Chapter 16: The Old Deal

Fireheart decided to visit his sister. Maybe to settle his thoughts or maybe he just wanted someone familial. When he found her, she read him easily.

"You're not ok Fireheart. What's wrong."

Fireheart didn't want to, but he broke down there.

"Everything's so wrong right now. There's a murderer in my clan who I can't prove is a murderer. My apprentice was permanently crippled by said murderer. My best friend barely even talks to me since he's off fraternizing with a she cat from a different clan. I've been having to train his apprentice in his stead. To top it all off, I don't know how to deal with Darkstripe. I just feel so alone out there."

"It sounds like you've been shouldering too much. My suggestion is to separate these problems out and deal with them one at a time. I think I can solve one of them."

"What do you mean?"

"You can be alone in a crowd. Having no family in a group filled with family ties must be so lonely. I'm sure you have friends, but there is something special about family."

"What can you do about that?"

"We'll come back to that, first let's talk about your friend and Darkstripe."

"OK? What about my friend?"

"I'm going to tell you that there is unfortunately nothing you can do about your friend."

"But he's my friend! Its my job to stop him!"

"No, it isn't. Love is a powerful emotion. It has been the cause of many stupid things as well as many great things. A cat in love will do things they may have even thought of as taboo. You've got to let him make his mistakes. You won't be able to stop him and he'll hate you if you try." Mewed Princess gently.

"What you should do for him is give him space. Don't cover for him. He's got to be tested to find what he truly wants."

Fireheart couldn't accept her advice so easily, but he decided he'd give Graystripe a bit of space.

"Do you want to talk about Darkstripe or would you rather figure that out for yourself?"

"I think I want to talk about him a bit."

"So, what about him bugs you so much?"

"I don't know. He just flips so easily. One minute he's being a piece of foxdung, the next he's comforting or encouraging. He's so rude and mean, but for some reason he's the cat I come to for my problems. I never know if it's right to trust him or not."

"I see. I get how you'd feel that way. From what Thunder's told me of his past, he believes being snarky is putting on a brave face. I do trust him, but only in terms of a dealer. Don't tell him this, but my theory is that Darkstripe is a good cat who has been taught some terrible things. When cats are raised thinking that is normal, their own morality and personality get twisted. It doesn't mean he's evil, but it may mean he doesn't know what is right anymore."

This made a lot of sense to Fireheart. Through replaying his observations of the cat through his mind, Darkstripe tended to do similar things for similar situations. Rude was his go to answer for anything casual, but he'd become nicer when things were emotional or personal.

"I've known him a long time as a dealer, and he's always been that way. At first, he was more open, but some bad deals as well as interacting with some cat closed him off. He'd even sometimes come to me with his problems like you are now. He wouldn't say anything, but he'd be real cuddly. I'd sometimes see new scratches, but he never talked about them. I think he was running away to somewhere and someone he felt safe with. He stopped when he finished training his apprentice."

Darkstripe being vulnerable was strange news. Apparently even he could get scared. Princess dipped into her home while Fireheart was thinking. She emerged with a white kit. She set him down in front of Fireheart.

"This is my answer to your loneliness. This is my oldest kit. He'll be your first family in the clan, and maybe you won't feel so alone."

"But how could I bring in a kit? The clan wouldn't take to kindly to me for bringing him in."

"Just tell Thunder that I'm cashing in an old deal. He'll understand and fight for you."

"What's an old deal?"

"We dealers get to ask another dealer once to go through with a trade we've set up before. It's saved for an act of desperation, or if something needs to be forced. I'm just doing it for my kit, and I think it'll be funny."

Fireheart didn't get the joke, but he picked up the kit anyways and padded back to camp. The kit wasn't old enough to be weened yet which worried Fireheart. When Fireheart entered camp, many cats immediately voiced their displeasure.

"We can't take in another kit! It's almost leafbare!"

Fireheart just turned towards Darkstripe and Bluestar.

"I'm sorry I had to bring this kit in, but my sister called on an old deal."

Darkstripe and Bluestar froze for a second before Darkstripe started making an odd noise. It was rolling and light making his chest heave. It took a second for Fireheart to realize Darkstripe was laughing. It wasn't a chuckle, but the kind that only occurs when the situation is the peak of amusement. The odd part was that it wasn't as deep as Darkstripe's voice. It was at the edge of tom and molly in pitch. Darkstripe was laughing so hard he almost toppled off his paws before he managed to settle himself into a light fit of chuckles. The rest of the cats in camp just stared at him. A couple were giggling quietly to themselves as well.

Darkstripe suddenly fixed Bluestar with a stare. All humor was gone from his composure.

"You have to take in the kit now Bluestar. If you don't I'll be forced to raise it myself, and I don't think its possible for me to make milk."

It would be treason to speak this way to the leader usually, but ever since Darkstripe set up the dealers, he'd told her the codes he set forth for the dealers. Old Deals were something not to be trifled with for defying one would cause all the other dealers to never trade with the defiant again. Blestar just stared down Darkstripe for a bit before answering.

"I will think on this."

Darkstripe knew she'd let the kit in. She was a mother and knew the rules of old deals. She was just putting on a show of leadership by delaying it. No cat could know that Darkstripe had such sway with Bluestar.

Darkstripe made his way to Fireheart.

"So, this is her child eh? He looks strong enough, but that pelt will make hunting difficult. I'll help raise him when I can, but I don't often have time to spare. Treat him well, but don't let family ties from disciplining him when its needed. Now I'll be going. I've got to make some premium catnip after all. I'm thinking Moonstone Edition."

Fireheart saw Yellowfang freeze from across camp. Her attention was fixed on Darkstripe. What was Moonstone Edition catnip?