Warriors: Danger Rising ~Series 2 Book 3~

Chapter 10

Nutwhisker's POV:

"I'll get you a juicy mouse." Metalclaw promised Flamefur as he padded out of the medicine den.

Flamefur purred. "Hurry back." The flame coloured she cat rested her head on her paws again and glanced up lazily at Nutwhisker. "How much longer will I be stuck here?"

Nutwhisker chuckled with a twitch of his whiskers. "At least a moon."

"What?! No I have to get back to training!" Flamefur hissed and scuffed the ground with her claws.

"Training?" Nutwhisker wondered in confusion. "But you're a warrior."

Flamefur flattened her ears, as if she were remembering something, and muttered. "Um I-I meant I wouldn't be able to go on patrols or anything..."

"Right..." Nutwhisker shrugged and turned back to the pile of watermint on the ground. He sorted through the herbs, throwing out the old ones and cleaning the newer ones. I'll have to get more watermint tomorrow. Nutwhisker noted as he saw that most of the herbs were withered and dead.

Suddenly there was a scream. Nutwhisker leapt to his paws, Flamefur struggling to her paws as well. Shinwing and Watersplash jolted awake from their nests with bewildered expressions. "What's going on?" Watersplash growled, her voice raspy from sleep.

"I don't know." Without another word, Nutwhisker climbed up the medicine den tunnel and peeked his head out of the tunnel opening to see Silverwing standing at the mouth of the nursery tunnel, a horrified look on her face. Nutwhisker emerged completely and ran over to her. "What happened?" He demanded just as more warriors began crowding around them.

"Oh Nutwhisker... I'm so sorry..." Was all Silverwing stuttered before glancing down at the tunnel. Nutwhisker narrowed his eyes and slowly crept into the nursery, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. He peeked around the corner and gasped when he saw the crumpled heap of a little kit. Upon further investigation, Nutwhisker identified the mauled kit as Pebblekit.

"I-I don't know who did it..." Nutwhisker jumped at the voice, suddenly realising he wasn't alone in the blood-stained nursery. He tensed his muscles, seeing that the cat cowering in the shadows of the den was Metalclaw. Nutwhisker quickly connected all the dots and a flash of anger ran through him.

"You killed Pebblekit!" Nutwhisker snarled in a low voice, his green eyes ablaze as he approached Metalclaw.

"N-No! I didn't! I was by the fresh kill pile when I heard the scream! It was Tigerstripe, he was the one who emerged from the den just before Silverwing screamed!" Metalclaw stumbled backward, eyes wild with panic. The bigger tom pressed himself against the den wall. "I-I don't want t-to fight you Nutwhisker. Please stop."

Nutwhisker shook his head, his rage spilling out of control. "You killed my son!" He screamed before lunging himself at Metalclaw.

The grey tom easily swatted Nutwhisker away with sheathed claws. "Nutwhisker stop!" He begged. "I don't want to hurt you!"

Nutwhisker lunged again, relentlessly trying to harm the grey tom in revenge for his son's death. "You killed my son! How dare you kill Pebblekit!"

"I didn't touch Pebblek-" Metalclaw dodged Nutwhisker's blows with ease as he spoke. "-Wait.. Son? You have kits?!"

"Yes! I have kits!" Nutwhisker snarled and turned his head to the exit of the nursery. He let out a deafeningly loud yowl, so that majority of the clan would hear his words. "You hear that, Lightclan? I HAD KITS WITH WATERSPLASH!" Then he attacked Metalclaw again, catching the large tom off-guard. Metalclaw winced as Nutwhisker delivered a stinging blow on his cheek.

"Stop!" Metalclaw tried to push Nutwhisker away, cowering down in a submissive stance. But Metalclaw's show of weakness only made Nutwhisker fight harder.

He'll pay for killing my kit! He lunged again but strong paws held him back, grabbing onto his hide. Claws pierced his skin and he writhed in the cat's grip, seeing Watersplash's blazing amber gaze staring directly into his. "Let me go!" Nutwhisker growled. "Let me avenge our kit's death!"

Watersplash's eyes widened and she stared at Metalclaw. "You did this?"

"No!" Metalclaw spluttered, his ears flattened and eyes tearing up. "I would never kill a kit!"

"You're a heartless Dark Forest warrior! Of course you would!" Nutwhisker snarled, tearing himself away from Watersplash.

Metalclaw's eyes narrowed in anger and he growled. Nutwhisker had finally made Metalclaw snap. "I am not heartless!" Then he charged at Nutwhisker, pinning the medicine cat down and shoving him into the mossy nest. "I am not a Dark Forest warrior! Not anymore!" Claws sank deep into Nutwhisker's chest and he cried out in pain. Watersplash came to his rescue, knocking aside Metalclaw. Because of her added bulk, the blue-grey she cat quickly pushed Metalclaw down.

"Don't you dare hurt my mate!" She yowled before rushing back to Nutwhisker- who was already on his paws and trying to get to Metalclaw again. Watersplash held him back but he refused to let her contain him.

"Watersplash let me go!" He begged, tears beginning to stream out of his eyes. "Let me kill Metalclaw."

"No!" A booming voice sounded behind them. At first, Nutwhisker expected the voice to belong to Stormstar but instead it was the deputy, Dawnheart. Her scar that ran along her left eye was creased in rage and her blazing amber eyes bore into the three cats. "Stop!"

Nutwhisker growled at his deputy. "Shut up and let me kill Metalclaw!"

There was a crazed look in the medicine cat's eyes and without another word, Dawnheart stepped forwards and picked up a small rock nearby. She approached Nutwhisker as Watersplash struggled to hold him back. "Sorry Nutwhisker. Looks like you're joining Stormstar in the Crazy Den." Then, something hard and sharp slammed into his head and everything went black.

Nutwhisker gladly welcomed unconsciousness as it enveloped him in it's suffocating and inky blackness.

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Stormstar needed company in CrazyLand... So now Nutwhiskey is crazy too :D Don't worry I fix Nutwiskey... Still deciding on Stormeh tho...