Rock (Healer)

"I am no cat's friend. I know too much for friendship. Be glad that you will never be burdened with the knowledge that I have. My curse is to live forever, knowing what has been and what has yet to be, powerless to change anything."

— Rock to Jayfeather about his curse in The Fourth Apprentice, page 278

Rock (Healer)
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	The Ancients
Names
Name:	Rock
Book appearances
Living	Dark River, Outcast, Long Shadows, Sunrise, The Fourth Apprentice, Night Whispers, Sign of the Moon, The Last Hope, Dovewing's Silence, Secrets of the Clans, Cats of the Clans, The Ultimate Guide
Living	Dark River, Outcast, Long Shadows, Sunrise, The Fourth Apprentice, Night Whispers, Sign of the Moon, The Last Hope, Dovewing's Silence, Secrets of the Clans, Cats of the Clans, The Ultimate Guide

Rock is a scrawny tom with only a few tufts of fur along his spine, blind, egg-like, bulging gray eyes, long, twisted claws, a rat-like tail, and a sagging, scarred, lumpy body.

History

In the Power of Three Arc

Dark River

In the tunnels underneath WindClan territory in the distant past, Rock tells Fallen Leaves that to become a sharpclaw, he must get through the maze to the moorland on the other side. He keeps track of how many cats have attempted this challenge, and how many survived, by scratching lines on a smooth stick, and marking a line through the ones who made it. He asks Fallen Leaves if it was raining, knowing the danger of floods. Fallen Leaves knew that there was a scent of rain, but, not thinking about the flooding and eager to become a sharpclaw, denies it.

In the flooded tunnels, Jaypaw spots Rock as he scratches the stick with five long lines and three small ones. He later scratches through the lines, indicating that all eight of them will live.

Outcast

Jaypaw remembers Rock's scent while he was making the scratches in the stick and notes that he had almost felt that Rock was guiding his paws.

A little later, Jaypaw wants to speak to Rock, but couldn't because the Healer would not appear. Jaypaw then believes that Rock and Fallen Leaves are angry with him.

Later, Jaypaw tells Hollypaw about Rock and Fallen Leaves. When he goes to the Moonpool, he believes Rock would speak to him, which ends up being true. Jaypaw ends up seeing StarClan and when he and Leafpool are following Feathertail, he spots the old Healer under a bush.

Rock appears to Jaypaw at the Tribe of Rushing Water's cavern. He explains to Jaypaw that the prophecy foretelling the destiny of Jaypaw and his littermate, Lionpaw, but not Hollypaw, came from when the Tribe lived beside the Lake.

Long Shadows

Rock mentions to Midnight that he thought the first leaders of the Clans would be unhappy that she talked to Sol.

Later, Jaypaw thinks about his connection to Rock and Fallen Leaves, while he steers Poppyfrost away from the tunnel where WindClan attacked ThunderClan.

At the Moonpool, Rock brings Midnight the badger to meet Jaypaw and tell him about Sol.

Later on, he sends an interactive dream to Jaypaw explaining how and why the ancient cats left the lake. He also tells of what happened to Jay's Wing at the start of the ancient journey to the mountains.

Sunrise

Rock appears to Jayfeather without the use of the stick, telling him the stick isn't the only way to reach him. Jayfeather questions him on Squirrelflight's lie, and Rock tells him the answers lies within his own Clan, if he can find them. This doesn't satisfy Jayfeather, and Rock tells him he cannot give the help he seeks, and that he should make his own future. When Mousefur calls for Jayfeather, Rock vanishes.

In the Omen of the Stars Arc

The Fourth Apprentice

Jayfeather speaks to Rock, asking him if he knows what is happening in the Dark Forest. Rock speaks into his ear, whispering that he does know, but he cannot, and would not, stop the final battle, and that it needed to come.

He explains why he did not tell Jayfeather about Leafpool and Crowfeather, that there had been no room in his destiny for rejection because of the warrior code being broken. Jayfeather is enraged, and as he hurls questions at Rock; Rock tells him that he is no cat's friend, that he has too much knowledge for friendship. As Rock begins to fade away, he tells Jayfeather that his curse is to live forever, knowing what has been and what will be, and powerless to change anything.

As Rock fully disappears, Jayfeather, enraged, snaps the stick in half, thus signaling his felt betrayal by Rock and the ancient cats.

Night Whispers

During one of Jayfeather's visions, he sits at the Moonpool with StarClan when the lake suddenly freezes over, leaving only Rock, staring at Jayfeather.

Later, when Jayfeather attempts to save Flametail from drowning in the frozen lake, Rock tells Jayfeather to let him go, as it was Flametail's time to die, not his.

Sign of the Moon

Jayfeather journeys into the tunnels in his dreams and meets Rock. He asks why Jayfeather broke his stick. Jayfeather tells him he was angry with Rock for being unresponsive when he tried to contact him. He frustratedly asks what is so important about the stick, although he knows it was an important part of history. Rock responds sharply, telling Jayfeather that the stick was an important part of history and that Jayfeather cannot choose on a whim whether or not Rock will speak with him. Jayfeather is momentarily embarrassed, then he exits the tunnels with help from Fallen Leaves, causing him to wake up.

When Jayfeather is back with the ancients, Rock tells Jayfeather that Half Moon must be the Healer, as she saw the sign of the moon. Jayfeather is angry with this, saying that he wants to live the life the the rest of his Clanmates were living. Stating that Rock cannot force him to name Half Moon the Healer, he tries to turn away, but Rock blocks his way, saying he can force him to if he has to. Jayfeather runs away from him, distraught, but eventually does as he said and names Half Moon the Healer.

The Last Hope

Rock and Midnight come to meet the Ancients and StarClan in the prologue of the book, where some of the cat spirits have gathered to speak. When Midnight joins them, she announces that Rock was with her. Rock then steps out from behind the badger, his furless body apparently pale in the moonlight. Broken Shadow tells Midnight that she didn't think the badger had known Rock, shifting her paws. Midnight then implies that they have known each other since before the Clans began, and Rock tells Broken Shadow that he and Midnight had watched the first sunrise over the lake. Rock also tells the cats that the prophecies all came from that first relected sunrise, and gives examples which include the prophecies about Firestar, Feathertail, and the four chosen who hold the power of the stars in their paws. He warns the gathering cats that evil was coming. Moving his blind gaze over the cats, Rock thanks them for safeguarding the prophecies for so long and passing them on from forgotten cats. Broken Shadow sighs that so many lives had been lost, and Rock reminds her that all lives were brief. Angered by this, Broken Shadow demands an answer, asking Rock why he couldn't save Fallen Leaves. In response, Rock retorts that it was never his duty to save anyone, adding what the point was of a life being held in the paws of another. He reasons that there must be choice and freedom, claiming that he can point but every cat walks on its own paws. When Midnight growls about the coming battle, Rock touches her flank lightly with his tail, claiming that it was what they had been waiting for.

In Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Dovewing's dream, Rock yells at them for ignoring their destinies in the prophecy. He also told them that their prophecy has been around since the beginning of time.

Jayfeather gets a sign about a reed flaming like a tail, which he interprets as Flametail. First, he believes it is from StarClan, but when they deny it is, he thinks it may be from Rock.

Later, Dovewing sees Rock and Midnight, and they nod to her, thanking the three for saving the Clans. After Dovewing hears their thanks, she also hears Rock and Midnight say the complete prophecy, and the book ends, with the Clans saved, and ThunderClan under new leadership.

In the Field Guide Arc

Secrets of the Clans

He talks about traveling to the Moonpool with the two other healers. He talks about the moons before the Clan cats came to the lake, and how he and his kin used to live there. He says he can feel StarClan's pelts brush his as they learn to walk the new sky.

Rock briefly mentions the history of the tribe he came from, saying that there were only three tribes, unlike the Clans, who have four groups. He goes on to say that he used to travel with the other healers to what is now the Clan's Moonpool, which is the place of not only StarClan, but of also his tribe's ancestors. He then goes on to explain their rituals for the night they go to the Moonpool, which are very similar to the Clans' way.

He finishes up his story by saying that he hopes that the Moonpool will bring the Clan cats serenity, wisdom, and guidance for many moons to come.

Cats of the Clans

Rock is the narrator of Cats of the Clans. He tells Blossomkit, Adderkit, and Mosskit stories about some significant Clan cats, along with kittypets, Tribe cats, rogues, and loners.

The Ultimate Guide

Although not mentioned by name, on Flametail's page, it mentions that Flametail was aware of Jayfeather diving down to save him, but also Rock nudging him away, back to the surface and air. He introduces the Animals Outside the Clans section, explaining that there have always been others who preferred to be alone. He explains that the Clans believed the warrior code is the only way to survive but they have to acknowledge those outside the clans. He explains that the Clans do not see every outsider as a threat, sometimes even turning to neighbors in times of great need. There are other ways to live and every so often, it cats outside the code that shapes the destiny of the Clans.

Rock is given his own page in this book, and it explains how he and Jaypaw, the ThunderClan medicine cat apprentice, met. Jaypaw discovers Rock after the Clans had moved to the lake. Rock is called alarming, his appearance being described as hairless with bulging, sightless eyes. Already a cat of stories and legend by the time Fallen Leaves took the journey to become a sharpclaw, he kept true to that and made a mark for each cat he'd seen over his time in the tunnels on a piece of wood. Solitude sometimes got the better of him, however, because by the time Lionpaw and Heatherpaw discovered the tunnels, he was willing tolerate the noise the young cats made.

After three WindClan kits get lost in the tunnels, he sees Jaypaw again, this time with his sister, Hollypaw. The ancient cat reveals himself to Jaypaw, in hopes that the blind apprentice would be able to understand the messages that he needed to pass on to the Clans. Rock helps Jaypaw and the others find the three kits, and gives Jaypaw his scratched stick, serving as a reminder of the history preserved down in the tunnels.

After Jaypaw travels to the mountains, Rock meets the young cat again. Rock shows Jaypaw he has the power to walk in the dreams of the living, and takes the medicine cat to meet the Tribe of Endless Hunting. He tries to show Jaypaw that not only are there StarClan cats, there are also other ancestors, and these ancestors in particular are the ones that have been waiting for Jaypaw, recognizing his abilities and skills. Rock and the Tribe of Endless Hunting tell Jaypaw that the future of the Clans lay on Jaypaw's shoulders. Rock also reveals that the Tribe ancestors are also connected to the Clans, and guides Jaypaw's pawsteps while he lives as Jay's Wing- the cat who is responsible for making sure the ancient cats find their way to the mountains.

Although he does not participate in the battle with the Dark Forest, he sits and watches from his tunnels. He recognizes the need for Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing to preserve the history and traditions passed down from the very first sunrises over the lake. In his rage, however, he blames those three cats for the very threat coming from the Dark Forest. Once the Clans find the fourth cat mentioned in the prophecy, however, he realizes that the prophecy will be fulfilled, and the Three, alongside Firestar, have saved the memories, stories, and lives of all Clan cats for many many seasons to come.

He appears on Midnight's page. With Rock, Midnight watched the first sunrise over the lake and had seen reflected in the fiery surface of the future of the Clans, Tribes, Ancient Cats and more. Together, the two watched over the cats by the lake and prepared for the day that could of been the sunset of the ways of the Clans, but instead heralded a new dawn.

In the Novellas

Dovewing's Silence

After the battle, Rock and Midnight only stay with the Clan cats for a brief moment. The two pale shapes nod to Dovewing, and make their way out of the hollow, leaving the Clans to deal with the aftermath of the battle with the Dark Forest. Dovewing, angry that the two have left, asks herself what they should do now, and accuses Rock and Midnight of leaving when they still need them.

When Dovewing, Lionblaze and Jayfeather go to the Moonpool, she and Rock appears in their dream. Dovewing asks why she can't hear or see anymore. Rock points out that she does see, hinting about his blindness. Dovewing asks if without their powers, their Clan doesn't need them. Rock's voice is like the wind as he says their Clan does need them, always and sometimes the other Clans will too. They will never fight a battle with their powers needed. The greencough that grips the Clan will be hard, but the medicine cats have the knowledge to heal. They will still fight with the other Clans, but they have enough to deal with them. Sometimes they'll win and sometimes they won't, it’s the way things are. He continues saying their powers helped them win the Great Battle, and the prophecy was fulfilled. They will feel lesser as warriors without the powers, but they are truly not. He tells them to find the courage and strength that is shared with their Clanmates as the Great Battle is won, a new time awaits for the Clans. A crack of lightning blasts overhead, and both Rock and Midnight disappear.

Trivia

Interesting Facts

• Because of his power and knowledge, Rock feels he cannot show emotion.
  • It was revealed on Vicky's Facebook that Half Moon was the first "official" Stoneteller; Rock came before her, but he wasn't given the title Stoneteller because it didn't exist then.
• Kate Cary has said that it would be interesting to include Rock in the Dawn of the Clans arc, but the current plot does not really have enough space for him.
• Although Kate loves the idea and wishes that it were true, Rock is not a reference to Schrödinger's cat.
• Kate thinks that Rock won't appear again.

Mistakes

• In Sign of the Moon, it is said that he is the first Teller of the Pointed Stones, but later on in that same book, when Jayfeather goes back to the time of The Ancients, he is told to tell Half Moon to become the first Teller of the Pointed Stones.
• He has been mistakenly described with pale blue eyes, bloated, white eyes, cloudy blue eyes, as well as depicted with blue eyes and described again to have blue eyes one page after.
• In Cats of the Clans, Rock says that he can see Blossomkit's eyes shine, although he is supposed to be blind.

Quotes

"This creature's pelt was like moleskin, the fur gone except for a few tufts and his sightless eyes bulged like eggs. His long twisted claws flexed at the smooth branch that lay at his paws."

―The Narrator about Rock ^{Dark River}

Rock: "I can feel your surprise. It pricks my pelt like gorse."

Fallen Leaves: "I-I'm sorry. It's just I did not expect-"

^{Dark River}

Rock: "You wanted to speak with me?"

Jaypaw: "Why did you stop talking to me? I tried and I tried, but you wouldn't answer."

^Outcast

"Make your own future, Jayfeather. Don't expect it to be dropped at your paws like a piece of fresh-kill."

―Rock to Jayfeather ^Sunrise

"It was never my duty to save anyone! What is the point of a life held in the paws of another? There must be choice. There must be freedom. I can point the way but every cat walks on its own paws."

―Rock to Broken Shadow about Fallen Leaves ^{The Last Hope}

Midnight: "Since the dawn of time, we have known each other. Since first cat put paw beside water."

Rock: "We watched the first sunrise over the lake."

^{The Last Hope}

References

Template:Warriors Characters