What Was Lost (Part 6)

"Barley!" Graystripe and Fireshade meowed in unison.

"Graypaw, Firepaw," the black and white loner gave a friendly mew as the pair stepped towards him. "Both of you have grown since last I saw you!" His eyes glinted with surprised amusement. "It hasn't been that long, has it?"

"Not really," Fireshade answered. "Only a moon or so." His tail flicked over Barley's shoulder in greeting.

"Graystripe and Fireshade," the gray warrior corrected him, mimicking what his friend had done.

"Do you know this cat?" Deadfoot snarled.

Graystripe flinched at the hostility in the Deputy's voice as well as the bristling of the rest of the WindClan cats.

"Is he a loner?" Onewhisker asked with a slightly softer edge.

"He's a loner that can help us find food," Fireshade qualified quickly and tactfully. "He also saved us when we were attacked by rats. Tigerclaw and Bluestar may not have made it without him." He finished without missing a beat.

Inwardly, Graystripe flinched at one of his superiors' more vulnerable moments being exposed. Though, if it made WindClan get over they're distrust faster, he guessed it was fine. Scratch that, he knew it was fine. The lost Clan couldn't even think about attacking another Clan now. Their bedraggled, skinny forms being pelted by the rain made that clear.

Barley was willing to speak for himself just as well.

He bent his head respectfully as any Clan cat would. "I respect ThunderClan, especially Graystripe and Fireshade. If you travel with them, then you must be their allies." He allowed the WindClan cats' eyes to fall on him with ease as he lifted own his stare to them. They returned the look, now wearier than hostile. The orange warrior's gamble had paid off a little. "You cats need shelter; I know where we can find some. Follow me!" He turned and disappeared into the long grass.

Tallstar's eyes burned with curiosity, but all he asked was, "Can we trust him?"

Fireshade met Tallstar's gaze. "Completely." He meowed with conviction.

"Like he said," Graystripe nodded at Fireshade, "Barley helped save our lives. If that doesn't make him trustworthy, I don't know what does."

Nodding, Tallstar blinked at his Clan. They were still rippling with suspicion and fear. "We have to trust him," he growled before turning to follow the loner. Fireshade and Graystripe had already begun to. The WindClan cats fell in behind their leader one by one. Barley led them through the hedge into another field. In an overgrown corner, among the brambles and nettles, stood an abandoned Twolegs nest. The walls were full of holes where stones had fallen out, and only half the roof was left.

The WindClan cats stared fearfully at it. One of the elders muttered, "You won't get me in there!"

"Twolegs don't come here now," Barley assured them.

"It doesn't make sense to stand out here and keep getting wet," Fireshade reasoned.

One of the apprentices whispered loudly, "I'm not surprised he wants to hide in a Twoleg nest-Once a kittypet, always a kittypet."

Graystripe almost bristled on behalf of his friend. He briefly wondered how the apprentice knew when he remembered the ginger tom was apprenticed before WindClan went missing. The gossip that a kittypet joined ThunderClan surely spread like wildfire at the Gathering. Still, was it so easy to just suddenly look down at a warrior who had them all mesmerized by his feat earlier that same day. He'd save one of their elders with impossible skill! Now he was being talked down to by some snotty apprentice from an exiled clan?

Surprisingly, Fireshade didn't bristle at hearing the comment. Though his head did turn toward the obnoxious apprentice. No righteous indignation burned in Fireshade's eyes. His hackles weren't raised, and his tail didn't lash. No, his green gaze merely glazed over with icy disdain for the brash apprentice who ducked down and froze in place. His eyes were wide with fear and he hesitated to move even after the warrior looked away from him.

Graystripe found that his own paws were numb from his Clanmate's reaction. I hate it when he gets like that! It was easy enough to forget that Fireshade had a sinister side to him but when he reminded you like that…

Tallstar's expression looked intrigued and a little startled by the exchange at the same time, though he spoke nothing of it. Instead, he meowed, "We've faced worse than a Twoleg shelter these past moons. One night here will do us no harm."

WindClan itself still seemed reluctant. Most of them at least. With a glance at Fireshade, Morningflower picked up her kit and padded into the Twoleg shelter. The gray queen followed her, nudging her own kit forward out of the rain. Gradually, the other cats followed inside to the last.

With shelter settled, the only other question to be answered was-

"What about food?" Deadfoot asked.

Barley spoke up. "You should all be resting."

"He's right," Fireshade meowed, back to his lighter self. "Barley, Graystripe and myself will round up food.

"Deadfoot and Onewhisker will go with you," meowed Tallstar. Graystripe couldn't pin down if the WindClan leader was still mistrustful or he if just wanted to show that his Clan could still look after itself. In any case, Barley was sure to show them the best places to hunt

The five ventured back out into the rain, all of them feeling starved. Hunger always made Fireshade a better hunter, so WindClan would eat better than they had in a while. Even the bratty apprentice would be a little grateful then!

When the hunting party returned, each cat carried a mouthful of fresh-kill. The WindClan cats shared a feast. With their new allies that night. Every cat from the eldest to the youngest ate their fill, then curled up together to share tongues in mutual grooming, while outside the wind and rain lashed at the walls of the shelter.

As darkness settled in, Barley got to his paws. To Fireshade's surprise, the loner suddenly locked eyes with him saying, "Fireshade, would you mind walking back to the barn with me? I have some information that Bluestar would find useful." Caught off guard, the orange warrior looked to Graystripe who simply shrugged, just as confused as him.

Neither ThunderClan cat had any reason to believe Barely had ill intent, not after coming to their aid twice. Fireshade looked to Tallstar, who was his present priority along with his Clan.

The black and white cat flicked his ears in reassurance. "Go on," he urged. "We'll be fine without you for a few moments."

Fireshade nodded and padded off with their wayward ally. Graystripe playfully told him not to take his time getting back, but he genuinely meant it.

When a good distance was between them and the exiled Clan, Barley finally spoke up. "Sorry about lie back there and dragging you back out into the rain, but I was curious.

The orange tom narrowed his eyes at discovering Barley's deception but still didn't feel threatened. Instead, he was merely filled with suspicion about why the loner would want him by himself. "Curious about what?" He asked with a voice devoid of expression.

The older tom was now walking a bit stiffly, as if the rain was starting to bother his pads. "Curious about how that idiot teacher of yours is doing."

"Former teacher," Fireshade snapped on reflex. He was somewhat taken aback by how much it pricked him. Perhaps he had acquired a bit too much of Tigerclaw's pride.

"Right, right…"

"Tigerclaw's fine." Wait… "Idiot"? "You were listening in on us?!" The younger tom bristled a bit, remembering he'd called the tabby that after the rat attack.

Barley's cheeky smirk denied nothing. "Couldn't help it," he meowed. "You two make for an interesting pair. So, I was wondering if you were both still getting along and keeping your promises to one another."

Tigerclaw had better be! "We are," Fireshade growled with folded ears, the phrase "pair" grating on his nerves.

"Good. And how are you getting on with the rest of the Clan?"

Silence.

"Look," Barley took a deep breath. "I may not be a warrior, but I know the Clans' stigma to outsiders probably makes it hard to feel like you belong." His dull yellow eyes held unconditional sympathy. "Sometimes you don't even belong to what you're born with."

"How would you know?" Fireshade challenged with hard green orbs.

"I just do," the loner shot back coolly. The only hint he gave was a split-second glaze of his eyes. "You're a warrior now, so that means you can't be at odds with them too badly."

"Bluestar decides who achieves what rank, not the Clan," the ThunderClan cat reminded him.

"True. But you haven't really answered me yet."

Fireshade's tail threw raindrops as it lashed. What did Barley want him to say? That he couldn't bring himself to respect most of them. That they were willing to shun him entirely based on a single warrior's absurd lie? That they had hated him? That he had hated them back? That he still might? That it had took the death of the she-cat he loved, the she-cat that had believed in him no matter what, for him to have the chance to make them amicable with him again? That the hole in his heart left by Spottedleaf was filled with this burning sensation that he could feel consume him from time to time? That not even the presence of his friends could be counted on to hold it back? No matter how hard he tried, the loner would never understand any of that.

What he ultimately settled on saying was, "My relationship to the Clan is what it is. If you're looking for more than that, you're out of luck."

And so am I…

A/N:...Hey. I'm sorry it's been so long. I'm sorry it's short. Adulting is hard. Life is plentifully distracting. As always, your patience is sincerely appreciated, and I thank you profusely for your support:) Seriously, the amount of views on this is crazy! It means a lot to this little author, ya'll. Thanks a lot!

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