warrior's refuge

Millie shows Graystripe where the Highstones are in the distance. Graystripe is excited, realizing that they cannot be far from home now. Millie is scared of the terrain. They have to cross busy thunder paths, and when they wind up on a farm a huge monster chases them. They get separated. Graystripe sees a barn in the distance and runs there, hoping there are cats that can help him. The cats attack him, insisting that this is their territory and he needs to leave it. He begs them for help and finally they agree. There is a nursing queen there who is unhappy with this decision. They find Millie, who is hurt, and run back to the safety of the barn. At first the one cat, Husker, insists they must leave at nightfall but his mate, Moss, insists they must stay until Millie is better. The remaining cat is Moss's brother Splash. Husker, Moss, and Splash tell Graystripe and Millie that they used to live in the house as the owners kittypets but one day their owners died and the house was sold. The new owners brought dogs and now the cats are reduced to living in the barn. Graystripe thinks of Ravenpaw and Barley and their happy life, and doesn't understand why these cats are complaining so much. The next day Graystripe understands just how bad the situation is. He tries to hunt a mouse and is attacked by a twoleg first, then their dogs. He runs back to the safety of the barn.

They stay while Millie recovers. One day Graystripe is out hunting when the dogs corner him. Millie jumps in to save him and speaks to the dogs, telling them to go away and they do. Back at the barn Graystripe tells everyone what Millie did. She offers to teach them how to speak some words in dog and they agree.

Graystripe worried that practice might not be enough to help these cats. One day the dogs come into the barn and Splash speaks to them, telling them to leave and they listen. Graystripe realizes that things might be okay in the end. He tells the cats that they have a good life and Moss agrees, telling him that she is not sure she would ever want to live in a house again. Splash asks her for help with the twolegs, but Millie has no help to offer there. One day Graystripe and Millie are out when they see a twoleg kit playing near the water. They cannot see her parents anywhere and worry she will fall in. Graystripe decides to distract the kit by acting cute. Her parents come along and at first they try to shoo Graystripe away. Then they realize their daughter is about to fall in the water. Their daughter sees Graystripe and starts petting him and Millie. The twolegs realizes that Graystripe has saved their daughter. They come over to pet the cats too but Graystripe runs away, the memory of living with twolegs still too fresh. Back at the barn Millie tells the other cats what happened but as Graystripe listens he realizes he wants to go home more then ever.

Worried, Graystripe asks Millie if she wants to go home to her twolegs. She takes a while to answer, but finally she tells Graystripe her place is with him. One day while outside one of the twolegs hits a ball at Graystripe and Millie. Their parent tells at them and tells them to be good to the cats. Realizing an opportunity, Graystripe and Millie lead the twolegs back to the barn. Graystripe convinces Moss to show them the kits. Husker is upset at first, but then he realizes they can all live together in peace. Graystripe and Millie leave, heading for the forest. Graystripe thinks they are at the right place, but he cannot tell for sure since the land is so changed. They find Graystripe's home, but it is completely destroyed and the clans are all gone.

I feel a bit bad for Graystripe here. Going home, finding the forest destroyed and his clan gone. Not knowing where to go or how to find them. Feeling like he doesn't really have a place in this world until he finds his clan. (Of course, you are supposed to feel that way!) But he did find his way home and they did leave the barn cats in a better place then they found them. So there is that.