Secrets of the Clans/WindClan: Swift and Loyal

:Below contains in-depth information for the WindClan: Swift and Loyal chapter of Secrets of the Clans. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.
==Chapter description==
======
:Tallstar introduces WindClan as a Clan that has known great suffering but always survives, and are the fleet-footed warriors of the moor, the fastest in the forest—a Clan who has struggled through terrible hardship, but has never given up. He accepts that sometimes the others see them as weak, but then says that they could not last a moon in the open spaces WindClan lives in, chasing rabbits for prey. The tom mentions that they are the closest to StarClan and that they always know their warrior ancestors are watching over them. The leader finalizes saying that WindClan will last forever.
======
:WindClan cats are fiercely loyal, tough, fast-running, and easily offended cats. They also are nervous and quick to flee, because to the lack of cover on the open moor. They take pride in being the Clan that is closest to the Moonstone.
======
:WindClan cats mainly catch rabbits. Sometimes they even catch birds and thrushes that roam the moors of WindClan. 
======
:They are fast, lean, and swift. Their short and smooth pelts blend with the rocks and the grasses. 
======
:WindClan camp: Tucked into natural dip in the sandy moor, this camp is sheltered from the wind; however, it has been proven vulnerable to suffering attacks.
:Abandoned badger set: Apprentices used to go there in order to learn the scent of a badger, but now it is a good place to catch rabbits. 
:The gorge: Elders used to leaped all the way across in their youth, but now it is strictly forbidden for the apprentices to get too close. 
:Twoleg farm: Twolegs, sheep, cows, and two loner cats (Ravenpaw and Barley) live here. This was the place where WindClan sheltered on their way home from exile. 
:Outlook Rock: A large, flat, gray stone that slopes above the level of the moors. From the top, it is possible to spot movement far across the grassland.
======
:Onewhisker, a WindClan warrior, welcomes the reader to the greatest Clan in the forest. He states that the camp is hidden in the only sheltered spot in the moor, a sandy hollow in the ground, surrounded by a tangle of gorse. The tom tells the reader that the elders say that Windstar, their first leader, reached down from StarClan and scooped a pawful of sand, making them a hollow to live in. 
:Onewhisker says that he could not live without seeing the sky all day and all night. WindClan warriors sleep outside under the stars, where their warrior ancestors can see them. However, elders and kits cannot sleep outside, so they have built dens for them along the edge of the gorse wall. The leader has a den too, behind the Tallrock, a large boulder from where Tallstar makes announcements and conducts ceremonies, but he normally likes to sleep out in the open. 
======
:It is the darkest of nights. Heavy clouds flit in front of a claw moon, blackening the sky. There are no StarClan ancestors watching over WindClan. 
:At the camp entrance two cats, Thrushwing and Stoneclaw, who have just been made warriors are proudly standing guard. The tom stands up and his ears prick, and wonders what that was. He hears a rustle in the gorse, a whisper of paws in the grass, and a gleam of eyes in the darkness. He wonders what could be beyond the bushes, and questions if he should sound the alarm. A shadow appears before him, and sharp claws slash his throat. The she-cat turns to see her brother lying on the ground. She shrieks a warning to the Clan, but the air knocks out of her lungs by the weight of a large cat, and her voice dies. The large cat's teeth are stabbing her neck as enemy cats entered the clearing. 
:Onewhisker is awoken by Thrushwing's call. Besides him, Tornear and Deadfoot scramble to their paws, then all three of them rush in battle. Mudclaw realizes that the enemy is ShadowClan because he can smell their stink, and he launches himself off the boulder into the fight, barreling into a hefty white tom. 
:In the nursery, Ashfoot says to Morningflower that she must stay there because she is in not condition to fight. The pregnant queen protests, but the gray she-cat asks her to stay there and take care of her son, Eaglekit. 
:Another WindClan warrior yowls in fear while his belly is sliced open by a ShadowClan claw. Thrushwing has rejoined the battle, and she fights like TigerClan to avenge the death of her brother. The bodies of two elders slump next to a fallen apprentice. Deadfoot pounds over to Tallstar, and he yowls that they are all going to get killed if they do not escape. Mudclaw hesitates, but WindClan's leader decides to leave. 
:Onewhisker goes to fetch Morningflower and Eaglekit from the nursery. The WindClan warriors and apprentices then circle around the queen and the two surviving elders, and fight their way to the edge of the clearing. The pregnant queen is the first to break through the gorse wall and run into the darkness, Ashfoot's kit bumping against her legs in terror. Thrushwing goes next, supported by Onewhisker. One by one the rest of WindClan follow, their blood spattering the ground, until only Tallstar remains. He tells Brokenstar that this is not the last of WindClan, but the enormous tabby answers that wherever they run, he will find them. With that, the leader disappears into the bushes, and WindClan leave their home and run into the night. 
======
:Moonpool stream: A tumbling stream that runs along the edge of WindClan border, up into the hills to the Moonpool.
:WindClan camp: A shallow scoop in the ground, open to the sky. When there is bad weather, WindClan cats retreat into underground burrows left by other animals.
:Horseplace: Place where horses live, cats normally stay away. 
======
:Crowfeather introduces himself after demonstrating how WindClan's camp is protected. The tom mentions that the giant boulder is called Tallrock and it is the place where Onestar makes his speeches. The warrior then indicates that the gorse bush against the boulders is the nursery, and that a crack in one boulder is Barkface's den, where the medicine cat keeps his supplies and any sick cat can stay if they want. Crowfeather states that a tunnel under a gorse bush leads to the elders' den.
======
:Windstar: A wiry brown she-cat with yellow eyes. She was proud, wily, stubborn and the fastest cat in the forest. The leader worked with Thunder, Shadow, and River to develop the warrior code. Ashfoot, and her son Crowfeather, are descendants of her. Gorsefur was her deputy. 
:Gorsestar: A thin, gray, tabby tom. He is remembered for his bravery and devotion to his mate, Windstar. 
:Tallstar: A black and white tom with a long tail and amber eyes. One of the wisest and longest-lived leaders from the Clan. He was unusually close to ThunderClan. Tallstar watched over his Clan when they were forced out of their home. Frail and on his last life, he lead WindClan to their new home, where on his deathbed, he changed deputy from Mudclaw to Onewhisker. His deputies were Deadfoot, Mudclaw, and Onewhisker. 
:Onestar: A small, mottled-brown tabby tom. He is loyal, devoted, strong, and compassionate. He guided his Clan through time of terrible tension after Tallstar made him leader instead of Mudclaw, times in which he survived a rebellion against him. Onestar was the first leader to receive his nine lives at the Moonpool. His deputy is Ashfoot.
======
:Mothflight: A soft-furred white she-cat with stormy green eyes. She was WindClan's first medicine cat. Mothflight was loyal and true to her Clan, qualities which eventually led her to the Moonstone. 
:Thrushpelt: A stone-gray she-cat with darker flecks. She was a warrior for several moons before becoming WindClan's medicine cat. Thrushpelt interpreted signs with great confidence, and was an expert herb-finder. She took care of her Clan through a sick rabbit epidemic. 
:Barkface: A brown tom with a stumpy tail. He was reliable, practical, and efficient. Barkface had a long, dependable service.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
de:Die letzten Geheimnisse/WindClan
Category:Secrets of the Clans
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Field Guides