Ratha and Thistle-chaser

A drought threatens the survival of the Named, a clan of intelligent wild cats led by the young female Ratha. The herdbeasts that the big cats depend on for food are suffering and may soon die. Ratha must send scouts to seek new sources of food and water. Thakur, Ratha's trusted friend, makes a westward journey to the seacoast. He discovers a spring-fed pool as well as land suited for grazing and browsing by the herdbeasts. While seeking other animals that the Named can keep, he finds horselike creatures with webbed feet that live on the beach, and a solitary mute female cat that lives among them.Newt, the strange female, is a mystery to Thakur, with her lameness and the violent fits that seize her. When the Clan and their herds move to the sea coast, they disrupt her way of life. Disregarding Thakur's advice, the Named pen some seamares away from the ocean. Newt retaliates, wrecking the pens and freeing the animals. It is then that Thakur learns Newt's real name, Thistle-chaser, and her true identity. The discovery forces Ratha to face her past and has a profound effect on the entire Clan.