Chapter 5: Raven in the Barn
Nightfall was approaching quickly when Tallstar called for a stop.
"We need a place to rest for the night. How about the ditched?"
Fireheart and Greystripe recognized where they were immediately and grimaced.
"We'd be saver in the heather rows. There are rats in those ditches."
Rain started to fall as the group regrouped. Suddenly a friendly but unwelcome voice emitted over the rain. It was Ravenpaw.
"Fireheart?"
A black tom with a white patch on his chest emerged from a bush.
"I thought I heard you over here."
Suddenly the loner's eyes panned over and locked onto Longtail and Darkstripe. A wave of panic rolled over the poor tom. Darkstripe stared uncomprehendingly until Fireheart made a move.
"Tallstar. This is a loner friend Ravenpaw who lives with Barley at the farm over there." Fireheart said gesturing.
"He's a loner. Can he be trusted."
This time Graystripe interjected.
"Completely."
Soon Windclan and the escort made its way to Barley's barn with Darkstripe staring holes into the back of the trio's heads. When Windclan finally settled in Darkstripe and Longtail dragged the trio aside.
"What is the meaning of this? We were told you died! How and why did you run away?"
Ravenpaw was sputtering already..
"Tigerclaw was going to kill me!"
Longtail and Darkstripe looked befuddled. Fireheart stepped in to assist his apprenticehood friend.
"Ravenpaw didn't feel safe at Thunderclan because he witnessed Tigerclaw kill Redtail."
The duo looked even more confused before Darkstripe took a nasty face.
"You utter mousebrains! Even if Tigerclaw did, which I still don't believe, your cowardice has removed all chances of investigating your outlandish claim. Its been moons and I'm guessing none of you have told Bluestar. Any proof you can provide now is lost to the many rains and a 'dead' apprentice. You should have told Bluestar in confidence. She would have put together an investigation and figured out if it even happened. Now all we have is the word of a former apprentice not loyal enough to trust the clan and a secondary account from his friend. That about sum it up? Honestly, what even is the motive?"
"Tigerclaw wanted the deputy position," Graystripe muttered softly.
Darkstripe retorted sharply, "Little Graykit is a tattletail fibber. If you really wanted to keep Tigerclaw from the position, you'd have told Bluestar long ago."
"We only learned about it when Tigerclaw became deputy!" Responded Fireheart.
"Feed the kits to the monster! Have you no sense of loyalty to yourself or your friends? A real warrior would not make excuses! A real warrior would trust their leader to investigate thoroughly and remain impartial! A real warrior would not hide such secrets from their clan and family. I see now that you do not think of Thunderclan as your clan. I'm glad you're gone Raven. I won't tell the clan. Tigerclaw deserves better than for your cowardice to mar his legacy. And you Fireheart deserve no such name! You're not as bad as a kittypet! You're the worst kind of kittypet!"
Darkstripe stormed off as Longtail watched sympathetically. He turned to stare down the trio again.
"Darkstripe did not mean all that he said, but he feels betrayed. You've lost my trust as well. I hope you realize the harm of hiding clan effecting secrets."
Fireheart felt a pain in his core. All the trust he'd gained with Darkstripe was gone in a flash. It strangely hurt. A bond that was freshly formed destroyed so utterly by one secret.
The next morning Windclan made their way home.
"We will not forget our debt to Thunderclan."
Darkstripe, still in a mood, just nodded to the leader before padding out into the moor.
"You know we could cut through Riverclan to save time," Graystripe mewed.
"We will take no shortcuts!" Darkstripe snapped.
Graystripe flattened as Darkstripe glowered over him. The patrol made its way back silently. Fireheart glanced at the angry tom occasionally while getting a sharp glance in response. Fireheart had never seen Darkstripe so mad. With the most sassy and talkative cats in the clan giving him the silent treatment, the atmosphere was tense. Fireheart dared not speak for fear of setting off the tom. Even Longtail, his best friend and former apprentice, spaced himself from the dark warrior. As soon as they entered camp, chatter stopped. Every cat could tell something was wrong. Usually when Darkstripe entered camp, he announced his presence, much to their dismay. Somehow the silence was worse. Bluestar didn't seem to notice as she took her place at the High Rock.
"I expect your full report."
Darkstripe spat, "Ask your kittypet!" before storming into the warrior's den.
Even Bluestar was rattled by the anger produced by that tom. It took a moment to compose herself before she looked at the rest of the rescue patrol. Darkstripe had already disappeared into his den at this point.
"Alright, Longtail, Fireheart. Meet me in my den to give me a full report."
Longtail and Fireheart gave Bluestar a rundown on how the mission went skipping the fight at Barley's. Soon Longtail padded out, but Bluestar stopped Fireheart.
"What did Darkstripe do this time?"
"Honestly, its what we did. Darkstripe wasn't at fault. After he saw Ravenpaw at Barley's, he confronted us. He called us cowards for hiding Ravenpaw's secret and helping him run away and said we weren't loyal to Thunderclan."
"Fireheart. I know you are loyal. You just wanted to protect your friend from something you saw as dangerous, but you were foolish. If you or Ravenpaw said something earlier, we could have looked into it. Now its out of our paws. You have no proof, only the word of a loner. That is not enough grounds for anything."
Fireheart exited the den sadly. Had he truly made the wrong decision? Another case where he'd let his heart lead without his head? His head was clouded with these thoughts when he entered the warrior's den. He saw Darkstripe facing the opposite direction. The only thing betraying that the cat was awake was the rhythmic ticking of his tail. It repeated to the same pattern Fireheart had seen when Darkstripe was panicking or thinking hard.
Fireheart softly made his way over before muttering, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for keeping this secret and being such a mousebrain."
Fireheart made his way over to his nest. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Darkstripe's tail had stopped twitching.