Slatetongue

**Slatetongue** is a queen of RigidClan.

## Appearance

Slatetongue is a spiky gray and cream molly with large patches of white. She has soft paws.

## Personality

Slatetongue is very blunt and doesn't waste any time sharing her opinions. Her words are far sharper than her claws, but that doesn't mean her claws are useless. She only shares moments of weakness with her kits, treating them the way she wished she was treated. Any mention of those moments by other cats will lead to their face being torn open.

## History

### Section Two: The First Leafbare

Dappledstone returns to the healer's den after aiding in Slatetongue's kitting. The queen was worried about a crow's caw sounding shortly after her kits were born. Cragshiver wonders if she got the crow's prophecy wrong, since a crow calling after birth is a blessing. Dappledstone wishes Chaffinchclaw, Slatetongue's mother, didn't leave the nursery so she could keep her daughter in check.

Mossypaw brings Slatetongue basil. The queen asks if Dappledstone asked the apprentice to kill her, since it was something she would do. Mossypaw assures the queen that her kits would be fine. The queen pointed out that Mossypaw hasn't had a vision so she didn't know for sure, and Mossypaw snaps back that she was worrying about nothing, prompting Slatetongue to swipe at her.

Slatetongue sits at the entrance of the nursery, ears pinned back in remorse, after the death of Flintfall. She had been snappy towards the elder before her death.

Greencough spreads through the camp. Slatetongue's kits are whining about runny noses when Mossypaw brings an herb bundle into the nursery. Slatetongue hisses that the queens have been waiting days for those herbs. She takes the herbs, glaring at Mossypaw, and gives them to her kits.

### Section Four: The Crimson Coat

As the battle patrols head out, Slatetongue and Peregrinethroat guard the nursery's entrance while Eagleheart takes care of the kits.

### Section Five: The Dead Sparrow

Slatetongue mourns the loss of her aunt by herself, as her mother and Killdeerfoot's apprentice are both too injured to attend. She sobs into the dead warrior's pelt while her kits watch in the distance, confused. She helps the healers and elders bury her aunt and returns to camp just before sunhigh. Her daughter Bullfinchkit rams into her leg and catches her attention. She smiles at her and gives her a lick on the head before ushering her to the nursery. On her way there, she gives Mossypaw a cold look which Mossypaw interprets as her telling the apprentice to stay away from her daughter.

### Section Six: The Scarlet Horizon

Slatetongue waits by the Gutless Stream, impatiently tapping her paw on the stones. A splash catches her attention and she greets Batcall who had just crossed the stream. Slatetongue tells the tom what had happened in RigidClan since the battle, which includes her aunt's death and the exile of Hawkclaw. The tom tells her that Sleekstar was planning an attack on Raven's Bluff and she wouldn't stop until she had it. He tells her that her Clanmates, including Hawkclaw, should know by now that Sleekstar wasn't going to stop the war after the seer's death. Slatetongue sits there in silence, questioning Hawkclaw. She had always looked up to her former mentor, but now she was beginning to question Hawkclaw's teachings.

Batcall says that he's willing to join RigidClan to help the Clan but Slatetongue tells him he would never be allowed to join. Their conversation is interrupted when Chaffinchclaw spots Slatetongue by the stream. Slatetongue tells her mother to leave her be since she was just taking a walk, and Chaffinchclaw eventually goes to leave, until she spots Batcall hiding in the stream. She drags the tom out of the water and tries to scratch him, but Slatetongue stops her. Chaffinchclaw is shocked, realizing her suspicions were true, and asks Slatetongue if he was the father of her kits.

Slatetongue is unable to lie, as her mother knows the truth, an tells the warrior that she's been meeting with the tom ever since they were apprentices. She is thankful her mate's life was spared, but still doesn't trust her mother. Chaffinchclaw tells her to hide the tom's scent by rolling and leaves and Slatetongue says that was what she was going to do, not wanting to give her mother any more satisfaction. She hides the tom's scent then returns to camp.

## Relationships

### Chaffinchclaw

Her mother barely spent time with Slatetongue as a kit, and so they have a very poor relationship. Slatetongue never felt loved by her mother and so doesn't spend time with her, sometimes purposely avoiding the warrior whenever she got the chance. She doesn't want her mother to be involved in her kits' lives as she wants them to have a good role model.

### Hawkclaw & Talonstrike

Hawkclaw and Talonstrike are the closest thing Slatetongue has to kin, as she doesn't see her mother as actual family. She looks up to both cats, seeing them as strong and dependable. However, that was shaken up by their exile. She questions whether or not their intentions were true when they called for the death of Mossypaw.

### Batcall

Slatetongue never liked the toms in her Clan and so sought out a partner from another Clan, one she knew she could trust. She had met with Batcall for moons and so she fell for him, and he returned the affection. She secretly wishes he could join RigidClan, but knows the dangers, and so tries her best to keep him a secret.