Warrior's Refuge/Chapter 4

Chapter Summary
Graystripe's PoV It is night, and there is a full moon. Inside the barn, Graystripe is sleeping on some hay. He groggily opens his eyes, and sees Millie grooming herself, the moonlight shining on her fur. Graystripe walks over to Millie and tells her that the moonlight looks good on her fur. Millie responds that he doesn't have to come and comfort him every time she is awake and he is not. Graystripe asks Millie what's wrong, and if it's about the Twolegs that day. Millie answers that she knows him well. She explains that when she was a Kittypet, the Twolegs she live with, little young ones sometimes came to visit. They always held her and stroked her and gave her treats, and liked to curl up with her and nap. Graystripe puts his paw on the floor next to Millie's, and guesses that Millie misses her housefolk a lot. Millie says that she sometimes does, and does right now. Graystripe says that he asked her to give up so much, and wonders if it's too much. He asks Millie if she wants to go back to her Twolegs. Millie closes her eyes and doesn't say anything. Graystripe thinks that she's taking so long to answer, so he sits quietly, waiting, and can hear her breathing. Finally, Millie happily nuzzles Graystripe and answers that no, her home is with him now, wherever that may be.


 * When the sun comes up the next morning, Graystripe wakes up with a feeling, and at first can't tell what it is, but by the time he and Millie get back from hunting, it starts to get clearer. He realizes that it's the feeling that things are about to change again. Graystripe tells Millie that it's all of them: the adult female Twoleg and the young female Twoleg Kit sit on the grass; the adult male Twoleg and an older male Twoleg kit playing with a soccerball, the small dog watching them; and the big dog sniffs at a food bowl that is beside the Twoleg Nest. The adult female Twoleg turns her head to the cats, and Graystripe closes his eyes, bracing himself.


 * However, the Twoleg grins and says here kitty to the two cats. The young male Twoleg looks and grins, then kicks the soccer ball at the cats, yelling at them to get out of there, addressing them as mangy critters. As the soccer ball bounces near Graystripe and Millie, they hiss. The adult female grabs the back of the collar of his shirt, and orders that he is not to bother those cats, as they are their friends. She asks if he understands her, and the young male responds that he does.


 * Graystripe asks Millie if what he thinks just happened actually happened. Millie answers that she's not sure, but she thinks it did. Graystripe begins to walk away and tells her to come on, as he has an idea. The two begin walking, Graystripe asks if they are following. Millie responds that they aren't yet, but she thinks they're going to.


 * Sure enough, as Graystripe and Millie are at the entrance to the barn, the four Twolegs are behind them. When Graystripe and Millie are in the barn, and the two female Twolegs are looking inside of it, Graystripe asks Millie if she can get them to stay right there for a minute. Millie says she will, and wonders what Graystripe will do. Graystripe answers that if he's right, he will fix what's broken. Graystripe climbs the ladder, and thinks not only if he's right, but also if he can convince Moss to go along with it.


 * Graystripe and Moss are talking, and Moss asks Graystripe if he's serious about taking her kits down there, to the Twolegs. She exclaims that he's crazy. Graystripe tells Moss that she has to trust him on this. Moss protests that they'll hurt her kits, but Graystripe responds that they won't. He asks her to just come there and look. The two look down to the bottom floor of the barn at the Twolegs, where the males are standing beside the females who are stroking Millie, and Graystripe explains that they've realized that whatever they thought the cats were, they know that they're not. He promises that if anything happens, he'll carry the kits right back up. Moss reluctantly agrees.


 * Graystripe carries Little Mew and Moss carries Birdy down the ladder. Graystripe thinks that Moss is braver than she givers herself credit for, and the kits don't have to be persuaded. As he is being carried, Little Mew cheerfully exclaims that they're going downstairs. On the floor of the barn, Raindrop and Pad play. Pad notes that it is great, and Birdy says says to look how much room there is down there. The adult Twolegs watch them happily.


 * Graystripe thinks that the barn and farm are not his home; that he and Millie don't belong there. He thinks that if they can make it a safe, happy place for the cats who do, they have to try. Little Mew mews at the female Twoleg kit, who picks her up and says kitty. Graystripe watches, amused, but at that point, Husker and Splash enter the barn through a gap in the wall. Husker asks Graystripe what he is doing, and how he could bring his kits down there with those Twolegs. The young Twolegs play with the kits, and Graystripe informs Husker that they're not in danger anymore. Husker protests, but Graystripe tells him that this is their chance; that the Twolegs attitude changed, and now his can too. She adds that the time for mistrust and hostility is past. Husker stammers that if they can leave in peace, but cuts himself off when he sees the two dogs about to enter the barn. He walks over to them and tells them to go away. The big dog tells him to calm down, and they were just curious. It adds that he doesn't have to be rude.


 * The Twolegs and barn cats are all together; the young male Twoleg holds Splash; the Twoleg kit pets Raindrop, Little Mew, and Pad; the adult female strokes Moss, and the male Twoleg grins. Graystripe thinks that he's looking at the barn cats' future, and it's a good one.


 * Graystripe tells Millie that he thinks it's time for them to go. Millie agrees. As they turn to leave, though, the adult female Twoleg blocks the barn entrance and tells them to wait and not go. She adds not before she says thank you, and hugs Graystripe and Millie, grinning. When the two are on the floor again, Graystripe asks Millie if she's ready, and she answers that she is. They walk out of the barn, and Graystripe says that they should then go home.

Major

 * Graystripe
 * Millie