ALLEGIANCES

WindClan

LEADER

Duststar – pale brown tom

DEPUTY

Smokedrift – grey tom with darker patches on his back

MEDICINE CAT

Amberleaf – tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes)
Apprentice – Finchpaw (pale brown tom with darker speckles)

WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)

Hawkflight – dusty brown tom with piercing amber eyes
Apprentice – Birdpaw (fluffy grey she-cat)

Crowswoop – dark grey she-cat with black speckles

Goldenspots – golden she-cat with darker spots

Sunstripe – pale ginger tabby tom
Apprentice – Lakepaw (pale grey tabby tom)

Shadestep – smoky grey tom

Gorsebranch – Golden she-cat with distinct white paws
Apprentice – Cloudpaw (long-furred grey and white she-cat)

Owlstorm – dark brown-and-white tom

Waspstripe – pale grey tom with black stripes

Fleetfoot – grey-and-white she-cat

Beechfall – dark brown tom
Apprentice – Bluepaw (blue-grey tom)

Barkclaw – brown tabby tom

Ivyfrost – pure white she-cat
Apprentice – Kestrelpaw (reddish-brown tom)

Cloverheart – tortoiseshell she-cat

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

Thornflower – pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes
(mother to Sunstripe's kits: Bramblekit and Ashkit)

Oakleaf – dark brown she-cat with bright green eyes
(expecting Eagletalon's kits)

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

Foxpelt – ginger she-cat with a flame-coloured pelt

Stormsky – grey tom with sky-blue eyes

RiverClan

LEADER

Mothstar – grey-and-white tom

DEPUTY

Streamtail – blue-grey she-cat

MEDICINE CAT

Hazelstem – small, pale brown she-cat

WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)

Blackcloud – black she-cat with pale blue eyes

Sandear – pale golden tom
Apprentice – Vinepaw

Lichenspeckle – grey tabby she-cat with white speckles
Apprentice – Emberpaw (ginger she-cat with grey paws)

Creekwhisker – grey-blue tom with a white tail

Jayswoop – reddish-brown she-cat with feathery fur
Apprentice – Rowanpaw

Trouttail – grey tom with black spots

Shrewfang – brown tabby tom
Apprentice – Applepaw

Firestorm – dark red tom
Apprentice – Volepaw

Eagletalon – dark golden tom

Minnowflash – brown tabby tom

Weaselstep – pale brown tom with a white underbelly

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

Mistflower – pale grey she-cat
(mother to Sandear's kit: Stonekit)

Frogleap – brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
(mother to Creekwhisker's kits: Acornkit and Daisykit)

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

Driftclaw – white she-cat with long claws

ThunderClan

LEADER

Lilystar – cream she-cat with brown paws

DEPUTY

Gingerfeather – small ginger tom

MEDICINE CAT

Dewfrost (dark grey tom with ice-blue eyes)
Apprentice – Sedgewind – brown she-cat with spiky fur

WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)

Mouseear – light brown tom
Apprentice – Magpiepaw (black-and-white she-cat)

Featherflight – silvery she-cat with feathery fur
Apprentice – Icepaw (white she-cat with pale grey stripes)

Fawndapple – light brown she-cat with white dapples

Snowwhisker – pure white tom with long whiskers

Lightrain – white tom with dark grey spots
Apprentice – Beepaw (golden tom with darker stripes)

Berrytail – ginger she-cat
Apprentice – Sparrowpaw (dark brown tom)

Rabbitspring – light brown tom
Apprentice – Swallowpaw (grey tom with a white underbelly)

Breezetail – grey tabby tom

Fernstream – grey-blue she-cat with green eyes

Cindertail – black tom with a long tail

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Sorrelcloud – ginger-and-white she-cat
(expecting Snowwhisker's kits)

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

Badgerpelt – black-and-white striped tom

ShadowClan

LEADER

Oakstar – yellowish-brown tom

DEPUTY

Snakefang – brown tom with black stripes
Apprentice – Wildpaw (spiky-furred brown tom)

MEDICINE CAT

Tanglefur – black she-cat

WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)

Blossomcloud – tortoiseshell she-cat

Mintstem – greyish-white tom
Apprentice – Nightpaw (black tom with white paws)

Pinefoot – dark brown she-cat with dark green eyes
Apprentice – Antpaw (dark brown tabby tom)

Darkflight – very dark brown she-cat

Thistlepelt – ginger tom with green eyes
Apprentice – Spiderpaw (black she-cat with grey paws)

Lightningstripe – jet-black tom with a white stripe running down his back
Apprentice – Squirrelpaw (dark ginger tom)

Fogeye – pale grey tom with a blind eye

Lightpoppy – very pale ginger she-cat
Apprentice – Greypaw (grey tabby she-cat)

Lizardtail – brown tom with black stripes

Duskfall – brown-and-ginger tom

Adderjaw – red tom with black stripes and a crooked jaw

QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
Tawnyflower – dappled tortoiseshell she-cat
(mother to Lightningstripe's kits: Raggedkit, Fallowkit and Dovekit)

Honeycloud – golden she-cat with light brown stripes
(expecting Mintstem's kits)

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

Willowstream – dark brown she-cat with green eyes

Pricklefur – old tom with spiky black fur

Cats outside clans

Storm - pale grey she-cat with black markings; a loner

Prologue

The silence of the night was suddenly broken by an owl's hoot. As if it had been a warning, a pair of green eyes glinted from under a bush, and a dark brown cat slipped out into the open. She sat down by the river running next to her, looking as though she was waiting for someone. Anxiety glittered in her eyes as she stared around, her body tense. She sniffed the air, then relaxed.

Another cat burst out of the river, before padding over to the first cat, purring in welcome.

"Sorry I'm late; Mistflower's kits started to try and follow me and I had to make them go back to sleep." He meowed to the brown she-cat.

"It doesn't matter, Eagletalon," she replied, licking Eagletalon's shoulder gently. "I have some news for you."

"What is it, Oakleaf?"asked Eagletalon anxiously.

"I'm expecting kits!" the excited response came out of Oakleaf's mouth before she could stop it.

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Eagletalon, nudging his mate affectionately. Then his face fell. "But what will your Clan say?" he asked.

"I don't know; I hadn't thought of that," meowed Oakleaf worriedly. "Will they drive us out of our Clans? After all, we are both half-clan already; maybe they won't want us or our kits."

"Well, I know one thing. I will always go with you, even if I have to leave my Clan because of it!" purred Eagletalon. "But I'm still worried for our kits."

"You don't have to worry about that," came a voice from behind the two cats. They both spun around and came face to face with a mottled grey tom; WindClan's deputy, Smokedrift.

"How long have you been here?" hissed Eagletalon.

"Long enough," came the simple answer. "How long has this been going on, Oakleaf?" Oakleaf looked down at her paws.

"Two seasons," she whispered, glancing up at Eagletalon.

Smokedrift looked at her, almost sympathetically. "I have to take you both back to Duststar, I'm afraid," he meowed, looking between the two mates. His gaze softened. "I know how easy it is to take the wrong path."

"I did not take the wrong path!" hissed Oakleaf furiously. "Eagletalon is the only cat I love and you can't do anything about that!"

"I know that, but I still have to take you to Duststar," Smokedrift replied impatiently. He turned round and started walking back into the shadows, glancing over his shoulder and beckoning Oakleaf and Eagletalon with his tail to follow him.

Oakleaf looked at her mate, then slowly got up. Eagletalon copied his mate and padded up next to her.

"Remember, I will always be with you," he murmured, as they vanished from sight.