Speckletail

"It's all my fault! I left him...and now he's gone. The hawk should have taken me instead!"

— Speckletail about Snowkit's death in A Dangerous Path, pages 95-96

Speckletail
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	StarClan
Past:	Loner, ThunderClan
Biographical information
Cause of death:	Starvation
Names
Name:	Specklekit Speckletail Speckletail Speckletail Speckletail Speckletail
Education
Apprentices:	Snowkit (unofficially)
Book appearances
Living	Crookedstar's Promise, Bluestar's Prophecy, Spottedleaf's Heart, Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Tigerclaw's Fury, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path, The Darkest Hour, Firestar's Quest, Midnight, Moonrise, Dawn
Living	Crookedstar's Promise, Bluestar's Prophecy, Spottedleaf's Heart, Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Tigerclaw's Fury, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path, The Darkest Hour, Firestar's Quest, Midnight, Moonrise, Dawn

Speckletail is a pale golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

History

In the Super Edition Arc

Crookedstar's Promise

She is on the patrol at Sunningrocks when RiverClan attempt to take them. She emerges from the bushes after Adderfang with Smallear and Swiftbreeze. When Adderfang surrenders to Mudfur, she helps steer him back toward the trees.

Bluestar's Prophecy

Speckletail, as a warrior, returns from a hunting patrol with Stormtail and Sparrowpelt. Bluekit admires the two voles she had caught as Speckletail walks into camp. A little while before Patchkit's and Leopardkit's apprentice ceremony, she is seen answering Moonflower's question by saying Pinestar had something planned for two kits.

She gives birth to kits, Goldenkit and Lionkit, and is seen nursing them. Bluekit is irritated at how crowded the nursery is now.

When Bluepaw comes into the nursery to replace the old moss, Speckletail is seen offering her two kits a mouse to eat. Goldenkit complains that the mouse is chewy, and Lionkit offers to eat her share, apparently liking the new food. Speckletail scolds him, and tells him he has had plenty, and to get more if he wants. She prompts the kits to go out while Bluepaw cleans out the moss, even though the kits protest because they had heard Goosefeather predict that there would be rain. She asks Bluepaw how the Gathering was, and Bluepaw responds by saying it was great, unwilling to say how little she'd understood of it. Speckletail remarks on how the Clan needs to concentrate on fighting hunger instead because there were so many kits in the nursery.

When Goosefeather predicts WindClan's destruction from the way a vole's fur is flattened by the wind, Speckletail is shown to be worried for Goldenkit and Lionkit, wrapping her tail around them protectively. She comforts the frightened Goldenkit by telling her she'd be safe in the nursery. Later that same day, she is outside the nursery with Poppydawn, watching over all of the kits. When the cats return from the battle, she rushes up to Smallear and checks him for injuries. Later, Speckletail is seen sitting with Stonepelt and Tawnyspots near the elders' den. She mentions that a thaw will be coming soon and will bring rain.

After Goldenpaw and Lionpaw return from a battle training session with Sunfall, Swiftbreeze, and Bluepaw, she is horrified to see that Goldenpaw has a nick in her ear. When Bluepaw returns with no prey, Sunfall is unhappy and Speckletail says she is glad that there are no kits to feed, but the apprentices still need to grow.

Later, she panics when the branch on fire is close to the gorse tunnel. While Sunfall organizes patrols, Speckletail is put in a patrol with Dappletail and Goldenpaw to check the ShadowClan border.

After Pinestar leaves the Clan to become a kittypet, Speckletail worries that they have no leader. Sunfall announces that he is the new leader, and when he comes back from receiving his nine lives, Speckletail asks him what StarClan said.

Speckletail goes on a border patrol with Thrushpelt, Fuzzypelt, White-eye, and Bluefur to the RiverClan border. When they are at the border, Speckletail wonders if RiverClan will try attacking again, like they did earlier.

Speckletail is later chatting with Poppydawn, Windflight, and Dappletail before Tigerkit's apprentice ceremony.

Firestar's Quest

Speckletail is at Brambleclaw's warrior ceremony. Shrewkit plays with his brother, Spiderkit, and they toss balls of moss at each other. When one ball hits Speckletail in the chest, she hisses at them. When Willowpelt dies, Speckletail, along with the other elders, carry her body to the burial place, leading the procession.

She goes to the meeting when Firestar and Sandstorm are about to leave the forest to find SkyClan. She glares up at Firestar as if he were an apprentice who had scratched her while searching for ticks, giving the impression she was very displeased with him leaving.

In The Prophecies Begin Arc

Into the Wild

While Firepaw searches for ticks on Yellowfang, a group of kits start playing. One accidentally rolls into Yellowfang and she hisses at it. In fear, the little tabby runs and hides behind Speckletail, who is watching the incident. The next day, she goes to tell Firepaw that Bluestar wants to see him. Firepaw asks if she was going to see Yellowfang but she said what would she want with that unnatural creature.

After Spottedleaf is killed and Frostfur's kits are stolen, Speckletail is seen speaking to Frostfur. She thinks Yellowfang must be the one to blame, with the help of Ravenpaw, who she believes to be a traitor.

Fire and Ice

One of her kits, a tabby with an unknown name, falls ill with greencough. Fireheart convinces the kit to eat its herbs as practice for when they grow up and become a warrior. He tells the kit that it will have to eat much worse herbs for the trip to Highstones. Her kit is seen with Swiftpaw by a fallen oak tree where the sick cats were kept. The kit recovers later.

Speckletail later asks Fireheart if Tigerclaw is in the warriors den. She also tells him that greencough had spread to the nursery. He is outraged, but she comforts him by saying greencough comes every leaf-bare. She then turns and goes back into the nursery.

Forest of Secrets

She emerges from the nursery for Brackenpaw's warrior ceremony.

Speckletail is seen after Graystripe brings Stormkit and Featherkit to the ThunderClan camp. She interrupts her daughter, Goldenflower, when she agrees to suckle them and asks who the mother is. It is noted that she is a good mother with a ferocious temper. She shows anger for Graystripe and the kits saying that there is bad blood in those kits. She snorts in disapproval after Goldenflower agrees to care for them.

Brindleface talks to Fireheart later about how annoying Graystripe is when he is in the nursery. She tells him they drop hints and Speckletail even asked him if he was expecting kits himself. He goes into the nursery to see the kits and Speckletail makes a rude remark about Graystripe's kits, then pushes her way out of the den.

During the attack from Brokentail's rogues, Speckletail and Brindleface are seen fighting a warrior twice their size.

Rising Storm

Speckletail is seen in the elders' den saying that Willowpelt's kits would be born soon. It is mentioned that she is the oldest nursery queen and her single kit is weak and small after having whitecough.

She later says to the other elders that she is worried about Willowpelt because it is a long journey from the stream and back to collect water, and her kits would be alone. She offers to help carry back soaked moss for Willowpelt and Goldenflower.

Speckletail and the water-collecting patrol come back to the camp panting because Twolegs had chased after them. She frets about the two other queens not having enough water, so Fireheart decides to get some himself.

When Cloudpaw comes back after being captured by Twolegs, and tells ThunderClan a false story, Speckletail expresses her harsh feelings for Twolegs saying that kidnapping cats is typical for Twolegs.

She falls behind with her kit, Snowkit, during the fire and Fireheart helps her to carry her kit. Snowkit is said to be well grown and hard for Speckletail because she is not as young as the other queens. Fireheart carries her kit to the other side of the river.

A Dangerous Path

While her son, Snowkit, is playing with her grandson, Bramblekit, he makes a noise as if he is in pain. Speckletail rushes over after Fireheart stops Bramblekit and she helps her kit back up. Fireheart tells her that Cinderpelt should check on Snowkit, but she is offended at his interference and takes Snowkit back into the nursery.

Brackenfur later talks to Fireheart, saying he wants to mentor Snowkit and he is worried because Snowkit doesn't respond when spoken to. They decide to find a way to get Cinderpelt to check Snowkit without upsetting Speckletail.

Later, Speckletail is seen sitting with Snowkit and Cinderpelt outside the nursery. She calls her son to her and once he comes she licks him lovingly. Fireheart, who had been watching, then calls Snowkit over with only his voice, no movements. Although Snowkit is looking right at Fireheart, he doesn't come to him when he calls three or four times. Speckletail gives her kit a nudge after he doesn't go to Fireheart, and he then walks over to the deputy. After praising him, Fireheart leads the kit back to Speckletail and Cinderpelt. When Cinderpelt tells Speckletail that Snowkit is deaf, she becomes angry and she says she already knows. Bluestar, who had been observing, then tells Speckletail that her kit will never be a warrior. This causes Speckletail to become enraged and she retreats into the nursery.

After hearing the upsetting news that Snowkit can never be a warrior, Speckletail attempts to mentor him herself, signaling with her paws and tail. However, Snowkit just plays with his mother's paws, rolling over and having fun.

When Fireheart hears yowling in the clearing, he rushes out to see the clearing almost deserted and a hawk circling above it. Snowkit still plays, not being able to hear anything. Speckletail yowls frantically for him to come, but he doesn't hear her. She tries to run out to get him, but at that same moment the hawk swoops down and grabs Snowkit. Speckletail races forward and springs upward to try and rescue him, but when she grabs the hawk's talons to try and drag it back down, the hawk frees one of its talons and claws her face, causing her to fall without her kit. Snowkit is carried away by the bird. Some of the other Clan cats gather around the anguished Speckletail and try to comfort her, but she blames herself for Snowkit being carried away and feels responsible. She declares that she will have no more kits and will retire to the elders' den.

When Lostface is sent to the elders den because of the injuries given to her by the dog pack, they care for each other, both thinking they have been assigned the task of taking care of the other, and they develop a strong bond. This helps Speckletail get over the loss of her son.

The Darkest Hour

After Fireheart returns to the camp with the news of Bluestar's death, she and Frostfur go into Bluestar's den and find Stonefur and Mistyfoot sharing tongues with the dead leader for the last time. They are hostile at first, and very angry with them for trespassing. Fireheart then tells the whole camp that Stonefur and Mistyfoot are Bluestar's kits. Speckletail reacts to this with anger and confusion.

When Firestar talks to One-eye about Lostface, she comes over. It is mentioned that Speckletail and Lostface had developed a close bond while Lostface had been in the elders den.

She is later seen training with in the training hollow, before they have to fight. Speckletail is left in charge of the camp while the four Clans, now known as LionClan, leave. LionClan confronts BloodClan to protect the camp in case the battle of Fourtrees goes to BloodClan. When Firestar tells her that she won't be fighting, she protests. He tells her that Smallear and One-eye would barely make it to Fourtrees, and that Dappletail is getting very frail. Firestar instructs her to get the kits and elders away to Barley's barn if the BloodClan cats get as far as the camp. Speckletail promises him that she will do her best.

In the New Prophecy Arc

Midnight

She is seen with Longtail when Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw go to clean out the elders' den. She comments that she heard of Squirrelpaw going missing but knew she would just have gone off alone. She tells Squirrelpaw that Firestar used to get in a lot of trouble when he was a warrior, and tells her the stories of his adventures.

It is later mentioned that she has aching joints due to the damp weather and Leafpaw prepares her a poultice of daisy leaves.

Moonrise

When the Twolegs start to tear up the forest, Speckletail asks Cinderpelt if she had any dream from StarClan telling them what should they do.

She looks sorrowful while she sits vigil with the Clan when Dappletail dies from a poisoned rabbit.

Dawn

When the Clans prepare to leave the forest, Speckletail decides to stay behind. Together with Frostfur, she points out that she is too old for a journey and would only hold the others back. Firestar respects her decision. Speckletail goes to the RiverClan camp to watch over Mudfur, who is dying. She also joins two RiverClan cats, Loudbelly and Shadepelt, who are also staying behind, due to not being strong enough to make the journey to the Clans' new territories. Speckletail and the others staying behind sit in the clearing in RiverClan's cat, and bids farewell to them as they depart for their new home.

In the Novellas

Goosefeather's Curse

Specklekit is born along with her sister, Whitekit, to Harepounce around leaf-bare. It is said that Cloudberry insisted on handling the births on her own, as she didn't want Goosefeather to see the kits futures unroll.

After their mother's death, Specklekit and Whitekit are taken in by Rainfur. Specklekit had previously been complaining of a sore belly, but Cloudberry dismisses it as her getting her first proper feed since her mother had died.

Spottedleaf's Heart

Tawnyspots tells Speckletail to lead a patrol to check for rogues. The warrior nods and trots towards the camp entrance with her patrol at her heels. During the patrol, Speckletail asks Spottedpaw is she is looking for Stormtail, trotting up. She glances over her shoulder, explaining she thought he was behind her but now he has disappeared. The warrior asks where Stormtail has gone. She orders the patrol to spread out and look for the tom. They find Stormtail collapsed and Speckletail says great StarClan. She orders Thistleclaw and Bluefur prop him up on either side of him and for Rosetail to carry her haunches. Speckletail looks around before ordering Spotteedpaw to carry his tail, making sure it doesn’t catch in thorns. When they reach ravine Specketail tells Spottedpaw to run ahead and warn Featherwhisker. The patrol eases Stormtail onto a nest in front of the medicine cat.

Tigerclaw's Fury

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

Trivia

• In an Erin Hunter chat, Vicky Holmes confirmed that Speckletail, Loudbelly, Frostfur, and Shadepelt had died of starvation a few moons after the Clans had left for the journey to the lake territories.
• Snowkit was killed to give Speckletail an extra nudge to move into the elders' den.
• Vicky has said that Speckletail and Smallear may have been mates once, and that Smallear may have fathered Lionheart and Goldenflower. After much speculation, this was later confirmed to be true.
• She was mistakenly described with distinctive black markings.

Character Pixels

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

Kin

Members

Mate:

Smallear: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Sons:

Snowkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Lionheart: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Daughters:

Goldenflower: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Mistlekit: Status unknown

Mother:

Harepounce: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Father:

Stagleap: Status unknown

Sister:

One-eye: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Foster Mother:

Rainfur: Deceased, verified StarClan member

See more

Nephew:

Runningwind: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Niece:

Mousefur: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Grandsons:

Bramblestar: Status unknown

Swiftpaw: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Unnamed kit: Status unknown

Granddaughter:

Tawnypelt: Living (As of Wind)

Great-Grandsons:

Tigerheart: Status unknown

Flametail: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Alderheart: Living (As of Wind)

Juniperkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Great-Grandaughters:

Dawnpelt: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Sparkpelt: Living (As of Wind)

Dandelionkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Great-Great-Grandsons:

Juniperclaw: Deceased, verified border guardian between the Dark Forest and StarClan

Strikestone: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Great-Great-Granddaughter:

Sleekwhisker: Living (As of River of Fire)

Tree

Template:Speckletail tree

Quotes

"Why can't he be a warrior? There's nothing else wrong with him. He's a good, strong kit. He gets along just fine if you signal what he has to do."

―Speckletail to Cinderpelt arguing about Snowkit ^{A Dangerous Path}

"I know he's deaf! I'm his mother. Do you think I wouldn't know?"

―Speckletail ranting on to Cinderpelt ^{A Dangerous Path}

Firestar: "We'll be leaving soon...but you're not coming with us Speckletail."

Speckletail: "What? Why not? We may be elders, but we're not useless. Do you really think we're going to sit back and-"

^{The Darkest Hour}