Warriors: Uprising (Book 1)

Chapter 19

        Blacksting knew what he wanted in his life. He thought it over for a couple of moons, but he wanted to be the new leader of Vertexclan. He knew it wouldn't be easy getting to that point, but he had a plan in his mind. After he trained an apprentice, he will kill the deputy of Vertexclan Skybelly. He planned to have Skybelly get injured badly and then feed him death berries. He didn't know how he would injure such a careful tom like Skybelly. Skybelly would probably find out what he was planning in an instant!

Which is why I have to finish training that worthless Shredpaw before I plan. He thought as he watched Skybelly head into Birdstar's den.

Where is he, anyway? He looked around and saw Nova coming out of the medicine den, so he quickly headed over to her. Nova nearly growled when he came up to her. "Do you need something, Blacksting?" She said through bared teeth.

"Where is Shredpaw?"

"Why do you need to know?" She snapped back.

"He's my apprentice. I should be able to know where he is," Blacksting meowed.

"Well, maybe you don't need to know!" tears were welling up in her eyes at the thought of the poor injured Shredpaw.

"Is he in the medicine den?"

"Listen." Nova started and hissed. "He is, but if I ever find out you were the one that hurt Shredpaw like this, I'll make sure you get exiled Blacksting." she snarled at him.

"Good luck trying. Our leader cares more about his goatweed than his clan," Blacksting chuckled softly, then headed to the medicine den.

I can't let this go on... Nova thought as she headed to Birdstar's den.

*

    Shredpaw still didn't want to be alive anymore. He wondered when his time would come for him to die. The black tom only laid there in a nest in the medicine den, with only himself and his thoughts since Nova left for a little while. Shredpaw could move now, but there was pain he could feel all over his body when he did.

Shredpaw heard pawsteps come into the medicine den. He looked up to see none other than Blacksting himself.

"Did you tell Nova anything?" He asked.

Shredpaw shook his head.

"Good, now get up. I'm taking you back to the apprentices' den," Blacksting meowed.

"But what about Nova-"

"Who cares what she says. If she gets in my way, I'll just kill her, now get up."

Shredpaw got up and winced at the instantaneous pain that jolted in his body. He prevented himself from yowling in pain at every paw step he took. Blacksting left the medicine den with Shredpaw behind him. Blacksting was mumbling something to himself as they both went into the apprentices' den.

"Go sit in the corner," He ordered.

Shredpaw did what he was told and sat in the corner.

"You will learn how to go without food," Blacksting meowed.

Shredpaw would react to that, but he only sighed. He didn't care if he died or not.

"Don't you leave this den until I say you can." He hissed and left right after that.

Shredpaw sat there in silence. He just wanted to see Dustshine once more.

*

    Nova had stormed to Birdstar's den. She has had enough of her leader not doing anything to help Shredpaw. She padded in without asking if she could. Birdstar was just lying there in his nest before he looked up at her. "Hello, Nova. Do you need anything?" he mewed.

"I want you to do something about Blacksting!" she demanded.

"Do what about him?"

Nova got angrier by the second. "He's hurting Shredpaw and you're doing nothing about it!"

"Blacksting said a fox hurt him, he wouldn't be able to hurt Shredpaw that badly." Birdstar shrugged.

"And you're just going to believe that?"

"Stagwhisper and Rockcreek told me it was true. So, what's the problem here?"

Nova growled. "The problem is that you see nothing wrong and you would rather eat goatweed than care about it!" She hissed.

Birdstar got up with an expression of anger on his face. "That's because nothing is wrong, Nova. If it was Blacksting who attacked Shredpaw and the fox was a lie, Rockcreek or Stagwhisper would have told me already!" He yelled.

Nova went silent.

"Now I will have to ask you to leave my den, please."

Nova turned around and was at the entrance of the den. "If you see nothing wrong, then that's fine. I'll leave you to your goatweed and figure this out myself." She said before she left Birdstar's den, not looking back at all.

She decided she was going out of camp for a little while.

*

    Shredpaw knew he was hungry, but he didn't want to acknowledge it at all. Every time he thought about eating prey, his stomach grumbled, which made his stomach hurt more than before.

What if I just died here... Who would care? Shredpaw laid his head down and tried to sleep.

He then heard pawsteps come into the den, he looked up to see:

Dustshine.

He got up shakily and saw that she had a delicate piece of prey in her jaws. She padded up to him and placed it in front of him. Shredpaw felt tears fall down his cheeks. Why would his mother do this for him? She doesn't know that Blacksting could hurt her.

The last thing I want is for Dustshine to get hurt... Shredpaw thought and sobbed.

"Please eat it." She held back her tears. "Blacksting told me what he was doing and I will not let my son starve to death..."

"Why are you being so nice to me? I yelled at you and said some mean things..." He continued to cry.

"It's alright," she brought him close to her. "I should have thought about how you felt and who your mentor is. I was so blinded by loving Blacksting I've lost the love I had with my kit." she couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

"You haven't... I will love you forever, Dustshine..." Shredpaw nuzzled up against his mother, and she nuzzled back.

"Now please eat up."

Shredpaw nodded happily and took a bite out of the juicy piece of prey in front of him.