Goosepaw bounded through SkyClan's territory. Oh! How exciting he thought this was! Well, not the falling out of a tree and dying part, but being chosen by StarClan for such a special mission. He'd really stick that to his no-good denmates back home who always made fun of him and called him useless.

Using his nose as Aspenflight had told him, the young apprentice caught whiff of a patrol's scent. This'll be easier then I thought! He chirped to himself, enthusiastically. He sped off faster towards the patrol.

When he neared, Goosepaw launched himself into a tree. He steadied himself on a branch, and waited for the patrol to approach. It didn't take long and when they were right below him he leapt from the tree in an awkward manner, making it seem like he had fallen. At least it wasn't a long fall, like the fall that had taken his life. This one was only a couple of tail-lengths.

One of the cats in the patrol, an apprentice, jumped back in surprise and screamed as the floof of white and black fur landed in front of her. The other, a much larger she-cat, pinned her ears back and barred her teeth in aggression at the new 'threat' in front of her.

From his spot on the ground, Goosepaw gazed up at the aggressive warrior. "Oh, hey there," he said, not phased by her ferocity. It was an act, he was sure. A SkyClanner – even in this time – would never straight out attack a cat looking as defense as he.

"What are you doing on our territory?" the she-cat growled and snapped her tail back and forth.

"Just hanging around," Goosepaw flicked his one black ear. "Or well I was until I fell out of the tree. Not imitating a goose very well, which I was trying to."

"Geese don't go in trees?" The smaller cat cocked her head to the side, having recovered from having the living daylights scared out of her by Goosepaw.

"Really?" He rolled over and got to his paws. "Well then what do geese do? I've decided I want to be one." The two cats were just staring at him, the older she-cat's scrunched up face had turned to a look of confusion.

"Applestorm? Rosepaw? What's going on over there?" A voice called from beyond some bushes and a gray she-cat walked out.

The warrior shook her head. "I don't even know, Featherleaf."

"Oh!" Featherleaf exclaimed when she saw Goosepaw. "You found a kit!" He was going to complain that he wasn't a kit but the gray she-cat kept going. "Shame on both of you! You probably scared him! Now, little one, are you hurt anywhere?"

"Scared him?" The apprentice – Rosepaw - questioned. "He fell out of the tree and scared me from my pelt! And then he goes rattling on about being a goose. My, I think he might be a tad insane!"

"Geese are wonderful creatures," Featherleaf chirped. "Why don't we take you back to camp, little goose, and we can make sure you weren't hurt from your fall?" She looked at Applestorm. "Go on! Lead the way, you aren't deputy for nothing." The she-cat stared blankly for a minute before blinking and turning.

Goosepaw couldn't believe how well that had worked. He was surely a genius.

Featherleaf ushered Goosepaw into the warm embraces of SkyClan's camp, following closely behind Applestorm and Rosepaw.

"Rowanmist!" The gray she-cat called as they entered camp. "Rowanmist!" Goosepaw noticed Applestorm and Rosepaw pad off somewhere leaving him alone with Featherleaf for a moment.

"What?!" a ginger cat snapped as he exited a den. "I've told you before its perfectly normal for the kits to sleep at least-" He stopped suddenly as he noticed Goosepaw. "What did you bring back to camp."

"StarClan has graced us with a new kit for the Clan! He fell out of the sky, literally!" Featherleaf beamed.

"He's hardly a kit," grumbled Rowanmist as he approached the black and white tom. Thank you! I'm not a kit! Goosepaw thought to himself. "You look fine, despite apparently 'falling out of the sky.'"

"I fell out a tree, actually," Goosepaw told him. "I was trying to be a goose."

"You brought back a mad one, Featherleaf." The ginger tom shook his head. Goosepaw noticed Applestorm walking back over to them this time with a white tom at her side.

"Heronstar!" Featherleaf exclaimed. "Look what we found in our territory! Someone new to join the Clan!" She swished her tail back and forth. "I'm sure that StarClan sent him themselves."

The white tom looked at Goosepaw and for the first time today he felt a little unsure. His plan at gotten him this far but what if the leader rejected him? He didn't have anymore jokes up his paw.

"Do you want to join SkyClan?" Heronstar asked him suddenly. "Long legs – you'll climb trees nicely."

"He fell out of a tree! He nearly crushed me!" Rosepaw complained. Goosepaw hadn't noticed that she had returned as well.

"Well, I had wanted to be a goose," the black and white cat said. "But, I suppose I could give that up to be a member of this Clan."

"Wonderful," Heronstar said, not sounding very wondered. He padded off and then jumped up on a branch protruding from a thorn tree. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!"

Featherleaf purred as she ushered Goosepaw towards the base of the thorn tree. He looked around noticing only a few other cats had gathered except the ones he had already met. Was that all there was to SkyClan? His Clan back at home was easily four times the size.

"We have a new recruit to join our Clan," the leader said, somewhat dryly. "He shall now be known as Goosepaw, for spouting eternally about geese. Mapletuft, will be your mentor, pass on all that you know, or whatever. Dismissed." Heronstar jumped off the branch and disappeared into his den.

Goosepaw touched noses with a ginger and white she-cat. He then jumped in the air, excitedly. He knew if he kept talking about geese then he would be named Goosepaw!

"Is anybody else worried we let a cat who might possible be quite insane into our Clan?" Rosepaw questioned at the warriors still gathered.

"As much as I agree with you that he's quite mad, we need more warriors for the Clan," Rowanmist told her.

"Don't listen to them," Featherleaf approached Goosepaw and licked his head affectionately. "You're just spirited is all."

"Featherleaf!" a pair of small kits exclaimed as they ran up to the gray she-cat. "You're back!" The larger of the two exclaimed. "Did you bring us any prey?"

"I brought you something better! Goosepaw, meet my kits, Cloudkit and Graykit," Featherleaf said. Did she say her kits? Now, Goosepaw was confused. Queens didn't usually leave camp and go hunt for themselves. He said hello to the kits before they distracted themselves with chasing a butterfly.

"Featherleaf, why were you out hunting? Why not caring for your kits?" Goosepaw asked her. The gray queen gazed around the camp for a moment and the apprentice detected sadness in her eyes.

"Because there aren't enough warriors in this Clan," she answered. "Heronstar, Applestorm, your mentor, Mapletuft, and I are all there is." She then smiled. "But that's why StarClan sent you to us. They knew we needed you."

Goosepaw couldn't help but smile back at her. If she only knew that StarClan had actually sent him.