The Barn Cat

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Mistfoot's tail twitched impatiently as she sat with the barn cats on the ground, Silverstar and Littlefur sitting together on the leaders' stones. "They don't seem to want us here," Echo's mew made Mistfoot jump. "They seem agitated," Kar added. Mistfoot let out a small sigh, "they will be. Clan cats don't normally welcome strangers into our homes, especially this large amount of them. We have to focus on the mouths we feed here, and keep the bad stuff out." "Are we bad?" Twist asked, her little face looking worried. Mistfoot shook her head, "no, but you might seem like it at first to these cats. It's hard for clan cats to trust others." Except for Leafstride, he trusts everyone. Mistfoot glanced around the camp again, she hoped that he'd be here with Splashstar and Darkblaze. Hope flickered in her chest when bushes came from straight ahead of the stones, but disappointment set in fast as Lightningstar, Streamsong, and Palepaw padded into the clearing. The leader and medicine cats' eyes grew large as they saw the barn cats, but Palepaw trotted over, her tail flicking with anxiety.

"Where's Brightshade?" Kiki asked. Palepaw shook her head, "Lightningstar wouldn't let him come. Mistfoot felt nervous, what if that meant Splashstar wouldn't allow Leafstride? Hawk came rushing over to Palepaw's side, and the two of them nuzzled each other. Mistfoot turned away and watched Lightningstar and Streamsong join the Fireclan leader and medicine cat. There was chattering amongst all the cats, and it stopped when the bushes rumbled again. This time, Springstar and Ivypaw came padding through, Speckstone following behind. Then Splashstar and Darkblaze came in a tail length behind them, and Mistfoot felt herself get excited when she saw Leafstride's face push through the bushes after them. The two cats met gazes, and she felt her paws twitching. She wanted to rush over there and greet him, but she didn't want to seem suspicious to her leader. Instead, Leafstride came padding over, greeting all the cats until he stopped to Mistfoot. His gaze looked a little hurt as he sat down, and Mistfoot didn't understand why. Wasn't he happy to see her? "So," Leafstride murmured, loud enough for only the two cats to hear, "Splashclaw seemed excited to see you." Mistfoot shifted her paws awkwardly, "yeah, I guess so." Leafstride looked up at her, "were you excited to see him too?" Mistfoot gave a small nod, "I was." Leafstride's gaze seemed to break a little, and Mistfoot interrupted before he could speak again. "But I was more excited to see you when you got here."

His gaze looked surprised, "but I thought you and Splashclaw were, y'know, a thing?" Mistfoot shook her head, "when he came padding to us when Mossynose fetched Silverstar, I realized the moment I saw him that I didn't really like him anymore. He's a good friend, but not, I guess, a good..." Her voice trailed off. "Mate?" Leafstride asked, and Mistfoot nodded shyly. Leafstride let out a small sigh, but Mistfoot couldn't tell what the feelings were behind it. "That's good, I thought you were going to run and nuzzle him when we got back." Mistfoot shook her head, "if I told myself I still loved him, I would be lying." "But you like someone who you can't be with," Leafstride whispered. Mistfoot felt her heart break, she wanted to just nuzzle him and make him feel better right then and there, but couldn't. He was right, she did fall in love with someone she couldn't be with, but she would do anything she could to be with him. Then a thought struck her, "we could switch clans." Leafstride gave her a shocked expression, "what? You love Fireclan." Mistfoot shifted her paws, then gave Leafstride a longing look. He seemed to understand, but it broke her heart more when he shook his head. "I can't leave Frostclan, I would be abandoning my only kin." The two of them sat in a painful silence, not having anything to say.

"I can leave Fireclan," Mistfoot whispered, "I have nothing left for me there. Everyone is mad at me, they don't want me there anymore." Leafstride shook his head, "Mistfoot, you know you can't do that." Before Mistfoot could speak, Splashstar called for silence. She turned away from Leafstride, giving him one last pleading glance, to which he responded with one full of love and sadness. "Will you four clan cats step forward," Splashstar asked. Leafstride got to his paws, Mistfoot follwing. Ivypaw and Palepaw pushed their way out too, all of them had their chins up. "You told us you were sent a vision from Starclan," Silverstar joined in, standing next to Splashstar, "about which cat?" "Me." Courage's hard mew rang in the clearing, and he stepped forward. "As I had a vision of these four." Springstar slowly nodded his head, "and what are these 'evil' cats you speak of?" "They are led by a ghost, he tries to manipulate cats he thinks would be easy to. He makes them watch as he murders cats they care about. He first showed himself to our kit, Twig." Courage nodded towards Twig, who was now the size of a young apprentice. Twig held his chin up high though, no fear showing in his gaze at all. "A kit?" Lightningstar sounded shocked.

"He tried to make me watch my only kin die when I was two moons old," Twig answered, his voice was strong. Mistfoot stared at him, then at the cats behind him. These were exactly like clan cats, proud of who they were and loyal to each other. Maybe they should join the clans and become a whole new one. No, that wouldn't work. They have their own territory, and there was no space here. "What does he want with us?" Silverstar asked. Courage shook his head, "either to destory you or make you follow him. We call him Slayer, as that's what he told Twig was his name." "Have any of you seen him?" Springstar questioned, he didn't sound like he'd believed them. "I have," Twig answered. "I fought him," Courage answered, his eyes glittered with anger, "but he dissapeared before I could kill him. He promised me he'd be back, that he had bigger plans." "And why should we believe any of this is true? Why would we be involved?" Silverstar asked.

"Because I saw him too," Ivypaw answered. "Starclan sent us a vision," Leafstride's mew was hard, "so clearly we are involved for a reason. Whether that be the barn cats need our help, or Starclan fears we'll be destoryed as well." Splashstar nodded, "Darkblaze told me about Leafstride's vision when he dissapeared. He tried telling your medicine cats but they didn't believe him, which is shocking as they are supposed to trust one another." The other medicine cats shifted their paws, but Darkblaze just gave them a cold stare. "I say we split the cats up evenly upon each clan," Splashstar continued, "and we can prepare for this together." "Are you mouse-brained?" Silverstar growled. "Fireclan will not be allowing rogues to stay in our clan!" Mistfoot felt anger rise along her spine, what was she doing? Splashstar looked at Silverstar like she was crazy, "you're a fool, Silverstar. You're ignoring Starclan." "I agree with splitting the cats into our clans," Lightningstar mewed. "If Starclan wants them here, then I'm sure they are important." "Mistclan and Frostclan will allow them," Splashstar answered, then he turned his gaze to Springstar, "what about Fogclan?" The bright yellow tabby tom with darker orange paws stared at the gray-blue tom for a moment, the whiskers on Splashstar's lighter-blue muzzle twitching with impatience. "Fogclan will have to agree, as Ivypaw as truly seen this cat we will need to keep him protected." Ivypaw twitched his tail, he seemed a bit angry and dissapointed.

Splashstar turned his gaze back to Silverstar, "and Fireclan?" Silverstar gave him an angry glare, her tail twitching without stopping. Don't be a mouse-brain Silverstar, we need them. "Fireclan will not be allowing them to stay in our camp." Her mew made the other leaders growl, and Littlefur shifted his paws. "Silverstar, Starclan sent them here," Littlefur meowed. She turned her head angrily to her medicine cat, "if they truly wanted them here, they would have sent the vision to the medicine cats, not some random cats from each clan." "You are a fox-heart," Splashstar's insult made Silverstar's hackles rise. "I'm not a sorry excuse for a leader! I care about my clan!" Silverstar jumped from the stone, Littlefur giving an apologetic glance to the other leaders and medicine cats, then followed his leader. "You're all mouse-brained!" Silverstar hissed, "Mistfoot, let's go." Mistfoot got to her paws, but when her gaze met Leafstride's, she knew she couldn't leave. She turned to her leader, who was still walking away. "I'm not coming." Silverstar flang her head around, glaring at Mistfoot. "What did you say?" "I know we need these cats, Silverstar. Without them Fireclan will be gone forever. So, I said I'm not coming."

"Then where would you go?" Silverstar growled, "to live with these rogues?" "She'll come with Frostclan," Splashstar declared. Mistfoot felt a bit of excitement form in her chest, and she saw Leafstride straighten up a bit. Silverstar glared at Mistfoot, "you're a traitor." Mistfoot shook her head, "this will save our clan, you'll understand later." Silverstar hissed then stormed out of the clearing. Littlefur gave her a sad look, but Mistfoot shook her head. She couldn't go back now. He gave her a small nod, then trotted out of the Meeting Rocks. "Very well," Splashstar's mew was calm now, though a hint of anger and irritation was in it. "We need to discuss the splitting up issue." Courage took a step forward, "I, Night, and Storm will each go to separate ones of your clans, as we are leaders." Splashstar nodded, "okay, you can come with me." "I can go with Springstar," Storm offered. "Then I'll take Night," Lightningstar answered. "Where do we go from there?" Palepaw asked. "We'll go with Palepaw," Hawk called, pointed to him, Silver Rain, and Olive. Mistfoot watched as the barn cats separated themselves. Frostclan ended up with Courage, Heather, Echo, Flower, Jay, Dawn, Twig, Cherry, Thorn, Shadow, and Clove. Mistfoot didn't care though, because she could walk with Leafstride, and that's all that mattered to her.