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Into the Wild: Warriors #1
Into the Wild: Warriors #1
Into the Wild: Warriors #1
Ebook308 pages4 hours

Into the Wild: Warriors #1

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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About this ebook

Epic adventures. Fierce warrior cats. A thrilling fantasy world. It all begins here.

Read the book that began a phenomenon—and join the legion of fans who have made Erin Hunter’s Warriors series a #1 national bestseller.

For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their ancestors. But the warrior code has been threatened, and the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger. The sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying—and some deaths are more mysterious than others.

In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary housecat named Rusty… who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateOct 13, 2009
ISBN9780061757310
Author

Erin Hunter

Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. In addition to having great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior. She is the author of the Warriors, Seekers, Survivors, Bravelands, and Bamboo Kingdom series. Erin lives in the UK.

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Reviews for Into the Wild

Rating: 4.684615384615385 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

260 ratings69 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book had a slow start for me. However by the end of the book I could not put it down. I really loved Fireheart and the others of the Thunder Clan and I'm looking forward to the next book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is one the best books I have read! I love cats and can't wait to get the next book in the series. This was the first book that I read by Erin Hunter and it was great, can't wait for the new "Survivors" series to come out.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In the book "Warriors: Into the Wild" Rusty, an orange house cat, is baffled by his dream of hunting mice and decides to go into the local woods. Ignoring his friend's warning of the wild cats, Rusty stumbles into a fight with a warrior apprentice named Graypaw. Near the younge apprentice is the Thunder Clan leader Bluestar and a warrior named Lionheart. Impressed by the kittens wits and fighting skills, she asks him to join her clan and live as a wild cat. Hesitant, Rusty decides to meet them next afternoon and eventually goes to become part of the clan. His presece makes many taunt him for being a kittypet, but he scilences them by fighting the bully Longtail. After only one night, Redtail the clan deputy is killed in battle by Oakheart a RiverClan cat. Tigerclaw claimed that he killed Oakheart soon after words and is congradulated for his bravery. After living in the clan for two months, Firepaw (Rusty), is begining to hunt on his first task when he suddenly runs into ShadowClan's cast out medicine cat named Yellowfang. To protect the clan, Firepaw badly injures Yellowang and gives her prey which he also eats. Soon, he is punished for eating the prey and has to treat Yellowfang until she recovers. After Yellowfang is better, Firepaw begins to do more hunting tasks and practices fighting moves with his mentor Bluestar. Tension with ShadowClan rise when they try to take ThunderClan hunting grounds, and they have driven out WindClan from its territory. One shocking day, Ravenpaw admits he saw his mentor Tigerclaw murder Redtail after Redtail killed Oakheart. Firepaw wanted to tell Bluestar, but he never got the chance. After the apprentices take Bluestar and Tigerclaw to the Moonstone to talke to their warrior ancesters called StarClan, a battle ragged in the ThunderClan terriory against ShadowClan. Many were killed inclueding Lionheart, so Tigerclaw was appointed deputy. Life became harder for Ravenpaw when Tigerclaw plot to kill him and the time came to save him when the kits were stolen from the den and the medicine cat died. Firepaw was set out to find YellowFang to see if she took them to ShadowClan so he took Ravenpaw to Barley's barn and live thier instead. Once Firepaw found Yellowfang, she say who murdered Spottedleaf and took the kits and offered to help get them back. With the help of a group of warriors and ShadowClan elders who want to over throw their leader, they over through the leader and took the kits back home. For his bravery, Graypaw and Firepaw became Graystrip and Fireheart to become true Warriors. I absolutly love this series, but it is hard to make a summary of this book. Their is so much detail that it can be hard to fit in a long paragraph! I wish Fireheart could have told Bluestar about Tigerclaw before the end of the book. She probebly wouldn't believe him unless Ravenpaw told her before he left and was claimed dead to hid himself. I really want the Cat Clans to egsist, but saddly cats can't do many of these things. But the book makes them act like really smart cats that are just like my own. Freckles, Nellie, and Sophie, my cats, probebly would not survive in the Clan, but they sure do act like them sometimes. I hope that cat lovers enjoy this book. :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Warriors book 1,(Into the Wild), is a very interesting book about warrior cats. Although it is a good book, some parts are more confusing than others, and cats lovers may fing the book sad and depressing. Besides that, the book is soooooo awesome, I have started collecting the WHOLE series!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. The origins of Fireheart are fascinating and inspiring - and this coming from someone about 20 years too old to be reading a book like this!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a book about Rusty a cat who was a kittypet became a Fireheart,the thunderclan warrior. Rusty became a warrior by defending himself of the warriors. Even though Rusty wasn't a warrior, because he defend himself of the thunderclan warrior, Bluestar(the leader of the thunderclan)invited Rusty to thunderclan. And there is where Rusty got his name, Fireheart by becoming a warrior. I loved this book because there is a lot of actions in it. You guys have to read this!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
     Rusty a kittypet, becomes a warrior cat and joins Thunderclan. Bluestar knows this is the prophecy she heard, only fire will save the clan. Because, he is named Fireheart.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rusty, a common house cat, decides to abandon his "kittypet" life when he's invited to become an apprentice warrior with Thunderclan, one of several clans of feral cats that hunt for their food and fight for their territory. Yeah, that's right. Clans of fighting cats. I think we have to chalk this one up to "things adults will probably never quite get" and accept it, but if you want more detail, here we go. To describe this book, I'm going to imagine a conversation with a friend of mine who would take a good amount of joy in subtly mocking me about this book while asking more and more questions so he might relish the ridiculousness.Um... Alana? I notice that you're reading a book with a cat on the cover. Now, it doesn't look like nonfiction, nor does the cat appear to be intended ironically... would you care to comment? Yeah... this is the first book from that insanely lucrative "Warriors" series that's so popular with the kids these days.Oh really? What's the series about? Well, it's about clans of cats who live by a warrior code and battle for survival in the wilderness. Imagine warrior knights loyal to a king... but with fur... and tails. The first one is from the perspective of a house cat named Rusty who joins up with the Thunderclan and proves himself worthy of becoming a warrior as he protects the clan and his friends.... Seriously? Yes, seriously.So all the characters are cats. ... Does Rusty fight along side Fluffy, Rocketship, and Mittens? Actually, once Rusty joins the clan, his name becomes Firepaw. And all the clan cats have these double names like Tigerclaw or Spottedleaf or Bluestar.... Are you making this up? I promise you, I'm not making this up.Okaaay. I'll admit, I've heard of the series, but I don't think I really realized everything that it would entail. Get it? En-tail? You're hilarious.There's a lot of these books, aren't there? There are approximately a zillion books in this series.A zillion? A zillion books about anthropomorphic fighting cats? Who on earth is reading these? In the eight to twelve age bracket, it's more a question of who isn't reading them. It's a series that actually appeals to both girls and boys and here's why. One: it's about kittehs (which means all girls will read this). Two: they fight (which means lots of boys will read this). Three: have you ever heard of a little thing called Redwall by Brian Jacques? Now all the geeks will read this.Hey! Don't knock Redwall! I'm not knocking Redwall at all, because Redwall is awesome, but you have to admit... while Redwall fans were not necessarily popular as children, they are voracious readers and if you had run out of books about mice, otters, and voles and you saw this series sitting right in front of your beloved Brian Jacques... well, cats aren't looking so crazy now, are they?Well played... to the point where I'm wishing I had come up with this idea. I could be making bank. What mastermind conceived of this evil plan? The author is listed as Erin Hunter, but "Erin Hunter" is the pen name used by four women who write/edit this series. The idea was originally suggested to the editor by the publisher, who wanted a series about cats, and it all took off from there. The surname "Hunter" stems from the combined desire to come up with something that fits the series (and "Hunter" works pretty nicely) and the goal to tap into the Redwall market by simple shelf placement. It also means you don't break up the series by an author's last name if they were to all be shelved according to the individual author. Okay, but really, while the book premise might seem wildly ridiculous to adults, I can totally see the appeal for children. Epic stories, a return to tales rather knightly topics of honor and loyalty, a huge cast of characters... yes, it's talking animals but the plots aren't focused on silly adventures. There's actual fighting and death, which means kids don't feel like this is some pandering story about kitty-cats where everything turns out okay in the end and Miss Whiskers is just sleeping. Young readers learn moral lessons about being dedicated to achieving their goals and rising above taunts and prejudice. I'll admit that I may have, at times, wanted to insert various lolcats as illustrative aids and shout "Thundercats! Hoooo!" when the Thunderclan went into battle. My significant other refers to this as the "lazer cat" series. And no, there's no way I would be caught on the subway reading this book by another adult but that's the thing... I'm not the intended market; kids are, and as long as they're entertained, I'm totally fine with any epic series that keeps them reading. Sure, "Warriors" doesn't seem quite as literary as Redwall, though it's gotten nominated for various awards, and there's a really large cast of characters, but that only seems to invest kids in learning everything to conquer it all and diving into this new world. It's not another planet; the cats don't wear clothes. A kid could read this and very easily look at the family cat in a whole new light. Yes, the cats seem to have an impressive knowledge of herbal lore at their paw-tips, but to just injure cats in battle and then leave them to fester and die would be far too gruesome. Rusty/Firepaw is a fairly likable hero who certainly grows in skill and logic as the book progresses. His eventual path towards leading Thunderclan (which I'm guessing at right now) seems pretty clear. This is obviously set up for a series, but this has to have surpassed the wildest expectations of the publisher, given the huge fan base and large number of participating members on the fan message boards.Here's the thing. Unlike some other young reader books, I can't really say that I would recommend this to other adults -- there seems to be an age limit for the obsession. Honestly, I would suspect there's an age limit from any true pleasure taken from these. After a certain age, if you're going to read about anthropomorphic animals, you want a little more from them. However, Warriors could prove to be a key stepping stone from much simpler young reader books to other, more intense fantasy worlds and giant epics. Hey, it might even help to improve the attention span of children if they manage to read all these books and remember the family trees and so on. Clearly Warriors has lots of fans and despite my good-natured teasing, this old-fogy can see how kids today might find this to be a truly captivating series.Oh, and one last thing. Thundercats! Hooooo!UPDATE. Okay. I finished writing this review and then went out to dinner with my significant other. We sat down and almost immediately, my significant other's eyes locked on something beyond my elbow."That's yours, right?""What?""That." With his head, he motioned for me to turn and look. Behind us, an elderly couple sat and beside the older woman, a copy of Warriors sat with a bookmark in it. It was book six of the first series. x"I love it," she insisted when we asked. "I have cats and I'm a big animal lover. I think these books are wonderful." So I yield the point. Evidently adults do read these books for their own enjoyment. She wasn't even reading it to engage in a shared interest with a grandchild (as had been my hypothesis). It takes all kinds, evidently.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I've heard a lot about the Warriors series for middle grade readers and wanted to judge them for myself.The Warriors books are about anthropomorphic cats. This volume follows Rusty, a "kitty-pet" who feels the lure of the woods beyond his house. When he ventures there, he finds warriors known as the ThunderClan. They are among four clans who have divided the forest into territories. To Rusty's delight, he's welcomed into the ThunderClan and begins training as a warrior. Of course, there are betrayals, an evil clan, and many other mysteries for the young cat to work through.I didn't find it poorly written, but the plot is transparent. The bad guys are very bad and the good guys are very good, along with some silly elements like medicine cats who heal using herbs and apply cobwebs as bandages. In other words, I would have fallen head over heels for this story when I was about ten. I mean, come on. It feels like a Native American semi-mystical survival story with rival tribes of cats. As an adult... I won't be reading any more of them, but I can see the appeal for a certain age set.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    rusty is a cat who always loves to go into the woods.then he meets a cat named gray paw and decides he wants to join the dragon clan with gray paw and hunt pray.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Rusty is your normal “kittypet” (a.k.a. domestic housecat). He leads a rather luxurious lifestyle for cats. His “Two-leg” (human) owners take care of him, feed him, and bathe him. He decides to be adventurous and travel into the forest outside of his owner’s confines and gets into a fight with another cat. Soon he learns this cat belongs to the Thunderclan, a group of feral cats who scavenge for food and protect their territory of the forest. He is given an offer of a lifetime-- To join the Thunderclan as an apprentice or go back to his “kittypet” lifestyle.Well I’ll leave you right there! I’m off to read the sequel Fire and Ice. That is if I can actually get the book. I’m # 3 on the hold list.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first book in the series and a good one to start with. Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first book in a series for preteen readers. It follows the development of Rusty, a kittypet who leaves his soft home and twoleg owners to live in the wild with Thunderclan. It follows his education in catching prey and warrior training and his learning to value the warrior code. The book shows respect for friendship, motherhood and the wisdom of elders with interesting commentary about the use of herbs in healing. There's a strong emphasis on the consequence of allowing ambition to overshadow morality. All of these ideas seep in while the reader just happily follows along with the cats' adventures. I think there might be enough action to lure a few reluctant readers away from an hour or two of video games.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read the first book in fourth grade and am still an avid reader of the series. I like how the whole Clan community is built and how the hierarchy is formed. Is really a great series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have mixed feelings about this book. Not horrible, not great. I can understand the appeal, I liked it. I will probably read the next one at some point, but it leaves much to be desired in terms of literary merit.The main character is interesting and the story moves quickly, but the plot is redundant and ultimately unfulfilling. I suppose there are loose ends left to draw readers to the next book, but it was not compelling enough for me to put the second installment very high on my list.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's about a house named Rusty who one day went into the woods and met Thunderclan. They offerd him to join. So he did. Then his hole life changed. He was now called Firepaw. He trained with 2 other aprentices named Graypaw and Ravenpw. his teacher showed him hunting grounds.Also how to get fresh kill [ mice] . 1 day when he was hunting he had his fist fight with a Shadowclan worrior. Named Yellowfang. He took her back to camp. She use to be the old Shadowclan medicne cat. 1 day Firepaw was hunting and he met Smudge again. The next day Bluestar learned that Windclan has been driven out of their territory. next will be Thunderclan! Bluestar raveles to Mother Mouth with Firepaw, Graypaw, and Tigerclaw. To sleep naer the moon stone. Then Bluestar senses something in her vison.The they quickly headed back to camp.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love this series!!!!It's all about a household cat (kittypet)(Rusty) who meets warriors and decides to join their clan(Thunderclan).After Rusty joins Thunderclan,he recieves his warrior name as Firepaw.He befriends 2 other aprentices named Graypaw and Ravenpaw.I highly recommend it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An entertaining story. I can see that Rusty/Firepaw/Fireheart will have to become Firestar by the end of the Warriors saga. I didn't like it enough to get the next 5 books but it's a good YA tale & I love cats - even ones who don't appreciate being kittypets.cover:Fire alone can save our Clan... For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by the powerful ancestors. But the warrior code is threatened, and the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger. The sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying -- and some deaths are more mysterious than others... In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary housecat named Rusty . . . Who may yet turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying - and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In this midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty...who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It's probably not very fair for me to review this book, since I'm not a child and I don't have any particular love for books where animals can talk. I work with children's books, though, and since this is one of the most popular series in my department, I had to see what the fuss was about. I can see why kids like it—it's full of adventure, the characters are fully realized, even though they're cats, there's drama, a little bit of romance... Even they way the cats talk and move is "realistic"—instead of saying "he said," it's always "he purred" or "he meowed." I don't think I'll read any more of this series, since it didn't really capture my attention, and I don't recommend them to adults unless you're really into this sort of thing, but I will definitely continue to suggest this series to all the grandparents who shop in my store for their grandchildren. :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This good book is about a cat named Rusty. Rusty wants to know more about the wild cats and what they do. So he goes into the wild and runs into three clan cats named Bluestar, Lionheart, and Graypaw. Bluestar is the leader of Thunderclan, where Rusty becomes a warrior clan cat. They give him a new name called Firepaw. There are four clans: Thunderclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan and Windclan. All of the clans are struggling on finding food for their clan cats.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I rated this book a five because it has lots of action. It is A.R. It is worth 10 points. It is my reading level.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really like this, surprisingly engaging and can't wait to read the next book in the series
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A cute animal adventure series. The storyline tends toward the predictable but the non-stop action and the animal characters should make this series a hit with both boys and girls.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is about a young cat who decides to go and join the the Thunder Clan who live in the wild. Htis is a really good book and i recommend it to everyone who thinks that there is a wild side to their little house cat.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is reccomended to all ages, boys, girls, and everything in between! And if you like cats, this is the series for you!!~Dawnrunner~
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a great read. "Kittypet" Rusty runs away from his soft life and discovers an intricate society of wild cat clans living beyond the reach of the village. He must earn his acceptance into the Thunderclan, and learn the ways of the wild and free. A wonderfully realized world.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Cute series. You won't be able to put it down. This really explains why cats act the way they do. Kittys! lol.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a cute book; inventive, short and sweet. It was a good start to a series that has many fans. I felt though that the author gave too much information on plots that were not finished in this book instead of just hinting at conflicts that would later come to be the main plots in future books. I would have preferred if she spent more time concentrating on one conflict. Instead she left you wondering what was the main problem that would be resolved in this book versus the continuing "problems." I'm sure much of my dislike for aspects of this book also come from the fact that I am an adult reading a children's novel. All in all it was a nice read, but I hope the author settles into a better writing flow/pattern in her later books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Rusty is a pet at the Twoleg place and has dreams of being the wild. He ventures out into the forest and meets Thunderclan cats, and now must decide where to go. To Thunder clan, or stay with the Twolegs? An exiting story about cats surviving in the forest.

Book preview

Into the Wild - Erin Hunter

PROLOGUE

A half-moon glowed on smooth granite boulders, turning them silver. The silence was broken only by the ripple of water from the swift black river and the whisper of trees in the forest beyond.

There was a stirring in the shadows, and from all around lithe dark shapes crept stealthily over the rocks. Unsheathed claws glinted in the moonlight. Wary eyes flashed like amber. And then, as if on a silent signal, the creatures leaped at each other, and suddenly the rocks were alive with wrestling, screeching cats.

At the center of the frenzy of fur and claws, a massive dark tabby pinned a bracken-colored tom to the ground and drew up his head triumphantly. Oakheart! the tabby growled. How dare you hunt in our territory? The Sunningrocks belong to ThunderClan!

After tonight, Tigerclaw, this will be just another RiverClan hunting ground! the bracken-colored tom spat back.

A warning yowl came from the shore, shrill and anxious. Look out! More RiverClan warriors are coming!

Tigerclaw turned to see sleek wet bodies sliding out of the water below the rocks. The drenched RiverClan warriors bounded silently up the shore and hurled themselves into battle without even stopping to shake the water from their fur.

The dark tabby glared down at Oakheart. You may swim like otters, but you and your warriors do not belong in this forest! He drew back his lips and showed his teeth as the cat struggled beneath him.

The desperate scream of a ThunderClan she-cat rose above the clamor. A wiry RiverClan tom had pinned the brown warrior flat on her belly. Now he lunged toward her neck with jaws still dripping from his swim across the river.

Tigerclaw heard the cry and let go of Oakheart. With a mighty leap, he knocked the enemy warrior away from the she-cat. Quick, Mousefur, run! he ordered, before turning on the RiverClan tom who had threatened her. Mousefur scrambled to her paws, wincing from a deep gash on her shoulder, and raced away.

Behind her, Tigerclaw spat with rage as the RiverClan tom sliced open his nose. Blood blinded him for an instant, but he lunged forward regardless and sank his teeth into the hind leg of his enemy. The RiverClan cat squealed and struggled free.

Tigerclaw! The yowl came from a warrior with a tail as red as fox fur. This is useless! There are too many RiverClan warriors!

No, Redtail. ThunderClan will never be beaten! Tigerclaw yowled back, leaping to Redtail’s side. This is our territory! Blood was welling around his broad black muzzle, and he shook his head impatiently, scattering scarlet drops onto the rocks.

ThunderClan will honor your courage, Tigerclaw, but we cannot afford to lose any more of our warriors, Redtail urged. Bluestar would never expect her warriors to fight against these impossible odds. We will have another chance to avenge this defeat. He met Tigerclaw’s amber-eyed gaze steadily, then reared away and sprang onto a boulder at the edge of the trees.

Retreat, ThunderClan! Retreat! he yowled. At once his warriors squirmed and struggled away from their opponents. Spitting and snarling, they backed toward Redtail. For a heartbeat, the RiverClan cats looked confused. Was this battle so easily won? Then Oakheart yowled a jubilant cry. As soon as they heard him, the RiverClan warriors raised their voices and joined their deputy in caterwauling their victory.

Redtail looked down at his warriors. With a flick of his tail, he gave the signal and the ThunderClan cats dived down the far side of the Sunningrocks, then disappeared into the trees.

Tigerclaw followed last. He hesitated at the edge of the forest and glanced back at the bloodstained battlefield. His face was grim, his eyes furious slits. Then he leaped after his Clan into the silent forest.

In a deserted clearing, an old gray she-cat sat alone, staring up at the clear night sky. All around her in the shadows she could hear the breathing and stirrings of sleeping cats.

A small tortoiseshell she-cat emerged from a dark corner, her pawsteps quick and soundless.

The gray cat dipped her head in greeting. How is Mousefur? she meowed.

Her wounds are deep, Bluestar, answered the tortoiseshell, settling herself on the night-cool grass. But she is young and strong; she will heal quickly.

And the others?

They will all recover, too.

Bluestar sighed. We are lucky not to have lost any of our warriors this time. You are a gifted medicine cat, Spottedleaf. She tilted her head again and studied the stars. I am deeply troubled by tonight’s defeat. ThunderClan has not been beaten in its own territory since I became leader, she murmured. These are difficult times for our Clan. The season of newleaf is late, and there have been fewer kits. ThunderClan needs more warriors if it is to survive.

But the year is only just beginning, Spottedleaf pointed out calmly. There will be more kits when greenleaf comes.

The gray cat twitched her broad shoulders. Perhaps. But training our young to become warriors takes time. If ThunderClan is to defend its territory, it must have new warriors as soon as possible.

Are you asking StarClan for answers? meowed Spottedleaf gently, following Bluestar’s gaze and staring up at the swath of stars glittering in the dark sky.

It is at times like this we need the words of ancient warriors to help us. Has StarClan spoken to you? Bluestar asked.

Not for some moons, Bluestar.

Suddenly a shooting star blazed over the treetops. Spottedleaf’s tail twitched and the fur along her spine bristled.

Bluestar’s ears pricked but she remained silent as Spottedleaf continued to gaze upward.

After a few moments, Spottedleaf lowered her head and turned to Bluestar. It was a message from StarClan, she murmured. A distant look came into her eyes. Fire alone can save our Clan.

Fire? Bluestar echoed. But fire is feared by all the Clans! How can it save us?

Spottedleaf shook her head. I do not know, she admitted. But this is the message StarClan has chosen to share with me.

The ThunderClan leader fixed her clear blue eyes on the medicine cat. You have never been wrong before, Spottedleaf, she meowed. If StarClan has spoken, then it must be so. Fire will save our Clan.

CHAPTER 1

It was very dark. Rusty could sense something was near. The young tomcat’s eyes opened wide as he scanned the dense undergrowth. This place was unfamiliar, but the strange scents drew him onward, deeper into the shadows. His stomach growled, reminding him of his hunger. He opened his jaws slightly to let the warm smells of the forest reach the scent glands on the roof of his mouth. Musty odors of leaf mold mingled with the tempting aroma of a small furry creature.

Suddenly a flash of gray raced past him. Rusty stopped still, listening. It was hiding in the leaves less than two tail-lengths away. Rusty knew it was a mouse—he could feel the rapid pulsing of a tiny heart deep within his ear fur. He swallowed, stifling his rumbling stomach. Soon his hunger would be satisfied.

Slowly he lowered his body into position, crouching for the attack. He was downwind of the mouse. He knew it was not aware of him. With one final check on his prey’s position, Rusty pushed back hard on his haunches and sprang, kicking up leaves on the forest floor as he rose.

The mouse dived for cover, heading toward a hole in the ground. But Rusty was already on top of it. He scooped it into the air, hooking the helpless creature with his thorn-sharp claws, flinging it up in a high arc onto the leaf-covered ground. The mouse landed dazed, but alive. It tried to run, but Rusty snatched it up again. He tossed the mouse once more, this time a little farther away. The mouse managed to scramble a few paces before Rusty caught up with it.

Suddenly a noise roared nearby. Rusty looked around, and as he did so, the mouse was able to pull away from his claws. When Rusty turned back he saw it dart into the darkness among the tangled roots of a tree.

Angry, Rusty gave up the hunt. He spun around, his green eyes glaring, intent on searching out the noise that had cost him his kill. The sound rattled on, becoming more familiar. Rusty blinked open his eyes.

The forest had disappeared. He was inside a hot and airless kitchen, curled in his bed. Moonlight filtered through the window, casting shadows on the smooth, hard floor. The noise had been the rattle of hard, dried pellets of food as they were tipped into his dish. Rusty had been dreaming.

Lifting his head, he rested his chin on the side of his bed. His collar rubbed uncomfortably around his neck. In his dream he had felt fresh air ruffling the soft fur where the collar usually pinched. Rusty rolled onto his back, savoring the dream for a few more moments. He could still smell mouse. It was the third time since full moon that he’d had the dream, and every time the mouse had escaped his grasp.

He licked his lips. From his bed he could smell the bland odor of his food. His owners always refilled his dish before they went to bed. The dusty smell chased away the warm scents of his dream. But the hunger rumbled on in his stomach, so Rusty stretched the sleep out of his limbs and padded across the kitchen floor to his dinner. The food felt dry and tasteless on his tongue. Rusty reluctantly swallowed one more mouthful. Then he turned away from the food dish and pushed his way out through the cat flap, hoping that the smell of the garden would bring back the feelings from his dream.

Outside, the moon was bright. It was raining lightly. Rusty stalked down the tidy garden, following the starlit gravel path, feeling the stones cold and sharp beneath his paws. He made his dirt beneath a large bush with glossy green leaves and heavy purple flowers. Their sickly sweet scent cloyed the damp air around him, and he curled his lip to drive the smell out of his nostrils.

Afterward, Rusty settled down on top of one of the posts in the fence that marked the limits of his garden. It was a favorite spot of his, as he could see right into the neighboring gardens as well as into the dense green forest on the other side of the garden fence.

The rain had stopped. Behind him, the close-cropped lawn was bathed in moonlight, but beyond his fence the woods were full of shadows. Rusty stretched his head forward to take a sniff of the damp air. His skin was warm and dry under his thick coat, but he could feel the weight of the raindrops that sparkled on his ginger fur.

He heard his owners giving him one last call from the back door. If he went to them now, they would greet him with gentle words and caresses and welcome him onto their bed, where he would curl, purring, warm in the crook of a bent knee.

But this time Rusty ignored his owners’ voices and turned his gaze back to the forest. The crisp smell of the woods had grown fresher after the rain.

Suddenly the fur on his spine prickled. Was something moving out there? Was something watching him? Rusty stared ahead, but it was impossible to see or smell anything in the dark, tree-scented air. He lifted his chin boldly, stood up, and stretched, one paw gripping each corner of the fencepost as he straightened his legs and arched his back. He closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of the woods once more. It seemed to promise him something, tempting him onward into the whispering shadows. Tensing his muscles, he crouched for a moment. Then he leaped lightly down into the rough grass on the other side of the garden fence. As he landed, the bell on his collar rang out through the still night air.

Where are you off to, Rusty? meowed a familiar voice behind him.

Rusty looked up. A young black-and-white cat was balancing ungracefully on the fence.

Hello, Smudge, Rusty replied.

You’re not going to go into the woods, are you? Smudge’s amber eyes were huge.

Just for a look, Rusty promised, shifting uncomfortably.

You wouldn’t get me in there. It’s dangerous! Smudge wrinkled his black nose with distaste. Henry said he went into the woods once. The cat lifted his head and gestured with his nose over the rows of fences toward the garden where Henry lived.

That fat old tabby never went into the woods! Rusty scoffed. He’s hardly been beyond his own garden since his trip to the vet. All he wants to do is eat and sleep.

No, really. He caught a robin there! Smudge insisted.

"Well, if he did, then it was before the vet. Now he complains about birds because they disturb his dozing."

Well, anyway, Smudge went on, ignoring the scorn in Rusty’s mew, Henry told me there are all sorts of dangerous animals out there. Huge wildcats who eat live rabbits for breakfast and sharpen their claws on old bones!

I’m only going for a look around, Rusty meowed. I won’t stay long.

Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you! purred Smudge. The black-and-white cat turned and plunged off the fence back down into his own garden.

Rusty sat down in the coarse grass beyond the garden fence. He gave his shoulder a nervous lick and wondered how much of Smudge’s gossip was true.

Suddenly the movement of a tiny creature caught his eye. He watched it scuttle under some brambles.

Instinct made him drop into a low crouch. With one slow paw after another he drew his body forward through the undergrowth. Ears pricked, nostrils flared, eyes unblinking, he moved toward the animal. He could see it clearly now, sitting up among the barbed branches, nibbling on a large seed held between its paws. It was a mouse.

Rusty rocked his haunches from side to side, preparing to leap. He held his breath in case his bell rang again. Excitement coursed through him, making his heart pound. This was even better than his dreams! Then a sudden noise of cracking twigs and crunching leaves made him jump. His bell jangled treacherously, and the mouse darted away into the thickest tangle of the bramble bush.

Rusty stood very still and looked around. He could see the white tip of a red bushy tail trailing through a clump of tall ferns up ahead. He smelled a strong, strange scent, definitely a meat-eater, but neither cat nor dog. Distracted, Rusty forgot about the mouse and watched the red tail curiously. He wanted a better look.

All of Rusty’s senses strained ahead as he prowled forward. Then he detected another noise. It came from behind, but sounded muted and distant. He swiveled his ears backward to hear it better. Pawsteps? he wondered, but he kept his eyes fixed on the strange red fur up ahead, and continued to creep onward. It was only when the faint rustling behind him became a loud and fast-approaching leaf-crackle that Rusty realized he was in danger.

The creature hit him like an explosion and Rusty was thrown sideways into a clump of nettles. Twisting and yowling, he tried to throw off the attacker that had fastened itself to his back. It was gripping him with incredibly sharp claws. Rusty could feel spiked teeth pricking at his neck. He writhed and squirmed from whisker to tail, but he couldn’t free himself. For a second he felt helpless; then he froze. Thinking fast, he flipped over onto his back. He knew instinctively how dangerous it was to expose his soft belly, but it was his only chance.

He was lucky—the ploy seemed to work. He heard a hhuuffff beneath him as the breath was knocked out of his attacker. Thrashing fiercely, Rusty managed to wriggle free. Without looking back he sprinted toward his home.

Behind him, a rush of pawsteps told Rusty his attacker was giving chase. Even though the pain from his scratches stung beneath his fur, Rusty decided he would rather turn and fight than let himself be jumped on again.

He skidded to a stop, spun around, and faced his pursuer.

It was another kitten, with a thick coat of shaggy gray fur, strong legs, and a broad face. In a heartbeat, Rusty smelled that it was a tom, and sensed the power in the sturdy shoulders underneath the soft coat. Then the kitten crashed into Rusty at full pelt. Taken by surprise by Rusty’s turnabout, it fell back into a dazed heap.

The impact knocked the breath out of Rusty, and he staggered. He quickly found his footing and arched his back, puffing out his orange fur, ready to spring onto the other kitten. But his attacker simply sat up and began to lick a forepaw, all signs of aggression gone.

Rusty felt strangely disappointed. Every part of him was tense, ready for battle.

Hi there, kittypet! meowed the gray tom cheerily. You put up quite a fight for a tame kitty!

Rusty remained on tiptoe for a second, wondering whether to attack anyway. Then he remembered the strength he had felt in this kitten’s paws when he had pinned him to the ground. He dropped onto his pads, loosened his muscles, and let his spine unbend. And I’ll fight you again if I have to, he growled.

I’m Graypaw, by the way, the gray kitten went on, ignoring Rusty’s threat. I’m training to be a ThunderClan warrior.

Rusty remained silent. He didn’t understand what this Graywhatsit was meowing about, but he sensed the threat had passed. He hid his confusion by leaning down to lick his ruffled chest.

What’s a kittypet like you doing out in the woods? Don’t you know it’s dangerous? asked Graypaw.

"If you’re the most dangerous thing the woods has to offer, then I think I can handle it," Rusty bluffed.

Graypaw looked up at him for a moment, narrowing his big yellow eyes. Oh, I’m far from the most dangerous. If I were even half a warrior, I’d have given an intruder like you some real wounds to think about.

Rusty felt a thrill of fear at these ominous words. What did this cat mean by intruder?

Anyway, meowed Graypaw, using his sharp teeth to tug a clump of grass from between his claws, I didn’t think it was worth hurting you. You’re obviously not from one of the other Clans.

Other Clans? Rusty echoed, confused.

Graypaw let out an impatient hiss. "You must have heard of the four warrior Clans that hunt around here! I belong to ThunderClan. The other Clans are always trying to steal prey from our territory, especially ShadowClan. They’re so fierce they would have ripped you to shreds, no questions asked."

Graypaw paused to spit angrily and continued: They come to take prey that is rightfully ours. It’s the job of the ThunderClan warriors to keep them out of our territory. When I’ve finished my training, I’ll be so dangerous, I’ll have the other Clans shaking in their flea-bitten skins. They won’t dare come near us then!

Rusty narrowed his eyes. This must be one of the wildcats Smudge had warned him about! Living rough in the woods, hunting and fighting each other for every last scrap of food. Yet Rusty didn’t feel scared. In fact, it was hard not to admire this confident kitten. So you’re not a warrior yet? he asked.

Why? Did you think I was? Graypaw purred proudly; then he shook his wide, furry head. "I won’t be a real warrior for ages. I have to go through the training first. Kits have to be six moons old before they even begin training. Tonight is my first night out as an apprentice."

Why don’t you find yourself an owner with a nice cozy house instead? Your life would be much easier, Rusty meowed. "There are plenty of housefolk who’d take in a kitten like you. All you have to do is

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