[ti]Private[/ti]The Great Battle

[silverfang218]

Barkfur was still a bit steaming from just witnessing Rainfur cozying up to Shadowpaw and Owlstar. He’s never got to see Rainfur’s emotional side, the side that is trying to better; all Barkfur has seen is the flirting, the harassing, and laziness from the older warrior. Barkfur is fully aware that he himself is far from the best warrior ever, but at least he tries. To him, it doesn’t seem like Rainfur tries at all; it just looks like the other warrior just wants to benefit from his clanmates’ work.

It was bad enough that Rainfur seemed to suck up to the leader every chance he got, but that was tolerable. Owlstar cares enough for her clan that a terrible influence like Rainfur wouldn’t cause any problems, though Barkfur feels bad for her that she has to tolerate Rainfur’s flirting and harassment; she deserves better than that.

But Barkfur didn’t say a word about that and has only occasionally chased Rainfur away from she-cats that the older warrior had been harassing; Barkfur was only irked by that and acted only out of pity for the she-cats. No, the thing that finally angered Barkfur to the point of absolute blind fury is the fact that Rainfur was trying to get close to Shadowpaw. Shadowpaw wouldn’t know any better, Barkfur knows, as Shadowpaw would quickly come to care for any cat who was kind to him; now more than ever, Shadowpaw needs to have cats that truly care for him. The Rainfur that Bark has seen is not a cat that Shadow needs in his life right now.

Bark’s angry, amber gaze scans the camp for his rival. Up until now he hasn’t ever gone searching for trouble with Rainfur, only causing trouble when he catches Rainfur being out of line. Right now though, he feels like the blue grey warrior needs some claws in his pelt.

[Meow]

Rainfur had done very well that day. He'd woken up early, gone on a border patrol, and even managed to catch a single, sickly mouse on the way back to camp. The tom's eyes were bright as he trotted towards the fresh-kill pile, his catch dangling from his jaws. It seemed like everything was looking up for Rainfur- he was starting to do his duties, he was beginning to understand how he should interact with his clan mates, and he'd even found himself a new little family to call his own. Sure, maybe it wasn't a real family, but he was starting to truly believe that he belonged in IvyClan... the way he'd always wanted to. Of course, his personality was still infuriating, and he'd always be lacking in the IQ department, but, if he kept this up, there was no way his clan mates wouldn't start to give him a second chance!

Rainfur smiled as the tiny creature plopped onto the pile, a fine addition to the fresh-kill that would sustain his clan. With this, he could truly feel like he'd earned a bit of rest for the day. There was nothing like stretching out after a morning of hard work! Not even Owlstar could complain about his laziness now.

The tom's good mood didn't last long, though. As he turned away from the pile, his gaze fell upon a tortoiseshell pelt, the clan's own ticking time bomb. Barkfur- who was looking right at him. He didn't look happy. Rainfur felt his breath catch in his throat as dread spread in his chest, and he quickly ducked behind the fresh-kill pile in an attempt to hide from the young warrior. Rainfur never got off scot-free when it came to Barkfur. The younger tom always had something to be mad at him about, even if he hadn't actually done anything wrong. Even a harmless, meaningless glance towards a she-cat could set him off.

Rainfur didn't dare even glance out from behind the pile, hoping that Barkfur had somehow managed to not see him.

[silverfang218]

Oh yes, the freshkill pile. The best hiding place. Unfortunately for Rainfur, Barkfur is a master at hide and seek. Rain’s clever hiding spot is no match for Bark’s keen eye. Barkfur pads over to pathetic blue grey cat, raising a kittybrow at Rain’s attempt to hide. One more strike against Rainfur: he seems to be scared of a young warrior that not all that long ago was merely an apprentice. Said apprentice beat Rain up, but that’s completely besides the point.

He did see Rain put a piece of freshkill on the pile. Maybe he’ll start by going easy on the larger warrior. Maybe. “Rainfur. Stay away from Shadowpaw. Right now, he needs cats who care about him around him.” Bark growls at the blue grey tom. He might manage to somehow not blow up on Rainfur if Rain agrees to leave Shadow alone. "You didn't even know him before he got lost; he deserves better than be toyed with." Bark hisses, struggling to stop his fur from standing on end. It's hard for the young warrior to not jump at Rain immediately claws extended, but he's trying to stay calm. He doesn't really want to get yelled at by Rivershine again.

[Meow]

Rainfur winced as Barkfur padded up to him, the fresh-kill pile doing nothing to conceal the blue-gray warrior's large form. He knew he should have just made a run for it! As Barkfur raised his kittybrow at him, Rainfur silently admitted defeat, straightening up and clearing his throat as if he hadn't just been cowering behind a pile of dead animals for protection. What? Rainfur enjoyed silly arguments, but he despised physical violence. He was an idiot, but at least he was a harmless idiot.

Thankfully, it didn't seem like Barkfur was in the mood to fight- the young tom looked disappointed in him for whatever reason, but he hadn't unsheathed his claws yet. A good sign.

When Barkfur actually spoke, though, Rainfur's face fell. He'd figured that he'd get another lecture from Barkfur about making use of himself. Maybe he'd say that Rainfur was being lazy with only catching a mouse, or that he should stop breathing around she-cats. Instead... Shadowpaw? Rainfur's kittybrows furrowed as confusion and hurt twisted his features. Did Barkfur really have to accuse him of playing with everyone's feelings? "What, so I can't form relationships with anyone in the clan now? Is that what you're saying, Barkfur?" Rainfur could take Barkfur getting mad at him over his general flirty nature, but specific relationships? Too far. "I care about Shadowpaw. If you think I get close to cats for fun, I don't."

[silverfang218]

Barkfur, one other paw, is far from a harmless idiot. He’s an angry idiot. “I’m telling you to stay away from my little brother. I’m saying I don’t trust you with his feelings; he’s lost half the cats that he’s considered family all while he was lost in the wilderness. He’s… he’s not having a good time right now, to say the very least. He gets attached easily; he never had a real family, so he adopts the cats around him and makes his own family.” Bark growls. The young warrior kind of feels like a mom towards the tiny apprentice; he has to screen all the cats that Shadow adopts into the little makeshift family. Rainfur is the first cat to fail that screening.

All Barkfur has seen is Rainfur flirting; none of Rain’s serious talks with Owlstar nor was Barkfur a part of Shadow’s actual outing with Rain. He’s never seen ‘dad material’ in Rainfur, and is therefore distrustful of Rain actually going ahead and being Shadow’s dad. Bark’s way to express distrust… is this I guess. Despite generally being aggressive and occasionally hateful towards some of his clanmates, Bark has come to form a genuine bond with Shadowpaw, and that means that he’ll defend his little brother. If he perceives any threat to Shadow, be it a threat to Shadow’s mental or physical health, Bark will always step in. Right now, he has decided that Rainfur’s attitude is a threat to Shadow’s mental health. If a cat were to let Shadow get close to them, then brush the young apprentice aside, Shadow would be crushed. Bark won’t let that happen here. "I don't believe that you care for him. Before you start trying to take care of him, try to take care of yourself first, Rainfur." Bark hisses.

[Meow]

Rainfur felt the fur on the back of his neck ruffle at Barkfur's words. Cats were always assuming that he was anything but genuine, that he never meant anything he said... but that was far from the truth. "I've never had a family!" Rainfur felt his anger and hurt flare as Barkfur finished speaking, one of the few times in his life that he'd legitimately lost his temper. He'd had just about enough of Barkfur's crap. "I never had parents, siblings, or anyone who was ever on my side- you have no idea what that feels like! You've always had your sister, someone who'll be on your side no matter what you do. And now you're trying to take away one of the first cats to ever take me in? To accept me as kin?"

Rainfur stepped forward, nose-to-nose with the younger tom. "I've always hated myself because of cats like you telling me that I'm not good enough for them or anyone in this clan," Rainfur growled, his tail lashing. "I'm good enough for Shadowpaw. I'm going to look after him like he was my own son- and I'm not going to let you get in my way. Not anymore- so back off."

[silverfang218]

Barkfur would be lying if he said he expect the backlash from the older warrior. He doesn’t flinch away from Rain’s words or approach; instead, he meets the other warrior’s angry gaze even as the older warrior gets nose-to-nose with him. Never had Barkfur gotten a rise out of Rainfur, never had Rainfur fought back against him. The fact that Rain is doing so now… it may mean that he really does care about this. If Rainfur is serious about trying to make a relationship with Shadowpaw, then Barkfur sees no problem with it. Perhaps it’s possible for him to accept Rainfur after all.

“Then prove it. Shadowpaw is my family too, so I have to protect him. If you are serious, if you really mean what you say, then you’ll be able to prove it to me. Though, I will warn you, if you ever hurt Shadowpaw, I’ll make you wish you were never born…. Assuming Owlstar doesn’t rip you to shreds first.” It’s only just now that Bark recalls that Owl is a part of this equation. She loves Shadowpaw like he does, and she allowed Rainfur to get close to Shadow… so she must approve.

“My problem with you isn’t necessarily that I don’t think you have the potential to be good enough; it’s that up until now you really haven’t tried to be good enough. Or at least, you sure didn’t act like you were trying. Well now you have a family, and you gotta act like it.” Barkfur makes that assessment. He did see Rain put the mouse on the freshkill pile; Bark didn’t know that Rain knew how to hunt, so that right there was impressive.

That’s the closest thing to an olive branch as Barkfur knows how to give; he doesn’t back off or go away, though. He wants confirmation. He wants Rainfur, after hearing all that, to say again that he’ll take care of little Shadowpaw. Shadowpaw deserves a dad to be proud of, and if Shadow picked Rain, then Bark wants Rain to become that warrior to be proud of.

[Meow]

If backlash is what Barkfur was seeking, then he'd certainly get it. Rainfur wasn't typically much of a pushover; he'd mostly held himself back because of Barkpaw's youth. Now that he was angry, he didn't intend on calming down any time soon. "I don't have to prove anything to you- nor do I even care if you approve! It's Shadowpaw's business who he's close to, not yours," Rainfur hissed, his fur only fluffing out further. "And Owlstar- she wouldn't do such a thing. Owlstar even said that I would be a good d-" Rainfur choked on his words for a moment, the tips of his ears flaring up with heat. "...a good dad! Besides, she actually knows me, you know? She's very nice and caring, and she smells really nice, and she's really funny, and she would never hurt anyone, and she's just not like any other she-cat I've ever met-" The tom's words sped up as he practically vomited words on the subject of Owlstar- his favorite subject.

Barkfur had done it.

"And she's really brave! She even fought off a badger once because she wanted to protect me, and she always stands up for me because she's just the greatest friend in the whole world! And she thinks I am, too, and her judgement is much better than yours! So you can bet I'll take care of Shadowpaw, and, if you have a problem with that, well, you can take it up with me! He's so precious and cute, and I would sacrifice myself to keep him safe, and I'm really really happy that he chose me to be his dad.." Rainfur was practically wheezing with his last sentence, out of breath as he ranted to Barkfur. After a few breaths, he continued. "So suck on that, Barkfur! I'm not going to let you get in my way anymore- I mean business!"

Dadfur puffed out his chest as he glared down at Barkfur, as if his size would do much of anything to help him in a fight against the other tom. Whether or not he had proven any sort of point, he sure looked proud of himself.

[silverfang218]

“Well, it is my business who Shadowpaw gets close to and he’ll care if I approve. Maybe you aren’t familiar with how a family works, but it’s each family member’s job to watch out for all the other members of the family. Shadowpaw is like my little brother, and therefore it is my job to look out for him. I suppose I can trust Owlstar’s judgement if she deemed you a ‘good dad’, but if you are Shadowpaw’s dad, then I need to make sure you’ll take care of him like a father should. That’s part of my responsibility to him.”

“If you think that just looking up at another cat and thinking that they are brave or smell nice is enough to be a family member, then you are just wrong. I would hope you’ve learned that by now if you are friends with Owlstar. If you think that just believing that Shadowpaw is cute or precious makes you a good father, then you were never fit to be a father to begin with. If you really mean that you’ll sacrifice yourself to keep him safe, then he’s in good paws though.” He slightly tilts his head, accepting Rainfur into the family as long as Rain stops ranting. Because Barkfur might say something he will regret (or maybe he won’t, who knows) if this continues for much longer.

He does add one thing to the end of it though. “I don’t think I’m the one in your way, Rainfur. You are the one in your own way.” After all, Barkfur has just been trying to get Rainfur back on track. If he ever saw Rainfur hunting or returning from hunting, or even being useful, it’s highly unlikely that Bark would have interfered with him. It’s only when Rain is harassing others or not being productive that Bark attacks him. If Rain truly wants to try, he’s gonna have to get past his own bad habits. That’s what he really needs to conquer, not Barkfur.

Barkfur doesn't back down or look intimidated at all though. He's a bit surprised that Rainfur would even seem to press for a fight with him, surprised that Rainfur seemed to have grown any kind of a spine at all, but he's not scared of Rainfur. Perhaps that's a serious character flaw of Barkfur's: a fearlessness when it comes to himself.

[Meow]

Rainfur's expression continued to only sour with Barkfur's words- to him, Owlstar and Shadowpaw were his family, and he didn't care if Barkfur's definition of family was different from his. Rainfur was tired of being alone, of being a joke. If Shadowpaw and Owlstar were willing to stand next to him, he knew he could get through this. After all, he'd already started getting better! He was hunting and attending patrols more regularly, and he'd even started to think about who he might ask to train him how to fight. Rainfur had been considering asking Owlstar to let him in on some training sessions with Shadowpaw, but every time he went to ask, he found himself changing the subject. Besides, he was trying to show her he was more independent now, so... he shouldn't rely on her for every little thing.

"I've already had this lecture before, Barkfur, and I don't need to hear it from you- about me 'holding myself back'. I'm doing my best, and I can't promise I'll ever be a great warrior, but I promise you that I'm tired of playing around." Rainfur looked absolutely irritated with the young tom, but he'd managed to reign himself in, even if it had been hard to keep himself from ranting further. He wanted Barkfur off of his back, and he knew the only way to get him to back off was to stand up to him. "I'm done flirting with she-cats and ignoring my duties. Now, I just... want to make things right. I want to provide for my clan mates and make their lives a little bit better through my hard work. And... if I'll never get to be a real father, then I at least want the opportunity of making Shadowpaw's life better." Rainfur suddenly looked tired as his fur rested flat against his skin once more, all signs of irritation gone. He'd come to terms with the fact that he'd probably never have a mate. He just... wanted someone to care for, someone that Shadowpaw could come to when he just needed some support and love. "So just let me do my thing, okay?"