Speckletail

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

Into the Wild

 * After Spottedleaf is killed and Frostfur's kits are stolen, Speckletail is seen speaking to Frostfur. She thinks Yellowfang must be 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 you're a warrior," telling the kit 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 is later seen asking Fireheart if Tigerclaw was 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 is seen emerging from the nursery for Brackenpaw's warrior ceremony.


 * Speckletail is seen after Graystripe brings Stormkit and Featherkit to the ThunderClan camp. She interrupts 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, "There's 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 were dropping 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 was 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, "Typical 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 was not as young as the other queens. Fireheart carries her kit to the other side of the river.

A Dangerous Path

 * Speckletail is seen peering curiously out of the nursery after Fireheart arrives back from the gathering, with news that Tigerstar is the new leader of ShadowClan.


 * While her son, Snowkit, is playing with Bramblekit he makes a noise as if he is in pain. Fireheart is shocked so he interferes and tells Bramblekit to stop. Bramblekit claims Snowkit can't play properly and Speckletail is busy licking his white fur, telling him to get back up. Fireheart tells her that Cinderpelt should check out how Snowkit is, but she is angered and snaps at him that she can take care of her kit herself, then 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. He says Cinderpelt should take a look at him and Fireheart replies, saying Speckletail nearly clawed off his ears when he suggested that. 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 is talking to the medicine cat about Snowkit and Speckletail is cranky and claims there isn't anything to talk about. She calls her son to her and once he comes she gives him a lick. 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. Cats all turn to watch the event and Dappletail even comes over to whisper something in Speckletail's ear. She spits an irritated reply at the dappled elder. She gave her kit a nudge after he didn't go to Fireheart, and he then walked over to the deputy. Fireheart praises the kit twice, because he looked at him with a blank face, and Snowkit replies in a distorted voice. He leads the kit back to Speckletail and Cinderpelt. When Cinderpelt tells Speckletail that Snowkit is deaf she feels much grief and anger. She snaps at Cinderpelt and when Dappletail says her own deaf kit was taken by a fox, she then pulls Snowkit closer, protectively. Bluestar, who had been observing, then tells Speckletail that he will never be a warrior. This makes Speckletail angrier than ever and she leaves, fur bristling, back into the nursery.


 * After hearing the saddening news that Snowkit can never be a warrior, Speckletail attempts to mentor him herself, signaling with her paws and tail. But, 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, except for Snowkit, who was still tumbling and playing. A hawk is circling above the camp, beating its powerful wings. Speckletail yowls frantically for him to come, but he doesn't hear. She tries to run out to get him, but at that same moment the hawk swoops down and grabs Snowkit. He screams for his life as its talons fasten onto his back. Speckletail races forward and springs upward to get her son back. Her claws fasten onto Snowkit's white fur. They dangle there for moments, going higher and higher. The hawk then frees one of its talons and scores across Speckletail's face, causing her to fall back down. Snowkit, still screaming, is carried off by the hawk, his cry fading away in the distance, leaving Speckletail in agony. The other Clan cats gather around her in a rugged circle trying to comfort her. She blames herself for Snowkit being carried away. Sandstorm and Cinderpelt try to comfort her but she keeps saying it's her fault. Bluestar then comes forward and says StarClan is at war with ThunderClan, shocking all the Clan.


 * She is later seen being guided to the medicine cat's den by Cinderpelt and Brindleface.


 * 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.

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.


 * Speckletail is seen sitting beside Cloudtail when he and Firestar are discussing how to change Lostface's name. She agrees with Cloudtail saying, "I can't say I blame Cloudtail. No cat wants a name like that."


 * She is later seen training with Smallear in the training hollow, before they have to fight against BloodClan.


 * Speckletail is left in charge of the camp while the four Clans, now known as "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 to the best she can.

Firestar's Quest

 * Speckletail is seen at Brambleclaw's warrior ceremony. Shrewkit plays with his brother, Spiderkit, and they are tossing balls of moss at each other. When one ball hits Speckletail in the chest so she hisses at them.


 * When Willowpelt dies, she, along with the other elders, carry her body to the burial place, leading the procession.


 * She appears at the meeting when Firestar and Sandstorm are about to leave the forest to find SkyClan. She is glaring 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.

Bluestar's Prophecy

 * Early in the book, she is seen as a warrior, returning 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. Later, she gives birth to Smallear's kits, Goldenkit and Lionkit, and is seen nursing them. Bluekit is unhappy now, because of the large number of cats crowding the nursery.


 * Later, 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 was chewy, and Lionkit offers to eat her share, apparently liking the prey. Speckletail 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 the young apprentice how the Gathering, and Bluepaw responds by saying it was great, although she didn't understand most of it. Speckletail remarks on how the Clan needs to concentrate on fighting hunger, since there were so many kits in the nursery.


 * When Goosefeather predicts WindClan's destruction from the way a vole's fur was 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, then casts a fearful glance at Smallear. Later that same day, she is seen 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.


 * She is shown to be panicking when the branch on fire is close to the gorse tunnel.

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 sits vigil with the Clan when Dappletail dies and looks sad.

Dawn

 * When the Clans prepare to leave the forest, Speckletail decides to stay behind, together with Frostfur, pointing 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, and to join Loudbelly and Shadepelt, who are also staying behind.


 * She is last seen sitting in the RiverClan clearing, watching her Clanmates leave.

Trivia

 * In a Wands and Worlds chat, Vicky Holmes confirmed Speckletail, Loudbelly, Frostfur and Shadepelt had died of starvation a few moons after the Clans had left.

Quotes
 

Members
Mate:
 * Smallear: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Sons:
 * Snowkit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Lionheart: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Daughter:
 * Goldenflower: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Grandsons:
 * Brambleclaw:
 * Swiftpaw: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Granddaughter:
 * Tawnypelt:

Great-Grandsons:
 * Tigerheart:
 * Flametail:

Great-Granddaughter:
 * Dawnpelt: