Fluttering Bird

Fluttering Bird is a tiny brown she-cat.

The Sun Trail
Fluttering Bird is seen with her brother, Jagged Peak and her mother, Quiet Rain. Fluttering Bird and Jagged Peak play-fight but it is soon ended in Fluttering Bird hitting her head.

Later, when Stoneteller speaks of a great land, she and her brother step up and say they wanted to go. Quiet Rain, however tells them they are too young and crowds them back to their nests.

The Sun Trail

 * Fluttering Bird is a young kit born to Quiet Rain, along with her brother, Jagged Peak. Her older brothers are Clear Sky and Gray Wing.


 * As Quiet Rain tells Gray Wing and Clear Sky that she has high hopes for the two kits, Fluttering Bird scuffles with her brother. At that moment, her brother swipes out her paws from underneath her, causing her to fall over and hit her head on a rock, letting out a wail. Instead of getting up, she lies still, whimpering. Her mother then pads over to her to give her a comforting lick. Gray Wing notices how small and fragile she was with her head seeming too big for her body. When she scrambles to her paws again, her legs wobble.


 * When Clear Sky is about to reply to Bright Stream, she and Jagged Peak worm their way forward towards their older brothers. Jagged Peak announces that he wants to go, and she enthusiastically nods, squeaking that she would like to come too. However, her mother draws both of them close to her with a sweep of her tail, stating that they would be staying right there. After Gray Wing catches a snow hare and gives it to Quiet Rain, she replies to him that she would take some of it to Fluttering Bird, stating that she couldn't get out of her nest that morning, but adds that she would be much better after she had something to eat. The two cats bring it over to Fluttering Bird, who is curled up when they arrive. Quiet Rain proceeds to lick her shoulder, and Gray Wing notices that Fluttering Bird hardly seemed to be breathing. Her mother prods her to wake up, but she does not awaken, and Quiet Rain orders Gray Wing to fetch Stoneteller.


 * When Gray Wing notifies Stoneteller that Fluttering Bird won't wake up, the two pad over to the kit. Stoneteller bends over her and rests one of her paws on the young cat's chest to feel her breathing and heartbeat. Then, Stoneteller chews up a leaf and pries open her jaws and pushes the pulp onto the Fluttering Bird's tongue, stating that it would make her feel better. However, Fluttering Bird lies still, not opening her eyes. Stoneteller then whispers to Quiet Rain that she was far away from them, the hunger inside of her too great. Quiet Rain crouches down, and says that it was her fault, not giving her all of her food and having kits in the cold season. Gray Wing tells her that it wasn't her fault, but just as she is about to respond, Stoneteller raises one of her paws and hushes Quiet Rain, saying that she should not let Fluttering Bird go into the dark knowing that she was scared and angry, and she might be able to hear them. Quiet Rain then slides into the sleeping hollow, curls herself around Fluttering Bird, and gives her a few comforting licks, telling her that she was proud of her, that she meant so much to them, and that they would never forget her. Fluttering Bird's flanks rise one more time, and then is still, and Gray Wing whispers goodbye to his younger sister. He then goes over to Jagged Peak, telling him to go to his mother. Jagged Peak is confused, but then lets out a wail when he sees his sister's body, and burrows himself into his mother's and sister's fur.


 * Gray Wing informs Clear Sky that Fluttering Bird died, Clear Sky exclaims that he would miss her very much. The two brothers proceed to bury their younger sister, first by carrying her out of the cave. Drops of water land on the young kit's body, and Gray Wing winces, realizing that she would never be able to lick them off. After climbing some icy rocks, they lay Fluttering Bird's body onto the river on the plateau above the cave. Then, they scrape away some small stones and frozen soil to form a shallow hole, and Quiet Rain lays her kit's body inside. After she touches Fluttering Bird's fur one last time, her two older brothers proceed to cover the body with some earth and large stones. After burial, Gray Wing thinks he should have caught more prey, so that he wouldn't have let Fluttering Bird die.


 * When Gray Wing notices that Bright Stream has not decided whether to stay or not, it is mentioned that his heart aches for her, Fluttering Bird, and for all his tribemates who seemed ready to fight with claws and teeth over the future. Not long afterwards, Bright Stream asks if they were ready to go, and Gray Wing mentions that Fluttering Bird's death had showed him how vulnerable they were in the mountains. Falling Feather later mentions Fluttering Bird while speaking to Petal, stating that she died because she didn't have enough to eat, and the fact that she was only a kit. She adds that her death gave them the determination to come to the forest to find a better life, and they didn't want any cat to suffer like Fluttering Bird again.

Thunder Rising

 * When looking at Hawk Swoop's kits, Gray Wing notices that they were twice the size of Fluttering Bird. When Jagged Peak is saved from the tunnels, he recalls the size of Fluttering Bird upon her death. After Turtle Tail's kitting, he recalls seeing Fluttering Bird's and Jagged Peak's birth, and feels the same connection with her kits. As Gray Wing takes the kits out hunting, he explains to them that he saw a cat die of starvation, recalling Fluttering Bird's death.


 * When Moon Shadow dies, Gray Wing remembers how they buried Fluttering Bird, among a heap of stones, and attempt to give Moon Shadow the same respect that they gave to Fluttering Bird.

The First Battle

 * Clear Sky asks Falling Feather if he wants kits to starve like Fluttering Bird, wondering if he hunted harder she would have survived. Gray Wing thinks of all the cats Clear Sky lost, including Fluttering Bird. When Wind Runner says Clear Sky is greedy, Gray Wing mentions that Clear Sky gave up his food to Fluttering Bird in the mountains. Clear Sky admits that he was scared of his heart breaking if he sees a cat die like Fluttering Bird.

The Blazing Star

 * Fluttering Bird, Shaded Moss, Bright Stream, and Turtle Tail visit Stoneteller, and the ancient Healer wonders how her friends could come and visit her. Sun Shadow thinks to himself that Stoneteller must be close to dying, if she is talking about joining Fluttering Bird, as the young she-cat died of hunger many moons prior.

A Forest Divided

 * Fluttering Bird appears in Clear Sky's dream stating that the groups were taking too long to grow and spread like the Blazing Star. Clear Sky misinterprets this message as if Fluttering Bird wished upon them that they band together once again and grow.


 * When Gray Wing meets Milkweed and her kits, Clover and Thistle, he notices how frail Clover is, drawing a parallel to how Fluttering Bird looked before her death.

Path of Stars

 * As Gray Wing is dying, he sees Fluttering Bird among the ranks of the starry cats.