Dark Forest Resident: Turtlepelt
Aliases / Nicknames: N/A
Gender: tom
Sexuality: heterosexual
Family: unnamed mother, unnamed father, Redgaze (mate), Greypaw, Ashkit, Smokepaw, Bluestripe (adoptive kits)
Other Relations: unnamed mentor
Clan: Streamclan
Rank: senior warrior
Characteristics: kills out of jealousy, injures to avoid being found out
Number of Victims: 3
Number of Murders: 2
Murder Method: clawing, bite to the neck
Known Victims: two unnamed loners, Bluestripe
Cause of Death: throat slashed by Bluestripe
Cautionary Tale: N/A
Story:
Turtlepelt was a relatively normal kit. As an apprentice, he had a huge crush on Redpaw, whom he hoped would one day bear his kits, something Thornpaw was cruel to him for.
He didn’t like his name, thinking it uncreative, and hated knowing that his tortoiseshell fur would doubtlessly cause him some....issues. In spite of these misgivings, his life was fairly good. It got even better when Redpaw, now Redgaze, became his mate.
He was on a hunting expedition when he heard laughter. Following the sound, he spotted a group of loners through the trees and in a small cave. It was a family, parents with their kits. Kits that should belong to him.
What life could they live as vile rogues when they could live the life of warriors? Besides, surely a Clan cat is more deserving of kits?
His claws unsheathed.
His hackles raised.
He thought.
He sheathed his claws.
He calmed down.
He formed a plan. Wait until night falls, then kill them while the kits can’t see. He didn’t want to scare them. Watching them longer, he decided to wait until the smallest kit had grown a little. After four days, he waited until moon-high when the clouds blocked any light that could illuminate his deeds.
Moving slowly and quietly, he took the kits one by one by the scruff and carried them to the outside of the cave.
Re-entering, he started by suffocating the mother. The struggle woke the father, who Turtlepelt then had to claw roughly and viciously. He was panting, blood dripping on sticky ends of fur. Then something dug into his shoulders.
One of the kits had woken up. The oldest was big enough to hold his own, and he slashed at Turtlepelt’s shoulders, face, and eyes. The kit saw too much. Turtlepelt held him down with his still-bloodied paws, screeching as he did. “You will never speak of this, alright, kit?!” The cave echoed, drowning out any cries the little kit could make, too overwhelmed with grief and pain to properly call for help.
Turtlepelt sighed as he released his grip on the kit’s neck. He told the grey kit to go back to sleep, and he reluctantly did.
Turtlepelt’s life was normal from then on. He lied to the leader about saving the kits from their evil parents, who had blinded the eldest son. He took the kit, Bluekit, for his bluish stripe, to the medicine den, and the rest to his mate. Redgaze was happy to nurse the youngest until he weaned onto meat.
Turtlepelt became a senior warrior.
On one, peaceful night, a shadow cast over the den entrance, but Turtlepelt was too deep in sleep to notice as Bluepaw got closer. By the time his claws raised above his ‘father’s’ throat, it was too late for anyone to stop him, and it was too late to stop him from murdering Redgaze, who he knew had been in on it all.
Additional Information:
--Submission by @purplegr33n
--I really like the story!
--Turtlepelt was infertile.
--He doesn’t really know why he’s in the Dark Forest. Starclan held a trail for him and he was voted guilty mostly because an ex-loner was part of the trail.
--Thornpaw became Thornnose and died in a badger attack as a young warrior.
--Bluepaw became Bluestripe and is generally very grumpy. He doesn’t like the Clans much and probably killed at least one more cat in his life. He’s also edgy.
