When Ravenpaw fled the Clan of his birth to escape his murderous mentor, he couldn’t have chosen a better refuge than Barley’s barn. The sturdy farm tom readily welcomed his new companion and, while generally preferring his own company to large crowds like those seen in the Clans, he soon grew to appreciate Ravenpaw’s company more than he could have ever imaged. But Ravenpaw is not the only cat on the farm running from a fearful past, and the dangers that haunted Barley’s youth may catch up with him sooner than he could ever guess. Will Barley falter in the face of his past? Or will this reclusive, independent loner prove to possess the same loyalty and courage as any warrior?
Clan: None
Smudge
This plump, friendly tom never shared his kithood friend Firestar’s fascination with the woods. He was perfectly happy with the comforts and safety of kittypet life, even after his trip to the cutter. But a soft bed and an unscarred pelt doesn’t mean a cat can’t have a noble heart as well. Even long after Firestar left his kittypet life behind for a life Smudge would never understand, his loyalty and friendship to Firestar remained strong, and Firestar always knew he could rely on him if he ever needed to.
Princess
When Fireheart realized the kittypet he and Cinderpaw had seen in the woods one day was his sister, he felt the absence of the close bonds of kin in his life in ThunderClan more keenly than ever before. He began meeting with his sister in Twolegplace and telling her all about his life as a warrior. Princess enjoyed kittypet life too much to give it up, but she understood his love of ThunderClan and was proud to give him her firstborn kit to raise among them, showing both her faith in her brother and her understanding that he longed for kin to share his life. While she never truly understood the dangers and hardships of Clan life, she was proud of her brother and son and was always glad to see them at her fence.
Sasha
The loner mother of RiverClan cats Hawkfrost and Mothwing, Sasha is an enigma to the Clan cats who didn’t know her during her brief stay in RiverClan. But that elusive persona was adopted for a reason, and there are secrets and heartaches beyond any cat’s imagination in this loner’s past. What will become of the secrets Sasha guards so carefully? And will the sacrifices she made to protect the ones she loves most be enough?
Sol
This mysterious tom seems to have appeared from nowhere, with all of the wisdom of the stars in his paws, and a dire warning to all those who would rely too much on the guidance of starry warriors. When the coming darkness he predicted presents itself in the form of a disappeared sun, this wily traveler suddenly seems to hold the fate of all of the forest in his claws. Will this wise loner lead the Clans into a brighter, better age? Or will his soothing mew and silver words only lead the Clans into greater darkness?