Spade

*Italiacs*: Undeveloped ideas that have not been finalized in any shape or form.

**Spade** is a dark tabby tom with dulled yellow eyes. He is a reformed rogue who was taken in by BurrowClan after running into their elderly leader, Shatteredstar.

**Spade** was a rogue under Frozen Heart's leadership up until recent times. His contribution to the movement is relatively undeveloped and unknown, though it has been heavily implied that he has taken some part of it, and also once supported the ideals of The Rogues. The young reformed rogue was first introduced chronologically in the Barley roleplay, though the canonical aspects of this roleplay have not been confirmed nor denied. Back in the canon, however, **Spade** did indeed escape, and he eventually ended up crossing paths with Shatteredstar, the benevolent and poetic leader of BurrowClan. From then on he slowly embraced the idea of Clan life, likely because he had no exposure to it during his time with The Rogues, and even fought alongside BurrowClan when the newly joint CloverClan and rogue alliance attacked the passive Clan.

During this battle, he also tussled with Cockroach, a cat he recognized from his time with The Rogues, while he attempted to slip out of the battle in order to attempt to rally FernClan's support. *After a devastating defeat that left the Clan without a leader, **Spade** used his position as an unofficial member of BurrowClan and as a reformed rogue to convey information that perhaps may one day prove useful. Despite his courage, many cats, particularly a couple of familiar ones, are not so keen on having a rogue running around so freely..*

## Personality

Spade has a well earned reputation to be brash and quite self-centered at times. He often taunts those he feels threatened by, and feels frustrated when it doesn't drive them away from him. Despite this, Spade can show a much softer and dependent side at times. Spade has also been noted to have a tendency to be an onlooker, or bystander in bad situations, such as in his time with the rogues. Because of this, he can come off as rebellious, and even a little uptight at times, trying to make up for what he's done, both directly and indirectly. This is also why he seems so stubborn when Shatteredstar denies his "let's get FernClan's help" idea.

However, as revealed in the Barley plotline, Spade seems to bear a lot of responsibility for his actions, and also for the actions of his rogue peers. He feels obliged to protect others, namely Shatteredstar and Barley, from his past allegiances, and also from the ideology held by The Rogues.

At first, Spade comes off as a strictly "self-reliant" and "independent" loner, ready to lash out if he felt like it. But later on, the young tom's true colors shown as he began to trust Shatteredstar and BurrowClan more and more, eventually, though subconsciously, leading him to feel obliged to protect them. "*As a dog would,*" Shatteredstar had once thought. And perhaps she was right.

## History

### Officially Canonical Events

#### Meeting Shatteredstar

Spade makes his first *official* appearance as an overly irritated nomad with no sense of direction or concern for possible danger. He is found to be limping (the cause isn't noted) across BurrowClan's territory, though it being unbeknownst to him that the land was occupied. Very quickly the tom realized that he was not alone, and soon became frustrated, repeatedly asking that whoever was with him on the territory to identify themselves. And so the elderly BurrowClan leader, Shatteredstar slips out of a nearby patch of gorse plants, clearly unamused by the spectacle. She introduces herself, calmly explaining to him that he had crossed into her territory before asking for his name. The young tom avoids the subject, commenting that no cat could just claim territory. To this, Shatteredstar agrees, but also adds that boundaries are so she could ensure that her Clan is fed and protected. She then jokingly states that the Clan "doesn't normally get a lot of no-named cats running around" on their territory.

Spade is initially offended by this, although Shatteredstar then points out that he has yet to introduce himself. At this, the young tom threatens her. When she doesn't react in the way he had expected, he seems to relax a tad, asking if she was going to stop him, seeing that he had just thrown a bunch of insults. Shatteredstar calmly replies that there's no point in stopping him, which causes Spade to erupt in range, lashing out his claws at her. When she keeps her calm demeanor, Spade shrinks away for a moment, seeming intimidated by her.

 —Spade in roleplay

He asks why she wasn't furious with him, suddenly showing how self conscious he is for his actions. She explains that she wasn't furious, but disappointed, as he hasn't shared his name, *and* had shown hostility on Clan territory. She then states that she won't do anything to punish him, and invites him to follow her back to her camp. He shows no hesitation, and runs after her like, as Shatteredstar puts it, a dog would.

Back at the BurrowClan camp, Shatteredstar introduces Spade as a rogue she had found wandering the outskirts of the Clan's territory, informing them that she has decided to allow him to go to and fro on their territory as he so pleases. Obviously her clanmates don't take this all too well, and Spade quickly grows hot with embarrassment, though doesn't say anything in his defense. After Shatteredstar wraps up her speech, Spade privately tells her his name, to which she is amused, seeing that he had been so keen to keep it hidden from her earlier.

#### The Battle

A few moons have passed since Shatteredstar and Spade's meeting. With leaf fall coming to a close, the air is heavy with humidity, the swamplands are damp from rainwater, and Spade is not taking it well. In fact, he appears to be quite unnerved. Both from the unease of Shatteredstar's Clan, and also the frustration of having to deal with the nasty weather. The young tom quietly releases his nerves with a bitter hiss, noting that something didn't quite sit right with him. Something totally unrelated to the rain.

Spade soon catches the gaze of Shatteredstar, who was watching the rain drizzle down, seeming to be a bit on edge herself. Silently, he makes his way over, greeting her informally, which she didn't seem bothered by. However, as soon as Spade asks if something felt off to her, her mood very hastily makes a switch. She quickly brushes off the question, though was clearly something that the leader herself had been considering since the previous Gathering. Spade seemed to pick up on Shatteredstar's discomfort, pleading with her to save herself and worry about her Clan later if a war ever was to break loose. Shatteredstar is taken aback, sternly reminding the young rogue that the Clan would need her even more during such times, to which Spade then boldly replies that the Clan would be damaged if something were to happen to her, whether she was there or not. Before Shatteredstar was able to make a rebuttal, however, Spade abruptly tensed up, noting an unusual scent. To this, Shatteredstar snaps from her previous state into one of shock, seeming to pick up on the foreign scent as well. When the elderly leader identifies it to belong to CloverClan, however, Spade is initially caught off guard, as he begins to note that he hadn't picked up on CloverClan's scent, but instead The Rogues'. But before he could finish, he is promptly cut off by Mittens, who had slipped in during the whole frenzy.

Immediately, Shatteredstar jumps to defend Spade, initiating a very brief conversation with the opposing leader. Nearing the end, Mittens admits that she couldn't help but be grateful towards Shatteredstar and her "own kind", ie, as Mittens puts it, "The Swamp Cats". Just the fact that the younger leader had categorized her cats seemed to set off a flare in Shatteredstar, to which she calls out the rogue for playing with unfair advantages, and boldly adds that if she wanted victory, she'd have to make it through her first. With this, Spade creeps forward, standing next to the leader, echoing her bravery with a challenge of his own. This amuses Mittens, who then pointedly reminds the two that The Rogues won't be going into the battle alone. This introduction, though simple in nature, is just enough to allow Moonstar to slip into the scene. After Shatteredstar does not respond verbally to the arrival of the CloverClan leader, Moonstar promptly greets the BurrowClan cat, though being quick to name her to be selfish and unconcerned with her Clan's well-being, seeing that she, as Moonstar implies, put her own stubbornness above her subjects at the previous Gathering.

Once again, this appears to strike a nerve in the BurrowClan leader, who then cooly replied that she only had her Clan in mind, and that she would've lost the respect of her loyal clanmates if she had simply sat by and let Moonstar go rampad. With this, Moonstar chillingly acknowledges her decision to stand with her Clan, saying nothing else after that but a quick order to her own ranks to proceed to attack. Spade is horrified by the situation as a whole, straightening himself to look upon the now writhing swamplands. Above the screeches and cries, the young rogue just barely catches the hiss of Shatteredstar, who was vowing to prepare to die alongside her Clan, crouching down, and readying herself to attack the two she-cats who initiated the invasion. Right away, Spade snaps out of his trance, shoving himself between the three, pleading with her to stop, and quickly telling her to rally FernClan's help, noting the leader's past favoritism towards the deputy, Scorchpelt. In almost an instant, Shatteredstar sharply shoots down the idea, claiming that she couldn't bring herself to lead another Clan into such danger. But Spade wasn't satisfied. Stubbornly, he leveled his gaze with her's, demanding that she should send him to get them instead if she wasn't willing to do so herself. With this tall order, Shatteredstar was about ready to deny him once more, only to dip her head concedingly, commanding him to hurry in that case.

 —Spade in roleplay

With her consent, Spade nods in response, though has a a notable moment of hesitation. Quickly, he begins to plan how he was to make it across the valley that seperated FernClan and BurrowClan territory in time, before the battle escalates. And so, he slips deeper into the squabble, attempting to make his way discreetly towards his destination with efficency and speed. However much he tried, though, he could not escape the watching gaze of one of hid old peers. A rogue by the name of Cockroach. As the russet tom slithered towards the younger cat, it didn't take very long for Spade to notice him out of the corner of his eye. Right away, he recognizes him, noting him to be one of Frozen Heart's loyalists, which, unbeknowest to him, is far from the case. After Spade managed to break from where the action was happening, Cockroach right away makes himself known, asking the younger tom if he were planning on going somewhere. As he spoke, Spade couldn't help but dig his claws into the swampland, noting to himself that he could remember the rogue quite vividly.

 —Spade in roleplay

But as Spade responds to the tom, Cockroach simply lets out a small chuckle, informing the young tom that any followers of Frozen Heart would run from battle as quickly as they start them, as he claims that Frozen Heart would as well. However, this is not an accurate picture to paint of the rogue leader, however much Cockroach enjoys to push it. Cockroach then states that he no longer follows Frozen Heart, noting that it appeared that Spade didn't do so as well, as he much prefers "following frail elders down a path of stubborn foolishness and destruction." To this, Spade sharply names him a murderous tool and a coward, referring to how the tom easily bent to Frozen Heart's will in the past. Nevertheless, the rogue simply stepped forward, informing him that it was a mere facade, a price he was willing to pay in order to avenge all the wrong that life as a rogue inflicted on him. He then adds that perhaps if Spade had stuck around, he would have seen that in the end, everything was all worth it, but Spade had chosen to desert the cause before he could see the "truth" in what Cockroach has informed him of, and for that, he deserves to be punished.

With this, Spade retorts that Cockroach will never get what he wants. He reminds him that The Rogues will never see him as a formidable leader and only as another cat to betray and overthrow. Now on his nerves, Spade bitterly adds that when that time comes, Cockroach will do the very thing he's been making a mockery of. Run. At this, Cockroach snaps that he'll be nothing like Frozen Heart, claiming that The Rogues deserves better than lies and a leader who "so easily bows to another" which is, once again, is not a very accurate picture to paint of Frozen Heart, though Mittens appears to fit the description better. Now bustling with annoyance, Spade sharply labels him the traitor he always seems to go on and on about, pointing out how readily he had turned on Frozen Heart, his kin, and even naming him a traitor against morality.

 —Spade in roleplay

Having the knowledge that this would prompt the rogue to fury, Spade quickly, though with a bit of a struggle, rises to his hind paws, bracing for whatever Cockroach was about to do to him. With his rogue indoctrination in mind, he quickly attempts to go through all of the hypothetical situations that could rise from the older tom's response. Also with him situated slightly lower than Cockroach, trying to even out with him would prove useful, though leave him unbalanced and altogether vulnerable. However, before all of this could clearly resonate in his mind, Cockroach lets out an infuriated hiss, being quick to slam head first into the former rogue. The impact nearly knocks everything out of the less experienced tom, as well as knocking him to the ground, which sends him toppling. Although, before he is thrown down, he lashes out, promptly striking the older cat directly below his right eye. This only fazes him for a moment, as he soon ducks behind Spade, clamping his teeth around his tail before yanking it forcefully.

The throbbing pain shooting up his spine causes Spade to cry out with a mixture of agony and a growing hatred. He whips around, landing a harsh blow under the rogue's chin, while naming him a self-centered fool for being so willing to lay his life down all for the sake of destroying the lives of the innocent cats. Resentment danced in Cockroach's eyes as he met Spade's, claiming that he wasn't intending on dying, and that it's BurrowClan who shall instead perish, protecting the "most useless traditions and morals" he had ever heard of. At this, Spade lets out an infuriated hiss, replying that the traditions he was so keen to ridicule were more powerful than he could ever know, as they are what keeps BurrowClan afloat, and are the very things that honorable cats were willing to die for. He then adds that it just so happened that he wasn't as honorable as the cats he dwelled among, which, he then implied, is an unfortunate thing for Cockroach. But this doesn't move the russet tom, as it seemed to have been intended. Instead, he curls his lips back into a snarl, responding that if he were such a dishonorable cat, he wouldn't have a problem with as he then implies, the continued onslaught.

Once more, the rogue ducks towards Spade, tearing his claws roughly across his shoulders, and sinking his teeth into his hind leg. Of course, the younger cat doesn't take this very well, and he yanks his leg back, causing Cockroach to falter. With the success of his counterattack, he is quick to ridicule the older tom, making him seethe with fury. However, Spade also cannot help but feel rage towards his opponent, as the insults the rogue had expressed earlier still were fresh in his head. And so, naming him a fool and a coward, the reformed rogue kept his struggling rival pinned, narrowing his eyes with anger. Stubbornly, the rogue keeps up his charade, vowing to make the tom pay for his insolence, and beginning to desperately try and find an escape from Spade's wrath after he fails to counter his counterattack. However, before the younger cat could do anything further, he is spooked as a CloverClan she-cat rushes to Cockroach's aid, soon to be revealed as Heronbreeze, who, unbeknowest to Spade, is his mate, and the to-be mother of his kitten. Crossly, she orders him to leave him alone, which seems to agitate her mate exceedingly.

Although it is not mentioned, Spade likely was able to slip away during this time. He is not mentioned or referenced beyond this point.

### Undeveloped Plots

#### Appearance Before First Appearance

When Darkflame and Cloudburst attacked; uncanonical? To be developed.

## Trivia

* Spade has around two or so escape stories, all that are likely uncanon by now.
* Although it's unclear how canon the Barley roleplay is, it gives great insight into Spade's personality and motives.
* Spade is noted to have a dislike for rain and getting wet in general. This is somewhat ironic, as BurrowClan, the Clan that he holds allegiance to, is situated in a marsh.
* Spade is the first and only known cat to successfully and fully escape from Frozen Heart's tyranny. However, as it is briefly hinted, although the young tom had escaped, he finds it difficult to let go of his past, still shaken from his experience with the rogue group.
* It's been considered that the young rogue that Darkflame and Cloudburst attacked was actually Spade.
* Spade hardly knows Shatteredstar, yet he seems to already have gotten the sense that she admires Scorchpelt, and considers him to be her friend and trusted ally.
* Spade is around the same age as Mittens.
* Frozen Heart was originally going to be his father.
* Spade doesn't mind being considered apart of BurrowClan, even though he never actually settled in their camp.
* Originally, Clawmist was intended to kill Spade after Spade kills Breezewhisker. However, these plans have changed since then..
* Despite reforming of his rogue-ly ways, Spade continues to exhibit a sense of viciousness in battle.
* Spade didn't participate in karaoke night. You get absolutely no context for this statement.
* Spade once made a cameo appearance in the early stages of the *ThornClan Trilogies*.
* Spade has only hung around BurrowClan for two Gatherings thus far, and yet seems quite accustomed to Shatteredstar's trust in Scorchpelt, and other Clan traditions. However he came to gain such information is something to yet be speculated on. Must be something to do with those rogue abilities.

## Quotes

### *The Battle*

**Shatteredstar**: "*When the time comes, my Clan will need me more than ever. I brought them into this, it is I who shall get them out. It is my duty to protect my Clan at all costs just as much as it is theirs-- as much as it is yours.*"

**Spade**: "*What good does that do for the Clan if the leader is dead?*"

- An exchange between Shatteredstar and Spade before the battle began

"*What did she mean by CloverClan? He had scented the rogues. Realization spiraled throughout him, quickening his heartbeat.*"

- Spade's thoughts before the battle began

**Spade**: "*Shatteredstar, what are you going on about CloverClan for? I scented--*"

**Mittens**: "*The rogues?*"

- Mittens entering the camp

*"Besides, you're the coward! At least I didn't follow that tyrant blindly. I saw what you did. I saw how you obeyed his every command."*

- Spade to Cockroach

*"To what end? Until you claim leadership over those killers? They'd hate you! You're nothing but yet another cat to betray. Would it be worth it then, Cockroach? Or would you just run?"*

- Spade to Cockroach

*"Those useless traditions are more powerful than you could ever know. They are what runs through a noble cat's veins. They are what any great warrior would thrive to protect even to their very last breath. Though unfortunately for you, I'm neither of those things."*

- Spade to Cockroach

### *Barley*

*"Who.. who's Frozen Heart? Did you really just ask that? Who is* Nettle*? You know who some cat named* Nettle *is, but you've never heard of Frozen Heart?"*

- Spade to Barley in Roleplay

**Barley**: *"It's not like I could go anywhere anyway."*

**Spade**: *"And you won't have the life to not go anywhere if you stay here."*

- An exchange between Spade and Barley in Roleplay

*"Now,* (Frozen Heart) *isn't the most welcoming cat. But it's better than him tracking you down. I think that she-cat, Raven, understands what I mean. But anyways.. you're already close enough to the border, so.."*

- Spade referring to events that transpired in the Rogue Arc

*"Pfft, technically no one told you that* you *could speak. Or told you to become an overbearing tyrant.."*

- Spade to Frozen Heart

*"Frozen Heart is hostile with everyone! When he's not killing you, he's manipulating you to the point that you're looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life wondering when he's going to pop up next and ruin you further. So* pardon *my concern!"*

- Spade to Barley

*"You can't just get up and walk away. Especially not with Frozen Heart knowing. He's tracked cats down before for trying to leave. He considers it treason. And well, treason is punishable."*

- Spade referring to more events that transpired in the Rogue Arc

*"*What?! *You can't go back! Besides, the rogues clearly do hate Frozen Heart, but it's only because he's getting in their way! Can't you see? These cats stay there* willingly*. Whether it be out of fear, loyalty, or even just because they* enjoy *what tasks Frozen Heart gives them. You can't just risk your own pelt and return to a place like that!"*

- Spade protesting Barley's plan to go and help Frozen Heart's rogues escape from him

*"No! Are you* insane? *You hardly know this cat! You hardly know his followers either! You have no idea what they're capable of!"*

- Spade to Barley

**Barley**: *"Then why did you do it? If you're so afraid of him go back then."*

**Spade**: *"I did it because watching cats tear into each other for the pleasure of some messed up old tom is* wrong*. I did it because I was sorry, okay? I did it because maybe then I could protect some stranger from the wrath of the oh great Frozen Heart! I did it because maybe, just maybe, I've gotten sick and tired of standing by and not* doing anything *to help anybody but myself!"*

**Barley**: [...]

**Spade**: *"I didn't make an effort, Barley. So I'm sorry that I don't want to make the same mistake, and let you be killed for your own stubborn and naive view that Frozen Heart, or any of his devoted following, would ever want to leave their insane ideology."*

- Spade revealing his true intentions of leaving

"Umm.. thank you? And don't get into anymore fights with any rogues. I'm not going to be there to save your pelt next time around."

- Spade to Barley