The salty water got into our mouths and stung our eyes. It wanted to drag us away. But we swam to dry ground. This was the cave we’d been looking for.
Of course, Feathertail found a better way down, using a series of ledges along the cliff wall. That’s how Midnight gets in and out. Who’s Midnight? Oh, she’s a badger. But we’ll get to her story later....
CEREMONIES
LEADERS
Clan leaders are the heart of the Clan; their personality affects how the Clan operates and how their warriors treat one another and the world around them. It is up to the Clan leaders to set a good example and guide their Clanmates along the path of the warrior code. They are responsible for calling Clan meetings, appointing warriors, mentors, and apprentices, and deciding Clan policy and strategy with the help of their deputy and any cats they choose to consult for advice (usually the medicine cat, the elders, or senior warriors).
When a cat becomes Clan leader, he or she must travel to the Moonstone (or after the Clans moved to the lake, the Moonpool) and share tongues with the warrior ancestors of StarClan. The Clan’s medicine cat accompanies them on the journey but leaves them alone for the ceremony, in which the leader is granted eight extra lives and a new name with “star” at the end (Bluestar, Firestar, etc.).
This process can be surprising and painful, but it is important for leaders to be able to fight fiercely for their Clan and live long enough to pass along their wisdom and prepare a new leader. During the ceremony, each life is given to the new leader by a cat whose life was significant to the new leader in some way (see Firestar’s Nine Lives).
When a leader loses a life, she or he blacks out for a short period of time, during which that cat visits StarClan and speaks with its warrior ancestors. On returning to consciousness, the leader must still recover from the injury or illness that felled him or her. Medicine cats can usually tell how many lives a leader has left, although the number is kept secret from rival Clans.
FIRESTAR’S NINE LIVES
LIONHEART The brave former ThunderClan deputy gave Firestar a life with the gift of courage, to defend his Clan in battle.
REDTAIL Firestar never met Bluestar’s first deputy, but he worked hard to uncover the truth about Redtail’s murder. For this reason, Redtail gave him a life with the gift of justice, to judge his Clanmates fairly.
SILVERSTREAM The beautiful RiverClan tabby, the love of Graystripe’s life, gave Firestar the gift of loyalty to what he knows to be right. This understanding would guide him even beyond the reach of the warrior code.
RUNNINGWIND The swift ThunderClan warrior presented his life with the gift of tireless energy, so Firestar could serve his Clan to the utmost.
BRINDLEFACE With this life, Brindleface gave Firestar the same desire to protect his Clan that a mother has for her kits. He expected this to be a warm, nurturing feeling, but instead he felt it as the fiercest anger burning in his claws, ready to slash and kill to defend his Clanmates.
SWIFTPAW This young apprentice strayed from the Clan into the jaws of a dog pack. He gave Firestar the gift of mentoring.
YELLOWFANG Compassion was Yellowfang’s gift, the compassion of a medicine cat for all those who need her help. It is an important gift for a leader, who must be mindful of cats weaker than himself.
SPOTTEDLEAF With her life, the young medicine cat gave Firestar love, signaling her approval of his love for Sandstorm.
BLUESTAR Firestar’s leader and mentor gave him his last life, along with the gifts of nobility, certainty, and faith, so that he would be able to lead his Clan in the way of the warrior code for all nine of his lives.
DEPUTIES
“I say these words before the body of Redtail, so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice. Lionheart will be the new deputy of ThunderClan.”
A Clan’s deputy is chosen by the leader, to assist in taking care of the Clan. To qualify, a warrior must have had an apprentice and must be strong and brave, with the qualities needed to take on leadership of the Clan if necessary.
The deputy presides over Clan meetings when the leader is absent, stands in for the leader at Gatherings if the leader is ill, organizes daily patrols, and oversees the training of apprentices. According to the warrior code, when a deputy dies or steps down, the leader must announce a new deputy before moonhigh.
Deputies stop being deputies if:
the Clan leader dies, leaving the deputy to take over as leader.
the deputy retires
and becomes an elder.
the deputy commits a
crime against the warrior code and is demoted or driven from the Clan.
the deputy dies or is killed in battle.
APPRENTICES
“By naming apprentices, we show that ThunderClan will survive and remain strong. Birchkit, from now on you will be known as Birchpaw. ... Ashfur, you are ready for an apprentice. You will be Birchpaw’s mentor.”
Before a cat can become a warrior, he or she must be trained to fight and hunt and defend the Clan. At the age of six moons, kits leave the nursery and become apprentices. At this point they change the second half of their name from “kit” to “paw” to symbolize the path their paws are now on. The Clan leader assigns each apprentice a mentor—an older warrior to guide the apprentice on the path to being a warrior. Apprentices are responsible for chores around the camp, such as tending to the elders, in addition to their training. If they work hard, listen to their mentors, and live by the warrior code, soon they will earn their warrior name, and hopefully, one day, the chance to be a mentor themselves.
BIRCHPAW SPEAKS:
A New Apprentice
I can’t believe I’m finally an apprentice. I’ve been dreaming of this for moons! It’s true my mother, Ferncloud, wouldn’t have minded keeping me in the nursery a while longer. She still licks me as if I were a tiny kit sometimes. But I know she misses Larchkit and Hollykit, who died when the forest ran out of prey, and she worries about me, so I let her.
I’m lucky to have Ashfur as my mentor. He’s smart and patient and lets me practice everything instead of just showing me how to do it.
I love hunting patrols the best. We can’t eat anything until we’ve brought back enough food for the elders, but it’s so exciting to jump on a mouse, or chase a squirrel, or sneak up on a starling. I’ve heard stories about apprentices who ate while they were supposed to be hunting and how much trouble they got in. That’s not going to happen to me!
I can’t wait for my first Gathering, when we are allowed to talk in peace with cats from other Clans. I hope to see Toadkit, Marshkit, and Applekit there. They’re ShadowClan cats, but we became friends on the journey from the forest. Maybe I’ll tell them that the thrush I nearly caught was actually an eagle. They’d be so impressed!
WARRIORS
“Brackenpaw, you warned the Clan today, and you fought bravely in the battle,” Bluestar meowed. “It is time for you to become a warrior.”
Warriors are the lifeblood of the Clan. They patrol the borders, keep the fresh-kill pile supplied, and defend their Clanmates against attacks from enemy cats or predators. They fight to protect the Clan for as long as they are able and are often called upon to mentor apprentices, passing on the skills they were taught. During the warrior naming ceremony, an apprentice gives up the “paw” half of his or her name and earns a real warrior name—such as Fireheart, Sandstorm, or Brambleclaw.
BRACKENFUR SPEAKS:
A New Warrior
I remember the day I became a warrior. I was stretching outside the apprentices’ den when Fireheart asked if I wanted to go hunting with him. I don’t know where my own mentor was—Graystripe seemed very busy in those days.
When I smelled the WindClan and ShadowClan cats, I knew our camp was in danger because of Brokentail. Back when I was a kit and he was leader of ShadowClan, he stole me and my brother and sisters from ThunderClan. He was driven out and exiled from ShadowClan, but then he led a rogue attack on the ThunderClan camp. Now he was a
ThunderClan prisoner, and the other Clans didn’t like it one bit. That’s why they were coming to attack us.
Fireheart sent me back to camp to warn Bluestar and Tigerclaw. I knew they were coming for Brokentail, so I planted myself outside his den and fought as hard as I could. It was strange fighting to defend such an evil cat. But I knew Bluestar wanted us to defend him. That’s what loyalty to the Clan is all about.
After we drove off the invaders, Bluestar made me a warrior. The whole Clan called out my warrior name, Brackenfur. I felt their support and love, and I was so proud of my actions and my choices.
That’s what I thought about during my silent vigil. After the ceremony, I wasn’t allowed to speak to any cat until dawn. I guarded the camp alone, though I was tired from the battle. I looked up at the twinkling lights of Silverpelt and felt StarClan watching me. It was comforting to know that even when my Clanmates left this life, they’d watch over me, until the day I joined StarClan as well.
When Firestar gave me Whitepaw to mentor, he talked about how I’d learned about strength and friendship from Graystripe and how he hoped I’d pass on that loyalty and determination to her. Whitepaw is eager to learn and excited. I take her on boundary patrol whenever I can, renewing the scent markings and checking for signs of trespassers. We hunt for food for the elders and the queens, and I’m teaching her to climb trees and jump as high as she can to catch flying birds.
Soon, she will become a warrior. I can’t wait to see her eyes shine as Firestar says her warrior name and to share in her happiness with the rest of the Clan.
FIGHTING TECHNIQUES
One of the most important skills a mentor must teach an apprentice is how to fight. Warriors are often called upon to defend the borders or protect the Clan from attack, whether by enemy Clans or predators like badgers and foxes. Even medicine cats must learn enough fighting technique to be useful in battle.
Back kick Explosive surprise move to catch opponent from behind. Judge opponent’s distance from you carefully; then lash out with your back legs, taking your weight on your front paws.
Belly rake A fight-stopper. Slice with unsheathed claws across soft flesh of opponent’s belly. If you’re pinned down, the belly rake quickly puts you back in control.
Front paw blow Frontal attack. Bring your front paw down hard on your opponent’s head. Claws sheathed.
Front paw strike Frontal attack. Slice downward with your front paw at the body or face of your opponent. Claws unsheathed.
Killing bite A death blow to the back of the neck. Quick and silent and sometimes considered dishonorable. Used only as a last resort.
Leap-and-hold Ideal for a small cat facing a large opponent. Spring onto opponent’s back and grip with unsheathed claws. Now you are beyond the range of your opponent’s paws and in position to inflict severe body wounds. A group of apprentices can defeat a large and dangerous warrior in this way. It was deployed to great effect against BloodClan’s deputy, Bone. Watch for the drop-and-roll countermove, and try to jump free before you get squashed.
Partner fighting Warriors who have trained and fought together will often instinctively fall into a paired defensive position, each protecting the other’s back while fending off an opponent on either side. Slashing, clawing, and leaping together, battle pairs can be a whirlwind of danger for attackers.
Play dead Effective in a tight situation, such as when you are pinned. Stop struggling and go limp. When your opponent relaxes his grip, thinking you are defeated, push yourself up explosively. This will throw off an unwary opponent and put you in an attacking position.
Scruff shake Secure a strong teeth grip in the scruff of your opponent’s neck; then shake violently until he or she is too rattled to fight back. Most effective against rats, which are small enough to throw. A strong throw will stun or kill them.
Teeth grip Target your opponent’s extremities—the legs, tail, scruff, or ears—and sink in your teeth and hold. This move is similar to the leap-and-hold except your claws remain free to fight.
Upright lock Final, crushing move on already weakened opponent. Rear up on back legs and bring full weight down on opponent. If opponent does same, wrestle and flip him under you. This move makes you vulnerable to the belly rake, so requires great strength and speed.
ELDERS
“Goldenflower, is it your wish to give up the name of warrior and go to join the elders?”
“It is.”
“Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given us. I call upon StarClan to give you many seasons of rest.”
The life of a warrior is difficult and dangerous, and many die young—in battle, of disease, or from a natural disaster. Those cats lucky enough to live a long life may eventually retire from their warrior duties to become elders. These elderly cats are viewed with the deepest respect by the rest of the Clan. Many moons of experience make them an invaluable source of advice for the Clan leader, and they keep alive Clan history by passing down the old stories.
GOLDENFLOWER SPEAKS:
A New Role to Play
As a young apprentice, I dreamed of being a warrior, and I wondered what it would be like to have kits. But I never thought about becoming an elder. Now I know I am lucky to have made it this far.
All the cats treat elders with respect. Even apprentices listen to me; I can’t say they always did when I was a warrior. We elders spend our days peacefully, for the most part—discussing the goings-on in the forest, telling stories about the old days, or just snoozing in the sun.
Don’t get me wrong. I still have plenty of fight left. I’d be ready to hunt or defend the camp in an instant. When I was a queen nursing Swiftkit, an elder named Rosetail died defending us from a ShadowClan attack. I would do the same for our nursery kits today.
There is one sad duty we elders perform. When a cat dies, all Clan cats gather for a final vigil. We share tongues and groom our Clanmate one last time. That night certain cats lie beside the body in mourning—its family, mentor, apprentice, and littermates. At dawn, we elders are the ones who take the body out of the camp for burial.
So it has always been. I’ve served my Clan for a long time, and it’s nice to finally have some peace and quiet. I hope I get to stick around and enjoy it for many moons to come.
BREAKING THE WARRIOR CODE
CLOUDTAIL SPEAKS:
Tempted by the Kittypet Life
I didn’t mean to break the warrior code. I just didn’t understand it. Parts of it seemed stupid to me, so I figured I should just follow the smart parts. And Fireheart never stopped to explain why I had to follow these rules. He was too busy pointing out the things I did wrong instead of the things I did right. I was faster than Brightpaw, stronger than Thornpaw, and smarter than Swiftpaw and Ashpaw put together. I was determined to show the Clan that I could be a great warrior, even though I was born a kittypet.
One day, I caught a pigeon just before it took off. Instead of praising my skill, Fireheart scolded me like a wayward kit. He said I didn’t respect my prey.
I was fed up with Fireheart’s lectures, so I ran off. He could have chased me, but he didn’t. I ran until I smelled the Thunderpath, and I knew I had reached Twolegplace. I thought about visiting my mother, but I was too worked up, so I decided to explore.
I saw a plump black-and-white tom sunning himself on top of a fence, and a long-haired gray cat chasing a butterfly in circles. It looked more fun than hunting for elders or sparring with Fireheart, so on I went.
I was just passing a pale green fence when a gate opened. It nearly scared my whiskers off! A Twoleg female stood over me, and when she saw me, she crouched down and made this odd cooing noise. I flattened my ears and hissed, and to my surprise, the Twoleg went back through the fence, leaving the gate open. Had I scared her off? I poked my nose inside to see. The grass was short, with flowery bushes around the edges. I watched the Twoleg climb some steps and go through the door of her nest. Then, the door opened again, and the Twoleg set something down on the st
eps. I waited until she had gone back inside; then I crept forward to investigate. It smelled delicious, like fish, only heartier and less slimy. It was pink and sitting on top of a hard white leaf. Next to it was another leaf, filled with something white that brought back memories of the nursery. I realized it was milk.
Before I knew it, I’d eaten and drunk it all. I was hungry! And besides, I couldn’t take it back to the elders. I wasn’t hurting anyone. I knew the warrior code said that we shouldn’t let ourselves live like kittypets. But I didn’t see why we should reject free food. It left more in the forest for everyone else, right? And it was so easy.
I started going nearly every day, whenever I could slip off. Soon the Twoleg let me come inside, where I saw a Twoleg male clomping about. They had a small, yippy white dog. It tried to play with me at first, but it wasn’t dangerous. It was barely smart enough to walk.
Mostly I got hard brown pellets to eat, instead of the yummy pink stuff, but they didn’t taste bad. I didn’t even mind the stale water. Sometimes I wondered why my mother had sent me away from this life. But I didn’t mean to stay. I still wanted to be a warrior. I just thought I could have both. Well, I learned the hard way that I was wrong.
When the Twolegs caught me and put me in a wire web inside the belly of a monster, I thought that ThunderClan would be pleased to see the last of the kittypets. But I still wanted them to know that I had been taken against my will. Deep down, I was a ThunderClan cat. I wanted my warrior ceremony. I wanted to be admired as a great hunter and fighter. I wanted to go to Gatherings. And I’ll tell you a secret … I was already a little bit in love with Brightpaw.