Warriors: Uprising (Book 1)

Chapter 21

Shredpaw hasn't felt happy in a while, because of his father torturing him and his mother not being around him a lot. When Dustshine gave him that piece of prey, he's never felt so relieved and happy to see her in a long while. He only hoped that Blacksting left him alone today because he didn't want to know how they were going to "train" today. Shredpaw got the courage to get up out of his nest and leave the apprentices' den instead of Blacksting making him leave. Shredpaw had a slight limp on his back right leg now, but he didn't care. All he cared about was being happy now. When he padded out of the den, the first cat he saw was Crownight. She quickly came up to him with a smile. "Hi, Shredpaw! You doing alright?" She asked.

"Hello, Crownight. I'm fine, how about you?" He replied.

"I'm great, thanks for asking!" Crownight happily trotted over to her sister Scorchwatcher to talk to her. Shredpaw had gotten to know his other clanmates because he felt it was wrong for him not to talk to them. He decided he would go to the Elders' den next. As he continued his way to see the elders, he saw Blacksting quickly look around and head into the Warriors' den.

It would be best for me not to worry about him right now... Shredpaw thought, then peeked his head into the Elders' den to see Greenscar and Sunnyjaw chatting.

"I kit three she-cats and none of them have mates!" Greenscar meowed and sighed.

"I'm sure they will have mates at some point. Maybe Buzzardgaze's sons will become mates with two of your daughters. You never know!" Sunnyjaw replied, licking his paw and then rubbing it on his head.

"That still leaves one without a mate!" Greenscar put her head in between her paws and gave another enormous sigh.

"Hello." Shredpaw mewed and padded inside.

The two elders looked up at Shredpaw. "Hi there, young one!" Sunnyjaw smiled. Greenscar grunted and put her head back down.

"Don't mind her, she's just grumpy." Sunnyjaw added.

"I am not!" Greenscar said.

Shredpaw giggled a little at the tiny quarrel.

"So what're you in here for? Our pelts are clean," Greenscar meowed.

"I just wanted to check on you two and say hello!" Shredpaw smiled, though the smile hurt a bit.

"Oh, well, thank you! We're fine! It was Shredpaw, wasn't it?" the old tom meowed.

"Yes, it is!"

"Well, good to see the young cats are still checking on us." Greenscar coughed a bit and then yawned.

"All three of your daughters came to see you yesterday!" Sunnyjaw exclaimed.

"Well, it felt like it was moons ago!" She turned away slightly with a huff.

Shredpaw giggled again. "Well, I'll be going now!" Shredpaw meowed.

"Goodbye, Shredpaw. Visit again soon!" Sunnyjaw meowed back, smiling. Greenscar just gave another huff as Shredpaw left the Elders' den.

"You've been more grumpy than usual, Greenscar, what's the problem?" the tom looked at her.

"I just have a bad feeling about something, but I just can't lay my paw on it..." she replied, and gave an enormous yawn.

"And I'm not grumpy!" She added.

*

Once Shredpaw was out of the Elders' den, he saw Blacksting and Dustshine talking to each other about something. They both saw Shredpaw and headed over to him.

I don't even want to think about what Blacksting wants to do... Shredpaw thought, but he would stay happy and positive, anyway. Once they got up to him, Blacksting had a smirk on his face. "Dustshine will help us with your next lesson, Shredpaw," He meowed.

Shredpaw gave her a worried look. "Don't worry, it will be fine, I promise," she said and nuzzled him.

I hope you're right... Shredpaw thought.

Blacksting signaled for them to follow him out of the camp, so they did.

*

Shredpaw instantly recognized the nearly dead tree he got beat up by and got worried. Blacksting turned around and looked at both of them.

"Shredpaw, this lesson is learning how to deal with the loss of a loved one." He mewed.

Dustshine gave a confused look. "That's not what you told me..."

"I have lost no cat though-" Shredpaw stopped once he saw Blacksting tackle Dustshine and dig his claws into her shoulders and she shrieked in pain.

No... Shredpaw thought as he would try to get Blacksting off of her, but Dustshine got some words out, "N-No... Shredpaw stay back!"

"I've had enough of you." Blacksting bit into her right shoulder and she yowled in pain, more blood leaking out of it.

"No, stop!" Shredpaw ran up and push Blacksting off his mother.

Blacksting growled and clawed Shredpaw on the eye, causing some blood to spurt out and Shredpaw yelling in pain and nearly dropped onto the ground, blood leaking from his left eye.

"Stay out of this!" Blacksting hissed.

Dustshine was trying to get up, but Blacksting got back up and clawed and rake into her chest and all over her muzzle. More blood was being spilled onto the ground.

Shredpaw turned around and saw as his mother was being torn into. N-No! His limp was preventing him from going any faster.

Dustshine coughed up some blood. "Blacksting... You don't have to do this..." she coughed again.

Blacksting didn't answer and bit into Dustshine's neck as hard as he could, causing blood to fill up in her mouth.

Shredpaw stopped in his tracks. He didn't...

Blacksting got off of the now non-moving Dustshine. A pool of blood was leaking out of her mouth.

"Dustshine!!" Shredpaw yelled as loud as possible and ran over to his mother with tears streaming down his eyes, blood still leaking from his right one.

"Shredpaw, we don't all stay alive forever. Even our loved ones." Blacksting said darkly.

Shredpaw glared at the cat who had killed his mother. "Why did you kill her?! She's the only cat I truly cared about!"

Blacksting didn't answer.

Shredpaw cried and wailed for his mother to get up.

"Make sure you come back to camp." Blacksting meowed and headed back without a care.

"Dustshine, please wake up!"