Эрин Хантер - Secrets Оf Тhe Clans

Apprentices:Unknown

Huge light-colored tabby tom with green eyes and twisted jaw.

Determined, strong, and willing to bend the rules for safety of Clan.

Guided Clan through terrible leaf-bare and flood.

Accepted help from ThunderClan warriors to save Clan from starving.

Offered shelter to ThunderClan when fire drove them from their home.

Deputy:Leopardfur (later Leopardstar) Apprentices:Graypaw (Graypool), Stonepaw (Stonefur)

Spotted golden tabby she-cat.

Proud, hostile, and fierce. Single-minded about what is best for RiverClan. Showed bad judgment in turning over control of RiverClan to Tigerstar.

As deputy, she helped ThunderClan when they fled the fire in their camp.

Also led her Clan to their new lake home, where she quickly established a strong base.

Deputies:Stonefur, Mistyfoot, Hawkfrost (temporarily) Apprentices:Whitepaw (Whiteclaw), Hawkpaw (Hawkfrost)

Delicate tortoiseshell she-cat.

Brave, reckless, quick to act.

Saw being a medicine cat as a different type of warrior, fighting the invisible enemies of sickness and injury on behalf of her Clanmates.

Saved an entire litter of kits after the nursery was washed away by a flood. (See Beyond the Territories, How the Moonstone Was Discovered .)

Pretty white she-cat with black-spotted fur, blue eyes, and a strikingly pink nose.

Charming, quick-thinking, and good at getting her own way—Crookedstar would do anything she asked.

Cautious about interpreting StarClan’s omens.

Came up with a clever way to hide medicinal herbs in fresh-kill so sick kits would eat them.

Long-haired, light brown tom.

Patient, intelligent, and straightforward.

Interpreted moth’s wing sign to choose his new apprentice, despite her non-Clan origins.

Beautiful dappled-golden she-cat with large amber eyes in a triangular face, and a long pelt rippling with dark tabby stripes.

The daughter of a rogue cat, Sasha, and the former leader of ShadowClan, Tigerstar, Mothwing struggles for acceptance by her Clan.

Believes StarClan does not exist.

With Leafpool’s help, healed her Clan when kits brought traces of Twoleg poison back to camp.

Greetings. I am Blackstar. You must be brave indeed, to approach the territory of ShadowClan. Few are welcome here, in our world of secrets and darkness. We are a Clan of cunning and cleverness, a Clan well suited to the shadows and the cold north wind. No other Clan can walk the paths of night like we do. Other Clans may be faster or stronger, but we are the most dangerous warriors: fierce, proud, and independent. We are ruthlessly willing to do what it takes to protect our great Clan.

There won’t be any softhearted alliances here! ShadowClan will always be the dark heart of the forest.

Clan character:Battle-hungry, aggressive, ambitious, and greedy for territory. It is said that the cold wind that blows across the ShadowClan territory chills their hearts and makes them suspicious and untrusting.

Prey:Frogs, lizards, and snakes that live in ShadowClan’s boggy, peaty territory. A secret food source is the Twoleg garbage dump on the far boundary, although they have to be careful not to eat infected rats or crow-food.

Hunting skills:ShadowClan cats hunt by night better than other Clan cats and are skilled at skulking unseen through the undergrowth.

(1) ShadowClan camp:A dark, well-concealed hollow, the camp is hidden deep in the shadows and is surrounded by brambles as prickly and fierce as the hearts of ShadowClan warriors.

(2) Carrionplace:Yuck! Smell that? This is an evil place where rats and disease lurk.

(3) Thunderpath tunnel:The ability of ShadowClan cats to move freely across the most feared border of the Thunderpath has enhanced their reputation for mysterious strength and invincibility.

(4) Burnt Sycamore:An ancient tree destroyed by lightning many moons ago. Apprentices are often trained here to hunt at night and stalk noiselessly through the undergrowth.

My name is Boulder. Ah, I can see you’ve realized it’s not a warrior name. Well, I used to be a loner in Twolegplace, and proud of it. I caught prey for myself. I could look after myself. Then I met a cat from ShadowClan. He told me about the forest. He wanted me to give up my freedom and join his Clanmates! I nearly clawed off his fur. I didn’t need a leader or a Clan.

But he kept talking, and some of the things he said made sense. Like, what was I going to do when I was old and couldn’t catch my own prey? I’d never thought about that before.

I agreed to visit his camp. Follow me, and you’ll see what I saw on that day I first came to the forest. I’ve never left since.

I love the forest on this side of the Thunderpath. The soft carpet of pine needles under my paws. The fresh and sharp smell of the pines. The boggy soil is full of amazing smells; can you sense prey darting around under the leaves?

Through these brambles, that’s right. This tiny path—here, where my paws are—leads to a hollow. I know it’s not exactly grassy around here, but the ground is muddy and cool. Good for keeping fresh-kill fresh. Our leader sleeps over there, beneath the roots of that big oak tree. The warriors’ den is over there, underneath the bramble bush. I know it looks prickly on the outside, but inside it’s lined with pine needles and moss. I can tell you, it’s a lot more comfortable than any place I found to stretch my paws in Twolegplace.

The smooth boulder at the edge of the clearing is where the leader speaks to us. Do you see that other rock propped against it, creating a sheltered half cave underneath?

That’s where the medicine cat lives.

There are holes dug in the ground to keep the leaves and berries fresh, and sick cats can rest in the ferns that grow on the other side of the boulders. I never had another cat care about my injuries when I lived in Twolegplace.

The nursery’s over there, in that hollow shielded by a thornbush. You can smell the scent of milk from here—a new litter was born yesterday. I don’t spend much time with the tiniest kits—always worried I’ll step on them or something—but I like watching them grow into strong apprentices and loyal warriors.