The Ancients

The Ancients were groups of cats living in the Lake Territories, long before the Clans moved to the lake.

Description

 * The Ancients lived in three Tribes, and they had scattered well before the Clans came to the lake. It is stated in Long Shadows that one of the Ancient Tribes are the ancestors of the Tribe of Rushing Water. They share several similarities, such as both calling themselves "Tribes," and neither having marked boundaries.


 * The names of the Ancients are all two word constructions, relating to nature and often describing the cat's appearance as well (such as Fallen Leaves or Dove's Wing). The names of Ancients do not change throughout time, unlike that of Clan cats. It has been implied that some Ancient families share a common "surname"; for example, Jay's Wing and Dove's Wing or Rising Moon and Half Moon.


 * The Clan cats know nothing about the Ancients, except Jayfeather, who has dreams about them and travels back in time to interact with them. In Outcast, it is hinted that the Ancients have ties to the Clans as well.

Structure

 * The Ancients had a leader, although the leader did not have nine lives like a Clan leader does. They could step down from their position whenever they wanted, and name their successor. Knowledge of herbs was shared between a few cats, and each cat hunted for themselves, unlike the Clans. Only if prey was left over would it be given to a different cat. Rock was an ancient Healer who was cursed with knowledge and living forever, and lived solely in the tunnels, part of the Ancient Tribe, but still lives "today."


 * The majority of the Ancient Tribes were made up by sharpclaws; the equivalent of Clan warriors. Young cats training to be sharpclaws were called softpaws (similar to apprentices), and were also given a mentor. When a softpaw was ready to become a sharpclaw, they had to undergo a rite of passage: to go down in a network of deep tunnels and find their way out. Those who found their way out passed the test and were promoted to sharpclaws; while those who got lost eventually perished.


 * No medicine cat or healer was appointed among The Ancients, but every cat learned about healing herbs in order to assist each other when needed.


 * Like the Clans, young cats are called kits, she-cats expecting or nursing kits are called queens, and retired sharpclaws are called elders.

The Casting of Stones

 * The Casting of Stones was a process unique to only the Ancient Tribe. The Casting of Stones was a process where all the cats would gather (at their own time) to decide a (possibly only major) decision. The Tribe leader would draw a circle on a patch of earth, and divide it into two segments. Then, all the cats would choose a smooth, round stone, and push it into the segment which represented their choice.


 * For example, in Long Shadows, the Casting of Stones was to decide whether to go to the mountains or not. One side represented 'Go' and one represented 'Stay'. Each cat pushed a stone what they wanted to do- go or stay. Eventually 'Go' won out with Jayfeather cast the deciding vote and the cats become the Tribe of Rushing Water.

Starlight

 * When the Clan cats discover the Moonpool, Leafpaw sees many old pawprints, suggesting that groups of cats lived near the Lake long before those who used to visit the Moonpool. It seems that those pawprints belonged to the Ancients.

Dark River

 * Jaypaw finds a stick that Rock, an Ancient Healer, used to keep track of softpaws who went into the tunnels, marking if they survived or not. Later, Jayfeather dreams of following a softpaw named Fallen Leaves as he journeys through the tunnels to become a sharpclaw. However, the tunnels get flooded because of rain and Fallen Leaves is trapped inside and drowns.

Outcast

 * Rock explains to Jaypaw that the prophecy about the Three came from the time of the Ancient Tribes.

Long Shadows

 * Jaypaw travels back in time to become Jay's Wing, and he influences the Tribe to leave the lake and travel to the mountains. He realizes that this group of cats would become the Tribe of Rushing Water, and is the one to make the deciding vote on whether to go to the mountains or not. The vote is done via "casting stones": a line is drawn in the dirt, and each cat pushes a stone to the side they choose.

Sign of the Moon

 * Jayfeather travels back in time again, as Jay's Wing, and appears when the cats have just arrived at the mountains. Half Moon is the first to speak to him when he returns. They are both astonished to see each other, and Half Moon says that she thought that Jay's Wing didn't want to travel with them anymore. Jayfeather replies that he was scared at first, but then returned. Their conversation is cut off when Jayfeather spots Stone Song speaking to the other cats.


 * When all of the cats see him again, he says that he changed his mind and returned to them. Half Moon seems to be the happiest cat when he returns. When Stone Song does not seemed convinced that the mountains are the right place for them, Jayfeather makes an attempt to teach them how to hunt. Just as Jayfeather misses a shrew, an eagle comes down on the cats. It is about to take Chasing Clouds away, but they somehow manage to save him. Jayfeather is buried in the snow afterwards, when the snow falls on all of the cats. He treats them all afterwards. He becomes frustrated when he tells the ancients what they should be doing, and heads off to the Cave of Pointed Stones, which Half Moon follows him too; she is amazed by this.


 * Later the cats give Jayfeather's idea a try, and it succeeds. Rock comes to Jayfeather, and he begs that he wants to stay, but he knows he must not. He tries to tell Half Moon her destiny, but she is outraged. Soon Shy Fawn is having her kits, and they both help. When Jayfeather tells Half Moon of her destiny again, she accepts, and Jayfeather leaves the ancients and returns to his time. Half Moon then tells him to find the fourth and vows that she'll wait for him forever.

The Last Hope

 * In the prologue some of the Ancients, meet with Midnight, Rock, Bluestar, and Spottedleaf to discuss the impending battle between the Dark Forest and the Clans. During the battle with the Dark Forest, the ancients appear along with Midnight in the ShadowClan camp to help defend the camp, against their Dark Forest enemies.