River Alba

"[The river] gives us the power to choose whether we fight or not, knowing that few cats are brave enough to swim across our borders to attack us. Some say we are too quick to hide behind our barricade of streams, but it's easier to call us cowards than admit we have an advantage over all the other Clans."

— Reedwhisker about the river in Battles of the Clans, pages 43-44

River Alba
General information
Twoleg name	River Alba
Usage	Fishing Protection for RiverClan's camp
Discovered by	Mistyfoot

The River Alba, also known as the stream or the river, is a split body of water that feeds from lake to the sun-drown-place past the town of Whitchurch. As well as providing shelter for RiverClan's island camp, the river is also a source of prey, useful for fishing for the water-inclined cats.

Description

«Brambleclaw saw that the stream flowed out of the lake; it was wider than the streams they had crossed previously, too broad to jump across, with deep channels curving around pebbly shallows and small, stony islands. The water looked green and cool, shaded by reeds and the occasional tree that grew along the banks.»

—Brambleclaw's thoughts about seeing the stream for the first time ^{Starlight, page 54}

The River Alba flows from the lake to the sun-drown-place. The main broad body of the river has deep channels, pebbly shores, and small, stony islands. It is thick with vegetation, such as bracken, reeds, and the occasional tree. The water is green-brown. Further downstream, the river breaks off into a smaller stream, that follows the slope. Some areas are shallow enough to easily trot across. Between the two channels is a wedge-shaped island sheltered by hazel and brambles, which eventually becomes RiverClan's camp. Eddies swirl around the island where it rises sharply from the water. Pebbly islands leave a trail of stepping-stones to cross the main channel, and at one point, a tree bridge spanned the length of the river. Upstream is a large rock that juts in the current. RiverClan's medicine den faces the stream, where it had been hollowed-out by the water.

A single stepping-stone leads across the other stream towards the ShadowClan border, and leads up a steep slope towards a sheer, sandy cliff with jutting rocks as the waterfall tumbles down. Above, the stream gushes from the hillside between moss-covered boulders.

Significance

«Before Frostpaw could respond, a claw of lightning crackled down the sky. It split the river in two: One half flowed calm and true, while the other churned as if it was full of rocks, the surface swirling and tossing up foam.»

—Frostpaw's dream ^{Wind, page 190}

The stream and river join together to form RiverClan's wedge-shaped island camp.

Primarily, the river and stream provide protection for RiverClan's camp, as it is sheltered on an island. While the river provides prey for RiverClan, they mostly rely on the lake for prey. The fish in the river also provide prey for RiverClan and result in their sleek pelts. As with the river in the forest territories, the river can also be a symbol for RiverClan for various prophecies.

Location history

Main articles: The Long Dry and The Great Storm

"I dreamed I was fishing in the stream, and I saw two pebbles that didn't belong there. They were a different color and shape from all the rest. They made the stream ripple and splash so it couldn't flow properly. Then the stream began flowing faster and faster, and—and the current carried the two pebbles away until I couldn't see them anymore. The stream looked just the same as always..."

―Mothwing about her "vision" ^{Sunset, page 153}

Mistyfoot, Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, Crowfeather, and Tawnypelt first discovered the river during their scouting patrol when the Clans first arrived to the lake. Mistyfoot later found the stream and the small island carved by it. After exploring, she was optimistic that it would make the perfect place for RiverClan's new camp. However, Hawkfrost challenged Mistyfoot's decision, instead trying to claim the island for RiverClan. Mistyfoot managed to convince Leopardstar to seek out the stream instead, pointing out that it offered appropriate shelter and likely would be away from Twoleg interference. Mistyfoot's patrol later followed the stream towards the ShadowClan border up a sheer, sandy cliff and discovered Twoleg rubbish that had been poisoning their Clanmates. Mothwing later claimed to have dreamed about two stones disrupting the stream, signaling that Stormfur and Brook should leave RiverClan. However, this dream was created by Hawkfrost to exile the two cats.

Mudfur warned Willowpaw in her dreams about careless Twoleg kits blocking the river upstream. Despite this, RiverClan was forced to temporarily leave their home when Twoleg kits repeatedly invaded their camp. RiverClan piled rocks into the stream to force it to grow wider and deeper to prevent the Twoleg kits from crossing. During the Long Dry, the river and streams dried up, though following the journey to free the water, all the streams returned to refill the lake. In preparation for the Dark Forest's attack on the Clans, the Dark Forest spirits led a patrol along the river to scout RiverClan's camp for potential weaknesses. The lake and the river flooded during the Great Storm with water from the sun-drown-place, resulting in inland flooding for several moons.

While gathering watermint along the stream during a watermint shortage, the ThunderClan and WindClan patrol were confronted by Havenpelt and Shimmerpelt, as RiverClan's borders were closed. During the fire in RiverClan's camp, a joint ThunderClan, WindClan, and SkyClan patrol shoved a log over the river to help RiverClan escape the flames. During a storm, the river in RiverClan's territory flooded. Seasons later, Frostpaw received a vision of a shadow obscuring the sun and making the river disappear. She later received another vision from Reedwhisker of a storm splitting the river into two, warning her of a storm harming WindClan's nursery. Whistlepaw received a vision from Galestar, though the vision was abducted by Mistystar, who warned that the debt must be repaid as the river turned to blood. During the battle against Splashtail, Splashtail attempted to flee into the river with Floatkit, though Frostpaw swam after him, eventually defeating him on the riverbank. With Frostpaw gravely wounded, StarClan warned that her death would leave to RiverClan disappearing, and Tree found Frostpaw's spirit wandering on the riverbank.

Book mentions

• Mothwing's Secret
• Starlight (First appearance)
• Twilight
• Sunset
• The Sight (Mentioned only)
• Dark River
• The Fourth Apprentice
• Mistystar's Omen
• Fading Echoes (Mentioned only)
• The Forgotten Warrior (Mentioned only)
• The Last Hope
• Bramblestar's Storm
• Thunder and Shadow (Mentioned only)
• Shattered Sky
• River of Fire
• The Raging Storm (Mentioned only)
• Lost Stars (Mentioned only)
• The Place of No Stars (Mentioned only)
• River
• Sky
• Shadow
• Thunder (Mentioned only)
• Wind
• Ivypool's Heart
• Star
• Secrets of the Clans (Retconned)
• Battles of the Clans
• The Ultimate Guide (Mentioned only)
• The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded Edition (Mentioned only)

Gallery

Map art

River Alba on the original map

River Alba on the original Twoleg view map

River Alba on the reprinted map

River Alba on the reprinted Twoleg view map

River Alba on the forest-lake map

River Alba on the forest-lake Twoleg view map

River Alba on the Ivypool's Heart map

Official art

River Alba on the cover of River of Fire

River Alba on the cover of River

River Alba in Secrets of the Clans

Rushpaw training in the river in Battles of the Clans

Trivia

Interesting facts

• River Alba was one of the first landmarks, alongside RiverClan's camp, to be discovered when the Clans moved beside the lake.

Mistakes

• The river is said to flow to the lake instead of from it.

Continuity

The following information is from sources considered non-canon, retconned, or from adapted material.

• In Secrets of the Clans, a 2007 field guide, Mistyfoot shows the reader RiverClan's lake camp and the territory, including the stream. She explains the streams are full of fish and that RiverClan at first struggled to catch fish in the lake, as they were used to fishing methods from the old territories. The RiverClan deputy asks the readers if they are able to swim like RiverClan cats, or if they would only flail around instead, as she notes the streams have deeper parts. The she-cat also adds that there are pebble islands that are used to help cross the stream.

Quotes

«The RiverClan cats had made their camp on a wedge of land between two streams. Usually the waters ran high, but now the land was completely dry. The lush growth of plants that normally edged the stream had wilted and shriveled, exposing soil baked hard by the sun. The smell of rotting weed and dead fish hung in the air like smoke.»

—Lionblaze's thoughts about the stream during the drought ^{The Fourth Apprentice, page 58}

«Frostpaw missed the gentle gurgling of the streams that surrounded RiverClan's camp and the scent of the water plants that grew along their banks.»

—Frostpaw's thoughts ^{Wind, page 54}

"The shadow that fell over the river, the chasm that opened up, and the way the river water drained away..."

―Frostpaw about her dream ^{Wind, page 146}

"On the far side, where those bushes are, is the start of RiverClan's territory. They've fought their own battle there, against young Twolegs who tried to take over their camp. I heard the warriors made the river wider to protect their dens! Only RiverClan would fight back with water."

―Tawnypelt about RiverClan ^{Battles of the Clans, pages 94-95}

See also

• The lake
• River Chell
• The lake territories