Snakerocks

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The location of Snakerocks in ThunderClan territory is circled in red

Snakerocks is a pile of rocks where adders live. It is located in the Old Territories, or The Forest Territories.

Description

Snakerocks is located in the forest territory of ThunderClan. Quite close to the Thunderpath, it is shadowed by the Great Sycamore, and is not too far from the camp. There is a leafy bank that spills onto the top of these rocks.

Snakerocks are a tumbled pile of sand-colored,smooth, round rocks with weeds and plants growing between them. The rocks are a steep slope. It is a good place to find herbs, especially chervil and yarrow, but any cat who ventures there has to be on careful watch for adders, since they choose to bask in the sun's warmth here. It is very dangerous for untrained apprentices to go near Snakerocks due to the adders. They also have to keep a watch out for dogs, since dogs can choose to shelter here because of the rocks that provide shelter and the sun that provide warmth. It smells of stone, lichen, and the sharp tang of pines.There is a hole at the bottom of the rocks where cats and dogs can go into.

One of the great drawbacks of Snakerocks is that it attracts more adders and foxes than it does prey.Prey usually stay away from the rocks, as snakes scare them off. The adders often hide in the crevices of the rocks. The ThunderClan cats use Snakerocks for a hunting ground. They mostly hunt in it during leaf-bare, when the adders aren't there. Even if they hunt there in the other seasons, a guard is usually assigned to sit watch for adders while other cats hunt.^[source?]

Mythology

It is said that in the times of the Great Clans, a giant snake named Mouthclaw lived at Snakerocks, and it would eat any warrior who ventures near. A brave LionClan warrior, Sunpelt, went to kill the great snake so that his Clan could hunt there in peace. He leaped around the snake while she was attacking him, never landing a blow but never getting hit. This continued for so long that soon Mouthclaw was exhausted. She told the warrior that she would grant him one wish, so he wished that she would shrink to the size of a cat's tail. A puff of smoke filled the clearing. When it subsided, the LionClan warrior saw that in place of Mouthclaw were a thousand writhing snakes, each no bigger than a cat's tail. The warrior is scolded by his leader, but is also praised when he says that the tiny snakes will not eat any warriors.

History

In the Super Edition Arc

Bluestar's Prophecy

When Bluepaw and Snowpaw go hunting, Bluepaw spots a rabbit, and it disappears down a hole. Bluepaw insists on following it, and they both squeeze into the hole. Snowpaw is worried that might get lost, but Bluepaw realizes that the tunnel is sloping upwards. There, she can smell stone and lichen, and the sharp tang of pines. She knows they are near Snakerocks. Once reaching the top, they encounter a fox which had killed the rabbit. Suddenly, lightning strikes, and the fox's shadow is thrown upon Snakerocks while it chases the two. Bluepaw keeps it away from the camp, and lightning strikes a branch down, scaring the fox away.

When RiverClan takes Sunningrocks, Pinestar doesn't do anything to get it back. Adderfang mumbles that he shouldn't have, as this will make them look weak. ShadowClan may as well be helping themselves to Snakerocks next. Bluefur purrs that they can have Snakerocks, as there are too many snakes and not enough prey anyway.

On Bluefur's first lead for a hunting patrol, Thistlepaw asks where they're going to hunt. Bluefur blurts that they'll hunt at Snakerocks. Adderfang looks at her cooly, acknowledging that it'll be risky, but no cat's hunted there for a moon.When they get there, Bluefur tastes the air for any sign of foxes, but the scent is stale. She makes Thistlepaw stay guard for the patrol anyway to watch for danger. Bluefur catches a mouse, and brings it back, telling Thistlepaw to guard it as well. He gets mad, and often tells fake warnings. When Bluefur finds a juicy plump rabbit, Thistlepaw warns her that there is a dog. Bluefur ignores this, due to his past lies. He yells again, and this time, there is fear laced in his voice. The dog races out, and everyone climbs up trees. Bluefur, still clinging onto the rabbit, waits for the dog to go away. It eventually leaves, but later follows them into the forest, where Thistlepaw beats the dog.

Firestar's Quest

A patrol made up of Firestar, Willowpelt and Sootpaw discover a badger living at Snakerocks. The badger lunges forward to attack Sootpaw, but Willowpelt flings herself in front of Sootpaw to protect him, and the Badger kills Willowpelt. Firestar is devastated that he couldn't reach Sootpaw and protect Sootpaw himself. The patrol leaves Snakerocks with Willowpelt's body.

In the Original Arc

Into the Wild

When Tigerclaw and Lionheart are showing their apprentices, Firepaw and Graypaw around ThunderClan territory, they decide to avoid Snakerocks because it is dangerous.

Tigerclaw sends his apprentice, Ravenpaw, to Snakerocks as part of his training assessment, where Ravenpaw catches an adder, which impresses Firepaw and Graypaw.

Fire and Ice

Fireheart takes his apprentice, Cinderpaw, on a tour of the territory, and they visit Snakerocks. Fireheart berates her for rushing headlong up the rocks, where she could have chanced upon, and been bitten by an adder. They soon leave in case any other danger happens.

Tigerclaw sends Darkstripe out to patrol Snakerocks in search of ShadowClan. He returns to Tigerclaw and states that they aren't there.

Forest of Secrets

Tigerclaw takes a hunting patrol out to Snakerocks, since no one had hunted there in a while. Later Yellowfang goes to Snakerocks to collect yarrow. Fireheart soon has to get her though. Sandstorm later leads a hunting patrol to Snakerocks. Her patrol has to be fetched due to the attacks.

A Dangerous Path

A pack of dogs escape from their Twolegs, and make their way to Snakerocks, where they live for six moons in the caves located there, while the ShadowClan leader, Tigerstar, feeds them meat.

Whitestorm and his patrol spot unusual pigeon feathers and a stretch of undergrowth near Snakerocks, along with dog dirt. Fireheart later takes Thornpaw and Mousefur to Snakerocks. The dog scent is still there.

Swiftpaw and Brightpaw decide to go to Snakerocks to find out where all the scraps of prey have been coming from. The two get attacked there, causing Swiftpaw's death and Brightpaw's disfigurement.

Fireheart and Brackenfur take their new apprentices, Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw on a tour around the Clan territory, but not Snakerocks.

Longtail later goes to Snakerocks to check out what's there since he had been smelling Tigerstar around there lately, where he discovers that dogs are living at Snakerocks and Tigerstar is feeding them. He takes a patrol to Snakerocks to investigate.

The Darkest Hour

Mousefur leads a patrol to Snakerocks to make sure that all the dogs are gone.

For his assessment, Thornpaw is taken there to see what he can scent. He discovers "just the faintest trace of dog," lingering after Tigerstar lured a pack of dogs to Snakerocks.

In the New Prophecy Arc

Midnight

Brambleclaw, Thornclaw, Ashfur and Squirrelpaw scent badger at Snakerocks. They soon discover that there is a badger there, and it attacks the cats. It is possibly the same badger that killed Willowpelt.

Moonrise

Firestar, Leafpaw and Graystripe discover the Twoleg monsters near Snakerocks. Those monsters soon are part of the destruction of the Clans

Dawn

Spottedleaf appears to Squirrelpaw in a dream and takes her through Snakerocks on the way to finding the cages where the missing cats are kept. Squirrelpaw and Sorreltail go past Snakerocks trying to rescue those cats. When they think a Twoleg is going to catch them, they run to Snakerocks.

In the Field Guide Arc

Code of the Clans

In the fifth story, Longtail and Darkstripe go to hunt at Snakerocks, where they break the third code. Longtail catches a squirrel, which the two eat.

Battles of the Clans

When Tigerstar is showing the visitors around the forest territories, he explains the story about the dogs at Snakerocks.

Graystripe, the ThunderClan deputy, calls the Gathering at Snakerocks because of the foxes that threatened Fourtrees. At Snakerocks, the idea of using each Clan's strength to drive the foxes away from the sacred place is proposed, and is later launched into action.

When Lionpaw runs away from the fight between Sunfall, Swiftbreeze, Bluepaw and Foxheart, Crowtail and Cloudpaw, he runs all the way to Snakerocks