Tangle

"Whatever you decide, you have to be strong. The path SkyClan walks is shadowed, and you're the one leading us along it."

— Tangle to Leafstar in SkyClan's Destiny, pages 67-68

Tangle
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Last known:	SkyClan
Past:	Loner Rogue
Names
Elder:	Tangle
Loner:	Tangle
Rogue:	Tangle
Book appearances
Living	Firestar's Quest, SkyClan's Destiny, Beyond the Code, After the Flood
Living	Firestar's Quest, SkyClan's Destiny, Beyond the Code, After the Flood

Tangle is a large tabby tom with ragged, rumpled fur and amber eyes.

Tangle was a SkyClan elder under Leafstar’s leadership in the gorge. He was first seen as a rogue by the same name. He lived in an area near the gorge and moved dens frequently. When Scratch, soon to be Sharpclaw, and Firestar came to his den to ask him to join SkyClan, he threatened to fight if they tried to get him to join.

Soon, however, he warmed up to SkyClan and came down to the gorge for a period of time before returning to his den. He grew a strong bond with Lichenfur. Eventually, he joined SkyClan as an elder. When Lichenfur died, he was saddened, and grieved heavily.

History

In the Super Editions

Firestar's Quest

"Don't like other cats much. Now go away, unless you want a clawed pelt."

―Tangle to Scratch and Firestar ^{Firestar's Quest, page 307}

Scratch is introducing Firestar to the rogues for the meeting for the loners, rogues, and kittypets who would like to join SkyClan when they meet Tangle. When they come upon his nest, he is outraged at them intruding and tells them to go away. Though Firestar tries to explain to him what the meeting is about, he states he doesn't like living with other cats, and suggests leaving unless they would like a clawed pelt.

When Firestar is on a patrol to set the border markers with Leafdapple, Sharpclaw, Cherrypaw, and Sparrowpaw, Sharpclaw suggests they set a marker at the stream and Firestar points out that that would mean Tangle's nest would be inside the territory. Leafdapple laughs and says that Tangle moves to a new den every moon, and if he didn't like being inside the boundaries he could move outside of them.

SkyClan's Destiny

He is now seen as an elder of SkyClan. Leafstar has a dream that a flood is sweeping away the two elders, Tangle and Lichenfur. They struggle frantically as they are swept out of their den, and they flail on the surface for a moment before vanishing.

As she is surveying her Clan after recovering from her dream, Leafstar spots Tangle and Lichenfur sharing tongues in the sun on a flat rock. It is noted that he is an old rogue who stops by the gorge every so often to get something to eat, before returning to his den in the forest. Leafstar comments that Tangle seemed to get along with Lichenfur and she hopes that she would eventually convince him to stay in the Clan for good. When Harveymoon and Macgyver are banished from the Clan for a short period of time, Macgyver mentions that Tangle was halfway through telling them a tale about a fox, and he wanted to hear the end of it. Later that day, Leafstar asks Sagepaw to go to Sharpclaw, but he says that he wanted to check the elders for fleas because Tangle had been telling a really good story. Leafstar assures him that there will be plenty more chances to listen to Tangle, but that he must now help Sharpclaw. Leafstar comes to the elders' den and greets Lichenfur and Tangle. The brown elder rudely asks where Sagepaw is, and as he scratches his pelt says that his fleas are greatly annoying him. Leafstar offers to get rid of his fleas, and when Lichenfur, after a brief disagreement, agrees to letting Leafstar clean her pelt, Tangle grunts in what Leafstar thinks is agreement. As Leafstar settles down beside the old cat, Lichenfur asks her about sending the daylight-warriors away, and Tangle explains to Leafstar that Petalnose met them on their way out, and she came to tell the elders. Leafstar admits that she is unsure of her decision, but Tangle looks up at her and tells her that whatever she decides, she must be strong, as she is leading SkyClan. Lichenfur snorts that she doesn't want a blind leader, but Tangle nudges the SkyClan leader and tells her to ignore Lichenfur, claiming that the elder sat on a thistle all night.

When Leafstar calls a Clan meeting to try to lessen the discrimination with the Clan, Tangle and Lichenfur are seen slowly emerging from their den and coming toward the Rockpile, and they settle down on a flat, sun-warmed stone that juts over the water. When Leafstar comes back to camp after the training session that includes the Twolegplace cats, she sees Tangle and Lichenfur crouched beside the fresh-kill pile and sharing a plump pigeon.

The day that Harveymoon and Macygyver return to camp, he is seen with Lichenfur, complaining as they head up the trail to the Skyrock. However, Leafstar knows that the elders would never want to miss a Gathering. During the Gathering, Lichenfur complains about their old bedding, and when Snookpaw apologizes, the old she-cat leans across to mew something into Tangle's ear. The next day, when Billystorm asks Snookpaw if he will come for a training session, the apprentice replies that he can't because he promised to fetch fresh moss for Tangle and Lichenfur. Leafstar later comes to the Whispering Cave and sees the moss Snookpaw has collected, and she praises him that it will make a find bed for the elders.

When Leafstar calls a Clan meeting to discuss the cruel, elderly Twoleg, Tangle and Lichenfur emerge from their den and sit at its entrance. Later, when Leafstar brings Egg into camp, the young cat is interested at the activity in camp, which includes Lichenfur and Tangle washing themselves on a rock. After Sharpclaw takes Egg for a training session, Leafstar looks around at the camp, and watches the elders fluff their fur up against the rain and snatch a piece of prey before returning to their den. The next day, when Leafstar calls a meeting to make Egg an apprentice, Tangle and Lichenfur emerge from their nest to join the Clan meeting, although their fur is rumpled with sleep.

When the Twoleg kit is injured in SkyClan territory and the cats hear an odd noise, Clovertail frets that it might be a fox, but Tangle flicks his ears and says that he never heard a fox that sounded like that. When the patrol comes back to camp unsuccessfully, Tangle mutters that he is glad that the wailing has stopped. When the Twolegs near camp as they follow the trail left by the SkyClan cats, Tangle and Lichenfur are down by the river, using their tails to wipe out paw prints, and Leafstar realizes that they are hiding the camp. Afterwards, when Leafstar calls another Clan meeting to make Snookpaw a warrior, Tangle and Lichenfur appear, stretched out in a sunny spot near the edge of the river.

When bees come to the camp, Tangle and Lichenfur slide out their claws, but Leafstar orders everyone to go into the water and she launches herself at the elders. Tangle screeches in outrage but is cut off by a splutter when Lichenfur shoves his head underwater. Once the bees leave, Tangle is angry at Lichenfur for trying to drown him, but the elder she-cat mutters that the next time she will let him get stung. Harveymoon and Macgyver come to the gorge, confused at what is happening, and Tangle grunts that there was a bee attack.

In the SkyClan and the Stranger arc

Beyond the Code

When Sol's hunting patrol catches an excessive amount of fresh-kill, Tangle and Lichenfur are awakened by the excitement. Annoyed, Tangle asks what all the noise is about and Lichenfur complains that they just want to sleep in peace. Leafstar tells him and Lichenfur to come and join them, adding that SkyClan hasn't had this much prey in moons.

When Cherrytail finds Lichenfur's body after the flood, Tangle is seen looking down sadly at his lifeless denmate as the Clan prepares for her vigil.

After the Flood

"Ordinarily Tangle would grumble and snap and tell us all that he could build his own nest...but today he just sits and watches. I've got to keep a close eye on him...and try to keep his grief over Lichenfur from making him ill."

―Leafstar about Tangle ^{After the Flood, page 11}

After Lichenfur drowns in the flood, Tangle doesn't snap at the apprentices for trying to fix his nest, which he normally would do; instead, he sits there and watches sadly as they fix it for him. Leafstar decides to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get too depressed about Lichenfur's death, so that he doesn't fall ill from grief.

He is then mentioned by Clovertail, who asks Leafstar's kits to come and collect feathers with her for his nest. While the kits squabble over who can collect the best feathers, Leafstar asks Clovertail how Tangle is doing and the she-cat replies by saying that she is worried about how Lichenfur's death has hit him hard.

Character pixels

The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. Rogue Version Loner Version Elder Version

Official art

Please do not edit this gallery Tangle in After the Flood Tangle in SkyClan and the Stranger

Appearances

• Firestar's Quest (First appearance)
• SkyClan's Destiny
• Beyond the Code
• After the Flood