Tribe of Rushing Water (modern)

The Tribe of Rushing Water is the equivalent of a Clan that reside in a mountainous area, most notably the "Cave of Rushing Water", a large cave hidden behind a waterfall. Their beliefs are similar to the beliefs of the Forest/ Lake Clans, but are not exactly alike.

Territory

 * It should be noted that the Tribe have no scent markers bordering their territory, because no other cat would want their harsh hunting grounds, but this was changed in Outcast, when intruders start trespassing on their territory, and steal prey.

The Tree Rock

 * The Tree Rock is a tree that juts out over big rocks. The roots of the tree are like giant claws. In Dawn, Talon of Swooping Eagle finds the Clans under The Tree Rock for shelter. It is also a place where queens are known to give birth. Some mothers protect their young in this claw-shaped rock from Sharptooth, a mountain cat that preys on the many cats of the Tribe. The rock was carved from wind and water that flowed through the area. When the cats awoke one morning they found it there. The tree has apparently been there for decades and will hopefully remain longer.

Cave of Rushing Water

 * The Cave of Rushing Water is the cave in which the Tribe of Rushing Water lives. Within this cave is a tunnel that leads to the Cave of Pointed Stones. The cave has enough space for the Tribe to sleep, along with the four Clans, as seen in Dawn on the great journey. There are two separate smaller caves in which the kit-mothers and to-bes shelter. The leader of the Tribe of Rushing Water very seldom leaves this cave.

Cave of Pointed Stones

 * The Cave of the Pointed Stones is where the healer/leader of the Tribe of Rushing Water, Stoneteller, communicates with their warrior ancestors, The Tribe of Endless Hunting. Upon entering the Cave of Rushing Water, one of two paths on either side of the cave leads to the Cave of the Pointed Stones. In this cave there are many "pointed stones" on the floor and ceiling (stalagmites/stalactites). There also are many puddles of water, along with one big puddle, behind which the healer sits. This is where he communicates with the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The Cave of Pointed Stones is similar to the Moonstone and the Moonpool, being a location where one could talk to one's ancestors.

Moonrise

 * The tribe got a prophecy from The Tribe Of Endless Hunting, their version of StarClan, that said a silver cat would come from far away to save them from the evil beast, Sharptooth. When the cats from the prophecy, Brambleclaw, Feathertail, Crowpaw, and Tawnypelt came with Stormfur and Squirrelpaw (who both insisted on having to come since they knew about the prophecy), came to the mountains during their journey, they met the cats from the Tribe. The Tribe took them back to the Cave Of Rushing Water, a cave that they live in that hides behind a waterfall. When they met Stoneteller, the Healer of the Tribe, he thought that Stormfur was the silver cat in the prophecy. They kept Stormfur prisoner while they allowed everyone else to leave. Then, they all decided that they couldn't leave Stormfur there, so they hid out somewhere just off the border of the Tribe's territory, and waited till night time. When it was night time and Sharptooth was attacking the Tribe (again), they crept quietly into the cave and saved Stormfur. Feathertail decided that they couldn't just leave the tribe to fight Sharptooth alone, so they went back (again) and fought Sharptooth themselves. Crowpaw was about to be caught by Sharptooth. Since Feathertail loved Crowpaw and didn't want to see any cat die, she leaped onto one of the pointed rocks on the ceiling of the cave and broke it off, plunging it through Sharptooth and killed him. Sadly, Feathertail was terribly injured in the fall and also died. She risked her life to save the Tribe, and it turned out that she was the silver cat in the prophecy, not Stormfur. The Tribe buried Feathertail outside by the pool.

Outcast

 * The Tribe is having trouble with rogue cats and cats from ThunderClan, ShadowClan and WindClan have to go to the mountains to help them, but Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw need to go for different reasons. The rogues, lead by Stripes, had made a camp in a gully, and the Clan and Tribe cats need to battle them. The Tribe cats were taught fighting moves of the Clans. Stoneteller was not so sure about that and asked the cats to vote on if they would fight or leave. There were more cats voting for "fight" and so the decision was made. Some Clan apprentices and Tribe to-bes surprise the rogues. Once they came rushing out, the other cats who were waiting outside attacked. The Clans and Tribe win and the rogues surrender, saying they will not mess with the Tribe cats again.

Eclipse

 * The Clans leave the mountains, leaving Stormfur and Brook behind.

Long Shadows

 * Jaypaw travels back in time to when the Ancient cats lived by the lake, in the body of Jay's Wing, and tells the leader, Furled Bracken, that he had a dream about the mountains (which he didn't, but had visited the mountain in his real life.) He influences them to move into the mountains, knowing they are destined to become the Tribe of Rushing Water. It is also revealed that there were originally three tribes, but nothing else is known about them.

Sunrise

 * The patrol sent to fetch Sol see the mountains while leaving the Twolegplace. Hollyleaf imagined jumping and landing right on the waterfall where the Tribe of Rushing Water live.

Tribe Structure

 * The Tribe is quite different from the Clans, in more than just territory and look.

Tribe Character

 * Tribe Cats are mostly smaller and leaner than Clan cats, and smear their fur with mud to camouflage with the rocks. It also helps them to keep warm at higher altitudes. Their camp is located at the end of a rocky path that leads behind the waterfall, screening them from the outside. The cave, which burrows under the mountain, is as wide as the waterfall, and has narrow passages that lead off on either side. One passage goes to the Cave of the Pointed Stones, and the other goes to the nursery. On either side of the cave floor, there are indents, padded with eagle or heron feathers, that the Tribe cats sleep in. In a chat, Vicky says she "imagines the Tribe cats' accents as Welsh".

Tribe Members

 * Cats of the Tribe are divided into several categories.

Healer

 * In the Tribe, the leader is called a healer. Not only does the healer lead the Tribe, he or she also uses healing herbs to cure wounds and sickness. They also interpret the signs of rock, leaf, and water to read messages from the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The herbs used are similar to the ones in the Clans, but in the mountains there are different plants. When a cat becomes a healer, he or she is known as the Teller of the Pointed Stones or Stoneteller. The Teller of the Pointed Stones does not participate in fights to avoid getting killed.

Cave-Guards

 * Cave-guards are thickset, strong, and big. They are the main fighting force of the Tribe and have the responsibility of defending the cave from predators. They also accompany the prey-hunters on hunting missions to watch out for large birds. These cats are chosen from birth for their physical build. They often coat themselves with mud to hide their scent and blend in with the rocky scenery.

Prey-Hunters

 * Prey-hunters are light, slim, and fast. They are the hunters of the Tribe, using stealth and surprise along with camouflage to catch their food. They depend on speed, for there are not many places to hide in the almost-bare surroundings, like WindClan. A special technique of theirs is to spy on a small prey, like a mouse, until an eagle comes down to get it. They can then leap on the eagle and kill it, thus delivering two pieces of prey for the Tribe. Prey-hunters often coat themselves with mud; this disguises them, covers their scent, and protects against the wind. Prey-hunters are chosen from birth for their physical build.

Kit-Mothers

 * These are the equivalent of queens, and care for their kits until they are old enough to become to-bes.

To-Bes

 * To-bes are young cats in training, much like the Clan apprentices. At their birth, it is foretold by the Tribe healer if they will be a prey-hunter, a cave-guard or the next Teller of the Pointed Stones. Kits that seem fast and lithe are prey-hunters; kits that look strong will be cave-guards. The Stoneteller will receive a message from The Tribe of Endless Hunting when it is time to choose his own to-be. Once this happens, they can become something else, but as noted by Brook in The Sight to Hollypaw, most do not.

Elders

 * Elders are really the oldest cats in the Tribe. Elders are retired from being Prey-Hunters or Cave-Guards. They are often consulted in difficult times. The elders of the Tribe have a very similar role to the elders of the Clans.

Hunting Techniques

 * Tribe cats have their own special way of hunting. Prey-Hunters find some prey (i.e. a mouse), sit in a hiding place, and wait until they see an eagle (or other bird of prey) attack the prey. They then jump onto and kill the eagle, getting to keep both pieces of prey. The six questing Clan cats learned this technique to some extent, most notably Stormfur.

Naming Techniques
See Cat Names for more information.
 * Kit-mothers name their kits after the first thing they see after the birth of their kits, for example, Brook Where Small Fish Swim, or Star That Shines On Water. In Cats of the Clans, Rock notes that he finds this method strange, as he perceives that this way of naming kits would cause many kits to be named things like "Wall of Cave", or "Floor of Cave". Unlike the cats of the Clans, Tribe cats shorten their names (e.g. Brook, Star).

Trivia

 * It was revealed by Victoria Holmes in a chat that the Tribe cats have an accent similar to a Welsh accent.