Эрин Хантер: Secrets Оf Тhe Clans

Quiet and soft-spoken—the opposite of her sister Squirrelflight!

Through their deep connection, she and her sister are able to share each other’s feelings and dreams.

Found Moonpool—the place in Clans’ new lake home where they can communicate with StarClan.

Saved RiverClan from deadly Twoleg poison by helping Hawkfrost, and helped Mothwing cure the cats.

Nursed Clan back to health after badger attack.

According to StarClan, Leafpool faces a destiny unlike any medicine cat before her.

Welcome. I am Tallstar, and this is WindClan—a Clan that has known great suffering, but always survives.

We are the fleet-footed warriors of the moor, the fastest Clan in the forest. We have struggled through terrible hardship, but we never give up.

I know the other Clans sometimes see us as weak… but the truth is, they could not last a moon in the broad, open spaces we live in, chasing rabbits for our prey. We are the closest Clan to StarClan, spiritually and physically, and we always know our warrior ancestors are watching over us. That is what makes us strong. No matter what trials we must endure, WindClan will last forever.

Clan character:Fiercely loyal, tough, fast-running, and easily offended cats. They are nervous and quick to flee, due to the lack of cover on the open moor. They take pride in being the closest Clan to the Moonstone. (See Beyond the Territories, How the Moonstone Was Discovered. ) Of all the Clans, they have the deepest knowledge of Twolegs from seeing them on the nearby farms.

Prey:Mainly rabbits.

Hunting skills:Fast, lean, and swift. Their short, smooth pelts of browns and grays blend in with the rocks and grasses.

(1) WindClan camp:Tucked into a natural dip in the sandy moor, this camp is sheltered from the wind but has proved vulnerable to attack.

(2) Abandoned badger set:WindClan apprentices used to come here to learn the scent of badger. Now a great spot for hunting rabbits!

(3) The gorge:WindClan elders boast that they leaped all the way across in their youth, but apprentices are strictly forbidden to go too close.

(4) Twoleg farm:Cows, sheep, dogs, Twolegs, and two loner cats named Barley and Ravenpaw (see Cats Outside the Clans, Rogues and Loners ) live here. WindClan sheltered in the barn on their way home from exile.

(5) Outlook Rock:This large, flat, gray stone slopes steeply above the level moors. From here, you can spot movement far across the grassland, especially a slow-moving or brightly colored cat from another Clan. WindClan apprentices are assigned to Outlook Rock to test their alertness and guard-duty skills.

Welcome to our camp! I’m Onewhisker, a warrior in WindClan, the greatest Clan in the forest.

You couldn’t see our camp as you came this way, could you?

That’s because it’s hidden in the only sheltered spot on the moor. It’s a sandy hollow in the ground, surrounded by a tangle of gorse. The elders say that our first leader, Windstar, reached down from StarClan and scooped out a pawful of sand to make a hollow for us to live in.

Press through the prickly branches here and you’ll be able to see the center of the camp. Breathe deeply. Don’t you love the fresh air? It’s so full of life and energy. I don’t know how those other Clan cats live where they do. If I couldn’t see the sky all day and all night, I’d go mad!

That’s why the warriors sleep out here, under the stars, where our warrior ancestors can see us. It gives us a special connection to StarClan. We’ve had to deal with a lot of trouble and danger, but when I see them up there before I close my eyes, I know they’re watching out for us.

Elders and kits can’t sleep out in the open, though, so we’ve built dens for them along the edge of the gorse wall. And the leader has a den back behind the Tallrock, too, but he doesn’t usually sleep there. Tallstar likes to sleep out in the open with us.

What’s the Tallrock? Oh, it’s that large boulder over there from where Tallstar makes announcements and conducts ceremonies.

Hear that? It’s an apprentice calling from Outlook Rock.

That means there are trespassers in our territory! I’d better go chase them out.

Thanks for visiting!

It was the darkest of nights. Heavy clouds flitted in front of a claw moon, blackening the sky. There were no StarClan ancestors watching over the WindClan camp that night.

At the camp entrance were two young warriors, Thrushwing and Stoneclaw. They had received their warrior names that night and were proudly standing guard.

Stoneclaw stood up, his ears pricked. What was that? A rustle in the gorse. A whisper of paws in the grass. A gleam of eyes in the darkness. What was that beyond the bushes? Should he sound the alarm?

Too late! A shadow appeared before him, and sharp claws slashed his throat. Thrushwing turned to see her brother lying on the ground, the life bleeding out of him. She shrieked a warning to the Clan, but the air was knocked out of her lungs by the weight of a large cat, and her voice died. Pinned to the ground, she felt the large cat’s teeth stab at her neck as enemy cats poured past her into the clearing, moving swiftly, melting into the shadows.

Onewhisker was woken by Thrushwing’s call. Beside him, Tornear and Deadfoot scrambled to their paws, and all three rushed into battle, sounding the WindClan warrior yowl.

“ShadowClan!” hissed Mudclaw from Tallrock. “I can smell their stink!” He launched himself off the boulder into the thick of the fighting, barreling into a hefty white tom.

“You’re in no condition to fight!” Ashfoot growled at Morningflower, shoving the pregnant queen back into the nursery.

“But I want to fight!”

“Stay here and protect my son. I will fight.”

Morningflower curled around the trembling gray shape of Eaglekit and licked the top of his head as comfortingly as she could.

Ashfoot’s enraged howls came from outside the tangle of branches.

Another WindClan warrior howled in fear, his belly sliced open by a ShadowClan claw. Thrushwing had rejoined the battle and, in spite of an injured leg, fought like TigerClan to avenge the death of her brother. The bodies of two elders slumped next to a fallen apprentice. Deadfoot pounded over to Tallstar, his lame paw sending stabs of pain through him.

“They’re going to kill us all!” he yowled. “We have to escape!”

“And abandon our camp?” Mudclaw hissed. “I’d rather die fighting than let these crow-food-eaters drive us out.”

“Deadfoot’s right,” Tallstar meowed, his tail lashing furiously.

“We’ve lost too many already. If we lose any more, there will be no more WindClan.”