WARRIORS: THE STORM AHEAD

Chapter 6

Barktail and Fox arrived at the stray camp to find a whole assortment of yowls to choose from.

"Where were you?"
"What's all that blood?"
"You smell of fish and water!"
"Were you with Clan cats?"

The entire camp froze at the fourth protest. The strays turned to see that it was from Valentine.
Barktail met the eyes of his littermate.
"Yes."

Fox immediately turned around and Barktail took a couple steps back. The camp looked horrified, except for Patch, who's eyes burned with more anger Barktail had ever seen in the Clan cats.

"Why? Just why? Why would you ever have contact with Clan cats? You are forbid from camp for a moon as punishment. I'm disappointed in you." Patch said as Barktail lowered his head. He knew deep down that Patch was really worried in his son being taken, like Snowflower, or even worse, killed.

He turned to Fox, who's face was boiling with frustration. Barktail knew she was too angry to admit that the visit to the Clan territories was her fault.

Barktail sighed. Young strays couldn't bear to be stuck in camp for a day, let alone an entire moon.
I better get used to this.

...

Barktail found himself bored at night. He was thinking of Clan cats the whole day.
Sure, the Clan cats me and Fox encountered were bad, but there's so many more of them. They can't be all the same.

Barktail's pads twitched at each step he took to get out of camp. I just have to see.
In no time, Barktail came face to face with the border to the Clan territories. He slowly crept over into the marsh. The water he and Fox had been in last night stretched out before him.

Barktail jumped in shock when he saw cats creeping up on horseplace.
One was brown and white, another one was cream, and the last one was a gray tabby.
"Why do we have to do this at night?" the gray tabby grumbled.
"Froststar's orders, Minnowpool." the brown and white cat meowed.
"Seen anything yet, Mudspots?" the cream cat called.
"No." Mudspots mewed back. "No report of rogues or their scents on our territory. Let's get back to camp."
The Clan cat led Minnowpool and the cream cat into the trees. Barktail was shivering.

So now they've sent out cats at night for us.
the stray thought. How am I going to explore?
Barktail suddenly felt guilt, for he was supposed to be sleeping in his nest in camp.
The tom left.
Sorry, Clan cats. I won't be coming on your territory anymore.

...

Barktail reached his family den in no time. Patch, Autumn, and Valentine were curled up together in the middle. Barktail slid in beside them.

I want to live a normal life again.

...

Barktail woke, unmoving. He saw that a stray about as old as Patch, Dawnie, was asking Fox to go on a patrol to horseplace with her.
Fox hesitated, then she cast glances to where Barktail lay. She muttered something to Dawnie and padded away.

Barktail got out of his family den and found Fox sitting by the tiny puddle in the corner of camp. She twitched her ears, Barktail assumed it was to sense him.
"The puddle is hardly more than a speck now." the she-cat commented. "It'll evaporate soon."

Barktail was shocked at how gentle Fox was right now. Right after the encounter with the small Clan cat, she should've been the tiniest bit angry. But here she was, staring at a tiny speck of water, talking calmly to him.

He couldn't resist the urge to speak.
"Fox, I snuck out last night."
Fox whipped her head around to stare at Barktail. "Are you flea-brained? Why would you ever do that?"
"I just.. wanted to see." he mumbled. "I feel like... there's something the Clan cats are keeping from us."
"Snowflower." Fox snarled. Then she turned away into her family den.

Barktail could do nothing but just sit and watch her leave.