Tribe of Rushing Water (ancient)

## Tribe of Rushing Water

**The Tribe of Rushing Water** is an ancient group that lived in a mountainous area long ago, eventually developing into the modern Tribe of Rushing Water. They lived in a cave behind a large waterfall.

## Description

The Ancient Tribe of Rushing Water was founded by Jay's Wing and Half Moon after a group of cats by the Lake Territories journeyed to the mountains. They live in a vast cave behind a huge waterfall that has a tunnel leading to the Cavern of Pointed Stones, where their healer, Teller of the Pointed Stones, resides. The cave itself is lined with sleeping hollows that the cats fill with moss and feathers. The Tribe is skilled at hunting hawks but the cats are not required to bring back prey to the rest of the Tribe. The ancient Tribe has not developed the naming conventions of the modern Tribe, and cats are given two word names like those of the Ancients. There are no ranks other than that of Teller of the Pointed Stones.

## Territory

The cats live in mountainous terrain with ridges and valleys. They hunt throughout it, but most herbs grow at the bottom of a valley.
### The cave

The Tribe resides in a large cave that is hidden behind a waterfall. This waterfall empties into a pool at the end of a narrow gully. A path behind the waterfall leads into the cave, which has sleeping hollows lined with feathers and moss on the floor. There is a boulder on the far end of the cavern that Stoneteller uses to address the Tribe. Above the waterfall and cave is a plateau where the Tribe bury their dead beneath earth and stones.
### Cavern of the Pointed Stones

A tunnel from the main cave leads to the Cavern of the Pointed Stones. Stoneteller resides in this cave filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and columns of stone, where beams of sunlight or moonlight light the pools on the ground. The Teller of the Pointed Stones also keeps their store of herbs here.

## History

### In the *Dawn of the Clans* arc

#### *The Sun Trail*

The Tribe is going through a rough winter, with many Tribe cats going hungry and fighting over food, when Lion's Roar approaches Stoneteller, calling her by her given name, Half Moon, and telling her stories that his mother had told him about the lake territories. Half Moon asks him what he is doing, and Lion's Roar replies that something must be done about the hunger and room in the cave. Half Moon tells him that the mountains were where they were meant to be, as Jay's Wing had promised, although Lion's Roar is doubtful that he had been right. They fall silent, but Half Moon notices that there is a warm light coming through the waterfall, almost as if it was dawning even though night was falling. Half Moon realizes that it is a vision telling her that some of the Tribe cats must head toward where the sun is rising, and that a sustainable group may stay.
Clear Sky and Gray Wing are hunting out in the snow-covered mountains. They catch a hawk, and rather unusually as the Tribe cats don't often share prey, Gray Wing suggests that they bring it back to the Tribe. They return to the cave and it is noted how every cat is weak and hungry.
A little while later, Stoneteller and Shaded Moss call the Tribe to attention. Many of the cats think that Stoneteller is going to announce Shaded Moss as her successor, as the white she-cat is starting to grow old, but instead they tell the Tribe about her vision of the sun trail and that Shaded Moss is going to lead a group of cats out of the mountains to follow it. Many of the cats are excited to leave, however some of them have doubts. Fluttering Bird dies of starvation soon after, and Stoneteller is shown to be living inside the Cave of the Pointed Stones when Gray Wing goes to fetch her.
After a few days, the debate as to whether the cats should be allowed to go or not intensifies, and Stoneteller declares that they will cast stones to vote whether the cats should stay or go. The cats vote, and the stones are tallied up. The majority of the Tribe cats vote that those that wish to leave may, and the followers of the sun trail leave soon after, including Clear Sky and Tall Shadow. Gray Wing opts to stay with the much smaller Tribe now made up of mostly elders and queens, helping out with hunting, along with teaching his younger brother how to do so. However, when Jagged Peak leaves to follow the sun trail cats, Gray Wing has to leave and the ancient Tribe is left to develop into the modern Tribe.
At one point the sun trail followers believe that they have found a good spot to call home that is within traveling distance of the Tribe, however they are chased from it and must continue on. The Tribe is mentioned several times in passing, and the cats are seen giving thanks to Stoneteller for guiding them from the mountains with her vision.
#### *Thunder Rising*

In a dream, Gray Wing wakes up in the Tribe's cave, and the cats sleep. He spots Quiet Rain and Dewy Leaf, but not any of the cats who made the journey from the mountains. Gray Wing thinks that they appear well-fed, and Stoneteller calls for him, and then takes him to the Cave of Pointed Stones. She explains that he must find a new life, and notes that the Cave of Pointed Stones is set apart for the Tribe leaders.
### In the *Power of Three* arc

#### *Long Shadows*

The Ancients, a group of cats living in the Lake Territories cast stones and decide to leave the territories for the mountains at Jaypaw's, in the body of Jay's Wing, description of them. Jaypaw realizes that they are to become the Tribe of Rushing Water and it is revealed that there were originally three Tribes, although what happened to the other two is unknown.
### In the *Omen of the Stars* arc

#### *Sign of the Moon*

While Jayfeather is visiting the modern Tribe in the mountains, he is once again sent back to the time of the Ancients as Jay's Wing. It is revealed that they had made it to the mountains and are inside a large cave, but that they had lost Dark Whiskers and are unsure about whether they should be in the mountains. As Jayfeather is wondering what to do, Rock whispers to the tom that he must make them stay.
Chasing Clouds suggests hunting and Stone Song, Half Moon, and Jayfeather go with him. The group doesn't catch anything, although they do see prey, and they start to head back before the storm gets worse. While they are traveling, the group is attacked by a large brown bird, which they fend off, but not without injuries. They group returns and when Chasing Clouds reveals he was attacked by a bird, many of the cats want to return. Jayfeather interrupts and says that they will need to find new ways of hunting to survive, and to divide the group into cats that will hunt and cats that will guard against the birds. However, they are not convinced and many still want to leave after the storm is over.
The next morning, several of the cats are open to try to hunt again, and take Jayfeather's suggestion of hunting in groups. Jayfeather volunteers to act as a lure, and the cats go out to test his strategy. After a while, an eagle attacks him and the hunters fight it off. When they are heading back, Rock appears to Jayfeather and tells him that he cannot stay, and that Half Moon must become the first Teller of the Pointed Stones. When Jayfeather asks why, Rock tells him that the she-cat had seen the sign of the moon in the reflections in the cave. Jayfeather returns to the rest of the cats, and it is shown that they are much more optimistic.
Jayfeather asks Half Moon to follow him into the Cave of Pointed Stones, and tells her that she must become their leader. Half Moon doesn't believe him at first, and then grows angry, thinking that it was Jayfeather's way of turning down her affections. Jayfeather replies that he had nothing to do with it and that it was her destiny. She bounds out of the cave, and Jayfeather follows, they are interrupted as Shy Fawn is having her kits. Jayfeather helps to deliver them, and as he is doing so a patrol comes back with a snow hare, saying that they should work out how to catch the big birds. Three kits are born, one of them revealed to be Lion's Roar, who would be reincarnated as Lionblaze, and Jayfeather asks Half Moon to go for a walk with him. Jayfeather brings up her becoming their leader again, to which Half Moon replies that she doesn't want to be a leader. He tells her to call herself a Healer. Jayfeather performs a ceremony to name Half Moon Teller of the Pointed Stones, calling them a Tribe before he is sent back to the present.

## See also

* Modern Tribe of Rushing Water
* List of Tribe cats
* General Tribe information
* Tribe of Endless Hunting
* Teller of the Pointed Stones