Camp WindClan Winds and Whimsy | Meadowpaw

[Goosekit]

GOOSEKIT, 1 Moon / Windclan Kit
A fluffy reddish brown tabby with dark paws, a matching white chest and tail tip, and big, dark green eyes.
Sister to Hootkit and Finchkit | Daughter to Owlbear and Bushrunner
An adventurous young cat who aspires to be many things, but most of all to be even half as great a warrior as those she grows up around.

---

Every sight, a new discovery. Every brush of the wind against her whiskers, a new sensation. Every moment, a new memory to be cherished.

Goosekit was truly alive.

...And also a fair bit bored, actually. Not that she could really put that feeling into words so well yet, but one could only spend so long cooped up with their mother before the urge to get up and go arose. Goosekit did get the sense she was missing some context as to why everyone was so mopey. It wasn't just always like this, right? Well, whatever. At least she was allowed to walk around camp a bit. Not leave camp, of course, but that day would come, too. Supposedly. Five moons sounded like five eternities to her, having only lived one moon herself. Why couldn't apprenticeship just begin, oh, a week or two after birth? Surely that was still long enough, right?

Goosekit's nose picked up a scent. Was that... No, that was... Actually, what was that? She hadn't the faintest.

She'd find out, though!

Goosekit scrunched down onto her haunches, instinctively falling into that hunting posture she'd seen some of the others do on occasion, with her head low to the ground, butt high in the air, tail swishing eagerly back and forth. That smell was right over in that bunch of slightly taller grass. It was within leaping distance from where she was. Goosekit was confident of that. She could get there in a single bound. Her haunches tensed, her tail stilled, her pupils dilated. Wait for it... Pounce!

The orange tabby launched herself into the air, and for a moment, she soared ever so gracefully across the horizon. ...It was quite a brief moment, though. Goosekit landed not gracefully in her target patch of grass, but instead face-first onto the dirt only a few inches or so from where she'd taken off, her posture having slipped almost immediately on takeoff. The impact was enough to scare a common butterfly out from the grass, though, its unusual scent vanishing along with it as it fluttered into the sky, far out of reach. "Gah!" she grumbled. "I almost had that...!"

 

[Meadowpaw]

Sitting in the dark waiting on the stars
Thinking through all the places that you've been

.

Every day, she watched her sister and even her friends slip through the camp entrance, bound for patrols, training and hunts. Each of them was playing their part in ways that she couldn't anymore.

Meadow used to be able to move like them. She could climb fenceposts, climb trees, and sprint through the fields. But now her steps were clumsy. She hobbled around, struggling to even stay upright never mind sneaking up on anything. Some days, even doing small things made her tired and sore, and she hated it—hated that she needed help, hated how she couldn't do nothin' right anymore. She hadn't left camp more than once since the fire, not wanting to be a burden, especially not to Nutmeg, who already bore more than her share.

Still, she wanted to help somehow. They all took care of her and the least she could do was give something back, even if it wasn't a lot.

Meadow decided she would handle small tasks around camp. She hobbed from nest to nest with clean bedding bundled beneath her chin, carefully gathering the old stuff into little before replacing it with clean.

She was just about to check if Owlbear needed her nest changed when an orange kit rushed past her. Meadow's head whipped around, mouth still occupied by nesting material, eyes tracking Goosekit.

Her brows knit together, furrowing with worry. She set the bedding down and turned to watch. Meadow supposed it was safe enough for her to play as long as she didn't stray far. Still, she couldn't help but worry. Mama used to like to warn her about birds big as dogs that scooped kits up in their claws and carried them off. Just to be sure she scanned the skies—all clear for now.

Fixing nests could wait. She didn't want to ruin Goosekit's fun, and she wasn't going to do what her Mama did. If anything, Meadow wished that she could still enjoy the world like that—unburdened—when everything was still new.

She followed at a distance, checking the sky every so often. Her limp made her slower than she liked, but she could really move if she had to. Meadow padded forward and sat down, tucking her hind leg carefully beneath her to hide the stump from view.

Goosekit springs and stumbles, and before she can contain it, a soft feathery laugh slips out. "I thought I saw a fluffy orange bird take flight there for a second," Her uneven whiskers twitch with amusement. "But keep on tryin' and I'm sure you'll get it next time. I didn't catch my first one 'til I was much older than you."

Her smile fades slightly. She remembered how it felt to catch her first butterfly. How its wings had crumpled under her paws. It had been beautiful and fragile, and she'd destroyed it just by touching it. Mama scolded her for crying over it, and thinking on it now, Meadowpaw supposed it was pretty silly to feel sad over something like that. Though that didn't stop her even nowadays from worryin' she might crush one just moving through the grass.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

8 MOONS

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WINDCLAN

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SONG

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bio

 

[Goosekit]

GOOSEKIT, 1 Moon / Windclan Kit
A fluffy reddish brown tabby with dark paws, a matching white chest and tail tip, and big, dark green eyes.
Sister to Hootkit and Finchkit | Daughter to Owlbear and Bushrunner
An adventurous young cat who aspires to be many things, but most of all to be even half as great a warrior as those she grows up around.

---

As the butterfly fluttered far out of reach, into the great brilliant sky above, Goosekit's green eyes locked themselves onto it until it had disappeared into something smaller than even a speck, the sun's glint further aiding in its vanishing act. Her first ever attempt at catching prey... And it had ended so poorly! Oh, well. Goosekit could at least take pride in the fact that, as far as she knew, she'd gotten around to practicing her hunting far sooner than either of her sisters had. That would absolutely give her a massive edge in the long run. She'd just need to keep at it, and find more where that came from. There had to be other bugs somewhere else in camp. Goosekit just needed to find them, and then...

Her ears flicked as she realized someone nearby had been laughing at her. The kit's mind had simply been so laser-focused on her prey that it hadn't even registered to her that someone else was here! The orange-coated kit straightened her posture and tried to look all formal, like the adults usually did, although she couldn't be sure how good a job she was actually doing at that. Oh, this was... Meadowpaw! Goosekit remembered her. One of Windclan's own finest apprentices! And she'd just bore witness to Goosekit's first hunting foray! Maybe she'd have some pointers?

"An orange bird?" Goosekit squeaked back at her. The meaning of Meadowpaw's words had quite clearly been lost on this little one. "No, that was actually a butterfly! But they can both fly and stuff, so I get why you were getting them all mixed up like that. I don't think it was too orange, though..." Well, Goosekit had gotten a much better look at the creature than Meadowpaw must have, so she could forgive the apprentice for making simple mistakes like that. Plus, she'd had words of praise for Goosekit! That was much more worth focusing on.

Goosekit could do nothing to hide the pride the swelled across her face, nor could she prevent her fluffy tail from swishing back and forth behind her with utter glee at her senior's words. "Anyway, I'll catch one on my next try for sure!" she chirped with exuberance, "Oh, and can you tell Dustystar about how good I was on just my first try? I think maybe I can start being an apprentice after another moon or two instead of needing to wait the whole six moons!" The kit was positive that, once their leader heard about how promising a hunter Goosekit was already shaping up to be, she'd surely want to speed up the process for her. Then, maybe she'd only even need to spend a few moons or so as an apprentice before she was made a full-fledged warrior! The young cat felt that she was already shaping up to be on the fast track to being one of Windclan's greatest and noblest.

After a moment, though, she frowns at Meadowpaw. her smile sure was quick to disappear, wasn't it? Something was definitely bugging her, too, just like most of the other adults! Goosekit needed to get to the bottom of all this general sadness.

She trodded up to Meadowpaw, her green eyes staring inquisitively into the apprentice's similarly colored pair, and her brow furrowed, her one long fang poking out from her own frowning mouth. "Hey, why's everyone always being in such a bad mood?" she asked, "I know something happened before we were born and stuff, but I haven't gotten, um..." Oh, what was the word? Goosekit still often found herself searching for the right ones... "Um, the details! Yeah, no one is giving the details." Part of that had sort of been a result of Goosekit not wanting to further upset anyone by asking... But, surely Meadowpaw wouldn't mind, right?

 

[Meadowpaw]

Sitting in the dark waiting on the stars
Thinking through all the places that you've been

.

Meadow listened patiently as Goosekit explained. She didn't make any attempt to correct her. Stomping out that confidence was not worth being right. When she looked at Goosekit, she saw a little sprig rising from the soil. She could water it, give it light and oh, how she couldn't wait to see what it would grow into.

"Ahhh, I gotcha. You've got a good eye." Goosekit's excitement was infectious, and—if only just a little—it brushed away the dark cloud that had been suffocating Meadow for some time now.

Still, one thing did concern her. Goosekit seemed eager to rush through things. Meadow wished she could explain how precious time really was and how quickly her youth had been snuffed out before her eyes. But she wouldn't. She would never burden those she cared about—especially not someone as young and full of hope as Goosekit. No, if anything, she wanted to protect that spark so she might never lose it.

If Meadow held any sway with Dusty, it was news to her, but it was awfully sweet that Goosekit wanted to impress their new leader.

"Course, I can put in a good word for you! I think Dustystar would be so impressed by how close you came to making your first catch." Meadow purred, "But you know… being patient is an important skill for a warrior. Hunting is all about patience, if you're too quick, then you'll scare your prey. Plus... If you fly through being a kit too fast, you're gonna make your Mama sad."

She paused, hoping she didn't sound too lame. "If you're up for it, I can teach you some stuff sometime to give you a head start." That and she hoped to encourage Goosekit to have a little fun while she was at it. Maybe it wasn't her place to say these things. After all, the way things were lookin' now, Meadow might not even become a warrior before her… or even at all. Who would even want to waste their time training a three-legged apprentice? She couldn't even hunt anymore...

Still, she smiled a little wider, just to hide the doubt swelling in her chest. The warmth in her green eyes never wavered—overflowing with all the adoration of an older sibling. Just like Meggie had been for her… and how she'd tried to be for Peafowl.

But then her smile faded. Maybe she didn't realize just how perceptive Owl's kits would be to the grief hanging in the air. "You noticed that, huh?" Meadow murmured, curling her tail around her paws to comfort herself. Everything had moved so fast that she wondered if they had time to truly process what happened. Or it could be that they all didn't want to, because remembering meant moving on without those they lost.

Meadow sighed softly, her mouth pulling into a thoughtful line as her eyes roved the clearing. How could she gently explain this? Would Owl be upset if she spoke of it or if she told Goosekit about Hoot? Didn't he deserve to be remembered? Meadow decided that she would honor him, even if it meant upsetting his daughter.

Please don't be angry with me Owl…

"Well, before you were born, there were more of us. We lived together in a place that um… doesn't exist anymore." She spoke slowly, forming words as she went. The gentle buzzing of bees and the ruffling of grass filling the gap. "There was a big fire. A lot of us got hurt, but we were able to come here. But there were also some really brave cats that didn't come with us. Your grandfather Hoot was one of them." She looks down, studying Goosekit with patient eyes. I wish you knew how proud he would be of you.

"But you know about StarClan, right?" A new idea, even to her. But there was some comfort to think that the cats they lost were up there, watching over them all. "They went there instead. So I guess… everyone just really misses them and our old home. They're in a bad mood because their hearts are hurting right now and they're trying to be brave."

I know because I'm trying to be brave too.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

8 MOONS

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WINDCLAN

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SONG

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bio

 

[Goosekit]

GOOSEKIT, 1 Moon / Windclan Kit
A fluffy reddish brown tabby with dark paws, a matching white chest and tail tip, and big, dark green eyes.
Sister to Hootkit and Finchkit | Daughter to Owlbear and Bushrunner
An adventurous young cat who aspires to be many things, but most of all to be even half as great a warrior as those she grows up around.

---

Dustystar would be impressed with her? That was all Goosekit needed to hear to feel her heart flutter in her chest. If someone as skilled as Meadowpaw was agreeing with Goosekit's assessment of her own abilities, then she was sure to start getting noticed by even more senior warriors before long! Her sisters would be soi excited for her - she was going to tell them all exactly what Meadowpaw had said, first thing she got the chance!

Meadowpaw probably was right about making her mama sad if she left the nest too soon, though. But it wasn't like Goosekit would be gone gone, she'd just be sleeping in a different bed and going on patrols and stuff. She'd still get to spend plenty of time with Owlbear, right? Maybe they could even go on patrols together, then they'd actually be spending even more time together! "Mama will understand!" Goosekit squeaked confidently, "Once she sees how useful I'm gonna be for the clan to have as a warrior, she'll get it!" Why wouldn't she? After all, that was what they were all here for - to become the best warriors they could in service of the clan.

Something like that, anyway.

Enough about her future glory days, though! Meadowpaw was finally spilling what had happened to make everyone so upset all the time. Sort of. Goosekit got the impression there might still be some things being left out, but she was really just so excited to finally be receiving details that she didn't mind at all. Her green eyes stared expectantly into Meadowpaw's, her mouth only slightly agape as she took in every word. There had been a fire. A fire that had destroyed their old home. And Goosekit's grandfather, Hoot, he had to go away because of the fire? Did they get separated during the chaos or something? Goosekit's brows furrowed. Well, what was so hard about him just finding their current camp? It wasn't super hidden, as far as Goosekit could tell. And their scent would be really strong - it would definitely carry on the wind.

"Starclan?" Goosekit asked with a tilt of her head, her tail swishing back and forth behind her as her ears twitched. "Why would he want to go there instead?" Goosekit only had a... Rudimentary understanding of what Starclan was. She could grasp that it was a clan of cats who watched over everyone else, of course. But how exactly one joined Starclan... That part was a bit beyond her. "If going to Starclan makes everyone so sad, I don't get why anyone would ever want to go there," Goosekit meowed in a huff. "And if he isn't coming back, that's selfish! I wanted to meet Grandpa Hoot, too." She knew her sister, Hootkit, had been named in their grandfather's honor, but it wasn't like that was the same as knowing him herself.

Goosekit sat down and stewed for a moment, and felt like she understood why everyone had to be so upset even less. If it was just because some cats went to Starclan, then those cats should come back and stop making everyone sad - it sounded quite simple to her. She glanced up at Meadowpaw with a frown. "Can you tell me what he was like if we can't see him again, then?" she rather innocently asked of Meadowpaw. "I don't know how to get to Starclan either, so I don't think I'll ever get to meet my grandpa."

 

[Meadowpaw]

Sitting in the dark waiting on the stars
Thinking through all the places that you've been

.

Meadow should've realized Goosekit wouldn't know what death meant. How could she? She was barely a moon old. There was no reason she should know, even for being born in the aftermath of such a horrible time.

That left Meadow with the impossible task of explaining it—without going into too much detail. Without making the world heavier than it ever should be for a kit her age.

She suppressed a sigh and pulled a sad smile back onto her face. "No, no… Goosey," She murmured hoarsely, "The cats that went to StarClan didn't go because they wanted to leave us, Hoot especially. I—I promise, he really did want to meet you. I know with all my heart he did." Her throat tightened, hoarseness creeping into her gentle voice, and she swallowed hard. It took everything she had not to let those words crack as they came out. But those wide, innocent eyes made it so difficult. They chipped at her resolve like nothing else.

"Your grandpa Hoot was one of the most giving cats I've ever met. He wasn't the slightest bit selfish." Gradually, she worked through what she was trying to say. "Sometimes… things happen… like fires... and the cats that love us have to go away for a long time. It's not anyones fault." She sighed and slumped down into the grass, tucking herself comfortably into the earth. "I know it doesn't make a whole lot of sense right now, but it will someday." Hopefully… she wouldn't have to understand too soon. Meadow hoped every bit that the world would be gentler to her than it had been to so many of them.

She watched as Goosekit fell silent, clearly turning it all over in her small head. Such big thoughts for a little heart. When Goosekit talked about StarClan she shook her head. "That's not true," She said, picking up from Goosekit's doubts. "All the brave cats go to StarClan. Hoot was the bravest, and he's your grandpa, so even if you're half as brave as he was, I know you'll go there someday too." But not too soon… A long, long time from now, when she's old and grey and surrounded by grandkits and never before then.

She blinked slowly, melting back into the grass, her eyes drifting up toward the gray sky above. "Still… I don't mind telling you about them." What could she say? That he had a laugh like sun-warmed hay and a way of making the barn feel like home? That he loved his family so fiercely, or that even in his age, he had more spirit than most cats younger than him did?

He and Chicken had brought warmth to every corner of the barn. When Meadow felt out of place and Meggie couldn't be there to welcome her home, it was their voices she hoped for. They were steady and kind, even when everything else wasn't. Hoot's stories gave her something to look forward to when Mama wouldn't let her outside. Something to imagine other than the dim and the dust. They never even scolded her for sneaking out, even though Meadow was pretty sure he had to have known.

"Hmm… he was like…" She thought aloud, ears flicking as she searched for the right words. "He was like a sunflower."

Meadow paused—then quickly added, "Oh! Uh, sunflowers are these big, tall yellow flowers with brown in the middle." It occurred to her Goosekit might not know what a sunflower was. They weren't exactly in season yet, but she did dry some once… Were they still tucked away in her special spot, or did the fire get to them too?

"Did you know sunflowers turn their heads to follow the sun across the sky?" A soft smile unfurled on her face like a petal stretching toward the light. "It's really neat."

Meadow hummed thoughtfully as she thought of what else to say. "But anyway, he was big and warm and always in the sun. That's why." The old tom loved to warm himself on sunny days. He really shouldn't have been up in the rafters, but he went anyway. She puffed quietly at the thought.

"He told amazing stories too, like the best kind! I still remember a few of 'em." She looked over at Goosekit, "I could tell ya sometime if you're curious." Maybe after she practiced a little tho. Hoot told them way better than she ever could, and Meadow wanted to give them the telling that they deserved.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

8 MOONS

⟢

WINDCLAN

⟢

SONG

⟢

bio

 

[Goosekit]

GOOSEKIT, 1 Moon / Windclan Kit
A fluffy reddish brown tabby with dark paws, a matching white chest and tail tip, and big, dark green eyes.
Sister to Hootkit and Finchkit | Daughter to Owlbear and Bushrunner
An adventurous young cat who aspires to be many things, but most of all to be even half as great a warrior as those she grows up around.

---

Goosekit's ear twitched in delight at the nickname Meadowpaw had just bestowed upon her. 'Goosey.' She liked that! By that logic, would Meadowpaw then be called... Meadowy? Meadopawy? Meady? ...She'd think it over some. She should probably pay attention to the actual content of Meadowpaw's words - they sounded like they were real important.

So... cats didn't actually want to go to Starclan? They had no choice but to go there sometimes? That made more sense. From everything Goosekit had heard of her grandfather, he just didn't seem like the type of cat to go leave his family behind without a good reason to. And, according to Meadowpaw, Hoot really did want to meet Goosekit, if he had ever gotten the chance to. "Hmm... Good," Goosekit mumbled back, "Cause I wanted to meet him, too. So, if we both really wanted it, it's bound to happen someday." She wanted to believe that, at least. And with the way Meadowpaw continued to describe Grandpa Hoot, how could Goosekit not want to meet him? Kind, brave, giving, strong... All traits only the stoutest of warriors possessed. Hoot may not have ever gotten to see the clan form, but he surely embodied the heart and soul of Windclan!

And if all brave cats go to Starclan... "That's easy, then!" Goosekit declared with a puffed up chest. "I just have to be brave and then one day I get to meet Grandpa myself? Then we'll be meeting for sure! Being brave is easy - you just have to not get scared." Not that Goosekit had experienced anything truly fear-inducing yet, of course. Her bravery was sure to be tested many times before she would join Hoot in Starclan.

As Meadowpaw went on to further describe Hoot, Goosekit found herself enthralled, utterly enraptured by the kind, sincere manner in which the apprentice spoke. Meadowpaw spoke with a genuine respect that couldn't be faked, only earned. Goosekit may not have known what a sunflower was, but she was certain she'd soon be annoying Owlbear by asking her if every flower she stumbled upon was a sunflower until the answer she received was a 'yes.' Then, she'd gather as many as she could find to help remind all of Windclan of Hoot. "He sounds so cool..." Goosekit eventually meowed in amazement, her eyes wide and her mouth spread into a wide smile. "I get to be related to someone that cool? That's so... Cool!" She'd learn more descriptors eventually.

"Oh! I wanna hear stories!" Goosekit happily meowed. She began to jump and pounce around Meadowpaw in excitement, darting in circles around the older cat until she'd exerted some of the energy that had been building inside of her. Once she stumbled to a stop back in front of the she-cat, she kneaded the grass with her paws expectantly, her tail upright behind her. "Are they about Starclan? Oh, or the other clans? I know there's Riverclan, and, um, Shadowclan, and... Thunderclan!" She was a clan short, but that hardly stopped her excitement. "You gotta tell! At least one! Pleeease Meadowpawy?"