Warriors is a novel series written by Erin Hunter. The following is a list of characters who are a part of "The Tribe of Rushing Water." As well, "Ancient cats", as they are called in the allegiances section (character list) of the books, are also listed here.
The Tribe of Rushing Water are a group of cats who make their home in a mountain range, introduced in Moonrise.[1]
The ancient cats are the Tribe's ancestors, first introduced in Dark River.[2]
Contents |
The Tribe of Rushing Water is a group of smaller cats living in the northern caves of the mountain range that divides much of the land between the old forest territories and the lake territories. Tribe cats do not believe in StarClan; instead, they have their own spiritual equivalent, the Tribe of Endless Hunting. In the Tribe, there is deputy: the leader, always known as Teller of the Pointed Stones, or Healer, serves as both the leader and medicine cat.[1] The Teller interprets the signs from their ancestors as well as leads the Tribe, directing their actions. Upon birth, Tribe cats are named by their mother for the first thing they see (which, incidentally, is usually not Floor, Roof, Wall of Cave or some such, as described by Rock in "Cats of the Clans"). Eventually, a Tribe cat trains as a to-be (apprentice). They can be either a cave-guard or a prey-hunter, based on their physical appearance, and this future role is determined at birth. Strong, sturdy cats are chosen to be cave-guards, whose job is to defend the Tribe's camp against intruders as well as provide cover for the prey-hunters while hunting. Prey-hunters, chosen for their slender, agile bodies, are adept at hunting in the rocky mountain terrain and can leap high enough to catch large birds.[3] Tribe cats often cover themselves in mud in order to better blend in with their surroundings, allowing them to catch larger, more exotic prey such as hawks and eagles. It also protects them from the cold mountain wind.[4]
The Tribe typically have no enemies, which leaves them unprepared for attacks by other large predators such as (Sharptooth) or other groups of cats attempting to take their territory as shown in Outcast.[1][4] They have a firmly rooted tradition, and as such do not welcome the beliefs of other cats, a theme which incorporates the use of people from different cultural and traditional ways of thinking working together to solve a common goal. It is revealed in Outcast of the Power of Three series that the Tribe is among the descendants of the ancient clan of cats who originally lived in the lake territories, of which Rock and Fallen Leaves are members.[4]
Throughout the series, the Clan cats commonly call the Tribe cats by the first word in their name, rather than the whole name.
The Tribe of Rushing Water is primarily introduced in Moonrise[1] and visited again briefly in Dawn.[5] Following The New Prophecy series, they are featured again in Outcast of the Power of Three series. All characters listed here also appear in Outcast.[4] In Moonrise, they thought Stormfur was the silver cat who was supposed to kill Sharptooth, the mountain lion, but Feathertail (Stormfur's sister) was actually the silver cat and died for the Tribe.[1] When the Clans traveled in Dawn to their new lake home, they were sheltered in the Tribe's caves.[5] In Outcast, they used the Clan's help to drive out intruders.[4]
Brook is a slender, brown tabby she-cat with gray eyes[6] and is a prey-hunter within the Tribe. She is first introduced in Moonrise, when the journeying group of Clan cats accidentally stumbles upon the Tribe, and instantly takes a liking to Stormfur.[1]
Stormfur decides to stay with Brook in the mountains when the exodus of the four Clans passes through. However, they are exiled from the Tribe following a disastrous attempt by Stormfur to rally the Tribe cats in order to force a group of intruding cats out, after which they travel to the new lake territory of ThunderClan. Brook is sorrowful for Stoneteller's decision to banish Stormfur, but remains by his side. She eventually learns to hunt and live in the forest and is accepted as a full ThunderClan cat, often providing advice to the younger cats based on her experiences in the mountains. During the events of Outcast she and Stormfur return to the Tribe along with a collection of Clan warriors in order to deal with the intruders threatening the mountains. [4]
Brook has one brother, Crag Where Eagles Nest (Crag). She is Stormfur's mate. She is the mother of Lark That Sings At Dawn (Lark) and Pine That Clings To Rock (Pine).
Talon is a massive, broad-shouldered dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a scar across the side of his face who serves as a cave-guard in the Tribe. He was first introduced in Moonrise as a Tribe exile, banished by Stoneteller along with other cats for failing to successfully kill the mountain lion Sharptooth.[1] He is also revealed to be Brook's brother, along with Crag. After the group of Clan cats chosen by StarClan on the journey to the sun-drown-place pass through the mountains and attempt to solve the Tribe's problem, Talon, Bird, and Rock return to the Tribe in order to help with the plan to kill Sharptooth. He becomes a member of the Tribe once again after Sharptooth is killed. Talon returns in Outcast and, along with Night of No Stars (Night), journeys to the Clans for help when the Tribe is having problems with trespassing cats stealing prey.[4] In Sign of the Moon he becomes an elder.[7]
Stoneteller, as he is more commonly known, serves as the Healer of the Tribe. He is an old, long-bodied dark brown tabby tom with a white muzzle and amber eyes. The Healer performs the duties of both a leader and medicine cat, essentially granting him both traditional and spiritual authority over his Tribemates. The name given to the Tribe's healer is always the same, and as such there have been several Stonetellers over the course of the Tribe's history. This particular Stoneteller is well-suited to leading his Tribe, but is forced to deal with a number of crises (Sharptooth, the unnamed group of trespassing cats, etc.) that threaten their survival and unnerve his faith in the Tribe of Endless Hunting, the Tribe's spiritual equivalent of StarClan. As there are no other cats in a position of power to advise him, Stoneteller often feels overwhelmed by his responsibilities and can be prone to making rash decisions.
A dark gray tom with amber eyes, Crag was one of the cats that found the Clans when they were lost on the mountains on the Great Journey. In Sign of the Moon he becomes the new Teller of the Pointed Stones after his predecessor dies.[7] He is brother of Brook.
These are characters first mentioned in Dark River of the Power of Three series.[2] They are as yet unknown to all cats except Jayfeather, whose extrasensory perception allows him to discover clues hidden in an ancient stick located near the lake. It is hinted in Outcast that these cats have ties to the Tribe of Rushing Water,[4] and in Long Shadows, Jayfeather/Jay's Wing convinces the group to journey to the mountains to live there, hinting they are the direct ancestors of the Tribe.[8] Their connection to the Clan cats is implied, but has not been touched upon as of yet.
The Ancient Clan was primarily introduced in Dark River[2] and has played a minor role in all subsequent novels.
There are several differences between the modern Clans and the Ancient ones. These will be listed below.
Fallen Leaves, a muscular shouldered ginger and white tom with green eyes and the son of Broken Shadow and Stone Song, is one of the Ancient Cats who went into the tunnels to become sharpclaws (the equivalent of warriors). These tunnels run underneath ThunderClan and WindClan territory, in which Lionpaw and Heatherpaw played in at night. Three WindClan kits strayed into them when the floods were rising, and Lionpaw, Jaypaw, Hollypaw, Heatherpaw, and Breezepaw had to rescue them. It was then that Fallen Leaves guided Jaypaw through, finding the kits and averting a battle. Later, in Eclipse, the three kits reveal the tunnels to WindClan, and WindClan use them as an opportunity to ambush ThunderClan.[9]
Fallen Leaves had entered the tunnels to prove he was a sharpclaw. However, he neglected to mention to Rock that rain might fall. This proved his downfall, as when it rained, the tunnels flooded, and he drowned. Jayfeather dreamed about his journey in the tunnels, and before he died, Fallen Leaves suddenly realized Jayfeather was walking with him.
The Erins said that Fallen Leaves still hasn't accepted the fact that he is dead, and this is why Fallen Leaves' spirit still walks through the tunnels. In Long Shadows, he was dismayed to hear that Jayfeather was not staying with him, and his death is a catalyst for the Ancient Clans moving from the lake to the mountains.[8]
Rock is a very old cat. He is described in Dark River as his pelt like moleskin, the fur gone except for tufts along his spine, and his sightless eyes bulging like eggs, thus depicting him as ancient to the Ancient Clans.[2] He watches over all of the Clans (including SkyClan, BloodClan, and the Tribe of Rushing Water, in addition to the rogues, loners, and kittypets known to the four Clans, as well as having an acquaintance with Midnight), and as he says in Cats of the Clans he knows the destiny and innermost thoughts of each cat.[3] In his introduction in the prologue of Dark River, he is in a cave and greets Fallen Leaves before the young cat goes into the tunnels.[2] He later meets with Jayfeather and tells him he must go to the mountains in Outcast.[4] He is the narrator of Cats of the Clans, and talks with three kits from StarClan: Mosskit, a half-ThunderClan, half-RiverClan kit who died on the way to RiverClan with Stonefur and Mistyfoot, Adderkit, a WindClan kit ironically killed by a snake, and Blossomkit, a ShadowClan kit who was forced into battle when she was too young on Brokenstar's demand, and was killed in the battle. He seems to know all about the Clans (although some of his knowledge is a little off in Cats of the Clans), and is very keen in particular to Jayfeather, supporting the prophecy.[3] It is revealed in The Fourth Apprentice that he knew of Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Lionblaze's heritage.[10] In Sign of the Moon he tells Jayfeather that he was once the Teller of Pointed Stones for the Tribe of Rushing Water.[7]
A dark ginger tabby tom with muscular shoulders and amber eyes, Furled Bracken is the leader of the ancient Clan that lived at the lake before the four Clans. When Stone Song requests for the stones to be cast, he accepts. Jayfeather, or who the Clan thinks he is, Jay's Wing, tries to go forward to make his decision, he holds him back, telling him that he must choose last because he is the newest sharpclaw. When the decision is made to leave, Furled Bracken appoints Stone Song as leader, much to Jayfeather's surprise.
A hefty dark gray tabby tom with glittering ice blue eyes, Stone Song is known to be a sharpclaw of the ancient Clan that lived at the lake before the four Clans. He is intrigued by Jay's Wing's, or rather Jaypaw's dream about the mountains. He seems quite confident, and is the cat who asks Furled Bracken for the stones to be cast. After the decision is made to leave, Furled Bracken appoints him as leader. Stone Song later asks Jay's Wing to help him lead the tribe to their new home. He is the father of Fallen Leaves and mate of Broken Shadow.
A slender orange tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes, Broken Shadow is also known to be a sharpclaw of the ancient Clan that lived at the lake before the four Clans. In Dark River, Broken Shadow is not mentioned directly by name.[2] She is seen sadly watching her son, Fallen Leaves, enter the tunnels for his assessment with Rock to become a sharpclaw. Broken Shadow protests his leaving, saying that the skies look like they might rain. Fallen Leaves continues on stubbornly though, not wanting to put off his becoming a full sharpclaw any longer.
A white she-cat with green eyes, Half Moon is another one of the Ancient Cats known to be the ancestors of the Tribe of Rushing Water. She is a calm and kind she-cat. She was in love with Jay's Wing. Half Moon helped Jaypaw (Jay's Wing) when he was confused about where he was. She shows obvious affection towards Jay's Wing, willing to leave if he was. She defended him when Fish Leap bullied him, and during the casting of the stones, Half Moon went to the 'leave' side. She also made a brief appearance during Jaypaw's naming ceremony. It could be noted that she loves both Jayfeather and Jay's Wing since they are both to be the same cat. She is apparently a very good hunter, helping Jay's Wing to catch prey when he found it difficult. In Sign of the Moon, Half Moon is made the first Teller of the Pointed Stones by Jayfeather, because she was the one who saw the "sign of the moon"[7]
A gray tabby tom with blue eyes, Jay's Wing is a cat training to be a sharpclaw (warrior) of the ancient Clan that lived at the lake before the four Clans. In Long Shadows, Jayfeather is taken back in time by Fallen Leaves, and walks in Jay's Wing's pawsteps.[8] Jay's Wing/Jayfeather asks questions that confuse most of the Clan. He helps Fallen Leaves's tribe decide to leave the lake by telling the leader, Furled Bracken, about a dream he had, one about the mountains the Tribe of Rushing Water lives in. He never truly had that dream, but rather had visited the mountains himself. After the beginning of the journey, Rock calls Jayfeather back and tells him it is time to return to ThunderClan. He reincarnated as Jayfeather, which is why when Jayfeather went back in time he becomes Jay's Wing.
A pretty pale gray she-cat with blue eyes, Dove's Wing is known to be a cat training to be a sharpclaw (warrior). Dove's Wing is sister to Jay's Wing, who, unknown to her, is Jayfeather thrust into the past. When Jay's Wing asks a strange question in front of a group of softpaws (apprentices), she says he must have hit his head on the rocky floor of the tunnel. When Jayfeather went back in time and came out as Jay's Wing, he suspected that Dove's Wing might be Dovewing's counterpart.
A small, compact, strong golden tabby tom, Lion's Roar is born to Shy Fawn and Dark Whiskers in Sign of the Moon.[7] When he first enters the world, he is motionless and so all the other cats thinks he's dead. Jayfeather (Jay's Wing) licks him, and he lets out a loud wail, which some other cat says sounds like a lion's roar, which is what Shy Fawn named him. Jayfeather thinks he reincarnated as Lionblaze, which gives him the idea that Dove's Wing might be Dovewing, as it would make sense for the Three to have had a past life.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||