Эрин Хантер: Firestar’s Quest

LEADER

FIRESTAR—ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

APPRENTICE, BRAMBLEPAW

DEPUTY

GRAYSTRIPE—long-haired gray tom

MEDICINE CAT

CINDERPELT—dark gray she-cat

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

MOUSEFUR—small dusky brown she-cat

DUSTPELT—dark brown tabby tom

LONGTAIL—pale tabby tom with dark black stripes

SANDSTORM—pale ginger she-cat

APPRENTICE, SORRELPAW

WILLOWPELT—very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes

CLOUDTAIL—long-haired white tom

APPRENTICE, RAINPAW

BRACKENFUR—golden brown tabby tom

THORNCLAW—golden brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, SOOTPAW

ASHFUR—pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

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

BRAMBLEPAW—dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

SORRELPAW—tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

RAINPAW—dark gray tom with blue eyes

SOOTPAW—lighter gray tom with amber eyes

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

FERNCLOUD—pale gray with darker flecks, green eyes

BRIGHTHEART—white she-cat with ginger patches

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

GOLDENFLOWER—pale ginger she-cat

FROSTFUR—beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

DAPPLETAIL—once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat

SPECKLETAIL—pale tabby she-cat

ONE-EYE—pale gray she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan, virtually blind and deaf

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)

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

OAKFUR—small brown tom

APPRENTICE, TAWNYPAW

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

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

LEADER

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

DEPUTY

MUDCLAW—mottled dark brown tom

MEDICINE CAT

BARKFACE—short-tailed brown tom

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

WEBFOOT—dark gray tabby tom

TORNEAR—tabby tom

ONEWHISKER—brown tabby tom

RUNNINGBROOK—light gray she-cat

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

ASHFOOT—gray queen

MORNINGFLOWER—tortoiseshell queen

WHITETAIL—small white she-cat

LEADER

LEOPARDSTAR—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

DEPUTY

MISTYFOOT—gray she-cat with blue eyes

MEDICINE CAT

MUDFUR—long-haired light brown tom

WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)

BLACKCLAW—smoky black tom

HEAVYSTEP—thickset tabby tom

STORMFUR—dark gray tom with amber eyes

FEATHERTAIL—light gray she-cat with blue eyes

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

MOSSPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat

SKYWATCHER—very old dark gray tom with pale blue eyes

LEAFDAPPLE—brown-and-cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes

SHARPCLAW—dark ginger tom

PATCHFOOT—black-and-white tom

SHORTWHISKER—dark brown tabby tom

RAINFUR—light gray tom with dark gray flecks

CLOVERTAIL—light brown she-cat with white belly and legs

PETALNOSE—pale gray she-cat

ECHOSONG—silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

SPARROWPAW—dark brown tabby tom

CHERRYPAW—tortoiseshell she-cat

ROCKKIT—black tom

SAGEKIT—pale gray tom

MINTKIT—gray tabby she-cat

BOUNCEKIT—ginger tom

TINYKIT—small white she-cat

LEADER

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

DEPUTY

BUZZARDTAIL—ginger tom with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT

FAWNSTEP—light brown tabby she-cat 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

OAKPAW—gray tabby apprentice

LEADER

REDSTAR—dark ginger tom

DEPUTY

SEEDPELT—gray she-cat with darker flecks

MEDICINE CAT

KESTRELWING—dark brown tabby tom nettleclaw—gray tabby tom with dark gray stripes

LEADER

SWIFTSTAR—dark gray tom

DEPUTY

MILKFUR—creamy white tom

MEDICINE CAT

LARKWING—silver-and-black tabby she-cat hareflight—light brown she-cat

LEADER

BIRCHSTAR—light brown tabby she-cat

DEPUTY

SLOEFUR—black she-cat

MEDICINE CAT

ICEWHISKER—silver-gray tom

FOXCLAW—russet-colored tom

LEADER

DAWNSTAR—creamy brown she-cat

DEPUTY

SNAKETAIL—brown tabby tom

MEDICINE CAT

MOLEPELT—small black tom

HOLLOWBELLY—black-and-white 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, formerly of ThunderClan

SMUDGE—plump, friendly black-and-white kittypet that lives in a house at the edge of the forest

HATTIE—pretty brown tabby kittypet who lives in Firestar’s former home

The full moon floated in the sky, shedding its cold light over the forest. A faint breeze murmured through the leaves of four massive oak trees; dappled light and shadow moved over the pelts of many cats as they slipped into the hollow below.

A muscular, bracken-colored tomcat emerged from the bushes that lined the sides of the hollow. He bounded across the clearing and leaped to the top of the great rock that stood in the center.

Three other cats were waiting there. One of them, a she-cat with a brown tabby pelt, dipped her head in greeting.

“Welcome, Redstar,” she meowed. “How’s the prey running in ThunderClan?”

“We’ve plenty, thank you, Birchstar,” the ThunderClan leader replied. “Is all well in RiverClan?”

Before Birchstar could reply, one of the other leaders interrupted, scraping his claws on the harsh surface of the rock. His gray-black pelt was a shadow in the moonlight. “It’s time this Gathering started,” he rasped. “We’re wasting time.”

“We can’t start yet, Swiftstar,” the fourth cat mewed. Her creamy brown pelt held the frosty shimmer of starlight.