A cat padded down a mossy trail, winding down to an ancient tree with soft, flexible bark. Its fur was smooth, carefully groomed, and its ears pricked as it stepped down. "It's time," it breathed.

More cats joined the first around the trunk of the tree. "Show us your will, show us your will," they chanted. Another cat stepped forward, a black tom with bright amber eyes and a white underbelly and paws.

"Spirits, show us trouble, for if it must come, we shall be ready," the cat said. "Accept our offering."

Five cats were shoved to the front of the group, one lithe, one muscular, one smelling of herbs, one smelling of milk, and one strong and lean. "Accept them, accept them," the throng repeated. As one, five more cats stepped out, all burly and muscular.

"This blood is spilled for you, oh Spirits," the black tom continued. The five bulky cats pinned down the first group, claws unsheathed. "Take it and show us the way." As he finished, the five cats pinned began to struggle.

The one smelling of herbs scraped vainly at the ground. "Let me go!" it screeched. The tom's amber eyes narrowed, and he turned to the group.

"Will we allow such impudence in our Clan of righteousness?"

In the clearing, the cats were being whipped into a frenzy. "No! Kill them! No! Kill them!"

The cat switched his focus back to the prisoners. "Sacrifice them to the Spirits!" Instantly five sets of claws flashed, and blood was streaming out onto the moss. "The Spirits have been appeased. Guide us from trouble, Spirits, so we may uphold the righteousness."

His white underbelly and paws glowing, the tom leaped up onto the ledge. "Let us go forth in peace, ClearClan. We have cleared ourselves of disturbances for another four seasons, and our triumphs shall live on!"

Cats of ClearClan:

Leader: Echostar~ black tom with amber eyes and a white underbelly and paws

Deputy: Solarwind~ golden she-cat with brown stripes blue eyes

Healers:

Deershine~ brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Lemonblaze~ ginger she-cat with yellow designs on her paws, ears, and tail with green eyes

Sorrelmist~ mottled she-cat with blue eyes and a plumed, sorrel-like tail

Grasswind~ silver mackerel tom with green eyes and ragged fur

Yarrowpelt~ black tom with dark gray dapples and hazel eyes

Hunters:

Mouseflight~ dark brown tabby tom with brown eyes

Squirrelclaw~ light ginger tom with amber eyes

Troutbreeze~ gray she-cat with blue eyes

Harefur~ light brown she-cat with violet eyes

Birdfleck~ silver she-cat with hazel eyes

Hawkspring~ black tabby she-cat with white paws and green eyes

Warriors:

Clawscar~ dark tabby tom with dark eyes and a scar across one cheek and long claws

Bladewhisker~ dark gray tom with green eyes and abnormally sharp claws

Brambleshadow~ reddish tabby she-cat with violet eyes

Gorsespike~ light brown tom with amber eyes

Darktail~ black tom with blue eyes

Shadeheart~ black tom with a white tail-tip and green eyes

Messengers/Seekers:

Lightwind~ russet tom with ginger designs and green eyes

Dustflight~ light tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Splashfur~ tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Streampelt~ silver tabby tom with dark eyes

Queens (she-cats):

Iceheart~ snowy white with blue eyes (Flashkit~ brown tom with blue eyes; Sunkit~ white tom with a ginger disk on his forehead with blue eyes)

Redripple~ russet with green eyes (Applekit~ reddish brown mottled tom with green eyes)

Leopardheart~ golden with brown spots and violet eyes (Stormkit~ silver tabby she-cat with green eyes; Almondkit~ brown tabby she-cat with violet eyes; Salmonkit- light tabby tom with dark eyes; Snakekit~ dark golden tom with blue eyes)

Goldenshine~ shiny golden with brown eyes (Mallowkit~ gray she-cat with green eyes and light flecks; Ripplekit~ dark brown tom with dark eyes; Mintkit~ light bluish she-cat with with blue eyes; Amberkit~ black kit with white stripes and green eyes; Laurelkit~ black and brown calico she-cat with blue eyes)

Waterwhisker~ silver with silky whiskers and brown eyes (Jaykit~ light gray she-cat with green eyes; Ivykit~ silver and white tabby she-cat with one blue eye and one green eye)

Moonsong~ gray with amber eyes (Brindlekit~ brown mackerel tabby she-cat with violet eyes; Celandinekit~ long-haired gray she-cat with dark eyes; Thornkit~ dark gray tabby tom with tousled fur and green eyes)

Apprentices:

Mudpaw~ brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Honeypaw~ golden she-cat with green eyes

Heatherpaw~ light tabby she-cat with violet eyes

Volepaw~ gray tom with a stubby tail and amber eyes

Thrushpaw~ black and red mottled tom with brown eyes

Spikepaw~ brown tom with green eyes

Elders:

Foxtail~ red tom with hazel eyes

Bluedusk~ blue she-cat with green eyes