Warriors is a book series written by Erin Hunter. It is about four Clans of wild cats (ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan and ShadowClan) living and surviving together. We each have our own territories around a great lake. We used to live in a huge forest, but we were driven out by Twolegs. (You'll have to find out more by reading the books).
Anyway, around the lake each Clan has a territory specifically for them. It is mainly filled with each Clan's preferred source of food. My Clan prefers things like birds, mice and voles, RiverClan likes fish and watervole, ShadowClan likes pretty much anything (even toads and frogs, eww!) and WindClan likes rabbits.
This is a very rough description of each Clan's territory: RiverClan has a river and most of the forest to the west. Their territory begins where the Clans rested at the end of the Great journey, and ends at a ThunderPath (a road). Then from the road onwards is ShadowClan territory, a forest of pine trees. Their territory ends at a place where Twolegs go in Greenleaf (Summer). At the edge of the clearing my Clan's territory (ThunderClan) begins, and it ends at the edge of a stream. We have normal forest with a variety of vegetation. On the other side of the stream, WindClan has it's domain. Their territory is just moorland, stretching until it ends at the Horseplace (Stable). We each have our own camp, where the Clan eats, sleeps and dominates.
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| This is a map of the Clan's territories |
Each Clan follows the guidance of StarClan. StarClan is the place all cats go when they die. (Well except for evil ones, like the legendary Tigerstar, but you'll have to read about him in the books. They go to a place called the Dark Forest. Unlike StarClan, Dark Forest cats cannot interact with each other. However, they have found ways to interact with cats that are living. *Gasps*.)
Anyway, back on track. StarClan sends signs of things to come and prophecies to a special cat in each Clan. This cat is the medicine cat, and it is in charge of interpreting these signs and healing its Clanmates. Each half moon the medicine cats meet at a sacred place to share dreams with StarClan. This place is the Moonpool.
The leader of a Clan can also get signs, but this is not common. Each new leader must travel to the Moonpool and recieve nine lives from StarClan, as well as take the name 'star'. (For example, Firestar). Leaders and medicine cats are not allowed to eat before or while traveling to the MoonPool. Leaders of a Clan must appoint a deputy before moonhigh the day they return from the MoonPool. This special cat is to be the leader after the current one. A cat MUST have mentored at least ONE apprentice to be a deputy. If a deputy dies, the leader must then appoint a new one before moonhigh once again. When a leader loses all its nine lives, the deputy takes its place.
When a cat dies and its spirit goes to StarClan, the body is mourned by the cats of a Clan for a whole night. Once dawn comes, the elders (or retired cats of a Clan) take the body and bury it. Elders are well respected within a Clan and often tell great stories of long ago battles and times.
Now, to defend and hunt for the Clan, the Clan appoints warriors. Warriors are cats that have completed combat training and are skilled enough to hunt. A warrior must always hunt for the Clan before himself/herself, even when they are not on a hunting patrol. They make sure the Clan's borders are secure and they defend it from threats such as other Clans, foxes and badgers. When they are experienced enough, a warrior may take an apprentice appointed to them by the Clan leader.(Sadly, I am not experienced enough just yet, as I have only been a warrior for a moon (a month), though I am already one of the best fighters!) An apprentice is a young cat over six moons old, in training to become a warrior or medicine cat. Each one takes the name 'paw'. (For example, Sorrelpaw). It is trained by a warrior or medicine cat, and the cat training the apprentice is called its mentor. Each apprentice must make a trip to the MoonPool sometime in their training. All apprentices must perform duties like fetching food for the elders, changing the bedding in the dens and helping the elders to remove their ticks. When an apprentice completes its training and receives its warrior name it must guard the camp alone the night of its ritual. It is not allowed to speak.
Baby cats, or kits, stay in the nursery and are not allowed to become apprentices until they are six moons old. They are looked after by their mothers, the queens. The queens are she-cats expecting or nursing kits. Right now I don't have any kits, and I haven't found anyone special in my Clan yet. Oh well, I can wait. Anyway, a cat is not allowed to take a mate from another Clan. This is seen as betrayal and can result in serious consequences.
Whoops, back on track. Every full moon, the Clans meet at a sacred place in a brief truce called a Gathering. Only a few of each Clan are selected to go, while the rest guard the camp. Here elders share stories of old times, leaders make decisions affecting everyone, and news from each Clan is shared. If the Clans break the truce, StarClan gets angry and they will send clouds to cover the moon. This usually ends a Gathering immediately.
Twolegs are big problems for Clans as they are big, loud, lumbering creatures that trample vegetation and scare away prey. They have huge monsters (cars) that reek and can kill cats if they hit them. The monsters hardly ever come off the Thunderpath (a road) though, but when they do it is devastating for all the Clans and most of the time results in death. They live in Nests (houses) and sometimes they have cats of their own as pets (Kittypets). Kittypets are fat, pampered creatures that Clan cats disgust. A cat from a Clan must reject a kittypet's soft life.
Sometimes there are even cats who aren't owned by Twolegs or in a Clan called rogues. They are normally very selfish and aggressive. And lastly, there are also loners. A loner lives in peace and doesn't defend its territory.
Below in a list I have posted the enemies the cats have had to fight in the past:
Twolegs and Twoleg Monsters: Twolegs can capture cats in traps and their monsters can eat trees and kill cats! They are greatly feared by even the bravest warriors!
Badgers: Are big, lumbering animals with black pelts, white stripes and tiny black eyes. They are capable of snapping a cat with their paws, and their jaws are very powerful, able to crush a cat's spine in one bite.
Other Cats: Cats are dangerous toward each other and are mostly evenly matched. The only difference is that they may differ in strength and other attributes.
Foxes: Are dangerous because they normally hunt in mating pairs or small groups. They will not hesitate to break into a nursery and take the kits.
Rats: Are dangerous because they have advantage in numbers and can easily overwhelm and eat a group of cats in only a few minutes. More organized specimens have been known to work together as a team, and even speak cat tongue.
Owls and Other Predatory Birds: Are dangerous because they can sneak up, snatch up a kit in their talons and fly away, leaving the Clan in shock and horror.
Sicknesses: Are dangerous because they can easily take the lives of elders and small kits. Plus, sickness travels quickly.
Anyway, that's all for now, I still have more information on warriors, but I will post this later.
See you!
- Spottedshadow
