Warriors: The Ranks

[Dragon]

Every clan have the same ranks depending on power and skill. Each rank means a different and a different milestone in a cats life. Some ranks are average, which most cats will go through as they live in the clan and some have special skills required or wisedom or traits to do the job well. The ranks are: Leader, Deputy, Medicine Cat, Warrior, Apprentice, Queen, kit, elder. I will go through each in detail so you won't be confused ever again!



First off, lets go to the highest rank in the clan and most difficult to fulfill. The Leader. This is the highest ranking in a clan, and the cat is regarded with respect and honor. These special cats usually are older warriors(some exceptions) that have experience in the in field. They also have a strong connection with Starclan and its no surprise if they receive dreams from their spirit cats! But before you can be leader, you must be a deputy beforehand no matter how short. Each leader, when their former leader retires or dies, must travel to Moonstone/Moonpool to receive their 9 lives. Though rare, sometimes Starclan will reject the cat and he/she would not get their lives. Now, lets get to the Deputy, the "co-owner" of the clan.



So, the deputy is the heir to the leader practically, if the leader dies or retires this cat will take up their place at the head of the clan. Deputies vary in age and sometimes can be as young as 1 moon old warriors. These carefully selected cats usually show traits such as justice, bravery, wisdom, loyalty, strength, etc. To be a deputy you must be a cat that has mentored at least one apprentice, some cats, such as Brambleclaw, had not mentored an apprentice at the time he was made deputy. To solve that problem Firestar made Brambleclaw, Berrykit's future mentor. In some clans, one leader could have many deputies in one space of leading, others may only have one. When the cats are deputies, they often discuss decisions with their leaders and help with assessments. The deputies assign the patrols and hunting parties unless he/she is out of action do to injury or sickness. There is only ever one deputy. So now let us continue on to the Medicine cats.



The medicine cats are some of the spiritual cats in the entire clan. They read the signs that Starclan sends and they report to their leaders these signs, mostly. In edition to reading the confusing signs Starclan sends, they are also the healers of the clan that treat wounds and sickness. Every half moon the medicine cats of all the clans will travel to Moonstone/Moonpool to share tongues with their ancestors. These spiritual cats also will choose an apprentice during their times of being a medicine cat. The apprentice usually shows signs of being interested in working with herbs, or is happy to help and needed. There can be up to two medicine cats in a clan, the mentor and the mentor's grown apprentice. These cats also have the wisdom of many herbs. As apprentices they learn every herb and the forest and how to make poultices, splint a broken limb, treat a wound, and the uses of each herb so when something new comes up their can use their resourcefulness to do their best to heal the cat. These special cats usually sleep in a different den from the other ranks, they usually have a spacious area with nooks and crannies so they can place herbs in their right places. In their den they almost always have enough moss for many cats, for say, after a major battle in the clans. Medicine cats have a variety of traits, most people think medicine cats as peaceful and kind felines but they can also be incredibly cranky and bossy. All they really need to be is faithful and wise, that doesn't at all imply being nice. For further reference check out the list of herbs I will be posting, along with common herb mixtures you will need and treatments. Now, lets get on with the most filled rank, the warrior.



The warriors are the backbone of the clan. Without these protectors and hunters there could be nothing, no leaders, deputies, medicine cats, and so forth. The warriors will go on patrols up to three times a day dawn, sun-high and moon-high patrol. Also, hunting parties are sent out at various times in the day. All warriors must remember the clan is fed first though. All warriors before they are able to sleep in the Warrior's Den must first go through apprenticeship unless they were originally outsiders that already have the basic skills to survive. Warriors will be chosen to become deputy if they have a new leader, or the current deputy retires or dies. Also, warriors mentor the apprentices along with the leader and deputy, and medicine cat. Now down to the younger cats of the clans, the apprentices.



Apprentice's are the young cats that range from six moons and up. Some leaders have started to train their apprentices to early and that usually leads to sorrow and death. Traditions should always be kept or bad things happen. These young cats must be trained by an older member of clan from warrior up. They must learn to fight and hunt, both of those skills are ther lifesavers in a clan during the winter and during war. Of course, medicine cat apprentice's learn a different set of skills such as learning the herb names. How to heal a wound and what to do in certain situations. Though even they must now a bit of fighting to defend themselves in a battle. These cats are not old enough to be warriors but they are also to big to in the nursery.



Queens are the cats who have kits! Yeah... These cats will move into the nursery. Queens can be warriors, leader, or deputy but medicine cats are not supposed to have kits because it would split their duties between their kits and the clan. The Queens are excused from their warrior duties. The queens usually stay in the nursery until their kits reach six moons. Sometimes they will stay to help the queens with their kits. Now to the Queen's kits.



Kits are the youngest of the clan. They are usually playful and happy go-lucky. The kits usually yearn to be apprentices, and they play with eachother(mostly.)



Finally, we have the Elders. These are some of the oldest cats in the clans. They are the cats that have retired from what ever they had done when they were younger. These cats demand respect, and are respected by their clan mates. The apprentices are often made to clan the elder's den and also deal with the older cats ticks. These cats are able to be at peace for the rest of their moons.

And that concludes the rank section of the reference area.

[Dragon]

Terms

* Sun-drown place - The ocean.

* Fresh-kill - Prey.

* Crowfood - Dead, rotting fresh-kill.

* [The] Moonpool - The place where medicine cats meet with StarClan every half-moon in the new territory. The Moonpool is a small pool.

* [The] Moonstone - The place where medicine cats meet with StarClan every half-moon in the old territory. The Moonstone is a peice of quatz.

* Half-bridge - A dock.
o Housefolk - Kitty-pet name for humans.
o Workfolk - Kitty-pet name for constuction workers.
o Wild Cats - Kitty-pet name for Clan cats.

* Kittypet - A domesticated cat that lives with humans; also used as an insult to another clan cat.

* Thunderpath - A road, more specifically a highway.

* Twolegs - Humans.

* Twoleg nest - A human house.

* Greenleaf Twolegplace - A human house for rent by the lake in summer; a sailing center.

* Horseplace - A ranch or stables.

* Nofurs - Another name for Twolegs used by loners in the new territory.

* Monster - A Car.

* Twolegplace - A human neighborhood or farm.

* Gathering - A time when all four Clans meet in peace every full moon. (Once a month.)

* Cutter - Vet

* She-cat - Female cat

* Tom - Male Cat (although this term is human as well)

* Deathberries - Yew berries

* Newleaf - Term for spring.

* Greenleaf - Term for summer.

* Whisker - A bit. Example: "It didn't matter a whisker."

* Sunhigh - Noon.

* Moonhigh - Midnight.

* Leaf-fall - Term for autumn

* Leaf-bare - Term for winter

* Moon - Term for month

* Quarter moon - Term for week


Expressions

* Mouse-brain or Mouse-brained - Insult, equivent of idiot.

* Fox-hearted - Insult, adjective for cruel.

* Fox-dung - Swear word, exclaimation

* 'Like a fox in a fit' - Example: "Birchkit, your more trouble then a fox in a fit!"

* How's the prey running? - Greeting, 'How are you?'

* Mouse-dung - Cuss word, exclaimation

* Great StarClan - Exclaimation

* StarClan save us - prayer

* StarClan help me/us - prayer

* StarClan forbid - prayer/exclaimation

[Dragon]

A page of fighting moves and strategies was included in Secrets of The Clans that are taught by mentor to apprentice through the Clans. These moves have been copied and expanded from the original texts of Secrets of The Clans, and a quote when available is also supplied from the books

When real cats fight many of the moves are similar, but less organized or precise. Combat often begins with circling and hissing. Making direct eye contact is threatening, and a long enough stare may unnerve some cats and end the battle. As the circle draws in each cat looks for a weak moment to strike -- fighting can break out and end very quickly. Cats may just bat at eachother with paws and claws, or bite, hiss, scratch and wrestle. When fighting break apart they resume the circle until fighting breaks out again.

BACK KICK
Explosive surprise move to catch opponent from behind. Judge opponent's distance from you carefully, then lash out with your back legs, taking weight on your front paws.

BELLY RAKEA fight stopper. Slice with unsheathed claws across the soft flesh of opponent's belly. If you're pinned down, the belly rake quickly puts you back in control.

Fire And Ice, page 208
Fireheart threw her off and flipped over onto his back. Too late he realized that he'd exposed his soft belly. Leopardfur didn't waste a moment. She reared up and came down on Fireheart with all her might. Fireheart felt the wind knocked out of him before the thorn-sharp claws dug into his belly.

FRONT PAW BLOW
Frontal attack. Bring your front paw down hard on your opponent's head. Claws sheathed.

Into The Wild, page 72
The two cats leaped at each other and began rolling over and over in a play-fight. Graypaw swiped at Firepaw with a hefty paw and the young apprentice's head buzzed with stars.

FRONTAL PAW STRIKE
Frontal Attack. Slice downward with your front paw at the body or face of your opponent. Claws unsheathed.

Fire And Ice, page 309
[Silverstream] drew back a paw and he saw her long claws flash as she prepared to swipe him. As Fireheart screwed up his eyes, bracing himself for the blow, he heard an achingly familiar yowl.

KILLING BITE
A death blow to the back of the neck. Quick and silent and sometimes considered dishonorable. Used only as a last resort.

Into The Wild, page 81
Firepaw screeched in shock as [Yellowfang] slammed into him, knocking him sideways. Two heavy paws clamped down onto his shoulders, and iron jaws closed around the back of his neck. "Murr-oww!" he grunted, already thinking fast. If the other cat were to sink its fangs to deep, it would all be over.

LEAP-AND-HOLD
Ideal for a small cat facing a large opponent. Spring onto the opponent's back and grip with unsheathed claws. Now you are beyond the range of your opponent's paws and in the position to inflict severe body wounds. A group of apprentices can defeat a large and dangerous warrior in this way. It was deployed to great effect against BloodClan's deputy, Bone. Watch for the drop-and-roll countermove, and try to jump free before you get squashed.

The Darkest Hour, page 196
Bone sprang backward, only to cannon into Bramblepaw and Ashpaw, who came charging across the clearing at the same moment. Firestar saw his apprentice leap onto the huge deputy's back, while Ashpaw bit down on his hindleg.

PARTNER FIGHTING
Warriors who have trained and fought together will often instinctively fall into a paired defensive position, each protecting the others back while fending and opponent on either side. Slashing, clawing, and leaping together, battle pairs can be a whirlwind of danger for attackers.

The Darkest Hour, page 293
Not far away, Barley and Ravenpaw were battling side by side against a pair of identical gray tomcats, lean warriors whose collars bristled with teeth. Barley hissed at him, rearing up to swipe both forepaws at the gray warrior's ears. Ravenpaw pressed forward beside him, and the two BloodClan warriors were gradually forced back into the bushes.

PLAY DEAD
Effective in a tight situation, such as when you are pinned. Stop struggling and go limp. When your opponent relaxes his grip, thinking you are defeated, push yourself up explosively. This will throw off an unwary opponent and put you in an attacking position.

Into The Wild, page
[Firepaw] forced himself to go limp, relaxing his muscles as if in submission, and let out a pretend howl of alarm. Yellowfang bit down. Firepaw surged upward with all the strength in his powerful young body. The she-cat gave a snarl of surprise as she was thrown clear. She tumbled backward into a gorse bush.

SCRUFF SHAKE
Secure a strong teeth grip in the scruff of your opponent's neck; then shake violently until she or he is too rattled to fight back. Most effective against rats, which are small enough to throw. A strong throw will stun or kill them.

Into The Wild, page 187
Firepaw rushed over to Graypaw, who was being attacked from both sides by two smaller rats. Firepaw lunged at the nearest one, giving it a bite that left it dead. Graypaw managed to turn and pin down the other with his claws. He grabbed it with his teeth and flung it into the ditch as hard as could. It did not come back.

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TEETH GRIP
Target your opponents extremities-the legs, tail, scruff, or ears-and sink in your teeth and hold. This move is similar to the leap-and-hold except your claws are free to fight.

IntoThe Wild, page 83
Firepaw saw his chance. He threw himself forward, crouching low, and clamped his jaws tight on Yellowfang's back leg. "Mur-ugh!" The taste of the matted fur was horrible, but he chomped down hard.

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UPRIGHT LOCK
Final, crushing move on already weakened opponent. Rear up on back legs and bring full weight down on opponent. If opponent does the same, wrestle and flip him or her under you. This move makes you vulnerable to the belly rake, so this move requires great strength and speed.

Into The Wild, page 217
This time, as [Firepaw] leaped at Bluestar he stretched out his forepaws. She reared up on her hind legs and used her forepaws to twist him away. As he felt himself slipping, Firepaw scrabbled with his hind paws in the sand, but it was too late and he flopped heavily unto his side.

• Other Moves

Above this mark are fighting tactics from Secrets of The Clans. I have compiled other strategies used in the books and given them my own classifications. These are NOT made up! They have been shown in the books but are undocumented in Secrets Of The Clans.

AMBUSH DROP
If it is possible to get above your opponent in a tree or higher ground, this move may prove very useful for an ambush and an advantage at the beginning of a fight. The element of surprise is priceless, and this move allows for a quick, direct attack. Climbing into a tree branch or even on the side of a tree to twist and fall onto the back of an intruder with claws unsheathed can give you a good position to give a nasty bite.

DROP-AND-ROLL
Counter move for the leap-and-hold, this move is valuable when fighting a smaller or equal sized opponent who has a strong grip. Roll over and try to smother or squash them to loosen their grip. Be prepared for a quick recovery so as not to make yourself vulnerable.

DROP-AND-KICK
Counter move to the upright lock, this move requires the knowledge that your opponent will be using the upright lock -- watch for signs that your opponent is confident in their size and strength. When the opponent moves into the upright lock position with both paws raised, quickly move under them and strike up with powerful back legs. Preformed without enough speed this move is disastrous, and should only be used with confident fighters.

Into The Wild, page 217[Firepaw] raised a paw and swiped at her left ear. She ducked to avoid his strike and reared up, towering over him. Quickly Firepaw rolled onto his back, slithered beneath her body, and in one fast movement kicked both his back legs upward into her belly. Bluestar was flung backward and fell onto the sandy earth with a loud grunt.

DODGE
A common but effective strategy for a quick cat to disarm an opponent and avoid attack. Watch an opponent's eyes carefully to anticipate the target, and leap out of the way when they strike.

Into The Wild, page 116
Firepaw felt a rush of satisfaction as he leaped, but it turned to confusion as Bluestar unexpectedly sprang into the air and let him crash into the ground were she had stood just a heartbeat before.

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UNBALANCE
This move is a natural one aimed at disarming an opponent by knocking them down or making them stumble. It's a straightforward attack, and it's necessary not to betray your target with your eyes. Target legs and shoulders to unbalance with a paw strike, backlegs, a muzzle, or go in with a powerful head butt.

Dark River, page 168
Hollypaw took a quick breath and then threw herself at Cinderpaw. Before she knew what was happening Cinderpaw and knocked one her forelegs from under her with a powerful front paws. Then tipped her over with a rolling shove from her hind legs.

BACK LEG RAKE
The back legs are less mobile then the front, but have a lot of power, which makes them useful weapons of attack. This move requires pinning the opponent down by the shoulders and clawing their back with the hind legs.

Into The Wild, page 196
With his strong hind legs [Firepaw] clawed at her back till she squealed and struggled away from him, running headlong into the thick undergrowth that surrounded camp.

BADGER DEFENSE
This advanced move is used for warding of badgers and fighting them, and is a combination of power and wits which takes advantage of the lumbering slowness of a badger. It requires balance and speed. Jump high to avoid a badger's claws and land behind, spinning and biting. An extra bit of attack can be added with the slash of unsheathed claws during the spin.

Into The Wild, page 169
[Ashfur] reared up and leaped forward, high enough to clear a badger's back. He landed without dropping his forepaws and spun around so fast that Lionpaw marveled at how he kept his balance. Then he ducked down, back onto four paws, and twisted to his side, snapping his jaws and though clamping them into a badger's hind leg.

REVERSE REARED STRIKE
This is another unusual advanced battle move using a combination of the front paw strike, upright lock, back kick and a powerful jump. Kicking behind with the back legs and leaping backward onto the front paws (which acts as an automatic dodge for the drop-and kick move) and raking down with a powerful front strike.

Dark River, page 224
Flicking his hind legs into the air, he spun around on his forepaws and leaped backward, then reared up and raked the air with each paw before tucking his head down and doing a neat forward roll.

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DEFENSE ROLL
Below the opponent's move can strike, duck your head and roll sideways and leap up. It's not an offensive move, but a quick move with a fluid recovery can catch your opponent off guard.
The Sight, page 166
[Leafpool] dipped her head, twisted around, and rolled onto her back before spinning back on up to her paws. The whole move was over in a heartbeat.

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES
A wise and quick-thinking warrior can use their surroundings to their own advantage, be it backing a warrior into a thick bramble bush, suffocating an opponent with a collar by pulling on it, or puncturing an enemy throat with a sharp stick -- all of which have made an appearance in the series so far.