Dustpelt insists that Fireheart doesn’t belong in ThunderClan because the code says we have to reject kittypets. But we have to reject their life, not the cats themselves. And Fireheart has done that, hasn’t he? He started out as a kittypet and chose to leave it all behind to join ThunderClan.
If I had to choose between Dustpelt and Fireheart to lead the Clan, who would I pick? Dustpelt is so loyal to the warrior code, he’d never dream of breaking it. The other Clans would respect him for that, which might make them more peaceful toward us.
Fireheart would argue with any cat, in ThunderClan or outside, if he didn’t think they were doing the right thing. I don’t want to live in a Clan that is always at war.
But Fireheart won’t fight a battle that he doesn’t believe in.
That’s why he talked to Tallstar, persuaded him not to let his warriors fight when Bluestar led the attack on his border. Which means Tallstar must respect Fireheart and trust him, because he’s always been friendly with Bluestar before now.
Maybe a kittypet can know us better than we know ourselves.
Maybe it takes an outsider looking in to see the truth—like Fireheart knew the truth about Tigerclaw. I wonder if he’ll ever see the truth in my own heart: that, whatever Dustpelt says, however much Fireheart breaks the warrior code, I love him more than I could imagine loving any other cat.
And if Fireheart knew, would he love me, too?
Rules That Did Not Become Part of the Code: Leafpool Speaks
Not every rule that was suggested was accepted by all the Clans—and it was always understood, without having to be made part of the code, that every Clan had to agree.
Did you know it was once suggested that only cats of pure forest blood could be Clan members? Kittypets, rogues, and loners would be barred from Clan life—and those already living in the Clans would be expected to leave. I can tell you assume it was a ShadowClan leader that put this forward, but actually it was Featherstar of WindClan. After a hard leaf-bare, when only the swiftest warriors could catch any of the fleet-footed prey on the moor, she blamed her Clan’s hunger on those cats who hadn’t been born with the ability to run rabbit-fast. She saw the other Clans struggling to catch enough fresh-kill and was convinced that only Clanborn cats could look after themselves and their Clanmates.
Owlstar of ThunderClan argued most strongly against her—it was rumored afterward that he had kittypets among his ancestors, but he didn’t. He just saw that all the Clans would be weakened if they had to purge their members of non-forestborn cats. Loyalty to Clanmates has always lain at the core of the warrior code, and what Featherstar was proposing would let Clanmates turn on one another and claim superiority for something they had no control over. As long as cats were loyal to their Clan, Owlstar insisted, then they deserved to stay.
Not long after that, Hawkstar’s successor, Robinstar, put forward that Clans should eat only the prey they were most suited to hunting: fish for RiverClan, birds for SkyClan, rabbits for WindClan, and so on. This was shouted down by all the Clans.
It was unlikely that all the birds in SkyClan’s hunting grounds would ever get sick and die, even during the coldest leaf-bare, but fish, rabbits, and ThunderClan’s squirrels had all been known to suffer from an illness that either spread to cats or reduced the numbers of prey drastically. Besides, every Clan welcomes a chance to taste a different kind of fresh-kill when it strays into their territory—though RiverClan are welcome to keep all their slimy fish!
It was Dovestar of RiverClan who wanted to make it law that every Clan cat had to acknowledge that StarClan controlled Clan life; to deny the existence and power of the warrior ancestors would be to break the code. Does it surprise you that this is not one of our laws?
Being a Clan cat is not about being forced to believe something. We are allowed to think for ourselves, you know! It is not law that you have to stay in a Clan—cats may leave any time they wish if they no longer feel true to the warrior code or loyal to their Clanmates. As long as we believe in StarClan and the influence it has over our lives, accepting the warrior code is easy and loyalty comes as natural as breathing. You cannot force a cat to be faithful. That would be far worse than letting them be honest enough to choose a different path through life.
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Epilogue
You’ve now heard the history of the warrior code. Stretch your legs; you’ve been sitting a long time. I’ll walk with you to the edge of our territory. I could use some fresh air.
Thank you for listening. Perhaps you understand our way of life a little better now. As you’ve heard, we’re not always perfect, but we have a great deal of faith in our warrior ancestors. The code lives in us in our heartbeat, the blood pulsing beneath our fur.
When we die, the code carries on in our kits, and their kits, for all the moons to come. StarClan willing, the code of the Clans will live forever, until the forest and the lake have turned to dust and our hunting grounds are no more.