SHE/HER…?
5 MOONS
WINDCLAN KIT
SPEECH | THOUGHTS | APHOTIC | PHYSICAL
PENNED BY PLOT_TWISTS
Branchkit's ears pricked at the distant call of a rooster, waking her from her slumber. Even with the other kits in the den, and a little more freedom than before, she'd felt… adrift. Lonely.
With a quick look around at the other sleeping kits and caretakers, ensuring the others who shared her space were sleeping, Branchkit slipped into the shadows of early dawn, making her way out of the den. Her soft padding over the well-tread ground made no noise, and she looked at the camp as her family slept. It was peaceful. It was home. But something still felt wrong as she thought about her place within the Clan. Her tail swept anxiously along the dirt, and she picked up the pace as she left the camp, letting the wind carry her across the territory.
Her aimless search took her to a hill that provided a view of FourTrees. She looked to the place with a sense of wonder and desire - the place that she'd rested while they had to abandon their camp, the place where one day, she hoped to join the Clan in a Gathering. Perhaps even further in the future, she might find herself standing among the other Clans, leading WindClan with pride.
Branchstar. It was almost as if her name reflected the majesty of the place. A branch among the trees, one of many.
Even with the imagining of this dream, something was wrong. Branchkit couldn't fully accept this imagined Branchstar - Ma would have to have joined StarClan for this to happen. And something even deeper felt off. The words weren't quite there, but something inside her knew that being leader would need… something more from her. With a sigh, she turned away from the hill, making her way back down.
She admired Momma, and Ma, and Lotus. They were all strong and brave and cats she looked up to. But there was that wriggling disconnect she felt with them. A little twinge of discomfort when she was called sister or daughter or even… girl.
It didn't feel right. Why didn't it feel right, to be called a girl? Wasn't that what she was?
Was it?
It wasn't unheard of in WindClan, probably not even in the other Clans. If she didn't feel like a girl, she didn't have to be. Many of her Clanmates had shown them that - Merrystalk, Weaselchirp, even Dimmingsun.
"There goes Branchstar," Branchkit mewed quietly. "He's WindClan's leader." A thrill ran through Branchkit's little body.
"He once saved the nursery from a badger attack!" Branchkit continued.
"I heard his warriors all really look up to him."
That felt right. It felt good. Branchkit raced back to the top of the hill, looking out to FourTrees, determined and beaming.
"You hear that, FourTrees?" he called out. "I'll come back to you one day!" He puffed out his chest, watching as scattered dead grasses and leaves fluttered in the air around him. "And everyone's gonna say: 'There goes Branchstar - HE'S WindClan's leader!'"
With a quick look around at the other sleeping kits and caretakers, ensuring the others who shared her space were sleeping, Branchkit slipped into the shadows of early dawn, making her way out of the den. Her soft padding over the well-tread ground made no noise, and she looked at the camp as her family slept. It was peaceful. It was home. But something still felt wrong as she thought about her place within the Clan. Her tail swept anxiously along the dirt, and she picked up the pace as she left the camp, letting the wind carry her across the territory.
Her aimless search took her to a hill that provided a view of FourTrees. She looked to the place with a sense of wonder and desire - the place that she'd rested while they had to abandon their camp, the place where one day, she hoped to join the Clan in a Gathering. Perhaps even further in the future, she might find herself standing among the other Clans, leading WindClan with pride.
Branchstar. It was almost as if her name reflected the majesty of the place. A branch among the trees, one of many.
Even with the imagining of this dream, something was wrong. Branchkit couldn't fully accept this imagined Branchstar - Ma would have to have joined StarClan for this to happen. And something even deeper felt off. The words weren't quite there, but something inside her knew that being leader would need… something more from her. With a sigh, she turned away from the hill, making her way back down.
She admired Momma, and Ma, and Lotus. They were all strong and brave and cats she looked up to. But there was that wriggling disconnect she felt with them. A little twinge of discomfort when she was called sister or daughter or even… girl.
It didn't feel right. Why didn't it feel right, to be called a girl? Wasn't that what she was?
Was it?
It wasn't unheard of in WindClan, probably not even in the other Clans. If she didn't feel like a girl, she didn't have to be. Many of her Clanmates had shown them that - Merrystalk, Weaselchirp, even Dimmingsun.
"There goes Branchstar," Branchkit mewed quietly. "He's WindClan's leader." A thrill ran through Branchkit's little body.
"He once saved the nursery from a badger attack!" Branchkit continued.
"I heard his warriors all really look up to him."
That felt right. It felt good. Branchkit raced back to the top of the hill, looking out to FourTrees, determined and beaming.
"You hear that, FourTrees?" he called out. "I'll come back to you one day!" He puffed out his chest, watching as scattered dead grasses and leaves fluttered in the air around him. "And everyone's gonna say: 'There goes Branchstar - HE'S WindClan's leader!'"
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