSTEP—gray tabby tom

SPIDERSTAR—dark tabby tom (last leader of Ancient SkyClan)

HONEYLEAF—ginger tabby she-cat (last deputy of Ancient SkyClan)

BRACKENHEART—brown tabby tom (last medicine cat of Ancient SkyClan)

SWALLOWFLIGHT—black tom

SKYWATCHER—dark gray tom with pale blue eyes (lived in the gorge before Modern SkyClan was formed)

RAINFUR—light gray tom with dark gray flecks (killed in the battle with the rats)

The sun was going down, casting deep shadows over the gorge. A chilly breeze ruffled the surface of the river and whirled the last few shriveled leaves through the air. The only sound was the murmur of water that surged from a black hole in a pile of boulders, coiling into a pool before winding away into the darkness beneath the cliffs.

A dark tabby tom appeared at the top of the gorge, outlined against the sky. He paused for a moment, tasting the air. The dying sun shed bloodred light over his pelt, touching a patch on his shoulder where the fur had been torn away. After a few heartbeats the tabby tom signaled with his tail and began to pick his way down a narrow track that zigzagged across the face of the cliff. Seven other cats followed him: A white she-cat stumbled awkwardly on three paws, the fourth a mass of blood-soaked fur held close to her chest; a long-legged black tom edged downward nervously, one eye closed and sticky with blood; a young ginger tom limped with both ears shredded. Not one of the cats was free of wounds.

As the eight warriors padded painfully down the trail toward the water’s edge, four more cats emerged from a cave a little farther along the gorge. The first was a young brown tabby tom who sprang quickly down the rocks to the foot of the boulders. His paws worked anxiously in the sand as he waited for the warriors to arrive. The other three were elders who stumbled after him on shaky legs.

“Well, Spiderstar?” one of them rasped as the leading cat reached the bottom of the cliff. The elder’s muzzle was gray with age, and every one of his ribs was visible beneath his thin black pelt. “What happened? Did you win?”

The dark tabby tom paused for a moment, then padded forward to touch his nose to the older cat’s ear. “What does it look like, Nightfur?” he murmured in reply. “Brackenheart,” he added to the young brown tabby, “I hope your den is well stocked with herbs. We’re going to need them.”

Before the medicine cat could reply, the long-legged black tom pushed up beside his Clan leader, his lip curling in contempt. “Of course we didn’t win. This battle was lost before it was even begun.”

A ginger tabby she-cat, who had brought up the rear as the battle-scarred cats made their way down the cliff, bounded up and glared at the black tom. “You can’t say that, Swallowflight! We had to fight. SkyClan still has its pride!”

It was the white she-cat who replied, shaking her head sadly. “Pride in what, Honeyleaf? We can’t feed ourselves because the rats have chased off all the prey. No kits have been born in moons. The only ceremonies we have now are to send our Clanmates to our ancestors.”

The ginger she-cat’s head whipped around, her green eyes narrowing to slits. “Look, Frostclaw—”

“Will we hold ceremonies for Sunpelt and Fallensnow?” the young warrior with the shredded ears interrupted. His voice was trembling with grief.