Snake (DotC)

Snake is a small, wiry, broad-shouldered, matted, brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.

The First Battle

 * Snake is a rogue in Twolegplace who decides to join Clear Sky shortly after Dew and Thorn.


 * When Clear Sky notes about his new recruits, he points out that Snake had permission to join, nodding to him, who is camouflaged in the bramble. He gets to his paws, and pads out, and Clear Sky recalls how he had joined. He explains that Snake was a former rogue in Twolegplace who joined Clear Sky because he knew that he would be well fed, but Jackdaw's Cry claims that he was too well fed. He and Clear Sky then check the borders, the latter informing Snake to wait, and then tells him to follow. Snake asks about what he had found, and Clear Sky asks if he couldn't smell. Snake scents the air, but Clear Sky spots the cat - who is Tom - and Snake hisses beside him, making Clear Sky glance at him, only to see that his back is arched, and his fur is bristling. Clear Sky soothes him to take it easy, but Snake comments that if he gave the kittypet a scratch, they won't come near the border, and shows his teeth. Clear Sky nods approvingly at his aggression, but finds it unneeded, and explains that fighting was unneeded.


 * Tom calls Clear Sky impressive, and Clear Sky is pleased at his comment, but doesn't want Snake to know. Snake leans close, his breath nearing Clear Sky's face, and remarks that the kits present weren't his, as they appeared like wild kits. Clear Sky remarks that he knew that, and nudges Snake back sharply. Once Tom is gone, Clear Sky informs Snake that it was an example on how to patrol territory, and as they leave, Snake asks if there would be a battle, sounding eager. When they return to camp, Snake pads to a prey pile, and sifts through the catch of that morning. When Clear Sky calls his group to begin battle training, Snake nods, and offers to fight first. Falling Feather is selected as his opponent, and he takes his place opposite of hers. As Clear Sky orders for Falling Feather to lie down, Quick Water comments that Snake would hurt her, but he asks if Snake would have to put her there herself. Falling Feather watches Snake warily as she lies down, and Clear Sky instructs that when Snake attacks, Falling Feather would get her hind claws under his chin, and despite Snake being bigger than her, Falling Feather could push him off if she used her weight properly.


 * Clear Sky nods to Snake, asking if he was ready, to which the tom replies in the affirmative, unsheathing his claws. He circles Falling Feather slowly with deliberate steps, and she watches him. Snake then lets out a snarl, and lunges for Falling Feather's throat with speed. He sinks his claws into her neck, and Falling Feather writhes beneath him. She heaves up her hindquarters, and Snake's hind paws slip as she shifts up and hooks her claws beneath his chin. She thrusts him up and backwards, and sends Snake flying out of the ring, diving after him. Clear Sky orders her to stop, but Falling Feather complains that Snake hurt her. As they meet up at the four trees, Thunder notices Snake, Leaf and Petal jostling to get closer. When the battle begins, Snake lunges low at Tall Shadow, nipping at her paws. Thunder then turns to see Snake sinking his claws deep into his flank, and drags himself free, snapping at Snake's throat. He dodges away, and Thunder leaps after him, grabs him by the scruff with his teeth, and shakes him hard. When Thunder faces Clear Sky in the battle, Thunder thrusts him, making him trip over Snake.


 * Snake then is halfway up the great rock, and jumps, only for Thunder to lash out, and sends him sprawling to the ground. Snake scrambles to his paws, and gives a menacing look to the cats. As Thunder tries to escape, he notices Snake and Petal near the hollow's rim. Snake gains on him, moving quickly over the grass, and it is noted that Thunder cannot outrun him. Thunder then decides to use the tunnels to escape, and as he does, he hears Snake and Petal calling into the darkness, insulting the moor cats. When Thunder encounters a badger, he realizes that Snake and Petal are at the entrance to the tunnel. After he rallies up some cats for battle, Snake's fur flashes at the edge of Thunder's vision, and the latter ducks as Snake leaps at him, dodging beneath his belly. His claws pierce Snake's fur, digging into his flesh as he rakes his cheek, and Snake comments that this would be a battle they couldn't win, as they were outnumbered, and Clear Sky's group had been training for it.


 * After Thunder glances at the great rock, Snake catches him with a jab, and Thunder sinks his teeth into Snake's forepaw, only for the latter to bite Thunder down. Thunder tries to twist free, but Lightning Tail calls for him, and Snake is gone. He looks around, and sees Lightning Tail haul Snake backward, the latter's paws churning the air as Lightning Tail lifts them off the ground, claws hooked to his flanks. Lightning Tail then heaves Snake away, and he staggers back into the mass of fighting cats. After Fircone is killed, Snake slashes at Frost's muzzle, but he tugs Snake's leg from beneath him, and hooks him onto his spine. Snake tries to roll away, but then knocks Frost onto his side, and slices his throat with a paw, killing Frost. After the battle, Snake cocks his head, confused, and asks if the battle was over. As Thunder grieves for his foster mother, Clear Sky looks at Snake, who lingers near Fircone's corpse, and orders for his groupmates to leave. Snake heaves Fircone over with a paw, and asks about the dead, which Clear Sky replies to that they wouldn't go. Snake then pads across the clearing, and noses Dappled Pelt from Leaf, informing her that they could look after their own. He helps Leaf to his paws, taking his weight onto his shoulder, and the other cats follow Snake.

The Blazing Star

 * Snake attends a meeting at the four trees with the rest of Clear Sky's group. When the topic of conversation turns to the forest sickness, Tall Shadow asks if any cats had seen other animals that also had the illness. Snake, leaping to his paws to speak, states that he had seen a dead fox which displayed the symptoms of the disease, a swollen belly and froth on its jaws.


 * When One Eye challenges Clear Sky for leadership of his group, he wonders if his cats with defend him against the rogue. He notes that some of them, like Snake, had only recently joined the group. Clear Sky thinks that Snake in particular looks hostile towards him, as if he might be tempted to join One Eye. As Clear Sky is forced out of his own camp, he looks back and surveys his cats once more, but Snake turns his back to his leader.


 * After the defeat of One Eye and his rogues, Clear Sky returns to his camp. Although most of the other cats seem glad to have their leader back, Snake looks hostile towards the gray tom. He furiously confronts Clear Sky, blaming him for what happened and pointing out that every cat there was scarred by One Eye's mark now. Clear Sky tries to apologize, but the tabby tom's only response is to suddenly throw himself at the gray tom and claw his face. Stunned, Clear Sky is knocked to the ground, but manage to push Snake off of himself. Snake backs away but continues to stare his leader down, and Clear Sky knows he will attack again.


 * Before Snake can move, Sparrow Fur throws himself at the tabby tom, managing to catch him off guard and tackle him even though he is twice her size. Inspired by the tortoiseshell she-cat's actions, Nettle leaps on Snake as well, clawing his ears. Quick Water, Acorn Fur, Thorn, and Leaf follow suit, and Clear Sky eventually has to pull them off of the tabby tom to prevent him from being seriously injured or killed. Snake straightens up, covered in dirt, bleeding from a scratch on his forehead, and missing several clumps of fur. Clear Sky tells the defeated cat that he can accept him as leader, or leave the forest. Snake declares that he will leave, and the tabby tom gets up and stalks away into the undergrowth.

Path of Stars

 * After leaving Clear Sky's camp, Snake eventually joins Slash's group. He and Swallow are the cats assigned to guard Star Flower the night that Gray Wing leads an effort to rescue her. Lightning Tail first approaches the two rogues, and they stalk towards the intruder aggressively, tails twitching angrily. Meanwhile, Leaf, hiding in the undergrowth, lets out a wail. Snake and Swallow turn around, bristling, and Snake wonders what the noise was. The tabby tom sends Swallow to investigate while he stays and deals with Lightning Tail.


 * Lightning Tail and Snake confront each other for several moments, growing increasingly hostile. Eventually, the two toms end up fighting, wrestling on the ground until Lightning Tail manages to drive Snake away with a barrage of blows. The brown tabby rogue then heads for the pine forest to try to reach Star Flower. However, Snake ends up tripping over brambles as he reaches the pines, allowing Gray Wing to catch up with him. The dark gray tom leaps on him and pins him to the ground. Gray Wing eventually lets Snake up, but warns him to go home and abandon his attempts to recapture Star Flower. Although the tabby rogue glares furiously at Gray Wing, he struggles to his paws and stalks back toward Slash's camp, defeated.


 * When Slash goes to steal prey from Clear Sky's cats, Snake, Beetle, and Splinter accompany him. During Clear Sky and Sparrow Fur's confrontation with Slash's cats, Snake mocks Clear Sky, commenting that the light gray tom was never much of a leader. Sparrow Fur eventually attacks Slash, but as she does, Snake darts forward and rakes her tail. The tortoiseshell turns to face him, allowing Slash to knock her down from the other side, and Snake urges his leader to kill the young she-cat. Clear Sky intervenes and agrees to give them the prey if they end the attack. Slash is satisfied and turns away, Snake and the other rogues following closely behind him.


 * After dogs attack Slash's camp, a number of the tabby rogue's cats stand up against him, including Fern, Dawn, and Moss. Seeing this, Snake heads over to Slash and urges him to abandon these cats, saying that the mouse-hearts don't appreciate their leader and should have to try to make it on their own. Slash agrees with Snake's suggestion, and the two rogues soon leave the ravaged camp with Beetle, Splinter, and Swallow following them.


 * The rest of Slash's cats end up joining the five groups in the forest, and are formally welcomed at a gathering. Slash, however, disrupts the gathering with his remaining group of rogues. Snake, Splinter, and Beetle accompany him, facing the gathered cats while their leader addresses them. Snake also later participates in the kidnapping of Black Ear. When Clear Sky, Thunder, Sparrow Fur, and Owl Eyes come to rescue the black-and-white kit, Snake and the rest of Slash's cats face them with hackles high. However, Slash decides not to fight the group cats and instead flees across the Thunderpath. Snake and the other rogues follow him, disappearing into the pines on the far side.

Trivia

 * He is mistakenly called gray and a gray tabby.

References and Citations
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