The Early Settlers

**The early settlers** were a group of cats consisting of the group led by Shaded Moss that split off from the ancient Tribe of Rushing Water, and those that joined them after they settled in the forest territories. Through the time span of the *Dawn of the Clans* arc, the group split several times and fought among themselves, which eventually led to the formation of the five Clans.

### Tall Shadow's camp

The early settlers originally settled on the moor in a shallow hollow lined with gorge bushes under Tall Shadow's leadership. After Clear Sky's group broke off, Tall Shadow's group resettled into another hollow on the moor with interconnected tunnels to carve out dens. This group came to be known as **the moor cats**.
Tall Shadow's pragmatic and overly cautious leadership irked some of her campmates and others begin to call for Gray Wing to lead them instead. The group casted stones again to decide where to live, with the cats splitting up between the pine forest with Tall Shadow, the forest with Clear Sky, and besides the river with River Ripple. Tall Shadow's moor camp was then abandoned by the moor cats. Tall Shadow led her new group to settle in the pine forest.
### Clear Sky's camp

A portion of the journeying cats split off to form the forest group under Clear Sky's leadership, preferring to hunt in the forest than on the moor. This group eventually became known as **the forest cats**.
Clear Sky allowed the local rogues to join his group and began enforcing boundaries to protect his territory. Due to his fear of losing those he loves, Clear Sky began aggressively expanding and defending his territory from outsiders, including the moor cats, and wasn't afraid to resort to violence.
### River Ripple's camp

River Ripple lived by the river for moons before the mountain cats arrived. He was originally from a group called the Cats of the Park, though he was exiled when Twolegs destroyed his home. Ripple dedicated his life to the river that saved him and renamed himself River Ripple.
### Wind Runner's camp

Wind and her mate Gorse lived on the moor before the mountain cats arrived. They befriended Gray Wing and taught him how to hunt rabbits on the moor and explore the tunnels beneath the land. The pair grow curious of the moor cats and their unified group, and requested to join them, though it took some time for Tall Shadow to trust them and fulfil their request. Instead of leaving as a rogue, Wind Runner decided to use what she learned about the value of a strong and supportive group to create her own. She settled her camp near the middle of the moor in a shallow hollow.
### Thunder's camp

Thunder was born in the new land to Storm and Clear Sky, though his father disowned him and Thunder was raised by Gray Wing on the moor. Despite living on the moor, Thunder's heart belonged in the forest. Thunder joined his father in the forest after proving his courage and leadership during the fire. However, Thunder left Clear Sky's group after witnessing his father's cruelty towards cats he deemed as weak. Thunder grew frustrated with his father's irrational orders and he decided to form his own group in the forest away from his father. Several members of Clear Sky's group joined him, urged by Thunder's compassion and dedication to others. His group settled in a sandy ravine in the forest.