Эрин Хантер - Secrets Оf Тhe Clans

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.

LionheartThe brave former ThunderClan deputy gave Firestar a life with the gift of courage, to defend his Clan in battle.

RedtailFirestar ever 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.

SilverstreamThe beautiful RiverClan tabby, the love of Graystripe’s life, gave Fireheart the gift of loyalty to what he knows to be right. This understanding would guide him even beyond the reach of the warrior code.

RunningwindThe swift ThunderClan warrior presented his life with the gift of tireless energy, so Firestar could serve his Clan to the utmost.

BrindlefaceWith 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.

SwiftpawThis young apprentice strayed from the Clan into the jaws of a dog pack. He gave Firestar the gift of mentoring.

YellowfangCompassion 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.

SpottedleafWith her life, the young medicine cat gave Firestar love, signaling her approval of his love for Sandstorm.

BluestarFirestar’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.

“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.”

AClan’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.

“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.

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!

“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.