A Tradition Lost

written by Wolfstorm

The warrior code, as all dedicated Warriors fan know, is a ancient code of loyalty to the clan, a code that many would gladly die for. This is a code that is most important for all the Clans, what binds them together as warriors. Of course they will never change it, as it was laid down by their ancestors. Or is it happening all ready?

Ever since the beginning for the books, the warrior code was handed down from mother to kit, mentor to apprentice, and to leader to warrior for countless moons. However, while many of the code still is intact and whoever breaks it gets shunned, some of the smaller traditions we saw in the original books has fallen into the cracks of the forgotten past.

Here is one example of the code which has done just that:

Into The Wild, page 165 "...all apprentices have to make the journey there before they become warriors."

So according to that quote said by Graypaw on page 165 of Into the Wild, all apprentices are suppose to go to the moonstone (or moonpool in The New Prophecy and farther) before they become a warrior. However after Firepaw, Graypaw and Ravenpaw went, that tradition seemed to disappear. This following quote from Rising Storm on page 211 made by Fireheart show just that,

Into The Wild, page 211 "That is not surprising. He's never been outside ThunderClan territory before." Fireheart weaved impatiently around Sandstorm and Brightpaw. "He hasn't made his journey to Highstones yet. There's no way he'd know he was so close to home."

Since Firestar would know if his own apprentice went to the moonstone, and since there was no mention of it, we can assume that Cloudtail did not go. Also, since Bluestar no longer believed in StarClan, Thornclaw, Brightheart or Swiftpaw probably didn't go either.

The span after that, where cats such as Ferncloud, Ashfur, Squirrelflight, and all the other cats that were apprentices at the time, we shall never know if they went to the moonstone. We may find out in Firestar's Quest and by the sounds of it, it seems that Firestar had other things on his mind (he wasn't even at his clan part of the time!) and so they probably didn't go either. That alone is approximately eight cats that became warriors but didn't fulfill the ancient tradition.

Then the starvation due to the twolegs came. Of course Firestar would not waste energy of his apprentices to go do something that was neglected anyway. No one can really blame him either. Why would you take a few young cats that you desperately need for hunting and go take them though dangerous territory, hostile cats, twoleg monsters, poisonous freshkill, and all sorts for difficult obstacles? Then the Great Journey occurred and it was impossible to do the special addition to the code.

Even when they came to their new home, this was not fulfilled by Sunset. True they were busy, but this was part of the warrior code and Firestar would have to go to the moonpool sometime.

The apprentice to the moonstone/moonpool ceremony is the particle part of the warrior code that broke down, not only does it serve to show new apprentices further territory, but it also serves for a leader to speak with StarClan regularly.

Perhaps this tradition will be adopted once again? Doubtfully. This tenant of the warrior code (as we are led to believe) no longer exists. It does make make an appearance in Secrets of The Clan's Warrior code.



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