! spoilers lie ahead !
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the warrior code

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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.

2. do not hunt or trespass on another clan's territory.

3. 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.

4. prey is killed only to be eaten. give thanks to starclan for its life.

5. a kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.

6. newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.

7. a cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.

8. the deputy will become clan leader when the leader dies, retires, or is exiled.

9. after the death, retirement, promotion (to a leader status), or exile of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.

10. 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.

11. boundaries must be checked and marked daily. challenge all trespassing cats.

12. no warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different clan.

13. the word of the clan leader is the warrior code.

14. 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.

15. a warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.

16. each clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect the four. each clan must help the others so that no clan will fall.

exceptions

- cats on their way to the moonstone or moonpool are allowed to cross other clans' territories to get to their destination—windclan grounds on the moorland in the forest, and thunderclan grounds by the lake.

- at the lake, cats may travel on other clans' grounds as long as they are within three fox-lengths of the lake; for instance, to go to a gathering.

- cats may travel on other clan territories if they have something to report or to ask for help.

- the code is flexible about leadership challenges. cats may challenge a weak or cruel leader if their clan is in danger, and if their leadership threatens the clan, the code expects a warrior to challenge their leader.

additional rules

the following rules are not specifically stated in the warrior code, but are expected to be followed:

- medicine cats may not have a mate or kits, as they must be able to heal all cats equally.

- kits must stay in camp until they are apprenticed, and are not allowed to hunt.

- the safety of the clan as a whole is more important than the safety of one cat.

- clans must not unite together to drive out another clan.

- clans must not force another clan to share territory.

- enemy patrols must not attack cats if they are on a mission that all four clans have agreed upon.

- cats cannot eat when going to the moonstone or moonpool to speak with starclan.

punishment

general: these can be a scolding, giving a warrior apprentice duties, or giving an apprentice an unpleasant task.

losing their rank: breaking the code can also result in a cat being stripped of their duties. one major example of this is firestar punishing leafpool. she was forced to surrender her medicine cat duties, due to the truth about jayfeather, hollyleaf, and lionblaze's parentage, and also taking a mate.

exile: in severe cases, the cat may be exiled from the clan. this has happened in the series multiple times, and some examples are:
leopardstar exiling graystripe from riverclan, due to him not attacking his former thunderclan clanmates, firestar exiling darkstripe for poisoning sorrelkit, and bluestar exiling tigerclaw for treason and murder.

after-death punishments: cats who would murder for no reason, or have caused pain to others for nothing other than their own enjoyment would also go to the place of no stars upon their death. examples are tigerstar, who was responsible for the deaths of redtail, runningwind, brindleface, and gorsepaw; hawkfrost, who planned to have firestar killed in order to give brambleclaw leadership of thunderclan; and darkstripe, who poisoned a young kit and joined tigerclan.