Barley

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

Fireheart was about to speak when Nightfrost spoke. "We can trust him completely."

Tallstar nodded to his warriors. They let the fur lie flat on their shoulders, and settled down to wait. Fireheart turned to his brother with a pleading look.

"I can explain this, Nightfrost."

Nigthfrost shook his head. "You do not have to tell me about Ravenpaw. At least, not now."

This time, Fireheart shook his. "No, you should at least know about it. I'll explain later."

The brothers sat back with Windclan, waiting for Ravenpaw and Barley. Soon the former Thunderclan apprentice returned with a very familiar black and white tom. The loner looked at each cat before it settled on Nightfrost. Barley's eyes widened in excitement.

"Scou-!"

The small warrior quickly tackled him and leaned in. "Do not call me by that name. I discarded it moons ago."

Barley nodded understandably and whispered. "Then what are you called now? Are you a clan warrior?"

"Yes, I am called Nightfrost now, a Thunderclan warrior. How have you been since your escape with your sister?" Nightfrost got off him.

"Great! Ever since you-" Tallstar coughed. Barley shifted a bit and looked at Windclan sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. Got caught up with old times. But first, we need to find you some proper shelter. Follow me!"

Barley turned around and started padding away. Fireheart leaped forward at once. Graystripe was right behind his brother, but the WindClan cats hung back, fear and suspicion showing in their eyes.

Tallstar blinked at his Clan. "We have to trust him," he growled, before turning to follow the loner. One by one, the WindClan cats fell in step behind their leader.

Barley and Ravenpaw led them through the hedge into another field. In an overgrown corner, among the brambles and nettles, stood an abandoned Twoleg 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. "You won't get me in there!" muttered one of the elders.

"Twolegs never come here now," Barley reassured them.

"It'll give us some shelter from the rain," urged Fireheart.

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

Fireheart bristled. He whipped around and glared at the apprentice. "You've spent two moons living in a Twoleg tunnel. Does that make you a rat?"

"Why am I not surprised." The orange warrior turn his head to the apprentice angrily. "Then does living in a tunnel make you a rat? A piece of prey?"

The WindClan apprentice drew himself up, ruffling out his fur, but Graystripe stepped between them. "Come on; we're just getting wetter the longer we stand out here."

Tallstar meowed, "We've faced worse than a Twoleg shelter these past moons. One night here will do us no harm."

The WindClan cats murmured nervously among themselves, clearly reluctant, but with a glance at Fireheart, Morningflower picked up her kit and padded into the Twoleg shelter. The gray queen followed after her, nudging her own kit forward out of the rain. The other cats gradually followed until every cat was inside.

Nightfrost looked around the gloomy shelter. The ground was bare except for patches where weeds had burrowed their way under the stone walls. The wind and rain found their way through the gaps in the walls and roof, but it was drier and more sheltered than anywhere outside. He watched the WindClan cats sniffing cautiously around. A she-cat nudged Nightfrost. The black tom blinked in surprise and meowed happily.

"Violet! How have you been?!"

The pale orange cat purred. "We have been doing well ever since you let us go, Scourge. How are you?"

"I've been well, and my name is Nightfrost now."

"Nightfrost? Your name fits your perfectly." The she-cat suddenly twitch. Nightfrost flicked his ears worryingly

"Don't worry. The kits are just active. That's all."

Nightfrost blinked in surprise. "Congratulation, Violet. Who is the father?"

"It's Fuzz. He's a kittypet Barley befriend a while before we left Bloodclan. He's a great tom, just a little wrong in the head though."

The tom tilted his head in question. "A little wrong in the head?" Not long after he asked that question, water pelted on him. A grey tom with long feathery fur wearing a collar padded in, making some of the Windclan cats move far from the entrance.

"Violet! Violet! Where are you?"

The queen signed and lifted her head. "I'm over here, Fuzz!" Fuzz turned his head happily and ran to her. Nightfrost blinked as the tom rubbed himself on Violet. The queen signed again and pushed him off her.

"Fuzz, I'm already carrying our kits. I don't need to carry you too now."

Fuzz only purred in reply. The tom then noticed Nightfrost and growled in a defensive position. "Who are you?!"

Nightfrost's eyes widened and twitched his ears, amused. This cat did not notice that he was here the whole time? Violet answered her mate. "Fuzz, this is Scourge, the tom I talk to you about once."

The tom flicked his ears and bowed his head apologetic. "I am so sorry, Scourge. I didn't know you are him."

Nightfrost waved his tail in front of him. "No, its fine, Fuzz. And my name is not Scourge anymore, it's Nightfrost now."

"Okay, Itsnightfrostnow."

"...No, only Nightfrost."

"Sure, Onlynightfrost."

A laughter came from behind. "He does the same me too."

Fuzz turns to Barley. "Hello, Justbarley."

The cats were silent before laughing. "Y-your name is-s the s-same as m-mine!"

"No, it isn't! Yours is worse than mine!"

"Justbarley sounds lame!"

"Onlynightfrost sounds just the same too! Actually no, Justbarley sounds way better!"

Nightfrost and Barley argued back and forth about which name is better before the warrior stopped. "I just noticed, but how come only Violet has her name correct?"

The toms turn to the mates nuzzling at each other. Barley smiled at his sister. "I guess its because he loves her."

"Yeah."

The two remain silent before Barley spoke. "So I heard that you disbanded Bloodclan."

"That, I did," Nightfrost meow callously.

"Did you know that the alley cats are looking for a new leader?" Barley glanced at him.

"No, I have decide to cut ties with them, Barley."

"...I see...Want a mouse?"

"Thank you." Nightfrost bite into the warm mouse and licked the blood off his mouth. The two toms ate a mouse together as they continued.

"So, what made you a warrior? Did you actually want to join the clans?"

"No, I only joined because my brother joined."

"Who is your brother?" Nightfrost did not answer but turned to a flame-colored tom.

"Oh, so Fireheart is your brother. He appears much younger than you though. A different litter?"

"Yes, and also because he is my half-brother."

"Oh...so what made you change?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean, you used to be very cold-heart, bloodthirsty, and will not hesitate to kill, but now you're willing to help out and warm...well a little warm, that is."

"...I don't know. Now that you said it. I used to be like this, before that group of rogues from the forest came into the city. Now, after meeting a different side of my family, I guess I've change partway. Partway. Yes, I'm willing to help other cats now." Nightfrost shook his head. "But that is all I know. That is all I know."

The two finish eating their mouse and started to share tongues with each other when his brother padded to them. "Uh, Nightfrost? We needed to talk?"

Nightfrost nodded. "I'm sorry, Barley. But my brother needs to speak to me."

The black and white loner smiled. "Of course, Fuzz just returned to his Twolegs so I'll just join my sister."

He padded up to Violet and lay down next to her. Nightfrost looked up to Fireheart. "I am assuming we are going to talk about Ravenpaw?"

Fireheart nodded and told his older half-brother why Ravenpaw is here, and what Tigerclaw did. Nightfrost hid his snarl as Fireheart padded back to his friends. He send a silent apology to Bluestar.

"I'm sorry, Bluestar. But if Tigerclaw starts anything. Anything at all to hurt Fireheart...and the clan...then I will fight him, no matter the consequences."

Was going to put cooler in place of better before remembering that cats don't think that way in the series. And what story doesn't have a cliffhanger...Though there is a lot for this story.