Meeting the Loners

[Yoko]

Laying in a bale of hay, she kept her eyes firmly closed. A dim orange glow was falling on her eyelids and she was struggling with the urge to wake up and move to a darker spot. This corner was her place. She'd chosen it specifically because the walls on either side of her had no cracks and so no wind blew on her during the night.

She had no dreams that night, but as she floated between sleep and waiting, a certain tabby tom possessed her thoughts. His amber eyes burning with passion. His long dark fur brushing against her dull grey fur. He was so charismatic and so willing to give her what she pleased. He put up with her sharp tongue and never argued back. He was perfect for her...dear Snaketail.

A creak of the barn door startled Helen from her thoughts. She rolled onto her belly and stared at the door. Snaketail? But no such luck. A young silver cat with black markings padded n. And Helen was curious about the tall thin cat behind him.

"And who might this be?" she asked, looking sideways at the cat in the dim lighting.

"Peregrine, this is Helen. Helen, Peregrine is planning on staying here a while." Drake said clearly.

Helen looked him over again. Finally she mewed, "He's not getting my corner. And that's final!"

Then she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Scorn sat comfortably on top of a bale of hay, looking down on the world in general. She did this both literally and figuratively: the bale was set up in a corner, and stacked on top of several others. On the one paw, it could be an unpleasant place to sleep for someone who rolled around quite a bit. On the other, it provided an excellent view of the rest of the barn. As for the figurative side of things, Scorn was a cat who knew her own value in life. It was quite high, if you were wondering. Often other cats seemed not to realize this, but it didn't disturb the brindled she-cat. They were beneath her... what did such characters know about her worth?

Gazing idly about the sunlit barn, the small loner took note of the fluffy grey loner lying in another corner. Her corner, which Scorn had noted that the independent loner had claimed when she had first arrived here, was looking rather sunny, and Scorn wondered if the other she-cat was getting overheated in her dark, heavy coat. It mattered not. The brindled tabby had never known the other loner to leave her corner undefended if another cat had shown interest. She knew that the grey she-cat would sleep there no-matter the current comfort of the spot. A small smile lit upon Scorn's lips. The habits of the other cats she came across amused her, and she enjoyed watching their activities from a distance. The small feline wasn't a particularly social individual... she enjoyed her privacy too much for that. But still, as long as other cats kept their distances, she enjoyed watching as they scurried about their little lives.

A creak from the wooden barn door alerted Scorn to a flicker of movement on the far side of the barn. A small silver tabby entered, followed by another, older cat. The small loner wondered at their appearance, and hoped they weren't both coming to take up residence in the barn. The wooden building was quite comfortable for two cats to inhabit, providing plenty of privacy for each, and enough food to support them and the occasional other loner who passed through. If two more cats moved in, it might get a little crowded. Scorn wasn't openly hostile yet, but if both cats were looking for a permanent place to stay then she was prepared to fight for her right to hunt here.

When she heard the small silver tabby introduce the older cat with him and explain that the larger tom only wished to stay for a short while, Scorn relaxed a bit. If only the one tom wanted to stay, that wasn't so bad. And he might even be moving on after a bit... though once he found out how much better the hunting was in here compared to out in the forest, he might decide to stay after all. It didn't matter. If it seemed that he was becoming a problem, Scorn had no doubt that she could take care of him. The barn wouldn't be such an attractive place to stay if he was being harassed at every turn by an irate she-cat.

But she was getting ahead of herself. There was no certainty that this new cat would turn out to be a problem, and in the mean time there was no need to be unnecessarily rude. Getting to her paws, Scorn looked coolly down at the two toms who had just entered and made her presence known for the first time. "This corner is mine," she stated flatly, "but you're welcome to the rest of the barn. Just as long as you leave enough prey for me, we shouldn't have a problem."

[peregrine]

Peregrine was hesitant to enter at first, but did so after the young one started to wards the entrance. He looked around and smelt the air, it seemed nice. Barns were big and he could tell that there was many mice to be found. The big turn off though was the way the other two cats reacted. Well at least they weren't going to bite his head off and feed him to the rats. That was a plus.

He took a few more steps into the barn and bowed his head "Hello it's very nice to meet you." he said politely "I will make sure not to mess with your spots or eat all your food." He looked at the two she-cats and then back around the barn. Well this was going to be fun. He wondered what the best spot would be.

After a few moments of thought he thought that a small bay of hay off to the side a good ways away from the other two would be a nice spot, Maybe. Just in case he would ask "Could you two tell me where a nice spot in the barn might be?" he asked. He thought it best to ask the two she-cats saying they had been living in the barn for quite a while now.

[Yoko]

Helen listened to the newer cat speak. He sounded nice enough. Not as if he'd cause much trouble. But that's how most loners sound. She slightly cringed at the memory...Shoving it away, Helen raised her head. He was stil talking? Did he ever stop? Well, might as well tell him what he wants to hear so he can let her sleep.

"There's plenty of room on the upper level. Just stay away from the window because there's a hole in it and that makes that half of the barn cold."

Drake smiled. "See Aunty, that wasn't so bad."

"Whatever," Helen murmured through gritted teeth at her kin. 'Of all the kits my sister could have,' she thought.she had to bring this mouthy furball into the world.'

[pheonix]

Standing outside the barn entrance, she listened to the cats mewing to one another. So, this was the right place? She sure hoped so. But still, Byrd hid herself from the view of the cats, occasionally peeking in to wonder at the cats lying here and there. Some talked, while others slept. How peculiar... She hadn't been to a place where she could rest for a rather long time. With a heavy sigh, she recalled the many days and nights spent traveling or sleeping on the cold, hard ground. It had never really bothered her, the concept of sleeping on a rocky outcropping as rain fell all around you. But it still made her sore in the morning, which made less time traveling, and more aches and pains by the time you stopped for the night. On some occasions she had even forgone sleeping. Like how she hadn't slept in a couple days. Normally cats slept most of the days away. Or, at least, that's what she heard from the kittypets he had encountered while traveling.

A yawn threatened to break her cover, and she turned the other cheek, letting her mouth open, looking like a wet cave. Her tail flailed in front of the entrance, Byrd not even knowing that her tail was in the open. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and her ears were pulled back as she stretched and yawned at the same time. She needed a good spot to sleep in, and soon. Her stomach rumbled below her, and she promised herself she would find food after she slept. or the other way around.

[hedgie]

Birchpaw slipped into the barn, past a strange cat he'd never seen. But then, these days he barely knew any cats these days. He kept his head low, and his tail held out straight,trying to look as non-threatening as he could. His amber-gold eyes were wide and nervous. Each pawstep felt like a mile, and he hung back near the entrance to the barn, ready to bolt if anyone got hostile. Birchpaw sighed. "Hello." He mewed,his voice barely above a whisper. "Sorry if I'm interupting anything, but I'm Birchpaw..and I'm in serious need of a place to stay for a while. I have nowhere else to go." It was true. He couldn't go back to the Clan,and it seemed safe here. Birchpaw glanced up at the other cats, his eyes scanning the barn's interior.

It was massive,he thought. The forest felt bigger, though, and he couldn't see the sky or the stars. "Bu tbeggars can't be choosers."He sighed, scuffing his large on the barn's straw covered floor. He wasn't sure what to do now. These cats were all strangers to him, and he must seem even more strange to them. His name must've sounded odd, and his demeanor and actions must have seemed different too, the way he just couldn't look any cat in the eye.He had to admit it to himself. He was terrified, absolutely so. Anymore stress and he'd start shaking like a leaf.

[Yoko]

Drake twitched in surprise. He turned to examine the newcomer. He was surprised to see the cat was around his height but with a mass of fluffy whitish grey fur that made him appear thicker. Drake stared in awe for a moment. This cat didn't look like the usual scrawny loner. He looked far too healthy. Yet, he didn't have the demeanor of any kittypet he knew, other than himself of course.

"Where are you from?"

*

Helen rolled over suddenly at the sound of a new voice. She groaned as she paused on her belly. Her head was spinning from a movement so short? What was going on?

Her amber eyes landed on the young thick cat. She looked him over once or twice. He didn't look threatening. But it disturbed her slightly that her nephew didn't recognize this cat. Drake knew so many in twoleg place and on the street. Where could this cat have come from? And what kind of name was Birchpaw. Her heart suddenly jumped in surprise. Of Course!

"Birchpaw! What Clan are you from?!"

[pheonix]

A cat passed by her, and she swiveled around in one fluid movement, curious as to who it could possibly be. Her head poked into the barn, her ears twitching as she listened. Birchpaw? That was a peculiar name, as far as she could tell. She'd never heard one quite like it, but those kittypets she had met before the storm seemed to have hinted at the Clan cats using such a form of naming. How strange... She shook her head clear of her train of thought, and listened more intently, eyes still adjusting from the quick change of light.

With less thought than she should have put in, she leaned forwards, peering farther into the barn and it's residents.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Scorn watched from her bale of hay as the rickety wooden barn filled up with cat after cat after cat. They just kept coming! What, had Helen decided to host a party without telling her? Scorn counted Helen, the young silver tabby, the grey tabby loner, and now a young, fluffy grey tom. She wasn't afraid, but she sure wasn't relaxed any more. Scorn decided that it was time to leave the barn for a while to get some privacy. She hadn't felt so crowded since she was still living with her mother and siblings, which was a memory she didn't relive with any fondness.

"You four have a nice chat," she meowed to the other cats, getting to her paws. "I'm going out for a bit of fresh air. If anyone is in my spot when I get back, fur is going to fly." With that curt remark, the dappled tabby leapt gracefully down from her perch and weaved her way through the throng (or what she thought of as a throng) of cats. Within moments she was out the door, breathing the still air of the peaceful day undisturbed...

Or so she thought she would be. What actually happened was her exiting the barn and running smack into another young cat.

"Get away from me!" she spat, disentangling herself and jumping back from the small she-cat. "What is this? Cats are popping up like mushrooms today." Regarding the other cat with annoyance, Scorn curled her lip at the unimpressive specimen. Of course most cats were, but this one was especially small, as well as being ragged up close. Its tail was crooked, for shine's sake! What kind of cat had a crooked tail? Scorn would never have allowed hers to get in such a state. "I hope you aren't looking to stay in the barn as well," she grumbled at the young she-cat. "I'm already up to my ears in newcomers wanting a bit of if for themselves. Can't get a speck of privacy any more."

Sniffing, she turned her head and glanced back at the forest, which she had originally been making for. "Well, what are you doing here?" she asked the small cat, a bit more curiosity and a bit less hostility in her voice now that she didn't feel smothered by a mob of cats. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you a proper street cat, or an escaped kittypet? Or perhaps one of those Clan cats that I seem to be hearing so much about lately?"

[hedgie]

Birchpaw watched Scorn leave,and he smiled just a bit.
"Pleasant, isn't she?" It was probably a mean joke, but that she-cat didn't seem too nice, in his opinion.The energy in the room seemed to change and he relaxed. Birchpaw's entire body relaxed,and he looked up
"Over on the moors,in Windclan." He purred,sitting down on the barn floor.He watched the rest of the loners, keeping eye contact with each.

He realized how different he looked from the rest. He was built thicker and just all around different.He looked up into the higher level of the barn. "If no one minds,I'd be perfectly okay with the window spot. I don't mind the cold, and the view looks nice." Birchpaw kneaded the floor with his paws and sighed
"I don't even want to go back there, to the moors. It doesn't feel like home."He fell silent then, and yawned.

[Yoko]

Helen's excitement fell as she heard Birchpaw say he was from Windclan. Windclan held no interest for her. Now that remark that he'd made about Scorn irked her. He just saunters in and thinks he's welcome to stay?!

"You'd better watch your tongue kit!" Helen mewed. "We're not always so polite to newcomers. You want the window spot? Fine, freeze your tail off, maybe that mass of cotton you call fur will keep the cold out," she hissed.

*

Drake shook his head. "Don't worry," he murmured to Birchpaw, "She's like that a lot* nowadays. Come on Peregrine, Birchpaw, I'll show you to where they're talking about."

Drake padded towards the large stacks of hay. He leapt up them, one at a time, like a staircase. "Come on."

*

Helen heard a displeased mew. It was Scorn of course. Helen didn't consider her a friend, that wasn't why she had snapped at Birchpaw. But she knew that if any cat would have the nerve to disrespect Scorn they would have the nerve to disrespect herself as well.

Though she was curious of the noise, Helen remained laying on her belly, watching idly in the direction Scorn had left.

[hedgie]

"I like my fur,thank you very much."Birchpaw mewed."And mind you,I'm completely used to the wind.In fact, I love the wind."He watched Helen for a minute longer, and sighed. "Sorry if I offended you or anyone else.Just trying to crack a joke, I guess." He lept up onto the haystacks, beside Drake. "So....you know who I am.Who're you?" He asked Drake.

The hay felt odd beneath his pads. Crunchy and flimsy, he felt almost like they would fall out from under him, though down inside he knew they wouldn't. He loked around some more. "If she's like that, I'll just have to keep to myself." Helen had seemed dissapointed when he'd said he was from Windclan. 'I wonder what for. Maybe she was born in a different Clan...or maybe she knows some cat that is.'But that wasn't any of is business, and he had no reason to pry just yet.

[pheonix]

Byrd lay there on the ground, dazed by the sudden appearance of this cat. She obviously didn't like her. Byrd's hackles raised when the strange new cat curled her lip back, and Byrd hissed furiously. "I might be planning to stay, I might not." She said defensively, standing up and shaking herself lightly. Byrd thought for a moment at the cat's remark about privacy, and shook her head. "There's no privacy, no matter where you go. Eventually something living is going to pop up. The ground beneath you is filled with bugs and rodents, maybe even a badger or mole." All this calmed her down a bit, and her hackles lowered.

"I haven't lived with any upwalkers. I lived on the streets back when I was younger, but after awhile I left. Been traveling alone since. I came here only recently. Earlier, last night, actually." Byrd said proudly to the cat. "And I ain't seen any 'Clan' cats around here. Unless you happen to be one." She added a few moments later, and laughed slightly. This cat was clearly not a Clan cat. By the way the kittypets had described the Clan Cats, this she-cat didn't match up.

[peregrine]

Peregrine sat as the other cats popped up. He wondered if this really would be a nice place to stay. When Drake called his name Peregrine got up and followed after. The stairs scared him a bit but if Drake could go up them so could he! Peregrine made a plan that he would stay for a little while until he found a more private place.

He wondered why any cat would want to leave their home. The Clan that he said he came from was his family, Right? If Peregrine still had a foamy, no matter how bad, he wouldn't have wanted to leave. Having a bad family is better than no family at all.

[Yoko]

After getting over the hay stacks, Drake leapt onto the wooden floor of the upperlevel. It was pretty crowded up there. There were heavy canvas sacks and blocks of tied hay laying all over. There was even a pitchfork in the far back among some rakes. Drake pointed there with his tail.

"Stay away from that corner of pointy things. Don't even chase a mouse that far. One old loner lost his left eye over there."

He led the way to the cracked window. The window was thickly covered with dust. There was a large crescent moon shaped crack in the bottom right corner. "You sure you want to sleep here, Birchpaw? It can be freezing in leaf-bare."

"Peregrine, you should take the other corner next to this one. You can rearrange the hay so it's not so prickly."