Deepsands Gorge

"SkyClan will never end! We have suffered great losses before, only to rise and thrive again. When we were driven out of the forest, so many seasons ago, we persevered. We found a home in the gorge, and even when the rats destroyed and scattered most of the Clan, a few cats kept the memory alive until Firestar came to restore what had been lost."

— Cloudstar about the gorge in Hawkwing's Journey, page 2

Deepsands Gorge
General information
Location	Upstream of the forest territories and the river
Twoleg name	Deepsands Gorge
Usage	SkyClan's former home
Discovered by	Ancient SkyClan

Deepsands Gorge, or the gorge, is a wide chasm in SkyClan's territory lined by steep cliffs. It was where SkyClan's camp was located, and is the source of the River Chell. It was formerly inhabited by the Kin before they followed Alderpaw's patrol back to the lake.

Description

"SkyClan cats must have had paws of stone if they lived here."

―Sandstorm about the gorge ^{Firestar's Quest, page 206}

The gorge is a wide, deep rocky ravine with steep reddish cliffs. At the bottom of the ravine is a river that cuts through and eventually widens into the river that leads to the forest territories. The river emerges from underneath the Rockpile, a large pile of boulders at the bottom of the ravine where Clan leaders sit upon for Clan meetings. Several steep and narrow paths lead up the cliffsides that lead into caverns with sandy walls where SkyClan made their dens in. Past the first trail is a flattened trail that slopes back and forth between the caverns above. There is a separate trail that leads to the Skyrock up a slantwise stone trail that ends at a deep cleft in the cliff face. The Skyrock sits across, jutting over the edge of the cliff. SkyClan cats leap the gap to reach the Skyrock for Gatherings.

On the other side of the gorge and across the river are lower lying caverns that do not get much sun. These are not used by SkyClan. There are several more caverns up the gorge from the main camp that are used for storage or spare dens. SkyClan cats often lounge on the rocks to sunbathe, or underneath crevices to avoid the heat. They developed hard pads accustomed to walking on the harsh rock, and use their jumping ability to leap up the gorge or through the trees. However, the gorge walls are still dangerous, and SkyClan cats must be mindful to avoid falling down the gorge.

Bushes line the top of the gorge and a flat stretch of scrubby grasslands leads to the nearby Twolegplace. Skywatcher's den is underneath a tree etched in the gorge walls. The other part of SkyClan's territory extends to the nearby forest. The gorge is approximately three-quarters of a moon's walk from the forest, and a quarter-moon's walk from the lake territories.

History

"But this is not our territory. This is an empty gorge, a tunnel through orange rock with the sky for its roof. Our ancestors are no longer with us—if they ever were at all. Our fresh-kill pile used to whisper with the sound of plump, thick-feathered birds; now we eat mice and rabbits, when we are swift enough to catch them. [...] This is our home now. We will learn to catch prey and defend our borders against whatever other cats live near here. We do not need our warrior ancestors, or the other Clans, to tell us what to do. My cats trusted me enough to follow me here; I cannot let them down."

―Cloudstar about SkyClan's arrival at the gorge ^{Code of the Clans, page 131}

After being forced from the forest, SkyClan followed the river upstream and eventually settled in the gorge, though they initially struggled to adapt in their new environment. SkyClan lived in the gorge for many seasons. However, SkyClan ultimately disbanded under Spiderstar's leadership after numerous losses against the rats. Cloudstar tasked Firestar with rebuilding his Clan, resulting in the ThunderClan leader and his mate Sandstorm traveling to rebuild the Clan. Firestar and Sandstorm arrived at the gorge, and met Sky, the last cat in the area to remember SkyClan. Sky showed them SkyClan's former territory before they disbanded. Firestar and Sandstorm recruited local rogues, loners, and kittypets to join the new iteration of SkyClan, as most of them displayed characteristics of being descendants of the original SkyClan. Firestar also granted them proper Clan names, and began implementing borders, training sessions, and patrols. After successfully defeating the rats that once led to SkyClan's destruction, Firestar and Sandstorm left the gorge with Leafstar tasked with guiding her new Clan.

SkyClan thrived for years under Leafstar's leadership. A young Twoleg kit injured herself when she fell into the gorge, and SkyClan's cats helped guide her parents to find her. After a prolonged drought, a flash flood in the gorge nearly destroyed SkyClan's camp. It took some time for SkyClan to remove all the debris. Seasons later, Ravenpaw, Barley, Bella, and Riley found the gorge and assisted SkyClan in defeating local kittypets who were raiding their camp. Numerous raccoons from the Twolegplace repeatedly raided the gorge, having been lured there by Darktail. SkyClan was forced to abandon the gorge when Darktail and his rogues attacked them. Darktail and his rogues lived in the gorge until Alderpaw and his Clanmates arrived searching for SkyClan. Firestar's spirit urged Alderpaw to find SkyClan by sending him visions of the gorge. The Kin feigned being SkyClan, until Alderpaw and his friends learned the truth from Mistfeather, a real SkyClan warrior. The Clan cats fled the gorge, though they were pursued by Darktail and his Kin. Nettlesplash and Mintfur raised their kits in the gorge after SkyClan left, and were later joined by Fidgetpaw. After Darktail's defeat and SkyClan's arrival at the lake with the other four Clans, Hawkwing led a patrol back to the gorge to find their lost Clanmates.

The territory

SkyClan camp

The SkyClan camp covers a wide area in the gorge. It is arrayed on the cliff face, with caves for each respective den and claw marks embedded in their walls.

• The Rockpile is a large pile of boulders that sits at the bottom of the gorge that is used for Clan meetings. The river emerges underneath it from a cavern called the Whispering Cave. Luminescent moss grows in this cavern, and it is also the location of SkyClan's connection with StarClan. The Rockpile is a popular gathering area for SkyClan to mingle and share gossip. It has an overhang where SkyClan's fresh-kill pile is kept. When a cat becomes a warrior, they are expected to keep vigil for the night by the Rockpile. The Rockpile can also be used for basking in the warm sun.
• The Skyrock is a jutting rock that sits over the edge of the cliff. There is a large gap that cats must leap to reach the Skyrock. The Skyrock also provides a perfect place to survey the entire territory.
• Further up the gorge is also a training area used for training apprentices. The cliffside curves inward, revealing a wide sandy space between the cliff and the river. At one end of the training area is a dead and twisted tree.
• A couple of fox-lengths before the training session are four caves, two near the bottom of the cliffside and two higher up. SkyClan planned to use them for storage or extra warrior dens. Stick and his friends slept in the caves when they visited.
• The nursery is the cave just below the elders' den, with a narrow entrance with a large boulder blocking most of the entrance to shield the cats inside from enemies and hot sunlight. Its walls are marked with tiny claw marks.
• The apprentices' den is a small cave lower down in the cliff side, some ways away from the other caves.
• The warriors' den is the highest cave in the cliff, with plenty of room for all of the cats. The whole Clan could shelter there if the river flooded.
• The medicine cat's den is the lowest in the cliff, closest to the water and herb patches. The outer cave has an inner cave used for storing herbs in the cracks in the cave wall. Tansy, sorrel, yarrow, and chervil are planted near the water.
• The elders' den is the cave just below the warriors' den; it is noted that the elderly cats never lost the ability to jump, and so could have the cave at that level.
• The leader's den is a small cave a little ways from the others, at the bottom of the cliff, next to the trail that leads to the Skyrock.

Significant places

There are several significant places in the SkyClan territory that are not part of the camp itself.

• Above the gorge across some grasslands is a Twolegplace. Most of the daylight-warriors live here. Some hostile kittypets from the Twolegplace also briefly terrorized SkyClan.
• Next to the Twolegplace is an abandoned barn surrounded by a fence. The hoard of rats live here.
• SkyClan's territory also includes a portion of the nearby forest.
• A fallen tree lays across the river not far from the gorge that can be used to cross the river. Skywatcher was born in a cave not far from the fallen tree. The fallen tree also marked the ancient SkyClan border.
• Downstream of the fallen tree and beyond SkyClan's borders is a Twoleg nest with an overgrown garden a dilapidated fence wooden fence. Petal and her kits were tormented by the Twoleg who lived here, and later Shrewtooth. It is now abandoned.
• There is another Twoleg nest where an elderly female Twoleg lives. She was Sol's Twoleg, and she fed Nettlesplash, Birdpaw, and Honeypaw.

Known deaths

This is a list of deaths, ordered chronologically, that took place at the gorge.

• Lichenfur
• Ravenpaw
• Honeytail
• Sharpclaw
• Patchfoot
• Stormheart
• Bouncefire
• Snipkit

Book mentions

• Firestar's Quest (First appearance)
• SkyClan's Destiny
• The Rescue
• Beyond the Code
• After the Flood
• Ravenpaw's Farewell
• Hawkwing's Journey
• Pebbleshine's Kits (Mentioned only)
• The Apprentice's Quest
• Thunder and Shadow (Mentioned only)
• Shattered Sky (Mentioned only)
• Darkest Night
• Tigerheart's Shadow (Mentioned only)
• River of Fire (Mentioned only)
• The Raging Storm (Mentioned only)
• Cats of the Clans (Mentioned only)
• Code of the Clans (Mentioned only)
• Battles of the Clans

Gallery

Map art

The gorge on the original map

The gorge on the original Twoleg view map

The gorge on the reprinted map

The gorge on the reprinted Twoleg view map

Official art

The gorge on the cover of SkyClan's Destiny

The gorge on the cover of SkyClan and the Stranger

SkyClan's camp in the gorge

SkyClan's camp in the gorge

SkyClan's camp during the drought

The gorge during the drought

SkyClan's camp after the flood

Skyrock

Rockpile

The medicine cat's den

The top of the gorge

The Twoleg fence that marks SkyClan's border with the Twolegplace

The Twolegplace

The abandoned Twoleg nest where Petal's Twoleg used to live

The Twoleg nest where Sol's Twoleg lives

The forest in SkyClan's territory

Quotes

«What had seemed so impossible, so far off, was not real. The cats who stood around the Rockpile, yowling to the stars, were the beginnings of a new Clan to replace the one lost so long ago.»

—Firestar about the rebirth of SkyClan at the Rockpile ^{Firestar's Quest, page 322}

«Below us is SkyClan's camp. It's a safe place. A secure place. A place of peace.»

—Leafstar ^{SkyClan and the Stranger (book), page 2}

"I'm sorry to tell you, that the gorge is lost to us. Darktail has moved in so many rogues that the place is crawling with them. We're badly outnumbered. Our best chance of survival now is to forget the gorge. It is not the home we made there, not anymore. We must find new territory. We must find ThunderClan."

―Leafstar ^{Hawkwing's Journey, page 225}

Twigpaw: "Do you miss the gorge?"

Finpaw: "I never lived there."

^{Darkest Night, page 58}

Hawkwing: "Can you hear it?"

Molewhisker: "Hear what?"

^{Darkest Night, page 163}

Gravelpaw: "We can't leave the gorge. It's our home."

Mintfur: "Our home is with SkyClan."

^{Darkest Night, page 171}

Trivia

Author statements

• When asked where the gorge was in relation to the forest territories, Victoria Holmes explained that "SkyClan territory lies to the north of the original forest - Firestar and Sandstorm follow the river up past WindClan, and keep going on the eastern side of the mountains (because they don't go near the mountains on their way to the gorge). So in relation to the lake territory, SkyClan is on the far side of the mountains, north-easterly."

Mistakes

• The gorge was originally described to be reddish, and is even depicted as so on the original cover of SkyClan's Destiny. However, in SkyClan and the Stranger, the gorge is depicted with pale gray stone.

See also

• SkyClan