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.
Ican’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.
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.