The Barn Cat

Chapter Nine

    Mistfoot stomped away angrily, her tail swinging with irritation. She didn't want to be out here longer with these cats than she had to be, so why did they want her to be so friendly with them? They know that when they return back to the clans with the black tom that they all will have to forget this journey with each other ever happened, right? They couldn't always stay friendly; they would have to fight each other when they arrived back to their clans.

   The gray blue she-cat padded over to a tree and sat down with a grunt of exasperation. She just wanted to be home, curled up with Splashclaw in a nest of their own. She missed the gray tom. It hurt having to be away from him for this long. What if something happens to him while she is gone? What if she returns and he isn't there? No, she stopped herself from her terrifying thoughts, he'll be fine when I get home. He'll be proud of me, and we'll be mates and have our own kits together. She glanced up at the sky, wishing that time would be now. Who knows how long it will take to have that life with Splashclaw? This journey could take moons.

    "Hey, Mistfoot." A quiet voice startled her, letting her spit a hiss and jump to her paws, unsheathing her claws. A calico tom jumped a pace backward, surprise lighting his yellow eyes. "Woah, calm down. I've just come to apologize." "You stupid fur-ball," Mistfoot spat. "I could've sliced your ears off." "I know, I know," he padded over to her, cautiously. "I'm sorry Mistfoot, I shouldn't have called you a wet-rat." "I don't care, Leafstride," she muttered. The tom sat down next to her, making her feel awkward. They sat in silence for a bit, Mistfoot was having a difficult time trying to figure out what to say to him. "Calling you a wet-rat isn't what made you snap, was it?" Leafstride's mew was still quiet, as if he was trying not to anger Mistfoot again. "No." Mistfoot's reply was short, as she was trying to keep herself calm. "You regret coming, don't you?" The tom's mew was sympathetic, "I miss home too, Mistfoot. We all do. We just need to seek the best in this journey that we can, it'll make it better and easier for all of us."

  "None of you seem like you miss home," Mistfoot snarled, "making your own Tinyclan. How stupid is that?" "They were just having fun," Leafstride didn't sound sympathetic anymore, more defensive Mistfoot would say. "They're making the best out of this they can, it's helping with everyone's sadness and uncertainty of this trip." "They shouldn't be doing it like that," Mistfoot grunted, "they should remember which clan they belong to and the cats that are in it." "You're not the only one who's missing someone Mistfoot," Leafstride was getting upset now. "We all had to leave someone we loved or cared about back home in the clans, not just you. Some of us had to lose things we cared about deeply before we even accepted to go on this quest." His voice cracked. "Stop thinking only about yourself. You're not the only cat from a clan y'know. We're all clan in heart and blood, maybe not from the same ones, but in the same code. So, we can either be united as one together and get this journey over quickly and easily. Or we can hate each other and make this journey go slow and be miserable the whole time." Mistfoot watched as he got to his paws, "I've already chosen what I want to do." He shook out his pelt as he stared deep into Mistfoot's eyes, "now you get to pick what you want to do. Have this journey be awful or have a good time and learn as you go." Mistfoot glanced down at her paws in silence, not wanting to look at the calico tom anymore. A few moments crept by, and Leafstride sighed. "Fine, I see what you chose. Don't blame us for this being a hard trip on you." Mistfoot heard him walking away, sadness flickering in her belly.

    What would Splashclaw think if the cats came back with the tom and all he heard was about how Mistfoot was a grump the whole time? He wouldn't be proud of her, possibly even not want her as a mate anymore. Mistfoot felt a longing hope, that's all she wanted. To be Splashclaws mate. She closed her eyes for a moment, then jumped to her paws and chased after Leafstride. "Leafstride. Leafstride, wait!" She called to him. She caught a glimpse of him ahead, staring back towards her. "I want to make this trip easier for everyone else," Mistfoot mewed quietly. Leafstride gave her a warm look, "I knew you would decide that. As much as you hate others to think you're weak," the tom started padding away again, "you're just hurting on the inside. Now, c'mon, let's go." 

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"We're back," Leafstride called as he and Mistfoot reached the clearing again. Palepaw and Ivypaw glanced over to them, their expressions looking shocked. Mistfoot noticed them sitting very close to each other, like her and Splashclaw used to. Leafstride didn't seem to notice or didn't seem to care as he stared at Brightside, who was curled up on the floor. "Did he sleep the whole time?" He asked, as Ivypaw came trotting over to him. "We were supposed to wake him if we needed him," Ivypaw shrugged, "he was tired." Leafstride prodded the large tom until he lifted his head drowsily, "what?" "Do Mistclan warriors normally take naps in the middle of the day?" Leafstride asked him. "Oh, you're back," Brightshade pulled himself to his paws, looking like he was struggling to do so. "Let's go." Leafstride let out a slightly annoyed but happy sigh, "yep. Let's go."

    The five cats started trailing along near the river side, going upstream a few tail lengths away from the river. None of them seemed to like walking to close, as the ground was mushy and slimy. Leafstride didn't seem to mind though, since he walked closest to the river. He probably doesn't mind because he has a piece of territory like that. Mistfoot remembered her old mentor, Oakstem, telling her about it. The thought of having territory like that sent a disgusted shiver down her spine, it must smell awful. Fireclan did, however, have the Running River go mostly through her clan territory, as did Fogclan. Mistfoot glanced at Palepaw, who was walking with annoyed long strides next to Brightshade. She didn't understand how Mistclan cats would be fine living with pools of water everywhere in their territory. Even their camp was a little island, surrounded by water.

    The cats traveled for a while, the sun high above their heads now. "How far do you think this," Brightshade paused, "barn-cat is?" Leafstride shrugged, "who knows? It could take moons before we find them." Palepaw let out a little gasp, "what if we take so long that I lose all my apprentice training Lightningstar decides not to make me a warrior?" "I don't think she will do that to you, Palepaw," Leafstride assured her. The calico tom sent a knowing glance to Ivypaw as well, "Springstar won't do that to you either, Ivypaw. He'll understand." Ivypaw nodded, "I know." Mistfoot couldn't stop thinking about what her clan would say when she arrived home. What would Silverstar say? Would she be mad at Mistfoot for leaving? Or proud that Starclan had chosen her to go? What would Splashclaw think?

   Mistfoot felt a pang of sadness as she remembered the handsome the gray tom. What about Littlefur? Mistfoot nearly let out a gasp as she remembered Fireclan's medicine cat. Who also happened to be the only kin related to Mistfoot's dead mother, Shadowbreeze, that she had left. What if I get back and Runningjaw, her father, Blueheart's father, had joined Starclan? Her paws started to feel heavy as she started longing to go home. She just wanted to go home and be one with her clan again. "Mistfoot." Leafstride's voice broke into her thoughts, and she glanced over to the tom. "What?" "We were talking about hunting," Leafstride's whiskers twitched with amusment, "but I think you were too busy thinking about something else. So, I doubt you're hungry." He was right, Mistfoot wasn't hungry at all. She dipped her head, "I can go on for a while longer." Leafstride nodded, then turned his gaze to Brightshade, "sorry Brightshade, that's four to one. We'll hunt later." Brightshade's ear flicked, and he let out an annoyed grunt, "of course." "Warriors don't sulk," Palepaw corrected him, her head held high.

    The dark-gray tabby tom lifted his head in shock, "I am not sulking." "Now you sound like a kit who just got in trouble," Ivypaw sneered, though Mistfoot could tell he was teasing. "What would you know? You're an apprentice anyway," Brightshade mewed. "A tiny apprentice," Leafstride coughed the words, sending a playful glance at the black apprentice. "Tiny?" Ivypaw fluffed out his fur, "want me to show you tiny?" Leafstride flicked his tail, "go for it." Ivypaw sent into full sprint at the calico tom, jumping at him, claws sheathed. Leafstride ducked to the side, sending Ivypaw rolling into the river mush. "Hey," Palepaw mewed playfully, "now you look and smell like a badger!" "Okay, now you're all in for it," Ivypaw charged into the circle of cats, with a devious expression. Before any of the cats could react, he started shaking out his mush-covered black pelt, sending the mud flying to the other cats.

    Mistfoot gasped and jumped backwards, dodging the awful stuff. "What did I do?" Ivypaw shrugged, "you were just in the way." If it weren't for his friendly glance, Mistfoot would have thrown dirt at him. "So we're not allowed to hunt but we can play fight each other?" Brightshade let out grumpy snort. "Guess so," Leafstride shrugged. "Let's get moving," Mistfoot started pacing faster, taking leadership of the group. "The faster we find this barn-cat, the faster we can go home," she sent a glance over her shoulder before anyone could think she was cross with them. "Together."