Warriors: Retribution (Book 2)

Chapter 5

Shredflash was always protecting his family now. He made sure every time he came back from hunting or making sure that there were no other cats around to harm them, he would go back into the small cave and check on his mate and kit. They were all holding up well, despite that they live in the wild and not in a clan. Shredflash would never go back to a clan. He hated both Vertexclan and Driftclan equally. If only Birdstar understood what my mother and I went through... He thought as he padded past some trees, looking for prey to find.

Well, he's probably dead now, my friend! A voice had echoed in his head.

"Keep in mind, Shred, that clan leaders have nine lives. He could have a few more. I never really knew how many he had..."

Does it matter now? You have what you want, Eclipse and Fang! Shred said.

Shredflash sighed as he stopped and went into a hunters' crouch and listened out for the prey he scented. He saw as a tiny mouse slowly crossed his vision. He then stomped on its tail and dug a claw into its back. "Looks like it was young..." He meowed to himself and picked it up with his maw.

You know... Shred started.

"Know what?" Shredflash's mew muffled because of the prey in his mouth.

That cat you killed a few moons ago on the Ocean Side. She had a mate.

"She did now?"

Yep, she kitted a moon before, I'm sure.

Shredflash stopped in his tracks. "How do you know this?"

I know a lot of things, my friend! It's like how I helped you find the cat was of danger to your kin. Shred echoed.

Shredflash sighed and continued to head back to the small cave. He wondered who that kit was and if he knew he killed his mother.

"Shred, do you think kit knows?"

Knows about what?

"I took his mothers' life."

Only time can tell my friend!

Shredflash sighed again as he got closer to the small cave. He went inside to see both Eclipse and Fang laying next to each other. "And the clan didn't believe him- oh hello, Shredflash!" Eclipse looked over at him and gave a smile. Fang only gave a small sigh.

"Were you two talking about my life in Vertexclan?" His eyes were cynical.

"Of course not!" Eclipse meowed.

"Yes," mewed Fang.

Eclipse gave a heavy sigh.

*

"Eclipse!" Fang prodded on her mothers' side.

"Yes?" She looked at her kit.

"Can you please tell me about Shredflash's life in his clan?"

Eclipse sighed, then gave a brief smile. "Fine, fine, but I won't tell you too much though."

"Yay!" Fang sat up.

"Your father used to live in a clan called Vertexclan, a very strong, but small, clan that lives on a small mountain close to the ocean." she started.

The ocean! Fang thought.

"His mother cared for him a lot, but his father wasn't so great at all."

"Why is that?" Fang's head tilted to the side.

"Shredflash's father, Blacksting, was a terrible cat. When Shredflash was only an apprentice, the leader assigned his father to train him. Blacksting didn't follow the normal ways of training at all." Eclipse meowed.

Fang continued to listen.

"Instead of training him, Blacksting tortured your father."

Fang nearly jumped onto her paws. "Tortured?!"

Eclipse nodded. "Yes, he nearly drowned multiple times, suffocated, attacked him with other cats."

"That's terrible!" Fang frowned.

"Shredflash almost died of starvation, but his mother Dustshine saved him before he did. But Dustshine knew what would happen if she interfered." Eclipse paused for a little "Blacksting would kill her."

"What?!"

"Because of Dustshine interfering with Blacksting's, "training", Blacksting killed her right in front of Shredflash's eyes..."

"Shredflash..." Fang felt sympathy for her father.

"Shredflash then realized something after that happened, he had to murder Blacksting. If he didn't, Blacksting would have done something terrible for sure..."

"Did he do it?"

"Yes, one day while Blacksting was sleeping, Shredflash attacked him. A few heartbeats later, Blacksting wasn't moving. He was dead," Eclipse said.

Good riddance! Fang thought.

"Shredflash's clanmates saw, though. The clan leader came to confront him and Shredflash tried his best to explain what happened and how much of a terrible cat Blacksting was."

"Did they believe him?"

Eclipse shook her head, "No, and the clan didn't believe him-" She stopped as she saw a cat pad in through the entrance of the cave.

"Oh hello, Shredflash!"

Fang quickly snapped her head to see her father standing there with a tiny mouse in his maw.

"Were you two talking about my life in Vertexclan?" His mew was low.

"Of course not!"

"Yes!" Fang mewed back.

Eclipse sighed as Shredflash padded over to the two and sat next to them. "What have you told her?" He asked Eclipse.

"I've only gotten to where after you killed your father..." she replied.

"Ah, well, if she wants to know, then continue."

Eclipse nodded. "The clan didn't believe him, and he was angry. So he lashed out and killed the leader of Vertexclan."

"Really?!" the kit gasped and looked up at her father.

Shredflash only nodded.

"He then ran away from his clan. He couldn't trust them anymore. About a moon later, he met me," Eclipse meowed.

"And another moon later, she had you in her belly. I told myself that I would protect you and her for as long as I live," Shredflash meowed and licked the top of Fang's head.

"I'm sorry that all happened to you..." Fang frowned and leaned against her father.

"It's alright Fang, it's all in the past now. I'm just happy that I have you and your mother now." He smiled and purred.

Fang smiled back and purred. Shredflash is the greatest! She thought.