Nightshade the vixen was a seer and healer in the army of Swartt Sixclaw. She was older than Swartt (although it's unclear by how much), and usually gave him advice to further his ambitions. Although Swartt didn't treat her very well, the vixen remained loyal to him, feeling it was in her destiny.
Nightshade proved to be valuable to Swartt's conquests, for she helped him to take Bowfleg's army and dispose of Balefur. After the army fell at Salamandastron, Nightshade told Swartt to continue on to the Bat Mountpit while she and a group of archers would pick off the ones following Sunflash the Mace, as well as the badger himself. As Sunflash approached, Nightshade noticed Skarlath flying over head and shot him down with a poison arrow, as she knew that Sunflash was using the bird to spy on Swartt's army. This proved to be a fatal error, and it enraged Sunflash, causing him to chase down and crush Nightshade to death.