Chapter 3
Shrewkit sat in the middle of camp, waiting for his punishment. He was shedding no emotion in the matter; it only delayed his plan further. Nothing his siblings did mattered to him. They were bystanders, of no meaning to him. But now he would have to wait longer, his claws clawed the earth's belly, his temper rising. Cooling himself off, his face returned to a placid temperament.
Shrewkit had never felt welcome or very happy here. He wanted to start over. But not here, elsewhere, he would be known then, he would release his abilities. With a flick of his gaze, he saw his old leader silently coming towards him. Lowering his gaze he took on the face of a guilty young kit waiting for punishment. Giving Maplestar a reluctant dip of the head for respect, he shuffled his paws.
Maplestar gave him a stern look; his grey eye seemed to be burning into his fur. They seemed to look straight through his empty lies, which he was giving. The leader narrowed his eyes to a glare.
"I'm sorry, sir." Shrewkit whimpered his head low; he tried to keep his voice steady, lest it crack to reveal his lies.
"You could've been killed," he growled, it was more menacing then Shrewkit had thought.
Shrewkit flinched, and hung his head in shame "I was only worrying about the well fare of my siblings." He hated saying it; it took all his might to put the health of his Brother and sister into his mind.
"The wiser thing was to find a warrior to go instead, not risking yourself."
Maplestar's voice was harsh, with authority in it. It took every inch of nerve not to dig his claws into the flesh of his lame leader. To feel blood course down his thick pelt. The blood of his leader, it excited him. But he must become an apprentice first. In his mind he gave a silent oath to kill that troublesome leader. It would end the threat.
"Um sir, will we still become apprentices," he asked in a timid voice.
Maplestar stared at him for a moment, grey eyes searching his face for insight. "Yes, but you must behave yourself for a quarter moon."
Shrewkit nodded, all the better... But he was being set back an entire quarter moon. He would face Owlkit and punish him for slowing his plans. By the time he becomes an apprentice, he will be ready, ready to spill the blood of others.