Firestar’s Quest

To Firestar’s relief, Sandstorm didn’t respond. Brushing her pelt reassuringly, he padded forward to face the ginger tom. “Yes, it’s important for a Clan to have strong warriors.

But the warrior code isn’t just based on what is practical.

Honor matters equally as much. Elders and nursing queens must be shown respect, because without them the Clan wouldn’t survive.”

“SkyClan hasn’t survived,” Scratch muttered darkly.

“True, but that’s no reason to cast the warrior code aside.

Whatever happened to the original SkyClan cats”—Firestar wished that he knew what had happened to SkyClan, but there was no time to think of that now—“it wasn’t the fault of the elders or the nursing queens. We must continue to honor them.”

Scratch hesitated. Then his head whipped around and he glared at Clover. “Okay. Eat.”

Looking very embarrassed, Clover darted past him to the fresh-kill pile, snatched a blackbird, and carried it to where her kits were crouched by the side of the water.

Sandstorm let out a sigh, and padded off to say something quietly to Leaf, who rested her tail tip sympathetically on the ginger she-cat’s shoulder. Firestar signaled to the other cats to come and take prey from the pile, though he didn’t have much appetite himself. He couldn’t help wondering how many more arguments there would be before Scratch and the other cats really understood the warrior code.

Sunhigh had come and gone while the cats, full-fed, drowsed in the sunlight or withdrew to the cool shade of the caves. Every cat in the new Clan was there; Firestar had even spotted Sky padding quietly down the gorge and curling up in the shadow of a thorn tree.

Firestar lay beside Sandstorm, his tongue rasping over her shoulder in long, rhythmic strokes. Sandstorm’s eyes were green slits, and a purr rumbled deep in her chest.

“I’m sorry I lost my temper with Scratch,” she murmured.

“You handled him much better.”

Firestar gave her another lick before replying. “Scratch is going to make a fine warrior. But he has to see that the warrior code is about more than just strength. He’ll learn, given time.”

Sandstorm sighed. “Just as Clover has to learn that a Clan is more than protection.” She butted Firestar’s shoulder affectionately with her head. “We’ll have to show them.”

“True. And I think I know how to start.”

He rose to his paws and arched his back in a long stretch.

Then he bounded up to the top of the Rockpile and yowled out the familiar words: “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!”

Sky started and sat up straight, gazing around as if he wasn’t sure where the call had come from. Leaf and Patch, who had been drowsing together at the water’s edge, raised their heads, then sat up to listen. Scratch popped his head out of his cave. Cherry and Boris came racing down the trail from the cliff top, while Clover’s kits bundled excitedly out of the warriors’ den and bounced down to the gorge, followed more slowly by their mother. Within a few heartbeats the whole

Clan had gathered and sat around the Rockpile looking up at Firestar.

“Cats of SkyClan,” Firestar began. Pride rippled through his fur as he addressed these cats by their Clan name for the first time. “Last night you committed yourselves to this Clan and the warrior code. Today the Clan will honor you with your Clan names. Scratch, Leaf, Hutch, Clover, and Patch, please come to stand at the bottom of the Rockpile.”

Exchanging bewildered glances, the five cats rose to their paws and drew closer to the bottom of the rocks. Clover’s kits tried to follow her, and Sandstorm gently halted them with a sweep of her tail.

Firestar picked his way down the rocks to stand in front of the group of cats. There had never been a warrior ceremony like this before, and he had to get it right so that it had meaning with their warrior ancestors—if there were any watching.

“I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan and mentor to SkyClan, call upon their warrior ancestors to look down upon these cats,” he began. “They have a true desire to learn the ways of your noble warrior code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.” Padding up to Scratch, he went on, “Scratch, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Scratch hesitated; Sandstorm slipped up behind him and whispered, “Say, ‘I do.’”

“I do,” Scratch meowed, his eyes fixed steadily on Firestar.

“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Scratch, from this moment you will be known as Sharpclaw. StarClan trusts you will give all your courage and strength to the new Clan.”

Sharpclaw blinked, then dipped his head. Firestar bent to rest his muzzle between the new warrior’s ears.

“Lick his shoulder,” Sandstorm directed.

Sharpclaw obeyed, and stepped back.

“Now we welcome him to the Clan by calling out his name,” Sandstorm meowed. “Sharpclaw! Sharpclaw!”