Nightcloud

"If Nightcloud were a gentle, loving cat like Leafpool, or feisty and warmhearted like Squirrelflight, it would be easier to feel sorry for her. After all, Crowfeather took her as a mate to prove he was loyal to WindClan in spite of everything of trying to run off with the ThunderClan medicine cat. But she's a difficult she-cat to like, with her short temper and her possessiveness over Crowfeather and her son, Breezepaw."

— Rock about Nightcloud in Cats of the Clans, page 54

Nightcloud
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	WindClan
Names
Name:	Nightcloud Nightcloud
Education
Apprentices:	Hootwhisker
Book appearances
Living	Starlight, Twilight, Sunset, Leafpool's Wish, The Sight, Dark River, Outcast, Eclipse, Long Shadows, Sunrise, Hollyleaf's Story, The Fourth Apprentice, Fading Echoes, Mistystar's Omen, Night Whispers, Sign of the Moon, The Forgotten Warrior, The Last Hope, Dovewing's Silence, Bramblestar's Storm, The Ultimate Guide
Living	Starlight, Twilight, Sunset, Leafpool's Wish, The Sight, Dark River, Outcast, Eclipse, Long Shadows, Sunrise, Hollyleaf's Story, The Fourth Apprentice, Fading Echoes, Mistystar's Omen, Night Whispers, Sign of the Moon, The Forgotten Warrior, The Last Hope, Dovewing's Silence, Bramblestar's Storm, The Ultimate Guide

Nightcloud is a well-muscled black she-cat with amber eyes.

History

In the Super Edition Arc

Bramblestar's Storm

Nightcloud is seen springing forward alongside Leaftail after Amberpaw falls into the stream, trapping Rosepetal between them when she jumps out at them. Nightcloud claws at her ear in anger, demanding that she return to her side of the border, claiming that she is invading their territory. Bramblestar agrees with her and tells Rosepetal to get back into their side of the border.

Later, Nightcloud is seen yowling in outrage after a ThunderClan patrol brings down a huge white bird her patrol had previously been hunting down. She demands to have it back, even showing her claws, which have scraps of white feathers caught in them, as evidence. She hisses at Hootpaw when he says they need it more, telling him to be quiet when he admits that WindClan is having trouble collecting prey due to rabbits become scarce.

In the New Prophecy Arc

Starlight

Nightcloud is a WindClan warrior when the Clans arrive at the new territories, although she isn't listed in the allegiances.

On his deathbed, Tallstar decides that his current deputy, Mudclaw, wasn't the right cat to lead WindClan, so he makes Onewhisker deputy instead. When Firestar announces this to the other Clans, Nightcloud is furious, along with some of her other Clanmates, including Webfoot. She believes that Mudclaw should be leader, not Onewhisker.

Nightcloud joins Mudclaw when he leads the rebellious attack against Onewhisker and his supporters to reclaim leadership of WindClan. When ThunderClan joins the fray, she is seen wrestling with Squirrelflight.

Twilight

At a Gathering, she stares at Onewhisker as he announces his new name, Onestar, and his now nine lives with an unreadable expression, showing neither contempt nor approval.

When badgers attack ThunderClan's camp, Onestar chooses her and several other warriors to go help them. As soon as they arrive, Nightcloud and Onestar immediately go help Ashfur with the badger he was trying to fight, and succeed in driving it off.

Sunset

Sunset does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

In the Power of Three Arc

The Sight

Nightcloud now has a mate, Crowfeather, and one son with him, Breezepaw.

She is in the WindClan camp when the dogs attack; she and Owlwhisker are in charge of leading one of the dogs away from camp, when Brambleclaw, Berrypaw, Ashfur, Lionpaw and Spiderleg come to help them.

She returns to camp when all the dogs have been driven away. She sees how Crowfeather is treating Breezepaw as if he didn't trust him to do his duties, and chides her mate, saying he should have more faith in her son. When Breezepaw hints that WindClan could have handled the dogs without ThunderClan's help, Nightcloud rebukes him as well, reasoning that Heatherpaw might have been hurt if it hadn't been for the brave apprentice. She looks at Lionpaw as she says this.

At the daylight-Gathering, Breezepaw participates in the squirrel hunting competition with Lionpaw, but while they are in the forest, an abandoned badger set collapses underneath them, burying them alive. Jaypaw, having had a vision that this would happen, races to them, and the other Clans see him. Nightcloud, along with Crowfeather, are among the first cats to reach the two apprentices. Nightcloud is horrified, and helps Jaypaw dig them up. Once they get Breezepaw and Lionpaw out, Nightcloud is worried that Breezepaw wouldn't live, but Leafpool, the ThunderClan medicine cat, confirms that he would. She is relieved, but becomes tense when Leafpool, while speaking with Crowfeather, says she would do anything to save his son; Crowfeather had been in love with Leafpool before he had taken Nightcloud as a mate. She is extremely grateful to Jaypaw, though. She refuses to let Crowfeather help as she carries Breezepaw back to ThunderClan's camp. She stays behind with Breezepaw and Lionpaw, assuring Jaypaw that she could take care of them, and that he should go to the Gathering.

Dark River

On a patrol with Tornear, Harepaw, and Owlwhisker, Nightcloud is the first cat to be spotted by Leafpool when she and Jaypaw are going to WindClan to speak with Onestar. Jaypaw notes the jealousy edging his mentor's tone. The patrol allows Leafpool and Jaypaw to come with them back to WindClan to speak with WindClan's leader, though they are suspicious. Nightcloud takes up the rear of the patrol behind the ThunderClan cats. When Leafpool and Crowfeather are addressing each other, Jaypaw senses Nightcloud's fury and jealousy, though he doesn't understand why.

Outcast

As Crowfeather and Breezepaw are preparing to go to the mountains to help the Tribe, Nightcloud steps out of the crowd to say goodbye. She presses her pelt lovingly against Crowfeather's, but he merely licks her ear in response as he stares off into the distance.

Eclipse

When Onestar leads an attack against ThunderClan, she goes with them. She helps attack Firestar's patrol. When Poppyfrost is about to answer Lionpaw as to whether there were any WindClan warriors nearby, Nightcloud attacks her, and fights her viciously.

Long Shadows

Long Shadows does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Sunrise

Nightcloud attends a Gathering with Crowfeather and Breezepelt. Hollyleaf announces that Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw were not her parents, as they had been led to believe, but Leafpool and Crowfeather were. Nightcloud and Breezepelt, enraged, hiss at Crowfeather as he tries to deny it, saying he only had one son, Breezepelt. Nightcloud's pelt is fluffed out, and looks as if she wanted to claw Leafpool.

In the Omen of the Stars Arc

The Fourth Apprentice

The Fourth Apprentice does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Fading Echoes

When two ThunderClan apprentices, Dovepaw and Ivypaw sneak into WindClan's camp, Nightcloud is highly suspicious of ThunderClan. She snarls that another patrol could have disguised their scent, but another warrior sneers, asking if she really thought ThunderClan were that clever. Nightcloud glares at the cat, and then slinks back, growling.

Night Whispers

Nightcloud is out hunting with Breezepelt and Crowfeather. Breezepelt catches a thrush, but Lionblaze snatches it away. Breezepelt insists it was his thrush, but Lionblaze refuses to give it back, causing them to get into a vicious fight. Crowfeather is seen looking on silently, and Nightcloud hisses at him, asking if he even cares that his son is getting hurt.

The arrival of Leafpool, Cinderheart and Dovepaw stop the fight. Leafpool screeches at Crowfeather, asking how he could watch his two sons fight. Nightcloud steps forward, seething, and says that Crowfeather had only one son, Breezepelt, and no others. Breezepelt slashes Leafpool's flank, but when he does, Crowfeather pulls him off her, to Nightcloud's fury. When she drags Crowfeather away from Leafpool, he jumps away and hisses at her. Breezepelt jumps to Nightcloud's defense, showing that he only held Crowfeather accountable for the hardships of his life, not Nightcloud.

Finally, the three WindClan cats let the ThunderClan patrol keep the thrush, though as they leave, Nightcloud shouts that next time, they would shred them.

At a Gathering, Mistystar announces that, with the lake frozen in the shallows, hunting had been difficult. From amongst the crowd, Nightcloud growls that it would make a change for the fish-eaters to go hungry as well as the other Clans during leaf-bare.

Sign of the Moon

Sign of the Moon does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

The Forgotten Warrior

Nightcloud is present at the first Gathering Hollyleaf attends after she rejoins ThunderClan. She follows Crowfeather's gaze to her, and scowls. She demands to know if Hollyleaf thought she was welcome.

The Last Hope

Nightcloud is out patrolling with Gorsetail, Owlwhisker, and Crouchpaw when they find a very weak Jayfeather returning from RiverClan. He lies about what happened, saying he had fallen into a thorn bush. Crouchpaw whimpers that Jayfeather was the medicine cat who killed Flametail, and Nightcloud calls him a murderer. Gorsetail is more sympathetic, saying that he was a cat who needed their help. Owlwhisker states they'd show him to the border, and when Gorsetail asks if he could walk that far, Nightcloud says she would drag him if he couldn't. While they escort Jayfeather to the border, Nightcloud and Crouchpaw follow, distrust sparking from their pelts. Owlwhisker and Gorsetail decide to escort Jayfeather back to ThunderClan camp, and tell Nightcloud and Crouchpaw to keep hunting.

Breezepelt tries to kill Lionblaze after Hollyleaf dies, trying to avenge himself, but Crowfeather tears him off, saying that he wouldn't let Breezepelt harm a hair on that cat. He says that he never hated Breezepelt, but that's what he wanted to believe, and Nightcloud had encouraged it. Breezepelt runs off afterward.

In the Field Guide Arc

Cats of the Clans

Nightcloud is grouped with her son, Breezepaw. Rock, the narrator, says that if she was gentle and loving, or feisty but warmhearted, it would be easier to pity her, but with her short temper and possessiveness over Crowfeather and Breezepaw, she was difficult to like. He also confirms that Crowfeather only took her as a mate to prove he was loyal to WindClan, despite his love for Leafpool. Rock says that what some might call a love for her kits, he called jealousy and arrogance. He says that she should let Breezepaw prove his own worth without jumping in to defend him, and to remember that she was the only cat StarClan had spared to live beside Crowfeather as a mate.

The Ultimate Guide

Nightcloud is mentioned on Crowfeather's page to have become his mate and had given birth to his son, Breezepelt.

Nightcloud shares a page with Breezepelt. Nightcloud was beginning to believe she'd never get to have kits, when Crowfeather invited her to be his mate. After thinking she could make him fall for her, she realized soon enough that he only wished to prove his loyalty to WindClan. Not a very good second-best choice, she didn't like Crowfeather very much, but she loved Breezepelt. Breezepelt never got to prove his own worth because of Nightcloud, and was influenced by his mother's actions toward Crowfeather.

In the Short Stories and Plays

After Sunset: We Need to Talk

When Crowfeather is speaking with Leafpool at the border, he says that WindClan had only just begun to trust him again, thanks to Nightcloud. Confused, Leafpool asks what he meant, and Crowfeather reveals that Nightcloud had his son, Breezekit, last moon. However, when he says this, he doesn't show any pride or excitement about it. Crowfeather says that Nightcloud was a good cat and a great mother. However, Leafpool is astonished and is upset that Crowfeather would mate with another she-cat so soon when she still loved him.

Ultimate Leader Election: Firestar

When the Clans decide if Firestar should lead all the Clans temporarily, she votes for individual leaders, along with Ashfoot and Tornear from WindClan.

In the Novellas

Leafpool's Wish

Nightcloud and Crowfeather encounter Leafpool while on a small border patrol. Leafpool remembers Nightcloud, and recalls her less than friendly attitude towards ThunderClan. She asks Crowfeather if anything was wrong, and inquires as to who Crowfeather was talking to. Crowfeather shakes his head, and tells Nightcloud it wasn't anyone important, and twines his tail with Nightcloud. Leafpool thinks to herself that Nightcloud was the important she-cat in his life now, having taken her as a mate, and wondered if the black tom was lying about wanting to go back to how things were.

Hollyleaf's Story

Hollyleaf's Story does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Mistystar's Omen

Mistystar's Omen does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Dovewing's Silence

Dovewing's Silence does not formally appear in The Blazing Star , but is listed in the allegiances.

Trivia

• Nightcloud isn't Crowfeather's true love, but he does care about her, even though he loves Leafpool more.
  • However, in The Ultimate Guide, it is stated that Crowfeather had resented Nightcloud because he didn't love her. It is also said that Nightcloud had attempted to make him love her due to her fear of never bearing kits, though she didn't particularly like him.
  • Vicky however doesn't think Crowfeather does love Nightcloud as he was forced into taking her as his mate to show his Clanmates that he was loyal to WindClan after he'd run off with Leafpool. It was a marriage of convenience, which makes Vicky feel very sorry for Nightcloud, who truly does love him.^[source?]
• In After Sunset: We Need to Talk, it is said that Nightcloud had kits other than Breezepelt; however, it's unknown what happened to the others. This has since been contradicted by Kate on her blog, who says that the several kits thing was probably mentioned before the Erins had thought the plot through.
• Kate said on her blog that she liked the idea of Nightcloud and Breezepelt on the run as rogues, and Crowfeather leaving WindClan to go and find them.
• She has mistakenly been called Nightpelt.

Character Pixels

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

Kin

Members

Mate:

Crowfeather: Living (As of Wind)

Son:

Breezepelt: Living (As of Wind)

Granddaughters:

Smokekit: Status unknown

Brindlekit: Status unknown

Tree

Mistmouse ♀

Hareflight ♂

Woollytail ♂

Palebird ♀

Ryestalk ♀

Doespring ♀

Stagleap ♂

Wrenflight ♀

Bristlebark ♂

Flytail ♂

Rabbitear ♀

Tallstar ♂

Finchkit ♀

Hickorynose ♂

Meadowslip ♀

Mudclaw ♂

Tornear ♂

Morningflower ♀

Onestar ♂

Ashfoot ♀

Deadfoot ♂

Pigeonflight ♂

Sorrelshine ♀

Quailkit

Storkkit

Gorsepaw ♂

Unnamed kits

Nightcloud ♀

Crowfeather ♂

Leafpool ♀

Hillkit

Downkit

Eaglekit

Darktail ♂

Galekit ♀

Heathertail ♀

Breezepelt ♂

Two kits

Jayfeather ♂

Hollyleaf ♀

Lionblaze ♂

Smokehaze ♀

Brindlewing ♀

Appleshine ♀

Woodsong ♀

Hollytuft ♀

Fernsong ♂

Flywhisker ♀

Snaptooth ♂

Sorrelstripe ♀

Spotfur ♀

Bristlefrost ♀

Flipclaw ♂

Thriftear ♀

Bayshine ♂

Myrtlebloom ♀

Bristlepaw ♀

Graypaw ♂

Stempaw ♂

    = Tom

    = She-cat

    = Gender unknown

Quotes

"You should have more faith in our son, Crowfeather."

―Nightcloud after Crowfeather questions Breezepaw's reliability ^{The Sight}

"He has only one son. Crowfeather is Breezepelt's father. No one else's!"

―Nightcloud to Leafpool ^{Night Whispers}

Mistystar: "It's been a tough leaf-bare, and with the lake frozen in the shallows, hunting has been hard."

Nightcloud: "It makes a change for the fish-eaters to go hungry."

^{Night Whispers}

"Does she think she's welcome?"

―Nightcloud snarling when Hollyleaf returns ^{The Forgotten Warrior}

"I never hated you! That's just what you were determined to believe. And Nightcloud encouraged you."

―Crowfeather to Breezepelt ^{The Last Hope}

"I speak the truth as I see it, and what some might call the love of a she-cat for her kits, I call jealousy and arrogance. Nightcloud should trust her son to prove his own worth, without leaping in to defend him first. And maybe she should remember that of all Crowfeather's mates, she is the one StarClan have spared to live beside him."

―Rock's opinions of Nightcloud ^{Cats of the Clans}