Warriors- Dawn of An Era: The Journey Begins {Book 1} (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twenty-Two

For the rest of the day, Scarredbelly couldn't stop worrying about Shellkit and Dovekit being alone with Rushspring without anyone else with them. He paced the length of the warrior's den, claws scraping against the dirt. "They'll be okay," he muttered to himself, but it did little to calm his nerves.

A shadow fell on him and he looked to the den entrance. It was Sweetpool. She looked just as anxious and fearful as he was and she padded toward him, eyes troubled. "I have a bad feeling about Rushspring being alone with the kits." Sweetpool mewed, looking up at Scarredbelly.

"Me too," he admitted, feeling guilty for speaking about his brother in such a way. They were littermates for StarClan's sake! A brother should always trust his brother. "He wouldn't hurt his kits, would he?" Scarredbelly lifted his eyes to meet Sweetpool's but she shrugged her shoulders.

"He's unpredictable," She meowed.

Scarredbelly had to agree, as much as it hurt him to. "What can I help you with, Sweetpool?" He asked half-heartedly, looking at the queen. "Does your nest need to be changed?"

The she-cat shook her head. "No, it's fine." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Do you think Wildpaw, Orchidpaw, and Applepaw should be warriors soon?"

The question took the tom by surprise but he regained himself after a moment. "Well, sure. I mean, they have to be warriors at some point, right?"

Sweetpool shrugged, her eyes growing distant as she looked away. "I suppose." Her tail flicked subconsciously around her flank, making Scarredbelly frown.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently, flicking his tail under her chin and making her look up at him.

Sweetpool gazed up at him, concern and sadness in her hazel eyes. "I've seen the way Rushspring looks at Dovekit and Shellkit. It's a mixture of ambition and something dark." She shivered despite how warm she felt and Scarredbelly frowned. "It's like he's plotting to do something with them."

Scarredbelly felt his heart drop and he blinked a few times. "Or he's plotting to do something to them." He whispered and looked at Sweetpool. Without a word, he raced out of the den, the queen on his tail as they burst into the clearing.

Before they could turn to dart toward the camp entrance, a wail from Darkfang made the fur along Scarredbelly's neck and spine rise. Scarredbelly skidded to a halt with Sweetpool at his side as he stared in horror at what he saw.

Rushspring was fumbling into the camp, a bloody and scratched Shellkit dangling limply from his jaws, wounds littering his pelt. Blood splattered his patched pelt, dripping off at some places and making the ground a dark red.

A loud, mournful wail from Sweetpool made Scarredbelly flatten his ears. The queen's legs gave out from underneath her and she fell against the warrior, trembling as she sobbed at the sight of her dead son.

"Shellkit!" She cried, putting her paws over her eyes. "Shellkit, no!"

Scarredbelly felt numb as Dovekit rushed to her mother, tears streaming down her face as she wailed. "Mama!" Dovekit shrieked as she curled up beside her mother's muzzle, sobbing into her fur.

Starlingstar and Beetlescar bounded toward the warrior, who had dropped Shellkit's body. "What happened?" Demanded the leader, his voice crackling as he saw the small shape of the kit on the ground. "How did this happen?"

Rushspring, with an effort, raised his head to look up at his leader, legs quivering. "Th-there was an ambush from SkyClan by the border." His voice was hoarse and Scarredbelly's claws unsheathed, digging into the dirt. Liar! He wanted to screech, anger fueling his glare. "I-I tried to stop them, I really did. They got by me and killed Shellkit as he bravely protected Dovekit."

Beetlescar lowered his head. "Shellkit died a warriors death," he rasped, turning to look at the leader. "I believe he deserves his warrior name despite dying a kit."

Starlingstar nodded, his eyes filled with grief. "I see no better time to do so than now." He drew himself up, looking down at Shellkit's body with sadness and a sliver of pride in his orange eyes. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this young cat. He has died a noble, and honorable death that deserves his warrior name."

Scarredbelly felt Sweetpool rise to her paws beside him, shaking and whimpering softly. He turned his head and licked her on the head, trying to comfort her.

"Shellkit," Starlingstar went on. "From this moment on, you will be known as Shellclaw. StarClan honors your bravery and protection of your sister and we welcome you as a warrior of StarClan. Walk with warriors, young one."

Scarredbelly let out a small snarl that grew until he found himself charging his brother, claws unsheathed as he leaped. He soared through the air, yowling in anger and grief. "You fox-hearted murderer!" He screeched, tears flattening his cheek fur as he slammed into Rushspring, knocking him off his paws and rolling with him in the dirt in a blur of claws, fur, and snarls.

"Get off him, Scarredbelly!" Darkfang gasped, leaping back to avoid the two warriors.

Scarredbelly ignored her and clawed at Rushspring's pelt, anger blinding his vision. Rushspring shoved him away, making him stumble back but regain his footing. "Your kit! Your only son and you murdered him!" He glared at Rushspring, who didn't meet his eyes. "How could you? Your kin, flesh, and blood!"

Rushspring wiped the blood from his cheek where Scarredbelly had slashed him, spitting. "I didn't kill my son!" He growled, glaring at his brother. "Even if I did, which I didn't, why would I have my precious daughter as a witness?"

Scarredbelly arched his back, spitting as his tail lashed. He couldn't respond as he glared at his brother, anger radiating off his pelt. "If you didn't kill Shellkit," he snarled, "Then who did?"

Rushspring's tail lashed as he replied. "It was that SkyClan warrior named Redfur who killed my son." He growled, claws gleaming in the sunlight, making Scarredbelly's eyes narrow.

There was a gasp then, fur brushed against him, bushed out. Applepaw was glaring at Rushspring, anger, and hatred blazing in her eyes. "My father is not kit-murderer!" She hissed, tail lashing back and forth.

Rushspring regarded her with cold orange eyes. His lip curled into a snarl but Applepaw held his gaze defiantly. "Your father killed my son, Applepaw." He spat, though the gleam in his eyes told Scarredbelly something else. "No wonder your sister and father chased you out. You're too scared to fight and stand up for yourself."

Before Scarredbelly could defend the apprentice, Starlingstar's voice cut in. "That's enough, you three." He meowed sharply, stalking toward the three cats and standing between them. "No more blood shall be shed in the presence of Shellclaw's spirit. We will hold vigil for him and no more fighting will take place."

Scarredbelly felt hot with shame but he dipped his head, sending his brother a glare. "Yes, Starlingstar," he mumbled. He turned away, unable to meet the shocked eyes of his Clanmates as he padded toward the warrior's den. I'll convince Starlingstar that Redfur didn't kill Shellclaw. He thought to himself as he curled in his nest in the corner. How I'm going to do that is a mystery.