Goosefeather's Curse/Chapter 1

Chapter Summary

 * One of ThunderClan's elders start off by telling Goosekit a story about the ferocious TigerClan leader, who threatens another warrior with a battle to their leader if they don't leave the forest. Goosekit is spooked, and the elder calms him, reassuring him that it's only a story. Goosekit exclaims that TigerClan is so mean, and he hears his mother calling him. Goosekit is reluctant to go, for he wants to hear the ending of the story so that he would know what to do if TigerClan were to attack, but the elder reassures him that they'll finish it another time. He rushes over to her, in which she scolds him for staying inside dens when it is a beautiful day and he can play. As Goosekit emerges into the clearing, Heronkit, his brother, accidentally rams a moss ball into him, and he runs over to him, asking if he got hurt. Goosekit replies that he's fine, and he didn't see the moss ball coming. Moonkit, Goosekit's sister, demands that he gets up, for she wants to play with him. Goosekit doesn't join, however, Poppykit does. Daisytoe encourages Goosekit to join in games more, as he won't get hurt. Goosekit is skeptical, bringing up the fact that Rabbitkit had gone to Cloudberry's den and it wasn't for natural causes. Daisytoe tells him that Rabbitkit had gone for getting a thorn stuck in his nose.


 * Goosekit complains that he doesn't want to stay his size forever, thinking that he'll never grow big enough to be a warrior. Daisytoe tries to explain that isn't what she meant, but she is cut off by Larksong, who had just returned from a hunting patrol. She describes the prey as "pratically falling" into their paws, and notes that Daisytoe would've loved to been there. Daisytoe replies that maybe next moon, but her main priority is getting her kits weaned first. Rooktail, Daisytoe's mate, brings her a squirrel as he had joined the same hunting patrol that Larksong led. Stormpaw emerges from the other side of the clearing, gasping at Goosekit, asking if it's a lump of moss shaped like him. He says that he hasn't seen him outside in days, and comments to Rooktail that his son doesn't melt in the sunlight. Rooktail tells Stormpaw to stop, and Moonkit runs over to him, showing him a move that he had taught her. Stormpaw praises her by telling her she scared him for good. He asks if Moonkit would want to help him feed the elders, but Rooktail doesn't allow it, saying that Stormpaw shouldn't let kits do duties for him.


 * Moonkit announces that she wants Stormpaw as a mentor when she's an apprentice, but Goosekit scoffs, saying that he won't be as he'd only be a new warrior. Moonkit says that he'll be the best warrior in ThunderClan, even better than Doestar. Stormpaw, seeming embarrassed, takes a blackbird and goes with Moonkit to feed the elders. They almost bump into a slender white tom, but thankfully they miss, and Adderpaw comes over, offering Goosekit a mouse he had caught himself. Goosekit is reluctant, noting that fresh kill made his jaws hurt, but Goosekit tries to eat it regardless. However, Nettlebreeze, the Clan's oldest elder, takes it from him, saying that apart of the warrior code, elders should eat first and kits should learn to respect their elders. Goosekit thinks that he is the oldest cat in all of the Clans, and that he was probably alive when the Great Oaks were less than saplings. He thinks about being at a Gathering, nerved by the amount of cats that would be there. He realizes that he is uncomfortable enough as it is with the amount of ThunderClan cats in the camp, and he can't imagine being okay at a Gathering.


 * While going to the nursery, Goosekit passes Rabbitkit and Heronkit playing together. He tries to go into the nursery, but Daisytoe pushes him away, asking him to stay outside with her. She asks if he wants to play with his denmates. Goosekit refuses, wanting to stay with Daisytoe and expressing his uncomfortable feelings about the amount of cats around him. Daisytoe tells him that they are his Clanmates, and will always look after him, but Goosekit says Stormpaw won't. He tells Daisytoe that there will be a badger one day, and Stormpaw will leave him to fight it on his own. Daisytoe scolds him, saying his imagination is running away with him. She reminds Goosekit that he hadn't even seen a badger before. Goosekit argues, saying he knows what they look like. He says that they are angry and eat kits, and Daisytoe tells him that he'll train hard and be a strong warrior to fight the badgers off on his own. She tells him to stop listening to the elders' stories, for she believes they are driving mouse-brained ideas in his head. Goosekit murmurs that he's going to be scared, and he states that Stormpaw is the meanest cat in ThunderClan.

Important Events

 * Rusty meets the forest cats for the first time.