Goosesong

A muscular, longhaired silver and white mackerel tabby tom with aqua eyes

Goosesong is a large, long-furred silver tabby tom with dull aqua eyes that carry a hint of intensity. His ears are adorned with soft grey tufts of fur, and he has a white coat on his muzzle, chest, underbelly, tail, and paws. His muscular build makes him well suited for colder weather, it’s glossy and sleek texture allow him to swim and fish with ease. Despite his serious demeanor, and large, muscular stature, there’s a quiet kindness in his eyes that few gets to see. His striped fur often glistens in the sunlight. Goosesong moves with intention and precision, showcasing his disciplined character.

Goosesong is a stoic tom with a blunt and strict demeanor, regularly articulating his ideas directly. He holds himself to high standards, ensuring discipline and order in every aspect of his life. Despite his toughened exterior, Goosesong possesses an unexpectedly gentle nature, frequently displaying subtle gestures of kindness and affection to those he holds dear. His unwavering loyalty drives him to protect and support his loved ones, even if it means setting aside his stern nature.

• Born in the Moon of First Fishing (2018) 108
• Made an Apprentice as Goosepaw in RiverClan during the Moon of First White (2018) 114
• Named a Warrior as Goosesong in RiverClan during the Moon of First Fishing (2019) 120
• Acknowledged as a Senior Warrior as Goosesong in RiverClan during the Moon of Leopard's Rest (2020) 141

Kithood:

As a kit, Goosekit was always the quiet observer, preferring to watch his sister play from a distance rather than join in. His father, a stoic and disciplined warrior named Stoneclaw, often emphasized the importance of strength and resilience. Goosekit admired his father’s unwavering dedication to RiverClan, and this admiration quickly turned into determination to live up to high standards set by his father. Willowfall, his mother, was a kind-hearted individual who fostered his gentler nature, nurturing his development with affection and care.

Apprenticeship:

Once Goosekit became Goosepaw, he was placed under the guidance of a strict mentor renowned for being especially tough on their apprentices. His mentor’s rigorous training regimen and high expectations pushed Goosepaw to his limits, both physically and mentally. Although he struggled at first, he gradually developed a sense of discipline and resilience that mirrored his mentor’s own demeanor. His mentor’s harsh methods taught him to control his emotions and focus on his duties, instilling in him the stoic nature he harbors to this day.

Throughout his apprenticeship, Goosepaw bare witness to the loss of his sister, Reedpaw in a tragic accident while fishing in which resulted in her drowning. This event had a profound impact on him, further solidifying his resolve for being strong and unwavering in the face of adversity. He channeled his grief into his training, pushing himself even harder to honor Reedpaw’s memory. His period of intense hardship and growth was pivotal in shaping Goosepaw into the warrior he would become.

Warriorhood:

As a freshly appointed warrior, Goosesong maintained the rigorous discipline he acquired during his training, with the ability to remain calm under serious pressure and remained having his undying dedication to his clan. His stoic nature made him rather quiet around his Clanmates, often not speaking unless it was truly necessary in any situation. Despite his stern exterior, Goosesong never forgot the lessons of kindness and empathy taught by his mother, quietly showing acts of care to those in need.

As RiverClan and all the clans faced harsh leaf-bares, with prey scarce and tensions high, Goosesong’s stoicism was further put to the test. He took it upon himself to volunteer for hunting patrols to ensure that all the clan was fed and cared for. His calm and careful thinking would have helped the clan navigate the difficult season in his head, though it was a job so all warriors to help out the clan during difficult times, so he wasn’t exactly proud for simply volunteering.

Over time, Goosesong remained steadfastly loyal and dedicated to the clan, carefully considering decisions during critical moments, yet always allowing Boldstar and his deputy to make the final calls regarding clan matters. Despite his heavy responsibilities, he remained steadfast and unflinching, always putting the needs of his Clan above his own. His journey from a quiet kit to a stern and stoic warrior was marked by personal loss, rigorous training and the gradual opening of his heart to those he cared for, making him a rather well-rounded warrior he is today.

Unexpectedly, on the Moon of Leopard’s Rest (2020) Boldstar had pulled him aside and requested he mentor one of his kits, Goosesong agreed on the internal thought that he may not have the opportunity to mentor an apprentice if he refused. And so, on the 20th day of Leopard’s Rest, he was given Stormpaw to pass down his knowledge of the warrior code and all that he could possibly do to help her become a warrior. He was given her based under the guise of his caring and honesty and took the challenge with honor and pride.

However, Stormpaw proved to be more of a challenge than Goosesong had originally thought, often trying to contradict him and purposefully disobey direct orders if she thought they made no sense while there was reason behind them that he knew would keep her safe. It frustrated him, but not enough to make his calculated shell crack.

But Stormpaw did learn quick, she may have been a loose canon and rather unpredicatable but she had a loyalty to RiverClan that Goosesong knew went deep within her and her building skill was admirable to say the least. Regardless of her dislike of himself, Goosesong was still fond of his apprentice, watching the small things she did while ignoring the big, annoyed gestures that she showed outwardly, hoping at one point, she would be able to appreciate the work that he had put in, but he didn’t have much faith in those odds.

While training Stormpaw as a senior warrior, he had formed a friendship with another, Cottonbright, mentor to Sturgeonpaw, one of Stormpaw’s littermates. Cottonbright and Goosesong got along well, she didn’t try and make him say anything he wasn’t comfortable with, and he even comforted her after the death of Alderfly, her agemate, that was caused by a tortoiseshell rogue that had also been terrorising the other clans.

He knew one thing was for certain however: Cottonbright was someone that Goosesong couldn’t risk losing.

On the last moon of Stormpaw’s training (First Green 2021) Goosesong had taken her out to recall a few of her training skills and hone her swimming ability. While she did well, she still had her attitude towards him that he couldn’t really shake out of her. He assumed that was just how Stormpaw was going to be. However, in the fishing sector of the session planned out, Stormpaw go overzealous and swam into the river after a catfish, she flailed about the with large fish and Goosesong’s memories flooded with that same day that Reedpaw had fallen beneath the surface and never got up again.

He had to do something, so he acted quickly, pulling Stormpaw out of the river by the tail of the catfish until she had gripped the shore, after the catfish was killed, they brought it back to camp, he didn’t scold her, she wouldn’t listen anyway – ruling it off as another lecture that would get lost in the wind. Instead he decided to spend some time just outside of camp with the territory. Cottonbright had decided to join him and it eased his concerns, he was sure that Stormpaw would make a strong warrior. That’s what mattered.

• A Chat Long Awaited (4LR'20)
• A Goose Chasing a Flower (15MW'21)
• A Song By The Bay (16LN'20)
• And the cold winds blow (14TW'20)
• Claws in the Quiet (13FG'21)
• Cotton n’ Feathers (27TW'20)
• Frozen Over (4MW'21)
• In dappled moonlight comes the call (14TL'20)
• Meltwater Mornings (23FG'21)
• Oh, Mr. Toulouse! (24MW'21)
• Ray of Amber (8LR'20)
• Sharp Claws and Keen Gazes (5TW'20)
• The Cold Sets In (11TW'20)
• The Report of the Season (6MW'21)
• Traversing the Territory (7MW'21)
• Urtica dioica in the dawn light (22TL'20)
• Watered Roses (6MW'21)
• You can’t see how deep it is (12FF'21)

Friend/s
– Cottonbright (A large nearly all white she-cat with small ears and paws and lime eyes): Goosesong had bonded with Cottonbright while comforting her over her concerns about mentoring, the two both bonding over being senior warriors. Goosesong’s first and one of his current living friends.
– Reedpaw (A dark grey and white mackerel tabby with blue eyes and tufted ears): Goosesong’s late littermate, the two were near inseparable when they were young, when she had died it had left a hole within him that he is trying his best to fill.
– Tangleloon (A curly coated chocolate point bicolor tom with pale green eyes): Tangleloon had once trained under Goosesong’s sire, Stoneclaw and the two have somewhat of a sibling-like bond, Goosesong finds Tangleloon’s quirks somewhat endearing.

Scent – River water and fresh moss

• Voice Claim: Hans Gruber – Die Hard