#blazepad

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Ivytooth and Blazepad were best friends, starting as apprentices. They were kind of like the "mean girls," though not THAT bad.

Ivypaw knew that Blazepaw liked to bug Russetpaw because she had a crush on her, and would tease her about it.

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

Better Leader (Sprouting Thorns bonus chapter)

Myrtlewing was a master at keeping his composure. 

If he had to act happy and respectful, he could do it while smiling ear-to-ear or bowing his head as low as the roots beneath the soil, no matter how viciously rage boiled in his lungs or in his limbs, begging him to scream, to slash, to do anything to release the quivering fury that was forced to keep hidden.

But now, as he collected burdock for Aldereyes’s wounds, he felt that wall that he was so good at keeping up began to slip.

He chewed the roots up with sharp bites, and Aldereyes flinched, though didn’t hiss, as he applied the meshy, stinging herbs into the wound on the side of Aldereyes’s neck.

“...and he called me a coward!” Aldereyes went on, claws working in and out of the ground in frustration.

Aldereyes had led a patrol near the Carrion Place, when one of the warriors–Echofoot–apparently got too close, and a group of rats jumped them. It was four cats against six rats, and in the fight, Aldereyes killed two of them.

Everyone else had killed one at most, but that didn’t matter to Aldereyes’s father. As far as Stormstar was concerned, Aldereyes ran away like a coward when a second wave of rats was coming for the group.

Myrtlewing resisted the urge to lash his tail at the memory.

—---------

“You just let them chase you away?” Stormstar had demanded after the patrol informed him of the attack.

“It wasn’t worth the risk,” Aldereyes responded, eyes unable to meet Stormstar’s.

“You don’t think protecting your Clanmates is worth the risk?” Stormstar’s voice had been loud, ringing out throughout the entire camp so not one of their Clanmates were unaware of the lecture. All eyes had been on the two cats–on Aldereyes as he was being yelled at.

“That’s not what I mean–”

“What if the rats kept chasing you?” Stormstar questioned. “You would have led them right to your vulnerable Clanmates. Maplefall is expecting, did you know that? What if they had bitten her? You would be responsible!”

Maplefall, in the watching crowd, gasped.

Aldereyes’s ears flattened. His head was ducked so far, his chin almost met his chest. 

Echofoot stepped forward. “He fought more bravely than any of us,” she told her leader nervously. 

But Stormstar wasn’t convinced. He sniffed disdainfully. “He killed two rats when, by your account, a total of over twenty attacked you. And I am meant to be pleased?” He glared at his son. “You weren’t a hero. You only did what you could without putting yourself in real danger so that no one would question it when you ran away like a kit. I expect more from my son. Get those scratches seen to, then make yourself useful, preferably something that will make up for your cowardice.”

—---------

“That was three days ago,” Myrtlewing responded to his friend, “and I still have to give you herbs for the wounds. Echofoot, Blazepad, and Mossflake were cleared two days ago.” His gaze locked with Aldereyes. “You are NOT a coward.”

Aldereyes’s muscles loosened, relaxing slightly, though his claws continued to work and his teeth clenched together so tightly, Myrtlewing thought that one would snap out and strike him in the eye. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing I do will convince Stormstar of my strength, or bravery, or….or anything that will make him proud of me.” 

“A father like him doesn’t deserve a son like you.”

Aldereyes snarled at nothing. “I do everything for him! I trained from dusk ‘til dawn and even at night, and I still train! I work patrol after patrol, catch more than any other warrior, I win more fights, I’ve been undefeated in training for moons! I’m the best warrior in this Clan, Stars, the best cat! But he still looks at me like I’m–...like he hates to call me his son.”

Myrtlewing couldn’t think of any comforting words, so he decided to speak his feelings. “He’s a vile mange-pelt,” he spat. “He’s probably bitter because he knows that he’s a leader, but his son, a warrior, is twice the cat that he’ll ever be. If anything, he’s the coward,” he went on when Aldereyes didn’t respond. “He goes on and on about fighting and protecting the Clan, but when was the last time he got his own paws dirty?”

Aldereyes bristled. “Because he’s the leader. He could flip a pebble and cats will call him great for it, but I’d have to move a boulder from here to Fourtrees to get a simple ‘good work’ from him.”

Myrtlewing nodded in agreeing anger. “He’s nothing without his title, and he knows it. Everyone knows it. That’s why he calls you a coward,” Myrtlewing realized. “And it’s why he does it in front of everyone–to make himself look better, and to make you look worse, so cats forget that his own son is a better warrior, a better cat, and a better leader than he’ll ever be. He should be proud. The fact that he’s not is on him, not you.”

Aldereyes stared, eyes wide. Then he cleared his throat and looked away. “I’m not a leader.”

Myrtlewing shrugged. “I’d still say you’d make a better one.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. Now, get out before you make the whole den stink!”

==================

@elementaldeityoffood Stormstar hater, he's some more fire for the flames!

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

considering who there they're based on i think itd be funny if Alderstar always makes a mess in murders and Myrtlewing is the one that mainly cleans up and complains about the mess Alderstar makes

Blazepad: lol look, Myrtle is cleaning Alder's fur again! He's like a servant to the hairball or something!

Myrtlewing, who was cleaning off blood Alder forgot to get rid of: haha yeah it's so annoying. Right, Alder? You know how annoying it is, Alder? For me to keep having to clean your fur from--sand? For you to not notice that sand is there. Huh?

Alderstar: shut the fuck up

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Feelings?! (short story)

It had been a day since Myrtlewing had given Aldereyes the dark, puffy flower, and still he had no idea what he was meant to do with it. Part of him wanted to just toss it away, thinking that it was probably a stupid joke. The other recalled the genuine annoyance in which Myrtlewing had expressed when he had told Aldereyes that he was just doing something nice.

Maybe that really is what it was. Strange, yes, but everything about Myrtlewing was. Maybe he thought–for whatever reason–that giving flowers to fellow predators was a normal thing to do. 

He still had it in his paws, fiddling with it absentmindedly in the empty den when Molespots padded in, accompanied by Russetnose and her mate, Blazepad. “What’s with the flower?” Blazepad asked, giving him a funny look. 

“Stars if I know,” Aldereyes replied, looking at it. “Myrtlewing gave it to me, but it’s not a herb.”

“Myrtlewing?” Molespots repeated. “Oh, I see!”

It was Aldereyes’s turn to make the funny look. “See what?”

The three cats exchanged an amused glance. Irritation pricked at Aldereyes’s pelt. “What’s with the secret looks? Do you know what this is?”

“I have an idea,” Russetnose said with kind humour. “In fact, I received something similar before. A pretty white stone.” She glanced at her mate. 

“Okay?” Aldereyes prompted her on.

Russetnose smiled warmly. “Blazepad gave it to me. I already knew then that she had feelings, but the rock is what really solidified it for me. Wasn’t it, honey?”

Blazepad purred in the nest pressed next to hers, laying on her back with her paws tucked on her chest.

“Feelings?” Aldereyes echoed dumbly. “Good for you, but what does that have to do with….” his voice trailed off as they all gave him a look that said ‘you cannot be that stupid.’ “Feelings?” he said with more emphasis, in his shock.

“Maybe not,” Russetnose spoke up again. “It just seems….well, what else could it be for?”

“I talked to Myrtlewing about a moon or so ago,” Molespots chimed in. “He said he wanted to show someone ‘that he cares.’ I recommended flowers.”

Aldereyes’s mind stuttered through thoughts, struggling to make enough sense to respond to that. “‘Cares’ could mean a lot of things! It doesn’t mean that he likes me….romantically.” He pushed the last word through gritted teeth. It was too weird to think that Myrtlewing, Myrtlewing liked him in such a way. They were just friends, and even that was odd enough to admit to, with how clumsy and idiotic the medicine cat could be, tripping over his own paws! Trampling the ground loudly when Aldereyes took him on hunts!

“Not necessarily,” Russetnose agreed.

“But probably,” Blazepad put in, her eyes shut lazily. 

Aldereyes’s head spun. The den suddenly felt stuffy. He stood up and padded for the entrance. “I’m going on a walk,” he told them, flinching at his own words and how harsh they sounded. He hadn’t meant to be angry, but what followed him was not grumbles, but laughter.

Aldereyes ignored others as they asked him what was wrong, cutting straight through the camp and out into the forest. There, he kept walking, until finally his brain settled down enough for him to form a coherent thought. 

Myrtlewing liked him. Myrtlewing. Surely this was just a misunderstanding? He played their last conversation over in his head. A gesture, Myrtlewing had told him. He had never said just what it was, and Aldereyes had a sinking feeling that that meant that it was romantic. 

A gesture of what?

Does it matter? 

Had Myrtlewing’s response been deliberately vague? It made the most sense, didn’t it? What else could a cat use a non-medicinal flower for if not to show affection? He shook his head. It didn’t really matter, because Aldereyes wouldn’t take him up on the gesture….would he? 

He hesitated the answer, and that hesitation made him hesitate more, because, well, why was he hesitating? His first instinct was to react with disgust–not at being propositioned by a male, of course not, but at the fact that it was Myrtlewing who was doing the propositioning. They were just friends, and it was weird to think that he could ever allow them to be more. 

Besides, Myrtlewing was a medicine cat.

Although that rule was only put in place to prevent kits, and they were both males…. No! No! It didn’t matter anyways, because he would turn him down. Yes, he would turn him down. Or he could just ignore this happened at all and they would both move on. A prickle of guilt poked at his stomach. At least, he told himself that it was guilt and not apprehension at the prospect of saying no. 

It must have taken some guts for Myrtlewing to give him the flower. And the way he had answered vaguely, perhaps that meant he was shy and afraid of Aldereyes rejecting him right then and there. How far had Myrtlewing traveled to get the plant? Had he woken up knowing where to go, or did he wander around the woods, looking for one he liked?

Surely he just picked the first one he saw? Aldereyes knew that wasn’t right. He himself had walked many times around the territory, especially close to the camp, and had never seen the flower nearby. To put such effort into a gesture must mean that it was romantic, and that it also must mean that Myrtlewing was very sure about his feelings, and that it wasn’t some fling-thing.

Aldereyes would let him down easy.

Again, the prickle poked, edging deeper.

============================

--The flower, as we know, is on Shadowclan territory, but Aldereyes isn’t a medicine cat and has never bothered with flowers until now, so it’s likely he just hasn’t noticed them before.

--The flower is a red chrysanthemum

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

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.

----

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.

----

Ref by Turukhan!

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Mother-son comparison

genetics kinda go out the window with this one, unless Blaze carries the gene for black fur (and if it’s dominant, let’s say she’s an anomaly). Or maybe Birchcloud had some black on him

Refs by Turukhan

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Shadowclan allegiances after Alder and Myrtle I guess

very rough because I made it in a rush

Important Note:

--only features cats who are ALIVE and IN SHADOWCLAN. The deceased or gone or not on, as it’s mainly to show who’s left.

Also know that it doesn’t include Swanmist, Grebewing, or Lightstream as I’m not entirely sure if they were still in Shadowclan at this point or if they left.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So here’s some stuff about each of them (or at least those that I have background relationships on):

--Russet and Blaze had Birchcloud (deceased) as a doner. Bird and Lion’s brother is Flickerpine.

______________________________

--Grassbloom and Elderchirp are Fernpaw’s littermates.

--Their names go E F G, and are all named after plants. 

--Their suffixes are both things that Fernpaw loved (cricket chirps and watching blooming flowers).

--Both Flicker’s littermates and Fern’s are around the same age, as they were both young apprentices when the revelation occurred.

--Grass and Lion would have kits, as would Bird and Elder.

______________________________

--Runningcloud (Alderstar’s apprentice) and Silverwhisker (sister of Dawnmoth, a victim) would later have a several litters of kits. 

--Silverwhisker was Rainstar’s apprentice.

______________________________

You know Blacksong and Greydusk, Myrtle’s mother and uncle and who are also too old to have more kits even if it would help the Clan grow (not that they would want any).

______________________________

Molespots likely won’t have any kits to grow the Clan, as he’s much older than the other options. Maybe unless he finds a loner or kittypet around the same age that joins the Clan.

He was also Alderstar’s mentor.

______________________________

Hollyclaw is into girls, so she won’t be passing on any genes either

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

One of this cats would have been Rainstar’s deputy! (remember that they would have died before becoming leader and would be replaced by Snowstar -- who will likely be a kit of one of these couple’s litters).

None of them are not connected to Myrtle or Alder in some way.

It would either be Mossflake (mother of Myrtle’s victim),

Russetnose (mother of the cat who decided to follow in Alder and Myrtle’s pawsteps and also the bio father of her kits was killed by them),

Blazepad (see Russet),

Molespots (Alder’s mentor),

Hollyclaw (Alder’s half-sister),

Silverwhisker (sister of their victim),

Runningcloud (Alder’s apprentice)

it really goes to show how difficult it is to move on when you’re so connected 

(btw the rest are either too old or were apprentices when Rain became leader and therefore could not have become deputy).

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Just Another Clanmate (short story)

“Everything’s going to be okay, Russetnose,” her leader promised, pressing comfortingly against her shoulder. “Myrtlewing knows what he is doing. Lionkit is in good paws.” 

Russetnose knew he was right, and let herself weaken, falling into his support as her son was taken into the medicine den. The poor little fool had snuck out while Russetnose and Blazepad were trying to settle a dispute between Flickerkit and Birdkit, only for it to rain. Really, it had only drizzled, but it was enough to give Lionkit a cold. Stars– Russetnose hoped it was only a cold.

“How was he when you found him?” she had asked. Alderstar had been out on a lone patrol, as he often did, when by chance he found Lionkit shivering beneath a fern leaf he was trying to use as shelter. 

“Well enough to ask if he was in trouble,” Alderstar replied with a hint of laughter. His comfort in being able to laugh as well as his confidence in the medicine cat calmed Russetnose. She was grateful for her leader, even more so after he had rescued her kit. She dared not think what could have happened, had he not been where he was when he was. 

It was only three moons ago that he went to the Moonstone to receive his nine lives after his father, Stonestar, had died in the terrible storm. It had been a tragedy, and sudden too. Alderstar wouldn’t speak to anyone but Myrtlewing for the whole day, not even to respond to congratulations, only hanging his head solemnly. The first time he did speak had been raspy, and it was to name the new deputy.

Russetnose smiled at her leader. He had been a kit when she was a warrior, and still he seemed so young for so much responsibility. But he was handling it remarkably well. Russetnose dared say he was doing better than his father, whose word was always final, to the other Clans as well as his own Clanmates.

Russetnose didn’t realize how long she had been sitting with her thoughts until Myrtlewing reappeared, a polite smile across his muzzle. “Lionkit’s fine, although you may want to rename him Shiverkit.”

Russetnose huffed. “I certainly might after today! What was he thinking?”

“According to him, he was thinking he could catch a frog and scare Birdkit with it. And apparently, Birdkit called him a ‘fur-brain with the dashing looks of a toad.’” 

The three couldn’t hide their laughter at that, and snortled. “At least she’s clever!” Russetnose finally said after regaining her breath. “I’ll be having a strong talking-to with her, too.”

“Cleverness could be useful,” Alderstar thought aloud. “I’m sure once she grows out of the name-calling, she will grow into quite the resourceful worker. And Lionkit is very brave. You have your paws full with good futures.”

Russetnose dipped her head. “Thank you, Alderstar.” The she looked at Myrtlewing, and back again. “Thank you both.”

—-----------------------------------------

“Thank you for agreeing to let me come,” Alderstar said.

Russetnose looked at him with surprise, padding through the forest beside him. “You’re the leader,” she pointed out.

“I protect the Clan, not command its every move,” he responded. “I have as much right to ask you to watch the training sessions as you do denying me.”

Russetnose smiled. Little more than a year had passed since Alderstar received his nine lives, and still he had yet to give anyone doubt in his abilities. Their paws crunched on the snow. “Perhaps waiting for a warmer day would’ve been better.” 

Alderstar kicked through the snow as they walked. “This might be the warmest day for the rest of leaf-bare.”

As promised, when they got to the clearing, Alderstar watched in silence, observing politely, only giving advice when the mentors asked for it. And when it was over, he congratulated the apprentices on how well their training had grown– making them look at each other with star-shattering delight–and then he praised the mentors for how amazingly they were handling the troublemaking furballs.

“Do you have any advice?” Russetnose asked, letting her apprentice run along back to camp with his sister and her mentor. She felt an old leaf stick to her cheek, and pulled it off between her toes. Alderstar looked to be in thought.

“Nothing springs to mind,” he responded. “Their fighting moves are exceptional for cats who’ve only been training for a few moons. How is their hunting?”

“Better, I expect,” Russetnose responded, then shrunk a bit, hoping she didn’t sound like she was bragging about her skills as a mentor to her leader. Then she remembered his words, he was just another Clanmate. “We focus a lot on it in leaf-bare, with the lack of food.”

Alderstar dipped his head. “Perfect, that’s what I like to hear.”

Snow began to fall, softly drifting down in delicate flakes. “We should probably return to camp before this light cold turns freezing,” she joked, fluffing out her fur. “Care to walk with me?”

“Thanks, but I’ll stay out for a while longer. The prey-pile was a bit thin when we left.”

Russetnose realized he was right, they should be hunting. “I should hunt too,” she decided. 

Alderstar stopped her with a paw. “After how hard you had just been working? Go back to camp, and give yourself some rest.”

Russetnose was about to take his request, then hesitated. “No, I’ll think I’ll come, too.”

Alderstar tilted his head in a friendly manner. “What if it’s an order?”

—-----------------------------------------

“From this day on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Birdpaw. Your mentor will be Oakfringe. Oakfringe, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Pinesong, and you have shown yourself to be patient and courageous, and I hope you pass on all you know to your apprentice.”

As Oakfringe went to touch noses with the quivering Birdpaw, Russetnose, too, shook with pride from her spot in front of the crowd. “They’ve grown so much,” her mate, Blazepad, spoke softly beside her.

Russetnose agreed, purring in delight, not taking her eyes off of the ceremony. “I know! It feels like yesterday when Lionkit snuck out of the camp and got cold, or when Birdkit sprained her paw, or when Flickerkit had that bought of ticks!”

“Their mentors are going to have their paws full!” Oakfringe, Dawnmoth, and…. Russetnose scanned the crowd, wondering who would mentor her sweet runt.

“Flickerkit,” Alderstar continued as if on cue, “you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Flickerpaw.” A pause. Russetnose held her breath. “I will be your mentor.”

Russetnose pulled her jaw from where it had dropped onto the floor. The leader training one of her kits! What an honour!

Flickerpaw was bouncing on his paws so hard, he had obviously forgotten that he still needed to touch noses with Alderstar, and rushed over, moving so fast that he bumped into the golden tom. Russetnose’s heart swelled so much, she was sure it would burst out of her chest at any moment. All wonderful mentors, dedicated to their Clan, and kind to the young ones.

Russetnose caught Alderstar’s eye. She knew Birdpaw and Lionpaw would no doubt complain, and in a way, they were right. Alderstar was so much more than a good leader. Flickerpaw was the luckiest apprentice in all the Clans.

===========================

--We don’t see her reaction just yet to Alder being revealed, cause I didn’t want it to be too long. 

But you know..... if you want to write that yourself....

--You may recognize Dawnmoth’s name!

--Bonus fact! Alderstar had just killed someone before finding Lionkit, and was again going to kill someone after watching the training (probably arranged to meet with Myrtle prior to leaving to watch the training), which is why he told her “no, leave.”

--Since Russetnose and Blazepad were mates and raising their kits together, I imagine that at least one of them could still train their apprentice while their kits were in the nursery.

--Might make another version but with more focus on Myrtle.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

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.

----

Ref by Turukhan

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Russetnose’s background:

Her mother hadn't thought through her daughter's name, sure that her eyes would resemble the colour russet in some way. When Russetnose's blue eyes turned to green, her parents decided to keep her name, believing that it still suited her.

When she became an apprentice, she originally hated Blazepaw because the apprentice bullied her. She soon found out after Blazepaw became protective over the less experienced apprentice during a battle that she was only mean because she had a major crush on Russetpaw and didn't want the brown she-cat to find out.

With Russetpaw now aware, there was no reason for Blazepaw to continue her teasing. They became friends, then closer than friends as they reached warriorhood.

She and Blazepad wanted kits, but both were she-cats. Luckily, Birchcloud, a friend of both of them since apprenticeship, offered help. He promised that although he would biologically be the kit's father, they would be the primary parents, and he wouldn't overstep more than they allowed him to.

With Blazepad, they had Birdkit, Flickerkit, and Lionkit.

Birchcloud was right about not overstepping, as only a moon after the kits were born, he disappeared.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

@ambitiousauthor

Hey, remember the canon cat, Redscar, born a little bit after (or during) Rainstar’s reign? The grandson of Blazepad and Russetnose + Mossflake and Cedarfern?

Funny how his suffix is Red. 

Funny how he also decided to be a medicine cat.

Interesting how he has a long scar on his face. 

Could it be possible that Gorsedaisy, well into her years, caused the scar, because he reminded her of two horrible cats?

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Leader: Cuckoostar

Deputy: Stonefleck

Medicine cat: Hickoryskip

Warriors:

Marblegaze

Redjay

Grebewing

Swanface

Lightheart

Brokenclaw

Shimmerstone

Rainbur

Molespots

Birchcloud

Bluefeather

Sedgeshell

Wavewillow

Aspentalon

Stoatbird

Drizzlespots

Apprentices:

Birchpaw

Blossompaw

Blazepaw

Queens:

Conetoe (mother of Sweetkit)

Oatflight (mother of Owlkit and Rainkit)

Littlelight (carrying Russetkit)

============================================

*Time Skip*

============================================

Leader: Stonestar

Deputy: Aldereyes

Medicine cat: Myrtlewing

Warriors:

Hollyclaw

Blacksong

Graydusk

Dawnmoth

Rainbur

Silverwhisker

Molespots

Birchcloud

Blossomtuft

Owlfang

Mossflake

Pricklepelt

Bluefeather

Fallendust

Waspheart

Wolfburn

Cedarsky

Swanmist

Hootpetal

Lightstream

Brokenwhistle

Apprentices:

Runningpaw

Boulderpaw

Queens:

Russetnose (mother of Flickerkit, Lionkit, and Birdkit)

Blazepad (mother of Flickerkit, Lionkit, and Birdkit)

Grebeglade (expecting)

Elders: 

Sedgeshell

Hickoryskip

===================================================

@ambitiousauthor potential character list for when Redjay was alive vs when Alder’s father was leader.

Italicized names are those who were killed

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Blazepad is so pretty

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Didn’t think I was gonna love Blazepad’s design as much as I do

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Birdsun background:

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.

Considering her feelings toward Alderstar and Myrtlewing, perhaps it was a good thing that Flickerpine was never revealed as a killer. That is, until she joined Starclan.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Left to right:

Sweettree (Alderstar’s mom),

Blacksong (Myrtlewing’s mom),

Swanheart (Poppyhill’s mother),

Kestralclaw (Jackdawfoot’s father),

Larklight (Ferndoe’s father [and Poppyhill’s close friend]),

currently unnamed Smalljump’s mother,

Blazepad (Flickerpine’s mother),

Russetnose (Flickerpine’s mother -- she was meant to be more red, but there wasn’t that option on picrew)

Of course, more parents miss their kits, but there was only so much room, so I focused on the ones that missed them most. I was going to add Poppyhill’s father too, but I guess I forgot to make him. 

Shoot, also forgot Myrtlewing’s uncle / father figure. Oh well