#birdsun

Aliases / Nicknames: The Elder Killer, Flickerspine

Gender: tom

Family: Blazepad (mother), Russetnose (mother), Birchcloud, biological father), Lionfeather (brother), Birdsun (half-sister)

Other relations: Alderstar (mentor), unnamed mentor

Clan: Shadowclan

Characteristics: mainly targets elders, initially killed to test how it felt, kills to feel calm

Number of Victims: 7

Number of Murders: 6

Murder Method: pushing over cliff

Known Victims: Petalflight, Willowpool, Acornstripe, Yellowspots, Tigertail, Cedarwing

Cause of Death: slit throat

Cautionary Tale: it is not a story for the young, rather the elder. When especially old and losing their state of mind, leaders are advised to not let their elders leave the camp for anything other than emergency or to go to the dirtplace. This is simply due to their confusion, but a tale is connected to this law, one that warns of a siren calling to the confused, luring them further and further across the forest floor, until they suddenly find that there is nothing beneath them.

Story:

They were liars.

Flickerpaw had watched in stunned silence as the Clan erupted into chaos, argues flying back and forth, accusations swinging with them. Alderstar, their leader, their protector, their friend, was a murderer.

It just couldn’t be true.

Along with Birdsun, Shiningtail, and Lionfeather, then all kits, he played with Alderstar for what could have truly been every day. Even as the deputy he would let them ride on his back, or nibble on his legs without complaint as they pretended he was an enemy warrior.

He once carried Birdkit when she sprained her paw all the way to the medicine den, and the same for Flickerkit to his mother, Blazepad, when he got too tired while playing.

How could a warrior be so kind to kits, yet vile enough to murder his own friends and Clanmates in horrendous ways? And for what?

Besides, he was best friends with the medicine cat, the only one a Clan should trust more than their deputy or leader.

He refused to believe it for the next several days, even when Myrtlewing disappeared overnight. Flickerpaw was given a new mentor, one he certainly didn’t want. A grumpy senior warrior who always told Flickerkit and his siblings to bugger off when they asked to play. Nothing like Alderstar.

Then news came forward that Myrtlewing had attacked Fernpaw, and two and two were put together. The Clan was shaken. Not only had its own leader been killing them, but so was their medicine cat. The Clan discussed in wails, further connecting who some of their victims must have been.

Okay, maybe they were killers. At this point, Flickerpaw had a tough time denying that. Somehow, still.... he couldn’t shake the feeling that the way in which the Clan spoke of them, spitting or whispering their names, was wrong.

He kept thinking for a long time, watching his Clanmates, a couple times surprised to catch himself thinking about what it would be like to kill them. Flickerpine decided to find out.

Both Alderstar and Myrtlewing had been wise while they were still around, and incredibly nice to the kits. Alderstar had been his first mentor, too, and was patient to the end. Maybe he really was a killer, and maybe for good reason.

Flickerpine found the elder, Petalflight, wandering the trees. Her muzzle was almost entirely grey, and her eyesight had dwindled. Flickerpine guessed that she had gotten confused again. He offered to return her to camp, and began to do just that. Then he realized his opportunity and led her away.

He wasn’t sure where he was going, or even how he would kill her. It seemed the answer found him. Lost in his thoughts, he had almost crashed over a cliff hidden by overhanging ferns. Peering over the edge, he saw that it wasn’t incredibly high, but sharp rocks littered the bottom. An elder would certainly not survive it. He didn’t have to say anything at all, only keep his mouth shut as Petalflight walked unknowingly forward into danger.

The Clan panicked. Of course, with everything that had happened, they would worry that a killer was once again among them.

But that couldn’t stop Flickerpine, not anymore. He understood everything. It was as though he had lifted every weight that had ever been on his back and threw it over the cliff, never to be seen again. It was freeing, it was the gasp of air when your head broke the surface of water.

He laid low for the next several moons, but the need grew too much to bear. Yellowspots, Petalflight’s mate, had gone to look for her on several occassions. While out collecting branches to repair dens, Flickerpine made sure to run into him and offer assistance with his better-working nose.

Of course, the scent was well gone by now, but how could an elder with no smell know that?

Yellowspots only had enough time to look over the edge and gasp before Flickerpine pushed him down.

Less moons have passed now. Flickerpine was getting increasingly eager with every kill. The more he pushed, the more he wanted to do it again.

The next were two at the same time, another pair of mates: Willowpool and Acornstripe, then later Acornstripe’s brother Tigertail. 

The final one was a warrior. Flickerpine had managed to kill all the Clan’s elders without getting caught!

Cedarwing was the daughter of Petalflight’s and Yellowspots’s son, and worried sick. Flickerpine caught her while ‘hunting,’ and said that he just saw some birds circling something in the distance.

Cedarwing had been so distraught, racing forward so fast Flickerpine struggled to keep up to make sure she went in the right direction. Unfortunately, leaf-fall had caused the fern-cover to wrinkled into itself, and she saw the edge in time to skid to a halt. 

Luckily, her surprise was enough to keep her light-footed, and with a simple body slam, she went screeching over.

Flickerpine returned to his territory, picked up the fresh-kill he was carrying, and felt teeth sink into his throat.

(on back)

Additional Information:

--I don’t know, I just really wanted to make this guy!

--Cedarwing ended up surviving, but was horribly injured.

--I also thought it would be interesting to have Flickerpine killed by another serial killer. I don’t know who yet.

--Yeah his method of not getting caught was to never actually leave the camp with his victim(s), but conveniently be out and about at the same time. No one became suspicious because with so few numbers, basically everyone was doing the same thing.

Blazepad's fathers and Flickerpine, Birdsun, and Lionfeather's grandfathers! (Yes, Lion was named after him)

Lionfeather is trans ftm and carried Blaze (who still currently has one of my favourite designs).

I'm not sure yet when Blaze would have been born, but if she was alive pre-Gorse's Nightmare or was being developed, then Running died in the flood, due to high winds knocking their head against a rock. They survived for a few days in a mental state similar to Antfur in The Silent Thaw.

It's also possible that Running still had the injury, but the affects became worse and worse over time. Lion and Running knew they wanted to have a kit, so made the choice to have one before Running died.

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Elderpaw/chirp got his face scars because he attacked another apprentice, claiming they were over the border (they were only pretty close). He did this because he was furious about his sister's death and took it out on others around him.

Birdpaw was there for him in this time, as they were friends, and that friendship grew to love.

They became mates soon after becoming warriors, and had their litter soon after that.

But Elderchirp began feeling more and more like something was missing. He had known Birdsun since he was an apprentice. He loved her, he knew that, but did he really love her romantically, or was she only a distraction from his loss?

After all, they became mates while they were very young, what if they didn't know what it felt to love someone romantically? And they had kits while also so young, which made Elderchirp feel trapped. Had he ever had the chance to learn who he, himself was?

He didn't like having these thoughts, and to avoid having them--to avoid seeing Birdsun and his kits, which sparked the thoughts--so he would go out to patrol more and more.

He would come across a Thunderclan she-cat on these patrols, and would fall fast for her.

The two became mates for only a few moons, and by the end of the third moon, Elderchirp was certain that it had all been a mistake. He DID love Birdsun, he knew that without a doubt now, and he broke things off with the Thunderclanner.

But it was too late, because Mossfire, his daughter, saw his meetings and told Birdsun, who was heartbroken.

Birdsun broke things off with him, and his three kits now hated him. Even worse, his former Thunderclan mate whom he broke things off with turned out to be carrying his kits--kits that she promised would never know him.

One parent and kit group!

They become the parents of Redscar, who also becomes the medicine cat after Grassbloom's father.

The other pair!

Elder and Grass are siblings, and Lion and Bird are siblings, making their kits cousins twice-over.

Flowerstar was the one Redscar chose as leader, faking a sign after the previous leader and deputy passed.

Flowerstar also has two siblings, Mossfire and Fernlight. I don't have their full-bodies look yet, but their faces look like this.

Refs:

--Turukhan

--Supurrnovae

--Spadecrafft

Fathered by Birchcloud so that her mothers could raise kits, she was born to Russetnose and Blazepad alongside her brothers, Flickerkit and Lionkit.

The trio played together practically every day of their kithood, joined often by the leader and medicine cat, Alderstar and Myrtlewing when the pair weren't busy. The games often included the kits pretended that Alderstar was an enemy warrior, defeating him, and Myrtlewing running over to dramatically announce that they had dealt a 'killing blow,' when he wasn't also wrestling with them.

Once, Birdkit had sprained her paw after falling from the Clanrock when she tried to prove to her brothers that she could climb all the way to the top. Alderstar had gently picked her up and carried her all the way to the medicine den, sitting with her until Myrtlewing was finished wrapping her paw. 

Then, when she could go back to the nursery a few days later, Myrtlewing told her that he expected to see her a lot, as her impulsiveness would surely one day lead to bravery that would earn her many cool scars.

All those memories made it difficult to believe that both of them could have killed so many of their Clanmates, and who knows who else. She hated her Clanmates badmouthing them, but knew that they were right, and that her personal feelings shouldn't overweigh the fact that her Clanmates had been murdered.

Her determination and ambition strongly wavered after learning that the cats who had encouraged those traits in her were killers. But over time, with the affection of Elderchirp, they were able to return.

Flickerpine’s sister + Blazepad and Russetnose’s daughter! (and Birchcloud’s bio daughter)!

She gets the short fur and brown pelt genes from her dad, but everything else (eyes, nose, tongue, inner ears, pads) are colourpicked from Blazepad.

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She was one of the kits Myrtle and Alder often played with.

In her brother’s story, Alderstar is said to have once carried her all the way to the medicine den when she sprained her paw.

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