Rockshade

"Kits take no sides. They are the responsibility of all of us."

— Rockshade to Nutmeg in SkyClan's Destiny, page 449

Rockshade
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Last known:	SkyClan
Past:	Rogue
Names
Kit:	Rock, Rockkit
Apprentice:	Rockpaw
Warrior:	Rockshade
Kin
Mother:	Clovertail
Father:	Unnamed tom
Sister:	Tinycloud
Brother:	Bouncefire
Half-sisters:	Birdwing, Honeytail
Half-brother:	Sandynose
Education
Mentor:	Cherrytail
Book appearances
Living	Firestar's Quest, SkyClan's Destiny, The Rescue, Beyond the Code
Living	Firestar's Quest, SkyClan's Destiny, The Rescue, Beyond the Code

Rockshade is a black tom with a torn ear and orange eyes.

Rockshade was a SkyClan warrior under Leafstar's leadership in the gorge. He was born as Rock to a rogue queen named Clover with his littermates, Tiny and Bounce. When his mother joined the newly formed SkyClan that was being rebuilt by Firestar, Rock took on the Clan name of Rockkit. He was later apprenticed to Cherrytail as Rockpaw, and earned his warrior name of Rockshade.

History

In the Super Editions

Firestar's Quest

While Firestar and Sandstorm are hunting, they find a queen being attacked by a fox. The two launch into action and protect the queen. Scratch, a rogue, joins in to protect the cat. The three successfully protect the queen, and she reveals her name, Clover. Clover shows her saviors her kits, Rock being one of them, along with his littermates, Tiny and Bounce. Later, when Clover chooses to join SkyClan, she is renamed Clovertail and Rock is made Rockkit, and his siblings gain Clan names as well.

When he and his littermates are playing one day, they find themselves in a cave with shining moss, and go back to the main part of the camp. Rockkit claims they saw shiny cats there. No one believed them at first, but eventually a patrol was sent to investigate. The cave then became known as the Whispering Cave. He is one of the kits who almost drowns in the gorge when they first see the cave.

When Petal and Rainfur come to the gorge with their kits Mint and Sage, Rockkit and his siblings are seen being excited that they weren't the littlest cats in the gorge anymore.

He, Tinykit, and Bouncekit are soon made into apprentices and given their new names, with Rockpaw being given Cherrytail as his mentor.

SkyClan's Destiny

He and his siblings, Tinypaw and Bouncepaw, have become warriors. Their names are Rockshade, Tinycloud and Bouncefire.

When Billystorm leaves to go back to his Twoleg nest because of the snow, Rockshade comments that Billystorm only likes to be involved in the fun stuff and goes home when there's work to be done.

Leafstar chooses him, Bouncefire, Ebonyclaw, Mintpaw, Sagepaw, and Snookpaw to go look at the unused dens further along the gorge. He helps Mintpaw climb up to the higher caves when she can't reach the next crack. Later, when Leafstar tells them about Ancient SkyClan, he says he wishes he were a descendant of an Ancient SkyClan cat. Then he mentions that he is strong unlike some cats, and Leafstar knows he means the daylight-warriors.

During Leafstar’s dream, she sees Rockshade and his siblings on their vigil. Then when she wakes up, he and his siblings are bickering about where to hunt.

After Sagepaw falls from the cliff, Echosong asks Rockshade to lay down so she could compare his leg to Sagepaw's. He also complains when Leafstar tells him to go on a hunting patrol, saying he wants to join the training session. Billystorm tells him that when your Clan leader tells you to do something, you do it. Rockshade doesn’t say anything back to him but gives Billystorm a glare. Then he mutters to Cherrytail, asking what a kittypet would know.

During the battle with the rats, he joins Sharpclaw's patrol to kill the rats once they flee from their nests. He is seen fighting off a rat that had its teeth clamped onto his shoulder. Leafstar comes to help him and he thanks her.

Before the Gathering, his sister, Tinycloud, challenges him to race up to the Skyrock. Cora then asks what the Skyrock is and he explains it to her. When Billystorm tells Leafstar about seeing SkyClan cats in the Twolegplace, he mentions that Rockshade was in the patrol.

He and his brother, Bouncefire come up with an idea to get revenge on the Twoleg who had trapped Petalnose and Shrewtooth. They say they can use their SkyClan skills to climb up a tree while some other cats lure the Twoleg underneath the tree. Then the cats in the tree would jump out and attack the Twoleg. Coal interrupts and says they shouldn’t attack the Twoleg, along with the other Twolegplace cats. When they decide to scare the Twoleg rather than fight it, Rockshade is chosen, along with Cora and Bouncefire, to lead the dog away because they are fast runners.

During the battle against Dodge's group, he is attacked by a cream-colored she-cat. Leafstar goes to his aid and together they drove her off. Then they help a queen named Nutmeg escape from the battle with her kits. Nutmeg says that they are on the other side in the fight, but Rockshade tells her that kits took no sides and that they are the responsibility of everyone.

In the SkyClan and the Stranger arc

The Rescue

When Leafstar and Echosong come back to camp, they find Rockshade and two other warriors searching camp, and Leafstar asks Rockshade what's wrong. He answers that their apprentices, as well as Nettlesplash and Plumwillow, seem to have misplaced themselves. When the five young cats are seen entering the gorge, Rockshade points out where they are.

Beyond the Code

Rockshade and Bouncefire approach Billystorm, Harveymoon, and Ebonyclaw, who are lying in the shade. He insults the daylight-warriors by saying that they're not working hard enough, and just because they eat kittypet slop every night doesn't mean the rest of the Clan should go hungry. This begins an argument, but Rockshade backs down when Leafstar stops the dispute.

Trivia

Mistakes

• In the allegiances of SkyClan's Destiny, he is mistakenly not listed as one of Clovertail's kits.
• He is mistakenly shown with a lighter muzzle in Beyond the Code.
• His torn ear disappears for a page in SkyClan and the Stranger.

Character pixels

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

Official art

Please do not edit this gallery Rockshade in Beyond the Code Rockshade in SkyClan and the Stranger

Ceremonies

Rock's naming ceremony
Firestar: All right. Come here. You can't be apprentices yet, but you can have Clan names. From now on, these kits will be known as Rockkit, Bouncekit, and Tinykit. Everyone: Rockkit! Bouncekit! Tinykit! Reference: Firestar's Quest, page 336

Rockpaw's apprentice ceremony
Leafstar: Cherrytail, you are a new warrior, but the whole of SkyClan has seen your dedication. You will mentor Rockpaw. Reference: Firestar's Quest, page 504

Rockshade's warrior ceremony

Leafstar: I, Leafstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Bouncepaw, Tinypaw, and Rockpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives? Rockpaw, Bouncepaw, & Tinypaw: I do. Leafstar: Rockpaw, from this moment you will be known as Rockshade. StarClan honors your courage and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan. Everyone: Bouncefire! Rockshade! Tinycloud! Reference: SkyClan's Destiny, pages 20-21

Kin

Members

Mother:

Clovertail: Status unknown

Father:

Unnamed tom: Status unknown

Brother:

Bouncefire: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Sister:

Tinycloud: Living (As of Wind)

Half-brother:

Sandynose: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Half-sisters:

Birdwing: Status unknown

Honeytail: Deceased, residence unknown

See more

Grandmother:

Unnamed she-cat: Status unknown

Nieces:

Pebbleshine: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Sunnypelt: Living (As of Wind)

Pigeonfoot: Living (As of Wind)

Nephews:

Parsleyseed: Living (As of Hawkwing's Journey)

Quailfeather: Living (As of Wind)

Half-nieces:

Curlypaw: Living (As of Hawkwing's Journey)

Snipkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Reedclaw: Living (As of Wind)

Half-nephews:

Fidgetflake: Living (As of Wind)

Finleap: Living (As of Wind)

Dewspring: Living (As of Wind)

Grandnieces:

Violetshine: Living (As of Wind)

Twigbranch: Living (As of Wind)

Great-grandniece:

Needlepaw: Status unknown

Great-grandnephew:

Rootpaw: Status unknown

Tree

Template:Tinycloud Tree

Appearances

• Firestar's Quest (First appearance)
• SkyClan's Destiny
• The Rescue
• Beyond the Code

Quotes

"It's no surprise that other cats want to learn from us. We're so strong and fierce!"

―Rockshade to Lichenfur ^{SkyClan's Destiny}

"Back in the forest where Firestar lives there are four Clans. They meet at the full moon, too, and exchange their news, and there's a truce so they're not allowed to fight one another."

―Rockshade explaining Gatherings to Stick, Cora, Shorty, and Coal ^{SkyClan's Destiny}

Shrewtooth: "What was that?"

Billystorm: "Don't worry. It's only one of those cows."

^{SkyClan's Destiny}

Rockshade: "Hmmph. Daylight-warriors."

Billystorm: "What was that, Rockshade? Did you want to say something?"

^{Beyond the Code}

External links

• Leafstar: Mother or Leader? on the Warriors official website (Mentioned only) (backup link)