SPRUCEGOOSE
MeadowClan Deputy | 78 moons old at death | art by @rainstride
Sprucekit and his sibling Muddykit were born to a MeadowClan cat named Cloudyhill. Their kithood was joyous, full of fun and laughter. Sprucekit always loved a good joke, though it became apparent to many around him that he didn't actually know what a good joke was. He would say things just slightly off from a normal joke and crack up. Other times he would leave little ladybugs around his sister's nest 'as a joke', which turned out to be alright because she really liked them. They just didn't make her laugh.
Sprucekit was never a very adventurous kit, one could even describe him as shy. In truth, he was afraid of getting in trouble with their mother if they strayed too far from her, so he was diligent in keeping himself within eyesight, sometimes ensuring this was true by staring directly at her - after all, if he could see her, then she could see him. His mother found it endearing, but this behavior usually ended with Muddykit tackling him for not paying attention to the game she was trying to get him to play.
One day, Muddykit was determined to explore more of the camp and insisted she couldn't go alone. It took her all morning, but she managed to convince her brother they should inspect the den that all the elders used. Sprucekit took one look inside at the elders sharing a meal and fluffed up three times his normal size. Yes, these were his Clanmates, but he didn't know then, and he never met a cat without his mother around. Muddykit had pushed him inside, right into an elder named Iriscreek. Sprucekit burst into tears and the den burst into soothing coos and platitudes in an attempt to soothe the kit. Iriscreek wrapped a large paw around him, giving him a few gentle pats and telling him to be brave. It took a little time, but he eventually settled down enough to to listen to a story from the old tom about his life before coming to MeadowClan. Sprucekit was captivated, asking questions and looking to the others when they chimed in with similar stories. After that, if you were ever looking for the kit he could be found sprawled out beside the elders, begging for another story.
Time passed and the siblings became Sprucepaw and Muddypaw. Much of their training was spent together, the two learning and growing together. Sprucepaw was an overall average apprentice, not excelling in any particular field, though he dutifully tried to specialize in hunting. He continued to return to the elders’ den during his apprenticeship, choosing to share meals with them over other apprentices. He always wanted to tell them about what he’d learned, or ask if they had done things differently when they were warriors. Sometimes he just wanted to see how their day had been. He often spent a good deal of time changing out their bedding, insisting with their sore joints that they needed somewhere comfortable to relax. Most nest materials flattened too quickly for his taste, something he found frustrating.
When it came time for Muddypaw and Sprucepaw to come up with their thesis, Sprucepaw was at a loss. Mentors tried to help him, but nothing sounded interesting or important enough. None of his warrior skills were remarkable enough to work on to come up with a thesis. If he couldn’t come up with one, how was he supposed to become a warrior? Of course, the elders all heard his lamentations. Iriscreek snorted at him, joking that he could build a fancy nest to impress the council, maybe something he could actually lean on. Surprisingly, this was what Sprucepaw latched onto. All he had to do was make a nest with support, and he was already pretty good at nest building.
It took him a little time, but with the help of the elders testing out his nests, Sprucepaw was able to construct a nest with a woven base of small sticks. Through this he wove in grasses and moss, lining it with goose feathers for extra softness. It might not have been the most exciting thesis they ever saw, but the council liked it enough that they granted him his warrior name. Sprucegoose didn’t even mind that it rhymed, he was just proud he was able to get his name doing something to help the elders.
After that, things were good for Sprucegoose. Life was simple, not much to worry about. When Muddybud began to volunteer to mentor new apprentices, Sprucegoose did too. He still loved his sister and he wanted to help the Clan. He found that after spending so much time with elders he didn’t quite understand younger cats. They were emotional and confusing, not always focused on whatever lesson he was trying to give. This isn’t to say his lessons were good, they were mediocre at best, but they were basic enough that young apprentices would understand them. His most useful lesson was always nest building, and cats usually tried to focus during that one. This was usually when he’d try to joke with them in his odd way, met with only silence or forced laughter. Still, he continued to train in various subjects because no one told him to stop. Sprucegoose went on like this for seasons, content with his life. The elders he grew up with passed on and he grieved for them deeply, but he always had time to spare for any cat in the elder’s den.
He was uncomfortable with the strange leadership changes happening in MeadowClan. Poppyshower was a good choice, of course, but when she became Poppystar and named Pineshadow her deputy, he was surprised, thinking the two didn’t get along. Sprucegoose didn’t actually care that much, though, and quickly moved on with his life as he always did. When Poppystar passed it was tragic, something the whole Clan mourned. He wasn’t prepared for Pineshadow to return having changed her name to Needlestar, and name him of all cats as her deputy.
Well, if his Clan needed him. Sprucegoose had been an average apprentice, an average warrior, and he was a subpar deputy. He did the best he could, but his version of the best was barely the minimum, and if there was a day he met the minimum, cats could consider it good. It wasn’t for lack of trying, it was simply that he’d never paid much mind to what the deputy did. Why should he? Despite this, something about the promotion got to his head. To have Needlstar name him her deputy changed his perception of their relationship. Where before he’d considered her just another apprentice, now she was his apprentice and needed his support. Most of this support came in the form of telling people how good of friends they were and joining her for meals whether she liked it or not. He was sure she would have stayed to eat with him most meals if her stomach wasn’t so unwell.
Rains came and stayed for some time, soaking into the ground and forming little rivulets between the grasses. It stifled him, making the air and his fur alike in their humidity, a gross feeling. The rare sunny day in between the rain was a chance he wouldn’t miss. Sprucegoose never really went to the Hissing Stones, but the stones in the warm sun sounded so inviting after all the damp. He went, his paws confident as he moved over the boulders. He was thinking about the prank he pulled on his sister when it happened, the snake’s teeth meeting his leg. Perhaps that was why he hadn’t heard the rattling, he’d been thinking of the ladybugs Muddybud would find in her nest when she returned from her patrol. His leg stung and he let out a hiss, snapping at the snake. He managed to get it, the small beast coming to a final rest on the stones alongside him. He hoped Muddybud smiled when she saw his prank.
