Erin Hunter - Midnight

T H E N E W P R O P H E C Y

For Chris, Janet, and Louisa HaslumSpecial thanks to Cherith Baldry

Contents

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xii

Night lay upon the forest. There was no moon, but

Leaves rustled as the young tabby cat slid through a

The sun had not yet risen when Brambleclaw set out

Squirrelpaw is upset, Leafpaw remarked, watching her sister leave the

Brambleclaw emerged from the warriors den and glanced round

the

Brambleclaw stalked stiff-legged across the clearing until he tood

face

All night Leafpaws sleep had been disturbed by strange, vivid

Brambleclaw emerged warily from the undergrowth at the edge of

Snakerocks is the best place in the forest to find

Brambleclaw chose a plump starling from the fresh-kill pile, carrying

Brambleclaw scarcely slept that night, and when he did, his

Where are we going to sleep? Squirrelpaw asked.

Leafpaw caught a vole on her way back to the

This isnt the quickest way to Fourtrees, Squirrelpaw protested when

Brambleclaw heaved a sigh of relief to come down from

Leafpaw opened her eyes to see fronds of fern above

Brambleclaw raced back to the hedge with Feathertail right behind

Brambleclaw jumped awake when a paw prodded him in the

Were running short of celandine. Cinderpelt poked her head out

Brambleclaw raced panic-stricken among the trees, bolting back and forth

Purdy led the forest cats along the edge of the

Leafpaw jumped up from her nest in the ferns outside

Brambleclaw crouched in the bushes and watched the full moon

Brambleclaw stared at the apprentice for a moment before opening

Brambleclaw glanced wildly over his shoulder, but there was nowhere

The long grass beside the Thunderpath parted and Firestar prowled

t h u n d e r c l a n

L E A D E R

firestarginger tom with a flame

colored pelt

D E P U T Y

graystripelong-haired gray tom

M E D I C I N E C AT cinderpeltdark gray she-cat apprentice, leafpaw

W A R R I O R S

(toms, and she-cats without kits)

mousefursmall dusky brown she-cat

apprentice, spiderpaw

dustpeltdark brown tabby tom

apprentice, squirrelpaw

sandstormpale ginger she-cat

apprentice, sorrelpaw

cloudtaillong-haired white tom

brackenfurgolden brown tabby tom

apprentice, whitepaw

thornclawgolden brown tabby tom

apprentice, shrewpaw

brightheartwhite she-cat with ginger patches

brambleclawdark brown tabby tom

with amber eyes

ashfurpale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

rainwhiskerdark gray tom with blue

eyes

sootfurlighter gray tom with amber eyes A P P R E N T I C E S (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

sorrelpawtortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

squirrelpawdark ginger she-cat with

green eyes

leafpawlight brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and white paws

spiderpawlong-limbed black tom with

brown underbelly and amber eyes

shrewpawsmall dark brown tom with

amber eyes

whitepawwhite she-cat with green eyes Q U E E N S

(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

goldenflowerpale ginger coat, the

oldest nursery queen

ferncloudpale gray (with darker

flecks) she-cat, green eyes

E L D E R S

(former warriors and queens, now retired) frostfurbeautiful white she-cat with blue eyes

dappletailonce-pretty tortoiseshell

she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan speckletailpale tabby she-cat

longtailpale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight s h a d o w c l a n

L E A D E R

blackstarlarge white tom with huge

jet black paws

D E P U T Y

russetfurdark ginger she-cat

M E D I C I N E C AT littlecloudvery small tabby tom W A R R I O R S

oakfursmall brown tom

apprentice, smokepaw

tawnypelttortoiseshell she-cat with

green eyes

cedarheartdark gray tom

rowanclawginger she-cat

apprentice, talonpaw

tallpoppylong-legged light brown

tabby she-cat

E L D E R S

runningnosesmall gray-and-white

tom, formerly the medicine cat

w i n d c l a n

L E A D E R

tallstarelderly black-and-white tom

with a very long tail

D E P U T Y

mudclawmottled dark brown tom

apprentice, crowpawdark smoky

gray, almost black, tom with blue eyes M E D I C I N E C AT barkfaceshort-tailed brown tom W A R R I O R S

onewhiskerbrown tabby tom

webfootdark gray tabby tom

torneartabby tom

whitetailsmall white she-cat

E L D E R S

morningflowertortoiseshell she-cat

r i v e r c l a n

L E A D E R

leopardstarunusually spotted golden

tabby she-cat

D E P U T Y

mistyfootgray she-cat with blue eyes M E D I C I N E C AT mudfurlong-haired light brown tom apprentice, mothwingbeautiful

golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

W A R R I O R S

blackclawsmoky black tom

heavystepthickset tabby tom

stormfurdark gray tom with amber

eyes

feathertaillight gray she-cat with

blue eyes

hawkfrostbroad-shouldered dark

brown tom

mosspelttortoiseshell she-cat

Q U E E N S

dawnflowerpale gray she-cat

E L D E R S

shadepeltvery dark gray she-cat

loudbellydark brown tom

c a t s o u t s i d e c l a n s

barleyblack-and-white tom that lives on a farm close to the forest

ravenpawsleek black cat that lives on the farm with Barley

purdyelderly tabby tom that lives in woods near the sea

;

Night lay upon the forest. There was no moon, but the stars of Silverpelt shed their frosty glitter over the trees. At the bottom of a rocky hollow, a pool reflected the starshine. The air was heavy with the scents of late greenleaf.

Wind sighed softly through the trees and ruffled the quiet surface of the pool. At the top of the hollow, the fronds of bracken parted to reveal a cat; her bluish gray fur glimmered as she stepped delicately from rock to rock, down to the waters edge.

Sitting on a flat stone that jutted out over the pool, she raised her head to look around. As if at a signal, more cats began to appear, slipping into the hollow from every direction. They padded down to sit as close to the water as they could, until the lower slopes were filled with lithe shapes gazing down into the pool.

The cat who had appeared first rose to her paws. A new prophecy has come! she meowed. A doom that will change everything has been foretold in the stars.

On the opposite side of the pool, another cat bowed his tawny, bracken-colored head. I have seen this too. There will 1