#ratbirch

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Crowsage and Hawk have an interesting dynamic

When Hawk arrived at the Dark Forest, he found that he didn’t like his father but did like Ratbirch, so hung around him a lot. So Rat and Lovage technically unofficially adopted him, making him and Crowsage cousins and adoptive siblings at the same time, just not officially, and Hawk was an adult when he was ‘adopted’ + when Crow was born

so he’s probably more of an uncle to her and his uncle is more of a father to him

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Who would have the worst death?

Oh boy, I think it’s a tie between these guys

Ratbirch: paralyzed and drowned over and over by his brother

Fennelbur: flesh-eating disease

Doverose: mange (but was happy in the end)

Nettledeer: suffocation from a lack of oxygen while deep underground

Sparrowfall: ripped in half by dogs

Blackdawn: tortured over several days

Alderstar: crushed to death, dying nine times over (assuming he didn’t lose a life before)

Berrygaze: claws, teeth, and ears ripped out

there’s a lot of horrible deaths….

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Ratbirch hit an expecting queen

For that, he was held down and couldn’t breathe

Batroot walked away from it all,

But there was too much mud, and he’d fall

+

Dovewing was the mother

Of the kits Batroot thought his brother had killed

It was a lie

She left them in the woods to die

+

Applefoot’s reputation meant everything to him

He couldn’t be the father of half-clan kits

So he slit their mother’s throat

And lost his wits

He’d thought she came back to haunt him,

And they’d snap his neck, it was grim

+

Myrtlewing was one of the first,

He took pleasure in inflicting pain,

Blinding and maiming in bloodthirst

All the while acting sane

+

Alderstar was his partner,

But was caught alone

And forced from the territory

Where he was made to atone

+

Myrtlewing couldn’t handle it,

He made the Clan pay

Before living as a kittypet

Where he was dellocated

in the most brutal way

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Rough timelines of the crews’ deaths

Old Territory, before Skyclan left:

--Rosefang

--Snowwing

Old Territory, after Skyclan left (and was forgotten by the other Clans):

--Blackdawn

--Alderstar

--Myrtlewing

Lake Territory:

--Jackdawfoot

--Shellgrass

--Applefoot

--Ferndoe

--Poppyhill

--Ratbirch

--Batroot

--Doveflame

--Sageleaf

The top two categories are set in stone, but since the lake territories have many right now, there placements are a bit more wonky. The things I know for sure is that Ferndoe died before Poppyhill and Ratbirch died before Batroot, who died before Doveflame.

I also kinda picture that Ratbirch and Batroot were young kits when Poppyhill died. It would be interesting if they knew each other and then saw each other in the Dark Forest and did the Spider-Man pointing meme

Let me know if I forgot anyone! I should make a list before I lose track of everyone..

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Mentors and full names for the LupineWeb and DahliaWeb litters!

LupineWeb:

Rowankit/shade: Ratbirch

Beechkit/blaze: Sparktail

Goosekit/step: Hootpetal

DahliaWeb:

Owlkit/gaze: Grousemane

Breezekit/whisper: Loonfur

Lizardkit/talon: Fennelbur

@ambitiousauthor

Fungichomp helped in deciding who would be best for who

(aside from Protea and Doe, who were mentored by their mother and father, respectively)

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

@elementaldeityoffood the fact that Doesong and Sparktail are mates and both are friends with the Dark Forest weirdoes Ratbirch and Smalljump is amazing actually

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

*menacingly approaches Ratbirch with a stapler and Dovesong* Little Man deserves a Karen to keep his ex away. That and as Her friend, she would demand the best for him.

Ratbirch would be so shocked but happy that he has a friend. Suck it, Batroot!

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Residences: Batroot, Ratbirch, & Doveflame

Batroot

Aliases / Nicknames: Ratroot, Fluffy neck, Darling

Gender: tom

Family: unnamed mother, unnamed father, Ratbirch (brother), Doveflame (mate), unnamed kits

Other relations: unknown mentor, unknown apprentice

Clan: Thunderclan

Characteristics: revenge, paralyzing victims

Number of Victims: 1

Number of Murders: 1

Murder Method: drowning

Known Victims: Ratbirch

Cause of Death: blunt force trauma

Cautionary Tale: The tale of Ratbirch and Batroot, of two brothers at war with each other, is a lesson of the importance of family, the connection blood creates, and the importance of keeping that connection.

Story:

When the two twins were born, their parents had expected them to become exceptionally close. Why wouldn’t they? All brother-brother, sister-sister, or brother-sister relationships they knew of, including their own, were all healthy. That’s why they had named them Batkit and Ratkit.

Maybe it would have been fine if the century-old elders didn’t keep getting their names mixed together.

From a young age, the brothers felt the need to stand out. The one that their brother was mistaken for, not the other way around. The more recognizable one.

It was Batroot who achieved that. Funnily enough, it was when he wasn’t even trying. When he removed all thoughts of who was better, he was able to focus better on his training, and became an excellent fighter and an even better hunter. Word started to spread that he just might be next in line to be deputy.

He was so used to being the better brother, he would often forget that that had been a goal at all, at least he would when Ratbirch wasn’t picking a fight with him.

And then he met her.

Doveflame.

The beautiful, long-furred Windclan she-cat who he became entranced with the moment he saw her at one gathering. 

They chatted so much, they didn’t realize when the meeting had ended. Batroot couldn’t stop thinking of her, so he got out of his nest and to the stream, where he was surprised to see her already waiting for him.

Their love only grew in spite of being from different Clans, culminating to one new moon night when Doveflame announced that she was pregnant with his kits.

Batroot was ecstatic. Kits! His kits, with the she-cat he loved!

He had to tell someone, so he chose his brother. It’s been seasons since their fights anyways. Ratbirch would have his back.

But the next night, Batroot returned to his and Doveflame’s meeting spot to hear that she had been attacked-- by Ratbirch. To make matters worse, her belly had yet to stop throbbing. 

Batroot openly attacked his brother in the clearing of Thunderclan’s camp. Neither explained why to their Clanmates, but Batroot did silently promise him that if anything happened to Doveflame or his kits, that he would kill Ratbirch.

Ratbirch simply asked if he knew if the kits were even his, because apparently Doveflame was not one to stick to one mate.

Batroot ignored him. He would trust Doveflame over Ratbirch any day. And he believed it when she told him that his two daughters looked exactly like him, and when she told him that neither drew a single breath before the medicine cat stated that they were dead.

Batroot comforted her for as long as he was able, only leaving when she pulled away. He couldn’t stay there forever anyway. He had a promise to keep.

He meant to snap Ratbirch’s neck. He did, but not far enough to kill him. No, it was even better. Whatever he did, it made it so that Ratbirch couldn’t move anything below the neck. 

He could not struggle as Batroot held his head below the lake’s surface, killing and resuscitating him over and over in a crying rage until Ratbirch’s body couldn’t take any more and he failed to return. 

Breathing heavily, Batroot walked back to camp. He would announce his decision to join Windclan. He would be with Doveflame, no longer in secret, every day for the rest of their lives. Maybe one day after they both healed, they’ll have kits again.

But he never made it. In the building storm, heavy rain spilled, creating a mudslide that Batroot slipped into, splitting his head on a now uncovered rock.

Ratbirch

Aliases / Nicknames: Batbirch, Darling, Dung-breather, Kit-killer

Gender: tom

Family: unnamed mother, unnamed father, Birchroot (brother), Doveflame (mate)

Other relations: unnamed mentor

Clan: Thunderclan

Characteristics: killing in battle

Number of Victims: 4

Number of Murders: 1

Murder Method: biting, clawing rapidly

Known Victims: Littlesun, Pinefeather, Cloudwhisker, Doveflame

Cause of Death: drowned repeatedly

Cautionary Tale: The tale of Ratbirch and Batroot, of two brothers at war with each other, is a lesson of the importance of family, the connection blood creates, and the importance of keeping that connection.

Story:

It was completely,

utterly,

all-around unfair. HE was the one that tried so hard to not be seen as the one of two brothers. HE was the one that pushed himself every single day to be better.

But Batroot still came out on top. Batroot caught bigger prey, fought more enemies, and even when Ratbirch went out on patrol after patrol, Batroot was still praised as if he was doing it!

His Clanmates didn’t recognize him. But Doveflame did. 

She knew Batroot only from gatherings. She didn’t know how “amazing” he was. She didn’t need to. To her, Ratbirch was the better brother, the brother worth becoming mates with.

But even the stunning she-cat’s attention was not enough. Ratbirch couldn’t see her every day. What he did see? Batroot floating around in the paws of their cheering Clan.

So Ratbirch would be known a different way-- as the fierce warrior that cats were afraid to face in battle. Littlesun and Cloudwhisker were two of the cats he brutally beat, but it would be Pinefeather that would be killed.

He had thought it would feel good, or like nothing. Instead, guilt clenched Ratbirch’s stomach so hard that he threw up, and he vowed never to be so violent again, even in war.

That vow lasted exactly one season. Then Batroot pranced up to him and gave the worst possible news.

Doveflame was pregnant with his brother’s kits. 

The ONE cat he thought he could have to himself! The ONE cat that knew Ratbirch as himself and not someone’s brother. He confronted her, only for her to shrug him off. In his rage, he attacked. It wasn’t long, barely harsh, but had still attacked a queen.

And that’s why when his life finally ended for good, a voice welcomed him into the Place of No Stars.

Doveflame

Aliases / Nicknames: Beautiful, Siren She-cat, Love, Sweetheart, Dear, Honey, Sweetie, Cheater, Two-Timing Pile of Dirt

Gender: she-cat

Family: unnamed mother, unnamed father, Birchroot (mate), Ratbirch (mate), several unnamed mates, unnamed kits

Other relations: unnamed mentor

Clan: Windclan

Characteristics: Cheating, abandoning kits

Number of Victims: 2

Number of Murders: 0

Murder Method: jettison

Known Victims: unnamed kits

Cause of Death: killed by her two kits

Cautionary Tale: ??

Story:

Both of her parents were rather attractive. It came to no one’s surprise when the overly-fluffy Dovekit grew into her now elegant silver-white fur. Not only was she beautiful, but she was charming too.

She could easily have countless mates if she wanted, and she did, if for nothing but the thrill and drama of it all. She had one mate from her own Clan (which she would tell the others that it was for appearance only, especially since he was the only one ‘allowed’ to cuddle her at gatherings where her other mates might see them). The other mates came from Riverclan and Thunderclan.

Yes, she supposed she should’ve been more expecting of one day becoming.... expecting. 

Kits were anything but her thing. When Ratbirch--one of her many mates--attacked her, she decided to use it to her advantage. If she told everyone that her belly always hurt throughout the moons of her pregnancy, and that she unintentionally gave birth out on the moor, who would doubt her? 

Neither would they doubt that she had just been so heart-broken that she couldn’t bring herself to see the little bodies anymore, and she buried them herself before the Clan could sit proper vigil. She’s so sorry!

She had them some pounces from the border. She had intended to go further when contractions began to hit, but convincing the medicine cat that she definitely wasn’t having contractions and could definitely go for a nice walk on her own took a lot of her time.

Stars, were they so loud! She carried them far enough across the border that they couldn’t be heard or smelled by patrols, hiding them in a patch of long grass. 

Maybe they would starve, maybe a fox or hawk would have a meal, maybe a Twoleg or loner would find and feed them. Whatever happened, they weren’t her problem anymore.

If you didn’t count all the times she had to pretend to be sad. It wasn’t hard, just tiring. She was Doveflame, the most stunning sight of all. NOT Doveflame, the poor grieving mother.

In time, she returned to that, and was lucky enough to not have another mistake happen. Seasons after her ‘grief’ she fell behind on a border patrol. She scented something odd. Fresh-kill dragged from inside the border to out of it.

Was a loner trying to steal from them?

She followed it, preparing for confrontation. She was not preparing for the cat on the other end of the trail to call her mother, or to be jumped from behind.

Additional Information + Questions For You:

--Somehow I keep managing to make these kit-killer characters worse and worse than before.

--I find it kind of funny that Ratbirch cannot handle killing and ends up in the Dark Forest.

--Designs were based on Disney! I don’t know why Doveflame looks so horrifying though. 

--Doveflame’s personality wasn’t created when the picrew design was made, so the expression doesn’t 100% match.

--You can find a link to the picrew I used on the previous post.

--What do you think happened to the two kits? Rescued by Twolegs? Loners? Something or someone else?

--Bat and Rat were similar names when they were thought to get along. When they became warriors, birch and root was added, most notable ‘root’ being connected to ‘burdock root,’ a plant used to heal rat bites.

--What dynamics do you picture with these three when they’re all in the Dark Forest together?