The Barn Cat

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ivypaw felt nervous when he caught eye of the warriors coming towards them, wondering how they would react. The only one he even recognized was Birdpaw, but she didn't look like a 'paw' anymore. Instantly, once the smell of the barn cats and other clan cats were caught in the wind and to the warriors, the Fireclan warriors' hackles raised, and they started trotting their way. Please see Mistfoot first, please see Mistfoot first. Then, they paused, Mistfoot and the warriors staring at each other. "Mistfoot?" The she-cat asked, shocked. "Hi, Mossynose." Mistfoot's mew was calm, although Ivypaw had the feeling she wasn't allowing the excitement or fear come out of her. "Where have you been?" Mossynose asked. "It's been moons!" The yellow tabby exclaimed. The warriors came bounding over to her, but their fur stood up along their backs again when they caught sight of all the other cats behind Mistfoot. "What's going on?" The black tom growled, eyeing Mistfoot suspiciously. "Clawstorm, I need to speak with Silverstar and the other leaders," Mistfoot mewed. "Those are the other clan cats that went missing!" Birdpaw mewed surprised. "That's Ivypaw! From Fogclan!" Ivypaw nodded, stepping forward, "nice to see you again, Birdpaw." Birdpaw puffed out her chest, "it's Birdstream now."

"You've gotten your warrior name?" Mistfoot asked, she sounded surprised. "Yeah, Shredfur did too," Birdstream answered easily. "Again, you've been gone for moons, Mistfoot," the yellow tabby mewed, looking sympathetically at her. "And what were you gone for? And who are all these cats?" Clawstorm demanded again. "I need to speak with Silverstar," Mistfoot answered with the same answer yet again, "and Littlefur." "Why were you with them?" The yellow tabby asked, nodding towards Ivypaw and Leafstride. "We were sent by Starclan," Palepaw mewed, pushing her way to the front of the group, Brightshade behind her. Mossynose nodded towards the barn cats, "to find them?" Palepaw nodded. "Why would Starclan fetch you, apprentice's, and three warriors, to go find a bunch of rogues?" Clawstorm sounded annoyed, like they were lying. "Because the clans are going to need their help," Leafstride answered, "now go get your leader." "No one tells a Fireclan warrior what to do," Clawstorm growled, "especially a run away Frostclan warrior." Mistfoot gave a small dip of her head to Clawstorm, then turned her gaze back to Leafstride, "if Clawstorm, Springfall, Mossynose, or Birdstream won't go fetch her, I will." Mistfoot padded into her territory, about to pass the warriors, but Clawstorm jumped in front of her.

"Woah woah woah, where do you think you're going?" He asked. Mistfoot just swerved around him, smoothly, "home. You also can't do anything to any of those cats, they aren't on our territory. Now, I'll be right back. I'm getting my leader." Clawstorm let out a deep growl and unsheathed his claws. Was he really about to attack his own clanmate? "Wait, Mistfoot." Mossynose stopped her in her tracks, "I'll go get Silverstar, you stay here." Mistfoot turned around, swishing her tail, clearing pleased with herself. "Thank you, Mossynose." Mossynose gave her a friendly nod, then took off into their territory. Mistfoot walked back over to the other clan cats, taking a spot next to Leafstride. "So, Birdstream," she mewed, "tell me what else is going on in the clan." Birdstream trotted over to Mistfoot, she clearly didn't care about how long Mistfoot had been gone.

The  light brown tabby she-cat sat in front of Mistfoot, her white belly, face, and paws seemed to be the brightest thing out since the sun was starting to fall. "Well, Oakstem is expecting Dustleap's kits in a couple of moons, and Sparkheart and Springsong's kits are apprentices now." Mistfoot's eyes widened, and she shifted her paws, "wow, I really have been gone a long time." Birdstream nodded, "you all have." She turned her gaze to Ivypaw, "your father lost his mind when you disappeared." Guilt hit Ivypaw's stomach, he had no words, so instead he stared at his paws. "Tornfur and Sunnyeyes really miss you too, Palepaw." Springfall chimed in. "Well, by the time we get home tonight, Palepaw will have her warrior name." Brightshade sounded proud of her. Palepaw stood up straight, keeping her chin held high. "And what do you expect us to do with all of them?" Clawstorm grunted, nodding towards the barn cats. Courage got to his paws this time, "we aren't here to stay, just to destroy the evil coming for us." "What do you mean by evil?" Clawstorm growled, glancing from cat to cat. "This is why we need your leader," Leafstride answered. "We need Silverstar's approval to let us all go through your territory and discuss what to do with the Wild Ones with all the leaders and medicine cats. Starclan wanted them here because we need them here."

Clawstorm snorted, "she'll send you all back into the forest you came from." The cat's all perked their ears at the sound of running pawsteps, and not long after, a light-gray tabby she-cat came trotting through the trees. She was following Mossynose, and had a grayish-brownish tom with a darker brown face and lighter brown tail next to her. Ivypaw also noticed a gray tom with darker gray tail and lighter gray belly following in the back, and the sight of him made Mistfoor tense up. The light-gray tabby she-cat stopped at the edge of her territory, her gaze hard as she stared at Mistfoot and all the cats behind her. "So, Mossynose wasn't lying." SIlverstar mewed. "Silverstar," Mistfoot calmly answered, getting to her paws and dipping her head in respect. "What is the meaning of all of this?" Silverstar demanded, "and where have you been? With the other clan cats?" "Yes." Mistfoot's answer seemed to shock the leader and the two new toms next to her. "I've been living among these cats, as well as the warriors. Starclan had sent us a vision." "A vision?" Ivypaw had only seen this tom once at a gathering, sitting among the medicine cats. His name was Littlefur. "Darkblaze told us that Leafstride had a vision," Littlefur mewed, staring at the calico tom, "one that stated a cat from every clan had to leave to find help. We just figured Darkblaze made up an excuse for the missing cats, but he wasn't lying."

"Why would he lie to you?" Leafstride sounded upset, Darkblaze was his kin afterall. "To stop the cats from feeling any fear," Silverstar answered. "Darkblaze isn't like that," Leafstride's mew was hard. Mistfoot turned to him, giving him a warm glance that seemed to calm Leafstride down. Yeah, totally not in love, right Leafstride? Ivypaw shook his head, mouse-brain. "We need to bring these cats to Meeting Rocks and speak with every leader and medicine cat," Mistfoot mewed. "We need to find a spot for them to stay until we can get rid of the cats coming." Silverstar gave her a questioning look, "what cats are coming?" Courage came padding forward, "cats that stole our home. Cats that murdered my cats." He gave Silverstar a hard gaze, "cats coming for your cats." "Is that a threat?" Silverstar growled. "You're being foolish," Brightshade grunted, "if they pushed these cats out of their home, why would they come here to threaten you? It's a warning." "And there's too many for all of us to defeat on our own," Mistfoot added, "we need all the clans to work together, as well as these barn cats." "And why should we trust  you?" Clawstorm growled, "you've been gone for so long, you could be working with these so called 'evil' cats." "Don't be so mouse-brained, Clawstorm." The tom that made Mistfoot tense was talking now. "It's Mistfoot we're talking about, one of the most loyal cats to Fireclan," his mew sounded full of pride for her, and she just stared at him with an unreadable gaze.

"Thank you, Splashclaw," Mistfoot nodded to him. He gave her a warm stare, "we've missed you." "I've missed you too." Ivypaw saw out of the corner of his eye Leafstride take a couple of pawsteps backwards, his tail hanging low. What was wrong with him? Silverstar stared at the cats for a while, then let out an irritated sigh. "Fine, we'll take the cats to Meeting Rocks. You other clan cats will be escorted out of my territory back into yours. Fetch your leaders, we have to decide what we're doing fast." Ivypaw let out a sigh of relief, and the barn cats starting talking amongst themselves. Ivypaw had the furthest walk back to his camp, and Birdstream offered to take him. Silverstar nodded, "go ahead." Together, the two cats started to walk towards Fireclan territory, but he stopped for a second to glance back at all the cats. They all gave him a warm stare, but sadness also struck in some of their eyes. Ivypaw felt it too, their adventure was over. After they figure out what to do with the barn cats, Ivypaw would be home, not able to hang out with the other clan cats again. He wouldn't even see the barn cats again, as they would go home too.

"C'mon, Ivypaw." Birdstream's mew made him turn back to her, she was waiting patiently. "The faster we get there, the faster you get your warrior name." Ivypaw felt himself fill with anxiety, but excitement at the same time. He would be able to see his clan again, he would be able to see his father again. To top that, he might even get his warrior name. "Okay, let's go." He listened to the muttered 'farewells' and 'goodbyes' coming from behind him. "How was it?" Birdstream asked. "How was what?" "Being picked by Starclan to go on an adventure? To live so far away from home for so long? I want to hear all about it!" Ivypaw let out a little mrrow of amusement, this was going to be a very chatty walk home, and he was fine with it.