Code Of The Clans

PREY IS KILLED ONLY TO BE EATEN.

GIVE THANKS TO STARCLAN FOR ITS LIFE.

When you eat, whom do you thank for your food?

It was the clear-sighted leadership of Lilystar of ShadowClan, moons ago, that taught us to respect our prey and helped us to see how much we owe to our warrior ancestors for training us and bringing us to a place where we can live like this.

Mouse Games

“Over here, Fallowkit!” Driftkit dodged around a fallen branch and poked his head over the top to call to his sister.

Fallowkit popped up and shoved the mouse they were playing with toward him. Its limp body rolled over, leaving a faint mark on the boggy ground. The snow had only just melted and the ShadowClan camp was so wet, the kits’ mother, Splashnose, spent every night licking the mud out of their belly fur. Driftkit scrambled onto the branch and launched himself off, landing flat on the mouse. It felt squishy under his paws, and it smelled of dirt and snowmelt.

Driftkit knew he was going to be the best ShadowClan warrior ever! He’d scratch out those scrawny WindClan cats’ eyes, he’d chase the fat RiverClan cats until their legs fell off, he’d creep up on the ThunderClan cats and claw their ears…

“Driftkit! What in the name of StarClan are you doing to that mouse?”

Driftkit fell off the mouse in surprise. A ginger-and-white she-cat with a bright orange tail was stalking toward him. “I was just practicing being a warrior, Sunnytail,” Driftkit stammered to the ShadowClan deputy.

Sunnytail stared down at the mouse. “That’s not fit to eat now! Does Splashnose know what you’re doing?”

Fallowkit padded up, her light brown fur standing on end.

“She’s in the nursery. She told us to go outside and play.”

Sunnytail shook her head. “This was the last piece of fresh-kill we had. Now the Clan will have to go hungry until the next hunting patrol.”

“Sorry,” Driftkit muttered. He wished a giant hole would open up in front of him so he could jump in and not be yelled at anymore. He was just having fun. He’d been stuck inside the den for moons because of the snow, and his legs felt as if they could run all the way to the Thunderpath that the warriors talked about.

The branches around the nursery rustled and a dusty-brown tabby with a white streak on her muzzle appeared. “What’s the matter?” she called.

“Driftkit and Fallowkit have been playing with the last piece of fresh-kill, Splashnose,” Sunnytail replied.

“I’m sure they didn’t know it was the last piece…” Splashnose began.

“They must have known!” Sunnytail argued. “There would have been nothing left!”

“Is this true?” A pale gray cat padded up, her tail kinked questioningly over her back. She looked from her deputy to Driftkit. “Did you take the last of our food?”

Driftkit tried to make a hole appear in front of his paws by staring at the ground really hard. Just his luck that Lilystar had overheard. “I guess,” he whispered to the ShadowClan leader.

“It wasn’t his fault,” Splashnose put in, but Lilystar hushed her with a flick of her tail. When she spoke, her tone was unexpectedly gentle.

“Driftkit, you should not have taken that mouse to play with. Prey is too scarce to be wasted. That mouse did not die to become a toy, but to keep us alive after a long leaf-bare. Do you understand?”

Driftkit nodded without looking up. Beside him, Fallowkit squeaked, “Yes, Lilystar.”

Suddenly a shadow swept over the clearing, and there was a strange rushing sound above Driftkit’s head.

“Owl! Run!” screeched Splashnose, and the cats bolted for safety.

Driftkit was too terrified to move. He stared up at the huge white bird, which swooped closer and closer. He could see every feather on its chest, its sharp hooked talons, the ring of yellow around each eye as it glared down at him. He gulped, waiting to be swept up into the air.

The owl folded its wings at the last moment and dropped with its talons outstretched. Nearer, nearer… then it was pulling itself back up into the air with its mighty wings. Driftkit opened his eyes. He was still on the ground. The mouse had vanished; when he looked up, he could see its battered body dangling from the owl’s claws, getting smaller and smaller as the bird disappeared over the trees.

I survived!

Splashnose raced up to Driftkit. “Are you all right, precious?” she gasped, sniffing him all over.

Driftkit shrugged away. Fierce warriors didn’t get fussed over by their moms whenever they won a battle. “I’m fine,” he muttered.

Lilystar pricked her ears to follow the path of the owl. “It is a sign,” she declared. “StarClan gives our prey to us, and StarClan can take it away. We should give thanks to our warrior ancestors that we are able to eat at all. They provide every mouthful as well as our ability to hunt and feed ourselves. From the next Gathering, there will be an addition to the warrior code. Prey must be killed only to be eaten, and we must give thanks to StarClan for its life.

This is the way of the warrior.”

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