WCC Cats of the Clans

Settle down, little kits, settle down. You want me to tell you stories? Well, I can hardly tell you a story while you’re playing around like that. I’m sure it’s all very fun to pretend you’re lions and tigers, but I can tell you about some real heroes, as brave or as strong or as smart as all LionClan combined. I’ll need your full attention for the tales I’m about to tell you. Now come nearer, into the starlight. I’d like to see your faces. That’s it.

Now who have we here? Ah, yes, Shrewkit. I know you. Your mother’s spitting image, aren’t you? It was very hard for Shimmerheart to lose you, you know. But I’m sure she’s glad to be reunited with you again. And your friend, there, smelling of the open moors- Ashkit, aren’t you? Yes, I watched as you accidentally ate those deathberries. A sad death to befall any kit- they always say curiosity killed the cat. Now settle your small gray self next to Shrewkit there. Perfect. Who else has joined you? There, the tom with the brown dappled pelt. Turtlekit, did you say your name was? A sad mistake that you ended up on the ThunderClan end of the Thunderpath. But these sad mistakes happen. I see you trying to sneak away, there, Brookkit. I was from RiverClan once too, you know- long before any cats you knew in your short lifetime were there. Why are you surprised that I know how you drowned? I’ve watched you and all the other kits in the forest for a long time. Now, there was a fifth one of you, wasn’t there? Ah, yes- the little SkyClan tom in the back. Barkkit, I believe. All of SkyClan mourned your death after that badger invaded- did you know that, small one? Yes, now come nearer.

All five of you died as kits, lost your chance to become warriors and live with your respective Clans. A large price to pay for the wisdom that comes with StarClan. I’m sure it all seems like fun and games from up here, little ones, but I assure you, all the warriors down below are having real adventures.

I know most of you never got to know your Clanmates, but I have watched over the forest and the Clans for moons upon moons, longer than any of you can possibly imagine. I have known every cat who has ever lived among those trees- watched them live out their lives and die. Some die too early, like you. Most live long lives serving their Clans. Some turn to the dark paths of the Place of No Stars, choosing power over Clan loyalty. Some are just warriors, living for their Clan, not having much other purpose. But some- some cats become heroes. I will tell you about some of them, little ones. You may have been like them, had you lived.

Who am I? Why, I am the oldest cat in StarClan. I was there when the first star shone in the sky, and I will be there when it fades. I was there when the trees of Fourtrees grew, and I will be there when they are torn down. I have watched countless lives come and go, and I will watch countless more.

I am Mistpelt, the first warrior of the forest.

I am as old as the stars themselves.

Now be still and listen, little ones. I have many stories to tell you, and the night is short.

I’ll start with WindClan- your birth Clan, Ashkit. The first Clan in the forest, the ones who traditionally hold closest to the warrior code. Despite each warrior’s beliefs, no Clan is truly better than the other. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, and though each Clan would have you believe that they are superior to another, they are all equal. That being said, each Clan is very different, and it is both their skills and their flaws that make them into what they are.

WindClan live on the moors, the grassy plains northwest of Fourtrees. They are the closest Clan to Highstones, the sacred place where StarClan speaks with medicine cats and leaders, and the rising of their hills brings them closest to the open sky. The cats of WindClan profess that they are and have always been the closest Clan to StarClan, and they cherish that connection almost more than they value eating or breathing.

The cats of WindClan live for the feeling of a breeze in their fur, for the freedom to run on the open plains, for the fresh air. They enjoy sleeping under the open sky, and so they don’t have dens like the other Clans do. The leader has a den behind the Tallrock, of course, but she normally doesn’t sleep in it. The prey they hunt on their moors are hares and rabbits, which is why speed is valued more than stealth, and quick thinking is often more important to them than inherent skills. Life in WindClan is a constant battle with nature, trying to outrun and outwit their prey even as it attempts to find new ways to escape their swift claws. Living near the Thunderpath, the Gorge, and the Abandoned Barn poses some dangers, definitely, but I think that the WindClan cats are well up to the challenge.

WindClan warriors are lithe, lean and nimble, and their pelts usually favor shades of brown and gray. They value intelligence and quickness, both of which they are known for. They are also known by other Clans as cowardly, quick to flee and run from a battle. However, there is a difference between being cowardly- which WindClan is not, whatever others might say- and being vulnerable, which they are out on the open moors. It has taught them to be fast, to run and cut their losses when it gets too rough. Consequently, most leaders of WindClan prefer to make alliances and try to keep their border safe rather than provoke fights. Falconstar was a notable exception, but I’ll talk about him in a moment, little ones.

As one of their leaders once said: “No matter what trials we must endure, WindClan will last forever.”

So you want to know about this Falconstar, little ones? All right, then. Falconstar was the leader of WindClan for many moons, and no one living in the forest now remembers a time past him- except perhaps one or two cats. He was leader when you lived, Ashkit. He was a long-lived leader, but was he a good one? WindClan certainly prospered under him, that’s for sure. But his response to every problem was violence. Back when WindClan was the strongest Clan in the forest, and RiverClan was weak from sickness, he and his warriors conquered their territory. When SkyClan was decimated to having only five warriors, he conquered SkyClan territory. For his short-sighted goals of becoming the greatest Clan in the forest, he caused pain wherever he went. There is a difference between fighting to protect your Clan and fighting to get what you don’t need. No, Brookkit, Falconstar wasn’t a bad cat. He was just too greedy for his own good, coveting more and more territory for his Clan.

Like with many good cats, power and ambition corrupted him. Before he became leader, he was just Falconfang, a regular WindClan warrior. He had a mate named Minteyes and five kits- Breezekit, Applepaw, Eaglethorn, Feathertail and Hawkfeather. His son Eaglethorn shared his ambition and love of fighting, while Feathertail was more quiet and peace-loving. As a warrior, Falconfang contributed to the Clan in the best way he saw fit, fighting and training, and he ended up becoming Raccoonstar’s deputy when the previous leader, Stormstar, retired and became Stormeye.

As deputy, Falconfang followed the leader in everything she did, waiting patiently, and soon enough, it was his turn to lead. He did what he thought best for the Clan, fighting and conquering for his Clan, realizing his dream of leading the most powerful Clan in the forest. And powerful they were. With three separate Clans’ territories, WindClan was feared, respected, and hated by the other four Clans. When his nine long lives were over, spent in the service of WindClan, his deputy Sablefur followed in his footsteps as Clan leader. Whether good or bad, Falconstar left a legacy for WindClan that will not soon be forgotten.

Was it unfair for Sablestar, to have to lead under Falconstar’s shadow? Perhaps you can find her later and ask her, little kits. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind answering your questions. No, you’ll have to wait to find her, Barkkit- I’m nowhere near done with my tale. Let me tell you about the former WindClan leader before you go and bother her. Sablestar was Falconstar’s deputy for moons upon moons, so she definitely deserved to get the leadership. Sadly, she didn’t stay leader for very long, despite her wishes. Do you remember the Dark Forest takeover, young ones? It wasn’t very long ago.

The evil cats who lurk in the shadows of the Place of No Stars, where codebreakers and fox-hearts spend their days after their death- they trained living cats in their evil ways and gained the power to come down to the forest during the Gathering. They chased off the cats of StarClan and drove out all the StarClan-loyal cats in the forest- one of whom was Sablestar’s newly appointed deputy, Ashwing. Sablestar had come down sick, and lay in the leader’s den in camp, too ill to go to Fourtrees. Saltpelt was the Dark Forest trainee of WindClan who presumed to take the place of leader. I’ll tell you more about her later, little ones, but suffice it to say that when she returned to WindClan camp, she brutally murdered Sablestar, taking all nine of her lives in one fell swoop. From where we watched helplessly, StarClan was horrified. We meant her to live a long life serving her Clan- but it was all taken from her by one misguided cat.

Would Sablestar have been a good leader? It’s hard to say for certain. She was certainly an exceptional deputy, and for the short time she was WindClan’s leader she showed great promise. She appointed one of the Clan’s most senior warriors, Ashwing, as her deputy, instead of her much younger and more ambitious mate, Kestrelstorm. I’ll tell you more about him later. But StarClan approved of her choices, and we were anxious to see whether she could move past Falconstar’s legacy and create a better one, a legend of her own. Sadly, poor Sablestar never got the chance, so we will never know how she would have fared as leader. For lifelong service of her Clan, she got a quick death at the claws of the dishonorable traitor Saltpelt. She deserves her place in StarClan, perhaps more than many other cats here. I hope she finds rest here.

The story of the current leader of WindClan is not your typical nursery story of the brave warrior hero, but she is certainly courageous in her own right. Yes, Turtlekit, I’m fully aware that she was once a ShadowClan cat. It is true that she was born in the marshy, pine-covered territory next to WindClan’s, but that has no effect on her loyalty. To me, the deeds she has done have proved her devotion to her Clan many times over, more so than even Falconstar. She has fought hard to keep her place, and she wholeheartedly deserves it, whatever some other cats might say.

Ashstar was born to two ShadowClan warriors, Graybriar and Thrushheart, and named Shimmerkit. She had a brother, Birchkit, and lived a normal life. It caught the whole Clan completely by surprise the fateful day when ThunderClan warriors killed the two kits’ parents in front of their eyes. Shimmerkit and her brother panicked and fled to WindClan territory, where Birchkit was stolen away by a hawk, never to be seen again. In an uncharacteristic stroke of kindness, Falconstar took in the young kit, covered in mud, blood and tears, and never told anyone of where she came from. Was he listening to the whispers of StarClan when he decided to temporarily go against his long-standing policy of not allowing in outsiders? There are some questions not even I know the answer to, young ones.

The young kit took on the new name of Ashkit, and grew to live the life of a normal WindClan warrior, gaining the name of Ashwing, and finding solace in her best friend Lightfoot and mate Icestorm. She had a litter of two kits, Sharpkit and Smokekit. To her dismay, Sharppaw died as an apprentice on the Thunderpath. Smokepaw, however, grew to be Smokepelt, a quiet but respected warrior of his Clan. She never thought of herself as special, never desired more than what she had, never had any ambition. So it came as a complete surprise when the newly named Sablestar picked her, Ashwing, instead of a braver, more ruthless warrior. Ashwing always loved peace and family, so she was astonished to be picked for such a position of power. But there she was.

When Ashwing went to the Gathering that day in Sablestar’s place, she definitely wasn’t expecting to meet Morningstar, the so-called “leader” of the Dark Forest, who told her and the other loyal followers of StarClan that they had to either renounce their warrior ancestors or leave the forest. In outrage, she attacked him, leading every other loyal Clan cat to do the same. Thanks to his daughter Greenleaf’s treachery, Ashwing was defeated, and she and the other loyal cats were banished from the forest. They watched and waited for a full moon, and then came back, bringing StarClan with them and defeating the Dark Forest once and for all.

But her journey didn’t end there- far from it. After becoming Ashstar and gaining her nine lives, her best friend and mate both died, leaving her in a pit of grief. She made her son Smokepelt her deputy, and later demoted him in favor of Brindlewhisker. But that’s a whole different story. For Ashstar, she has had a long life and still has six more lives yet. I hope she is guided by StarClan to be the best leader she can be for WindClan. For all the effort she has put into it, she certainly deserves it.

The son of Ashstar. The former deputy of WindClan. The apprentice-maimer. Smokepelt has been surrounded by labels his whole life, but let’s take a look at what led him there. For most of his life, Smokepelt was a shy and quiet tom who didn’t do much but serve his Clan. After his brother died when they were apprentices, his parents were his whole world. But all of that changed when his mother made him her deputy. Gaining the position gave him new confidence, his newfound power making him prideful and reckless. Yes, Shrewkit, it’s good to have pride in your Clan, but like everything good, it is bad in excess. This isn’t to say that he was a bad cat- he just made some bad decisions.

All of WindClan would regret the day that Smokepelt joined a patrol by the RiverClan border. After a few moments, they met a RiverClan patrol. Tempers were inflamed, insults were exchanged, and the deputy of WindClan leapt over the border and attacked a young RiverClan apprentice by the name of Frogpaw, permanently breaking his jaw after getting carried away in the fight. The RiverClan cats rushed the apprentice back to camp, telling Fishstar what had happened. Earlier Shellpaw, another apprentice, had been maimed by a WindClan warrior. The leader was furious. Taking most of her Clan with her, she barged into WindClan camp demanding retribution for what Smokepelt and the other warrior, Lionfur, had done. Ashstar was dismayed at her Clan’s actions as well, and agreed to punish both warriors. But Fishstar wasn’t satisfied, and demanded that both be exiled for their crimes. Seeing the punishment as too harsh, the WindClan leader refused, and RiverClan immediately attacked. After a long and bloody fight, the invading Clan won, and paraded back home. WindClan was decimated for moons by that battle, bad enough that Ashstar began to reconsider her decision.

Meanwhile, Smokepelt found a mate, Hazefur, and had two litters of kits with her. Moons later, after the bad blood with RiverClan had mostly died down, one of those kits, Kindleblaze, attacked a RiverClan warrior named Morningfog, blinding her. This time, Ashstar had had enough. When Fishstar came to inform her of what had happened, she immediately exiled Kindleblaze from WindClan, banishing her to the outskirts of Twolegplace. RiverClan went home without shedding any blood. But the last incident was enough to drive Ashstar to go to StarClan for advice. They shared with her two visions- one with Smokepelt leading the Clan as Smokestar, surrounded by battles and bloodshed, and one with another cat leading the Clan to peace. After that, Ashstar demoted her son from the deputy position in the Clan’s best interests, appointing a she-cat named Brindlewhisker in his stead. Smokepelt was furious, and turned away from his mother that he had been so close to his entire life, despite her continued respect towards him and her efforts to convince him that it was all for the best. As far as I know, he is still bitter about the decision. But did the tom really deserve to be demoted, so long after his mistake was past? That, dear kits, is something I will let you decide for yourself.

So what if the deputy of WindClan was born a rogue, Barkkit? That doesn’t have any effect on her performance as a warrior. Brindlewhisker, just like her leader, proved that she deserves her place in her Clan just as much as any of her Clanmates. She is Smokepelt’s granddaughter, as well, and a part of the large group of cats that is Ashstar’s family. This warrior is probably one of the youngest deputies in the forest, but she has earned her position well. She has performed many brave deeds, but arguably the greatest one of all is being one of two cats in the forest who fought the evil rogue Bear and defeated him. The other cat is Flamestrike, and I’ll tell you of him later.

Brindlewhisker made good friends with two toms before she became deputy- Mottleheart, her WindClan Clanmate and Ashstar’s former apprentice, and Rockthorn, a ThunderClan tom. The two were meeting at Fourtrees when a rogue named Bear showed up and tried to force them to join his group of rogues, like he had done with many other Clan cats. When they refused, the rogue attacked Rockthorn, nearly shredding him to pieces. But Brindlewhisker fought the tom to protect her friend and defeated him, driving him out of Clan territory. (Later she would regret saving Rockthorn- but that, too, is a story for another time.) However, that wasn’t the last time the warrior and the rogue would meet. When the Clans finally sent out a party to go together and take out Bear’s group of rebels and captured Clan cats, she was at the head of the group. She was the first one to attack, leading the other cats onward to defeat the group, though Flamestrike was the one who ultimately killed him. However, though Brindlewhisker’s actions were very brave, make sure not to define her by them, little ones. Every cat deserves more than that.

Like many other WindClan cats, she has a mate, Thistlefall, and she has trained multiple apprentices. She used to be very close to her family, but when Ashstar demoted Smokepelt, the family split apart- some on Smokepelt’s side, some on Ashstar and Brindlewhisker’s side. Since her family meant so much to her, it really hurt Brindlewhisker when her grandfather decided to hold a grudge about the whole ordeal. I don’t rightly blame him for being mad at his mother, but both leader and deputy still love him and want him as part of their happy family again. So far as I know, they’ve still been avoiding each other. I hope that, someday, the tension between their family gets resolved, and they can be as close as they used to be. I hate to see families torn apart by bitterness and pride.

So far, there isn’t much to judge the deputy by. She has lived a relatively short life, but I’m sure she will live much longer, giving devoted service to her Clan. StarClan approved of Ashstar’s choice, and we are all waiting to see if her newly appointed deputy will prove herself further and justify the leader’s decision. If Brindlewhisker puts as much into protecting her Clan as she does into protecting her friends, then I doubt even Smokepelt will be able to say that she isn’t fit to someday lead WindClan.

I see you shudder at his name, Brookkit. I assume you’ve heard tales of this cat from some of the other elders? No cat is inherently evil, but Lionfur wasn’t one cat. Stuck inside his head were two personalities- the shy, stuttering Lionfur that everycat knew, and the ambitious, ruthless, crazy Lionstar, whose only wish was to become WindClan’s leader, no matter what it took. His psychotic personality believed, somehow, that he was chosen by StarClan and was destined to make WindClan great. I don’t know how he got this thought or why he was so haunted, but it was what shaped the rest of his life. Though he seemed like a perfectly normal tom most of the time, the hidden monster in his brain would never let him live a normal life.

Even as an apprentice, the Lionstar inside of Lionpaw was manipulative. Ashstar saw this in him and gave him one of the most peaceful warriors in WindClan, Spiderfur, as his mentor, hoping that she could curb his ambitious tendencies. And it appeared to work- at least for a little while. But the tom had different ideas. In order to try and get closer to the current deputy, Smokepelt, he pretended to have a dream from StarClan. In his “dream”, the camp was invaded by shadowy cats, who attacked the camp and killed the deputy. His end goal was to convince the deputy that he could communicate with StarClan when he later started a war with either RiverClan or ShadowClan. The ruthless Lionstar didn’t care how many cats were killed or injured in his pursuit for power, and the personality of Lionpaw that he wore was a convincing enough actor that the deputy was almost taken in with his plan. Thankfully, your ancestors warned him, gave him the unsettled feeling that prevented the ideas from moving forwards. But in no way was Lionstar done there.

After gaining his name, Lionfur became mates with Nightheart, a young she-cat who was taken with his false personality and truly believed he loved her. She became pregnant and bore his kits, hoping that they would be together always. This was where the true personality of Lionfur started to shine through- a timid, peaceful tom who truly loved Nightheart and was content with his place in the Clan. Seeing his evil counterpart’s tendencies, the good part of Lionfur began to fight back. Meanwhile, the tom was hunting one day on the RiverClan border, and crossed to steal a piece of prey. Shellpaw, a young apprentice of the other Clan, happened to come by and see him. After demanding that he get off their territory, Lionstar saw red and attacked her, and after a quick fight, his claws dug deep into her pelt and slashed her across the bridge of her nose, scarring her permanently. I’ll tell you more about this brave she-cat later, but suffice it to say that the maimings of Shellpaw and Frogpaw are what caused the large battle between RiverClan and WindClan.

Thanks to his partly causing the battle, and trying to stop Fishstar’s disproportionate retribution, Ashstar agreed, albeit unwillingly, to exile Lionfur after his kits were all apprenticed. Following the battle, the tom hoped she had forgotten, but one day he was summoned to the leader’s den in the dead of night, trying to avoid the Clan’s attention for his sake. When the she-cat told him, once and for all, that he was to be exiled- hoping that he could take it gracefully and perhaps come back after a time if he did- Lionstar and Lionfur had their final battle. Tussling mentally inside their shared head, a fierce battle of wills, the villain inside the determined young tom’s mind finally wrested control once and for all, eliminating the personality of Lionfur for good. Only the ruthless Lionstar remained. The psychotic tom, eyes now stuck at a blood-red shade, took advantage of his position to overpower and kill Ashstar, taking away one of her lives. He would have taken away the rest, just as Saltpelt had done to Sablestar not that long ago, if Smokepelt hadn’t heard the leader’s last cry and come to help.

Despite Lionstar’s ruthless bloodthirst, the skill and training of the then-deputy was able to help him defeat the psychotic tom, killing him and sending him to the Dark Forest. No, Turtlekit, you shouldn’t go and look for him. The Dark Forest is a place that young kits- and no StarClan warrior for that matter- should ever tread. You’ll be best off staying here, young ones. But the story of Lionfur just goes to show you that some cats, though they are very few, are irredeemably evil. Kindness, as ideal as it would be, can never always be the answer in this forest. Perhaps someday, we will reach that level of peace.

Yes, Shrewkit, I’m sure you recognize them- you may have seen them around before. Those two sisters have a very confusing past, and it’s a very controversial line whether they should have been let into StarClan at all. Let me explain, young ones. Not every cat here in StarClan is a perfect hero. Some have made mistakes. Some have made wrong decisions. But as long as they keep their faith in StarClan in the end, and repent of what they’ve done that broke the code, then they can be allowed in. Only the worst of cats are consigned to eternal misery in the Place of No Stars. But in a strange way, it was the villainous cats who live in that cursed place that even caused the dilemma that so afflicted Breezeheart and Saltpelt through their lives. There are few details in these warriors’ case, so listen closely, young ones. This is another opinion you must judge for yourselves- I will not do it for you.

During this time, the Dark Forest cats were walking in the dreams of ambitious young cats, turning them slowly to their side, gaining their friendships, then their trust, then their loyalty. Eventually, the evil cats had a whole army of living warriors willing to fight on their side. One of these, driven by a desire to prove herself worthy to her deceased grandfather Falconstar, was Saltpelt. I believe many of these cats didn’t truly know what they were doing, what they were getting into. They believed that StarClan was too weak to protect the Clans, and that joining the Dark Forest was the only option that would make them strong. They, of course, were wrong. But they didn’t know it at the time.

After the disastrous battle I have already outlined, where Morningstar and his companions drove all the truly loyal StarClan cats- including cats such as Ashwing, Thrushstar, and the other Clan leaders- Saltpelt was the Dark Forest follower to be elected as the new “leader” of WindClan. She didn’t gain nine lives, the honorary suffix -star, or StarClan’s approval, only an empty title she hadn’t earned. She murdered the sick leader Sablestar in cold blood, knowing that otherwise the she-cat might get well and challenge her leadership, but she lied to the Clan and told them she had died of her sickness. Appointing a fellow Dark Forest recruit, Flashstorm, as her “deputy”, Saltpelt was determined to lead her Clan to greatness under this new rule. Believing StarClan to be gone and wanting to protect her family, Breezeheart didn’t object to this new regime, instead accepting and even participating in its beliefs. After all, all of her family had stayed safe with her in WindClan, and these new spirit warriors would protect them better than StarClan ever had.... What was there for her to fear?

At the first and last Gathering of the Dark Forest Clans, the exiled Clan cats returned, ready to fight for their forest and the beliefs they still held strong to. Among them, Ashwing (for she was still deputy then, though she didn’t know her leader had been killed) attacked Saltpelt, ready to banish this usurper once and for all. But Breezeheart wasn’t willing to lose any more cats, although Ashwing hadn’t planned on killing the white warrior. Putting her family over her loyalty to WindClan and to StarClan, the black she-cat decided instead to side with her sister, trying to keep Ashwing away from her. Thrushstar, after recovering another of his lives from StarClan, assisted the WindClan deputy in fighting the two she-cats.

Eventually, the ShadowClan leader killed both of them, sending them to what he believed was the Dark Forest. However, as the two she-cats lay dying, wishing they could try again and protect each other and the ones they loved, one of the StarClan warriors who had come to fight for the forest made a quick decision. Breezeheart had been misguided and would go to StarClan, that was for sure. But although Saltpelt deserved to wander, lost and alone, in the Dark Forest, the ancestor took pity on her and decided that the two sisters deserved to live out a happy afterlife together. Placing her paw on the dead warrior’s, the golden StarClan she-cat sent the usurper to the star-filled skies of Silverpelt, where she wouldn’t have otherwise gone.

Now, kits, you must decide. Was the StarClan cat’s spur-of-the-moment decision, giving a she-cat who did not deserve it access to the bright plains of heroes and loyal cats, for better or for worse? It would have tormented Breezeheart to no end to lose her sister and never contact her again. But sending a cat to the Dark Forest who had done no significant crime would have been a worse deed than giving paradise to a misled, ambitious warrior? Should they have been separated, or was it right to keep them together? It is your choice to believe what you want, young ones. But you certainly have all of eternity to decide.

I know some of you have definitely run into this tom before; I think he mentioned you to me. If he was a little grumpy, Brookkit, then it’s probably your fault for treading on his tail! Gorsefeather seems to be the perfect example of loyalty, the picture of a grumpy but wise and well-meaning medicine cat. But, of course, he wasn’t always that way. Personalities change, little ones. Not to mention he had his fair share of drama- though, to be fair, most of it was not his fault. He made some mistakes, as all cats do, but he regretted them with all his heart- and that is all that truly matters. As a kit, the same age as yourselves, Gorsekit was ambitious and fierce. His greatest wish was to be the most powerful warrior in his Clan- just like nearly every other kit in the nursery. However, his mother, Nettlewing, saw in him a dangerous tendency to break the warrior code, and out of fear for his future, arranged for him to become the medicine cat apprentice. He was suitably angry, of course, but it was the destiny that StarClan meant for him. Some things, we just cannot change. He was destined to be the next medicine cat of WindClan, whether he wanted to or not.

Of course, his initial disregard for the code could be explained by the circumstances of his birth, but that was not his fault at all. How was he to change who his parents were? His mother was a regular warrior, but his father and mentor was Suntail, the medicine cat. When he told his son and apprentice, Gorsepaw was devastated. His whole life, young as he was, had been a lie. Furious that his father would lie to him in the first place, or that he would ruin his life by telling him, Gorsepaw refused to believe that his parents had broken the code. This event made him hold even stronger to the code, especially because StarClan had given him a special warning- that his line must end with him, or he would follow his forebearers’ fate.

After his father’s disappearance and death, the responsibility of being his Clan’s sole medicine cat rested on the young apprentice’s shoulders. The importance of his position shaped the tom into someone he never would have become otherwise- a dedicated and intensely loyal member of WindClan, ready to do his part and even more to help his Clanmates. He grew many relationships within the Clan, from stronger ties with his sister Meadowfall to a friendship with the young Ashpaw, later to become Ashwing. Eventually he earned his name, Gorsefeather, and was a valued advisor to Falconstar until the leader’s death. He trained an apprentice, Emberleaf, and together they served the Clan better than any other pair of medicine cats could in their circumstances. However, it was much later in Gorsefeather’s life that he made a mistake.

A moon or so before the old medicine cat decided to retire, he had been catching up after the half-moon meeting with an old apprentice of his, the SkyClan medicine cat Acornheather. She was young, pretty, and loved the code as much as he did. So how did that night come to be? I won’t go into the details, but after that evening, Acornheather somehow ended up pregnant with Gorsefeather’s kits. Both cats were horrified at what they had done, as were their ancestors. The WindClan medicine cat was especially disgusted with himself. He had failed to heed StarClan’s warning. He had fallen into the trap of his parents before him. Now, he didn’t know what would happen to him when he finally succumbed to his old age. But there was no way he would ever let his kits know their parentage. After a stressed and hurried birth, secluded and hidden away in the Abandoned Barn, the unlikely and unhappy pair had eight young kits on their paws. Three were brought to RiverClan in the dead of night, one was snuck into ShadowClan, two returned to SkyClan with Acornheather and two more accompanied Gorsefeather back to WindClan. No cat but the two of them was aware what had transpired on that night, and they made sure to keep it that way. Strangely enough, three of the kits- Cloudstone of RiverClan, Leafheart of WindClan, and Alderheart of ShadowClan- grew up to be medicine cats themselves. Others, like Poolmist of RiverClan, wished they could have the same destiny. Isn’t it funny how these things sometimes work out?

After that night, Gorsefeather retired to be an elder, leaving Emberleaf- and his forbidden daughter Leafpaw- to be the medicine cats of WindClan. He might have lived many more moons before joining StarClan, due to old age or possibly greencough, if not for the Dark Forest’s reign. There wasn’t much that the elders, and the other Clan cats who hadn’t come to the Gathering, could do about the dark, shadowy cats that had taken over their forest. But when the exiled StarClan-loyal cats returned, Gorsefeather knew he had to help. His nature wouldn’t let him stand by and watch as the traitorous “leaders” that Morningstar had chosen killed Thrushstar and set upon the remaining loyal cats, including his old friend Ashwing. The elder died standing up for what what right, trying to defend the forest he knew and loved from the evil shadows of cats that tried to drive the loyal warriors out of their rightful home. In the end, he earned a hero’s welcome here in StarClan. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind telling you a few of his escapades later. But even as I finish with my stories of WindClan, my tale has barely begun.

I see that your eyes sparkle as I speak RiverClan’s name, Brookkit. Pride in your Clan is a great thing- and it is one of the things that the river-dwelling Clan is known for. RiverClan is also known as the only Clan that swims in water and eats fish. The other Clans find the idea of being in water or eating the slimy creatures that live in it appalling, but it is the way of life that this Clan has developed, and they are all the stronger for it. By being the only Clan to eat fish, they have an ensured supply of prey year-round. By being the only Clan to swim, their territory is protected by more than scent markers. But they don’t only live this way for the benefits it offers. It is the way of life they have known since the dawn of their time, the way of life they would not change for the world. These cats are born to swim.

The warriors of RiverClan are sleek and well-fed, even plump by the other Clans’ standards. Their coats are handsome and glossy, and their paws are a little larger than other cats’ to help them swim. Of course, never missing a meal gives them some complacency, and they lose a little more of the constant drive to survive that other warriors have in their bones. They see themselves as clever and graceful, though the other Clans find them fat, stubborn and lazy. But their most overwhelming attribute is pride. They call themselves superior to the other Clans, above their petty ways. They boast that no other Clan will conquer their territory since they are feared for their strength- while I would argue that it is because the other Clans don’t have any interest in their lifestyle. Everything depends on perspective, little ones, remember that always.

RiverClan lives southwest of Fourtrees, in a part of the forest that is less dense with trees than ThunderClan or SkyClan territory, but not so bare as WindClan’s. On the border between RiverClan and ThunderClan is Sunningrocks, a small strip of territory that has been fought over since the river died down to make it accessible to both Clans. Their camp is on a dry, sandy island surrounded by water that can only be reached by swimming. Their namesake, the river that flows through their territory, is rich in prey that only they eat. But life isn’t all rainbows and sunshine, even for the cats of RiverClan. Near their territory is a small Twolegplace, where many Twolegs come and live in Greenleaf. This is when the cats are most in danger. A Twoleg might see a sleek, attractive warrior sunning themselves on the river shore, and want that cat to live in their house as their kittypet. I’m not surprised that you don’t know- RiverClan keeps it as one of their most closely guarded secrets. You see, not many of the warriors who are taken by these Twolegs find their way back.