Эрин Хантер - Cats of the Clans

It’s not always easy to befriend a WindClan cat—they have become 1 44 2

like the rabbits they chase: suspicious and quickly startled, fiercely protective of their Clanmates. But they know that they are in less danger from allies than enemies, which is why they have a reputation for being a peaceful Clan, the least likely to invade another Clan’s territory for food or power. Since Firestar came to the forest he has watched them join with RiverClan, then ThunderClan, and even fall under the thrall of ShadowClan when that seemed the only way to protect themselves against a worse attack. Whatever their enemies say, this farsightedness is a strength, and it is a mistake to think WindClan cats are ever truly loyal to any but their own Clan.

They suffered most when the Twolegs made the Thunderpath in the forest wider. They watched huge yellow monsters turn their territory to rabbitless mud, then became prey themselves as the Twolegs tried first to poison them, then rounded them up and imprisoned them. They showed great courage in not fleeing the forest long before the other Clans made up their minds to leave. For as long as there are cats living by the lake, WindClan will be among them, swift pawed and watchful, clinging to the warrior code like moss to a rock.

Tallstar killed the snake that bit you; did you know that, Adderkit? He spent nine long lives fighting for his Clan, defending the borders, forging alliances that would grant his Clanmates one more moon of peace, and battling the creatures within his territory that wanted to harm his kits. Some cats thought he was too quick to make friends with other Clans, too willing to let another leader take responsibility for the safety of his Clanmates. But what was he supposed to do when Firestar and Graystripe risked their lives to bring his Clan home from the Thunderpath? Gratitude and respect for two brave young warriors is not the same as rolling over and showing the soft parts of your underbelly.

Tallstar fought as fiercely as a lion when he needed to, but he preferred not to watch his Clanmates bleed scarlet onto the grass. When Bluestar tried to lead her Clan into battle against him, believing his cats had stolen prey from ThunderClan territory, Tallstar trusted Firestar’s warning that Bluestar was mistaken, and refused to fight.

He gave up his ninth life at the end of the Great Journey, knowing he had led his Clan safely to their new home. And with his last breath, all his wisdom, all his farsightedness, deserted him. Suspicious of his deputy Mudclaw’s ambition, he made Onewhisker his deputy instead, thus cheating Mudclaw of becoming leader. Foolish Tallstar. He should have known that Mudclaw would harbor a grudge in his heart like a poisonous thorn. He must have watched in dismay as his final decision nearly destroyed the Clan he had struggled for so long to protect.

This cat could tell you a tale or two about the loneliness of power. He was a good friend to Firestar from the moment they met on the journey back from the Thunderpath; the two young warriors recognized in each other a sense of fairness and ambition to serve their Clan. It was partly thanks to Onewhisker that Tallstar agreed not to fight Bluestar over her accusations of theft; and WindClan cats were treated generously more than once when they crossed the border. Firestar believed he could depend on their friendship forever, and was only too pleased when Tallstar changed his deputy at the end of his ninth life.

But Onestar could not be the leader of his Clan as well as Firestar’s loyal ally. Suddenly the friendship that had supported him from across the border seemed like a burden, a debt of gratitude. Onestar knew the other Clans called him Firestar’s kittypet, ready to roll over and have his belly tickled when it suited the ThunderClan leader.

He needed respect from his own Clanmates, too, many of whom had supported Mudclaw’s claim. The only way to do this was to make his Clan independent, confident they could face challenges without running to ThunderClan. There were no favors owed or expected, no tolerance of border crossing or friendly patrols. It was a hard lesson for Firestar, but harder for Onestar. He missed his ThunderClan friend, especially in the early days, when he struggled to convince himself he had any right to be WindClan’s leader. At the time when he most needed an ally he had to walk alone, and watch a long friendship ebb away.

Mudclawwas WindClan’smost senior warrior, made deputy because even Tallstar recognized that his own peace-pursuing leadership needed the support of a warrior not afraid to show his claws. Tallstar’s decision to replace Mudclaw with Onewhisker was a terrible betrayal of Mudclaw’s loyalty. Would Mudclaw have made such a dreadful leader? Yes, he was ambitious—but his ambition was to become leader of his Clan, and no cat can doubt that he would have sur-rendered all his lives to defending his Clanmates and the Clan’s borders.

He wasn’t the only cat to think he’d been cheated. He had supporters in RiverClan and ShadowClan. And while Mudclaw sought to take back the leadership that he’d waited for for so long, another cat saw an opportunity to divide the Clans from within and seize power over all of them: Hawkfrost, goaded on by his father, who walked in his dreams.

Mudclaw had no idea what Hawkfrost was doing. As far as he was concerned it was a fair battle, and his quarrel was not so much with Onewhisker as it was with Tallstar, who had not honored the debt owed to a loyal deputy. The attack failed, and Mudclaw was killed by a falling tree. Was this StarClan making their loyalties known once more, making it clear they wanted Onewhisker to be the new WindClan leader?

Or a lucky strike of lightning that got rid of a troublesome cat and formed a bridge to the Gathering place at the same time? Little kits, there are some questions even I cannot answer.

What made StarClanpick this inexperienced, reserved, defensive apprentice to travel to the sun-drown-place on WindClan’s behalf? He was the only cat in the prophecy who was not a full warrior, and the only one without an old friend on the journey. Mosskit, you may well say he was grumpy and unhelpful, but he agreed to go, didn’t he? Crowfeather never once tried to turn back, fought as bravely as the rest against hostile kittypets and hungry foxes, and faced Midnight side by side with his companions, knowing he had a right to hear her message too.

Feathertail saved him, in the other cats’ eyes, because she saw past his shyness and his sharp tongue and found something to love. He loved her too, with a quiet fierceness that nearly split him in two when he watched her die in the cave behind the waterfall. He chose his own warrior name to honor her memory, you know.

When Crowfeather fell in love again, this time with Leafpool, the ThunderClan medicine cat, I wondered if StarClan had forgotten about him completely. Or perhaps they were punishing him for some misdeed he hasn’t yet done? It was always bound to end in disaster. It wasn’t only Leafpool’s loyalty to her Clan that brought them back to the lake; Crowfeather was the one who said they had to return to save ThunderClan from the badger attack. He loved Leafpool too much to force her to abandon her medicine cat duties. By letting her go, did he lose any hope of happiness for himself?