The Warrior Code

The **Warrior Code** are the laws that the Clans have built themselves around. Cats of the Clans are held to the standards of these laws, and a warrior has to swear to uphold the warrior code when receiving their full names.

## Contents:

The warrior code contains these laws:

1. Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle.Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory.
2. Elders, queens, and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.
3. Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.
4. A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.
5. Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.
6. A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.
7. The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires or is exiled.
8. After the death or retirement of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.
9. A Gathering of all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time.
10. Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.
11. No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan.
12. An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense.
13. A warrior must live by the warrior code, but should understand and respect that there are other honorable ways for a cat to live. No warrior should scorn a good cat for living differently than them.
14. Cats who follow the warrior code should be respected as true Clan cats, no matter their past or their heritage. A warrior's loyalty comes from their actions, not from their blood.
15. If a warrior from one Clan falls in love with a warrior from another, they have a five moon grace period where no punishment will be brought against them for their relationship, so they can explore whether this will be a lasting relationship. At the end of those five moons, either one cat must join the other's Clan, or both cats must face whatever their leaders see fit, and terminate their relationship.
16. A medicine cat may take a mate and have kits as long as one other cat in the Clan, whether their apprentice or any other cat, has sufficient knowledge of herbs and healing to pick up any slack while the medicine cat is raising their kits.
17. As long as a leader rules in the best interest of the Clan, and shows mercy and fairness, their word must be respected as the warrior code. But if a leader fails to serve their clan fittingly, or abuses their power at the expense of others, it is the duty to challenge their word and, if necessary, remove their leader from power.

### Removed Laws:

1. A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.
2. The word of the Clan Leader is the warrior code.

## References

1. ↑ Revealed in Code of the Forest Chapter Twenty Six
2. ↑ Revealed in Code of the Forest Chapter Twenty Six
3. ↑ Revealed in Author’s Notes
4. ↑ Revealed in Author’s Notes
5. ↑ Revealed in Author’s Notes
6. ↑ Revealed in Code of the Forest Chapter Twenty Six
7. ↑ Revealed in Author’s Notes