The lake


 * This article refers to the Lake itself. If you were looking for information on the territories around the lake, please view The Lake Territories.

The Lake is the large body of freshwater in the middle of the Clans' new territories. It is named "Sanctuary Lake" by the Twolegs.

Features

 * The lake is irregular in shape and large enough that a cat needs two full days to circle it. It is bordered by marshes in parts of RiverClan territory, and by hard ground in the rest. It contains an island where the Clans hold their Gatherings, with a fallen tree serving as a bridge to it. There are several Twoleg halfbridges scattered around the shoreline as well.


 * From the north, two small streams flow in the lake. In the southwest, a river flows out of it, heading for the sun-drown-place where Midnight the badger lives.

Significance

 * The lake provides a constant source of water for all the Clans, as even during droughts it does not fully dry up. It also provides RiverClan with another body of water to fish in.


 * There has been controversy between the Clans over whether the lake belongs to any one Clan, and it is still not clear. However, as agreed by the leaders soon after the Clans arrived at the lake, cats can travel across other Clans' territories as long as they stay within two fox-lengths of the lakeshore, making it a sort of neutral territory.


 * Twolegs visit the lake often in greenleaf, swimming and sailing in boats.

Bramblestar's Storm

 * The lake starts flooding the territories due to heavy rain, and ends up flooding ThunderClan's camp. ThunderClan are forced to flee from their camp and shelter underground in the tunnels instead. The flood ends up killing cats, such as Blackstar, who drowns.

Dawn

 * When the cats reach their new land after days of traveling from the forest, they look down to see the lake, in which there are several stars of Silverpelt reflecting in the waves. The cats look down and think that they have truly found their new home.

The Fourth Apprentice

 * The lake shrinks due to beavers building a dam upstream. Two cats from each of the Clans, Lionblaze and Dovepaw from ThunderClan, Tigerheart and Toadfoot from ShadowClan, Petalfur and Rippletail from RiverClan and Whitetail and Sedgewhisker from WindClan, journey to destroy the dam and bring the water back to the Lake.


 * Later, Jayfeather angrily smashes Rock's stick and it sinks down to the bottom.

Fading Echoes

 * Dovepaw and Ivypaw run out to the lake and see that it has come back. They marvel at the sight before Brambleclaw shows up with their mentors and scold them.

Night Whispers

 * During a leaf-bare, the lake froze over and Pinepaw, Starlingpaw, Redwillow, Olivenose, and Flametail start playing prey-stone on the frozen surface, when Flametail fell into the lake. Jayfeather tries to save him but Rock tells Jayfeather that it is Flametail's time to die, not Jayfeather's.

The Forgotten Warrior

 * Bumblestripe invites Dovewing out for a walk, and they sit side by side overlooking the lake for a while, and Dovewing says that she would prefer to walk, but then they decide to have a race on the shore. Dovewing is distracted by her senses coming back, and Bumblestripe wins the race.


 * As Sorreltail begins to kit outside the camp, she says that she only wanted to walk by the lake.

Warrior's Return

 * Graystripe and Millie scale a ridge and see lake below them. In the lake, Graystripe sees an island and they decide to head down the slope.

Mistystar's Omen

 * Mistystar recalls on how after the cats from RiverClan had torn apart the beaver dam, there still was not enough fish in the lake to feed the Clan.