The forgotten side of Goosefeather by Mellowix

Mellowix shares their opinion on ThunderClan’s strange medicine cat, Goosefeather.

I believe Goosefeather is misunderstood. Many interpret this as him as a mad, yet ultimately caring cat trying to do his best, who was unfairly blamed by his Clanmates. However, I take it the opposite way. I believe Goosefeather has many overlooked actions, that relieve a cruel and negligent individual. And I dare I say it, I believe he deserves the Dark Forest.

We’ll start with his most minor crime to his worst:

1) He constantly abandoned his duties to either search for unproven omens or laze off.

Most notable examples are Leopardfoot’s birth or Spottedpaw’s injuries. Medicine cat is a serious job, that can’t afforded to slacked off on. It deals with Clanmates lives. Goosefeather should of retired much sooner or become a warrior, if he wasn’t taking his Medcine cat duties seriously. Specially since he was also wasting his apprentice, Featherwhisker’s time, as he constantly needed to check his mentor was doing his job.

2) He gets Whitekit isolated from his father, without speaking to any suitable parties, not the father, leader or deputy.

This was long before the Spottedpaw and Tiny situation, so has nothing to prove Thistleclaw was dangerous to point of doing this. He’s still Whitekit’s father, and should have the same rights as such. He should of been spoken to until Whitekit was isolated from him, specially since the mother is dead. Goosefeather is only one authority figure and doesn’t actually make any chooses for the Clan, he’d adviser at most. Plus, when going through the major choose to separating a kit and father, it should seriously be run through the Leader first.

3) He’s shown to be aware of Spottedpaw and Thistleclaw’s relationship when he off-handedly mentions she “loves foolishly”. However, does nothing to about it, not even reporting it.

This is not normal for Clan culture, as apprentices have never become parents for a reasons. Dustpelt merely had feelings for Fernpaw, but he kept it to himself until she was a consenting adult/warrior. Thistleclaw on the other hand, used manipulating tactics/advancements on Spottedpaw, while she was still an apprentice. She even pointed this out in her PoV. Goosefeather should of reported it, regardless if he knew or not about her specific Dark Forest training.

4) He’s shown making regular trips to the Dark Forest. He does nothing to warn the Trainees themselves like Croookedjaw or the Clans they’re attempting to take over .

Goosefeather still controls where he goes in the Afterlives with his powers. Jayfeather has similar abilities, and he only went to the Dark Forest once, while with Starclan cats. Also he used it for the important purpose of spying the Dark Forest’s battle plans on the Four Clans. However, Goosefeather is seen twice causally strolling around for no ethical reason. He oversees Young warriors being manipulated, like Crookedjaw, who’s he partly responsible for being there, and yet he does nothing to warn them. He knows the Clans’ young are being targeted by dangerous spirits and never once reports it.

5) He covered up Bluefur’s Forbidden Relationship.

If this is the cat he’s so persistent about BLuefur becoming Leader, shouldn’t Thunderclan have the right to know? This is their Leader who they’re supposed to trust. It’s not fair that both their leader and Medicine cat are lying to them.

6) He falsely accused Stormtail of attempting to murder with him with a badger.

This is major, as if it was taken seriously, Goosefeather could have got his innocent Clanmate exiled or seriously ruin his social life. Despite his mentor, sister and Stormtail himself pointing out he was getting help. For all his life, Goosefeather never apologised or admitted he was wrong.

7) Goosefeather got Thunderclan to attack Windclan unprovoked during Leafbare – Using the dirty method of destroying herbs, endangering the life of every Windclan cat, including kits and Elders. Also indirectly getting Moonflower killed.

One of the Field Guides stated Goosefeather read signs in the darkest ways possible. His own Clanmates doubted so much information could come from a signal vole. Highly suggesting it’s wasn’t a real prophecy, only Goosefeather’s ramblings. He’s allowed to come up with all the crazed nonsense he likes as long as it doesn’t hurt others. But that doesn’t give him the right to declare them real and pressure his Clanmates to risk their lives over it. And the part of destroying herbs was just unnecessary and down to Goosefeather’s own cruelty. This is why I don’t use excuse Bluestar’s or Goosefeather’s “madness” for their actions. If they sense they’re becoming mentally unstable, they should retire – Where they can’t abuse their authority. However they selfishly remain in their unearned positions and gets cats killed because of it. (Swiftpaw for Bluestar) That’s simply too extreme for the excuse of “Madness” to work for me.

The justification/excuse for Goosefeather is often his “curse”. It can called a disability of sorts – However Disabled cats who have challenges like Jayfeather’s blindness, Cinderpelt’s leg and Crookedstar’s jaw, never allowed it to abuse their authority so extremely, it literally getting cats killed. That’s in no way acceptable or excusable for Goosefeather.

8) After Pinestar had a dream from Starclan demanding he kill Tigerkit, Goosefeather tells him to listen. He’s telling a father to murder his only surviving infant. Goosefeather himself also acts aggressive towards Tigerkit.

It’s doesn’t matter what Tigerstar was in the future – At the time and place, Tigerkit was an innocent kit and Goosefeather just unhelpfully told his father to kill him. Instead he could of spoken properly to others – Pinestar, Leopardfoot, Tigerpaw himself, his future mentor etc. (Like simply suggesting anyone other than Thistleclaw) This could of been solved so more easily. So Thunderclan and Tigerclaw himself can watch out for an alarming signs later on in his life. If Goosefeather encouraged Tigerpaw to speak up/get therapy, Mapleshade acting as a second voice could of been uncovered and something could be figured out with Starclan to stop her.

If Goosefeather seriously thought he couldn’t do anything to avoid Tigerstar’s evil, then there’s no reason for him to tell his father to kill his infant son. Goosefeather has the pick one or the other: Take an active role to stop Tigerstar turning evil or let “future” take it course. But whatever he did, he shouldn’t automatically resort to the most extreme method of Child murder. He didn’t even attempt to do anything else, probably due to his sheer laziness. Tigerkit was innocent at the time, regardless of the future.

(Considering Whitekit has similarities to Tigerkit, having an omen that suggests he can a future evil – There’s a high possibility Goosefeather also considered having him killed, if isolating him from Thistleclaw didn’t work.)

9) He pressured Bluefur, a nursing queen to get rid of her kits at any rate. Didn’t care what happened to them, even if they ended up dead.

Bluefur: “StarClan made me sacrifice everything I loved. My kits—”
Goosefeather: “They’re alive, aren’t they?”
Bluefur: “Not Mosskit.”
Goosefeather: “StarClan will honor her loss.”
Bluefur: “What about my loss?””
Goosefeather:“It is small compared with the fate of your Clan.”

If Goosefeather assumed they were alive, he wouldn’t have to ask that question in the first place. Goosefeather didn’t give any advise to Bluefur. He just pressured a nursing Queen to get rid of her kits, not caring what happened to them afterwards. Meaning Goosefeather was fully accepting/aware that the three kits could end up dead somehow. Even hinting that he accepted/expected the possibility Bluefur had personally murdered them. Even if he didn’t, he was still expecting a Queen to relocate her kits in secret – Alone and in Leafbare. It was not safe was for them to be taken out of camp, they were 1 moon old. Proven by the fact Mosskit died because of the cold. Goosefeather didn’t care for her death, not showing a hint of genuine remorse and moving on instantly.

Reasonably, the goal should of been to solely prevent Thistleclaw from becoming leader. Which easily could of been done if Goosefeather had simply spoken to Sunstar about his vision or more appropriately, witnessing his Dark Forest training. Bluefur didn’t need to become Deputy, it literally just needed to be anyone other than Thistleclaw. Getting rid of Bluefur’s young litter was completely unnecessary.

10) He attacked two kits next to a river as a Medicine cat – Basically attampted murder. Stormkit broke his jaw and almost died. And unlike his other crimes, there’s no grand purpose behind it, he almost killed two kits for no reason.

“The tom’s gaze narrowed. “How dare you?” His ears flattened. […] “He’s going to kill us!” Oakkit croaked. “Run!” Stormkit turned and scrambled through the mallow. He skidded to a halt on the first stone, then leaped again. Oakkit landed beside him. “Help!” he wailed as his hind paws slipped off the stone. Stormkit grabbed his brother’s scruff before Oakkit could slide into the swirling river. “Thanks!” Oakkit regained his balance and jumped for the next stone. The tom yowled behind them. Stormkit hurtled after his brother. “You don’t get away from Goosefeather that easily!” the old cat snarled. Stormkit felt hot breath on his heels and jagged claws spiked his tail. Unbalanced, he leaped for the final stone. His paws hit water as he plunged into the river.” – Crookedstar’s Promise.

It doesn’t matter if the kits were misbehaving, it’s strictly against the warrior code to harm any kit, doubly worse since Goosefeather is a Medicine cat. He’s the reason they hastily ran across the Stepping Stones in the first place, because he scared them with needless aggression. Then purposely made the situation worse by carrying on to chase and shout at them, while they were in the vulnerable position of standing above a river.

He was noted to have his claws out and scratched Stormkit’s tail. It’s an easily foreseeable event that the kits’ lives were endangered by his actions of attacking them near a river – Which is why I label it attempted murder.