Lost Hope: Book 4: The Darkest Shadow

Chapter 6

Violetkit had been training under Viperfang for a couple days now, and she was certainly enjoying it. Even if the forest they trained in was dark and creepy, and her mentor was secretive and didn't like to answer questions, she thought she was learning quite a bit, and would soon be better than the apprentices.

    She cuddled up next to her mother in the nursery and closed her eyes only for them to pop up a moment later. She was in the, now familiar, dark forest, with it's spindly trees and ominous shadows.

    "Back for more?" Viperfang asked with a smirk as she approached Violetkit.

    "What are we learning today?" Violetkit asked.

    "Eager as always," Viperfang smiled. "Today, my dear pupil, we'll be fighting with our claws."

    Violetkit controlled her face as much as she could. Fighting with claws? Isn't that dangerous? But she knew not to say that aloud.

    "Ok," she said instead, in the most composed voice she could muster. "When do we start?" She already knew the answer.

    "Right. . . Now!" And Viperfang lunged forward, claws outstretched toward the kit.

    Violetkit stepped out of the way in the nick of time, crouching down, preparing for another move. Most of the work she did was defensive. And Viperfang likely wouldn't encourage her to change. She had to start doing it on her own.

    The tabby she-cat swung around, slashing out with a paw. "Very good, dear, but there's always room for improvement." And she lunged again, this time catching Violetkit by the paw and holding her down. Violetkit held back a scream as Viperfang's teeth tore at her flesh. She ripped free and bolted away from her, but Viperfang gave chase, grabbing her once again, and digging her claws into Violetkit's flank.

    "Stop!" Violetkit gasped. It was too much this time.

    Viperfang leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "You're weak, kitten."

    "NO!"

    And suddenly, she was jolted form her sleep by a prodding paw. Her eyes met her mother's anguished green ones. Violetkit's breath came in ragged gasps as she tried to calm herself. She decided right then and there she was never going back to the Dark Forest.

    "Violetkit! What on earth happened to you?" Burrowpelt asked, looking down at Violetkit's leg.

    Her heart skipped a beat.

    Her left back leg was bleeding profusely, red, hot liquid soaking the moss underneath, and her flank had several scratches. Claw marks.

    But how could that be? She had been dreaming, hadn't she?

    Her mother was speaking again. "We have to get you to the medicine den." She picked her daughter up by the scruff, Violetkit yelped in pain as she did, and bounded out of the nursery, and across camp. When they reached the medicine den, Burrowpelt set her down and called loudly, "Starfur! Dandelionheart! Violetkit is hurt!"

    Dandelionheart was at her side in an instance. One look at Violetkit and he said, "Let's get her inside."

    She was moving again. Violetkit felt her energy slowly seeping out of her as the medicine laid her in a soft nest inside and shouted orders to Forestpaw. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly nauseous. The smell of her own blood was strong and her mother's fear scent was overwhelming.

    No, you're fine, she told herself. It's just blood. You're leg will be fine. Dandelionheart will patch me up just fine. Everything's fine.

    Repeating that in her head several times, she was able to bring herself to a more relaxed state of mind, and observed as Forestpaw chewed up some marigold and spat it onto a leaf. Dandelionheart began to gently, but efficiently, clean off the blood from her leg. When he was done, he took the marigold pulp from his apprentice.

    "This is going to sting a little," he told her. Violetkit just gave a little nod and braced herself.

    Dandelionheart pressed it against her leg, and also applied it to her flank. It did sting a little, but Violetkit didn't think the pain was too bad. When he finished, he wrapped her leg up in cobwebs.

    "Thank you, Dandelionheart," Burrowpelt said, giving both him and her kit an affectionate nuzzle.

    "Of course," Dandelionheart said. "But how did she get that badly injured in the first place?"

    "Well, I woke up and she was just bleeding. . . everywhere," Burrowpelt said, though she didn't sound like she believed her own words.

    Violetkit froze as Burrowpelt, Dandelionheart and Forestpaw turned to stare at her.

    "What?" she asked feebly.

    "Do you remember what hurt you?" Dandelionheart asked her softly.

    Violetkit swallowed and shook her head. "No." She hoped she sounded scared enough.

    Dandelionheart's face showed slight puzzlement, but he said logically. "Something must've got into the nursery and tried to grab her."

    "The nursery isn't safe then?" Burrowpelt asked.

    "Perhaps not," Dandelionheart replied. "Let's go tell Stonestar and Darkmoon and get some warriors to inspect the walls and reenforce them."

    Violetkit's mother nodded and the two of them left the nursery, leaving Violetkit alone with Forestpaw, who sat in awkward silence for a several moments before Forestpaw asked, "Do you really not remember?"

    Violetkit shook her head.

    "Wow." Forestkit murmured, and then she started rambling. "I feel like I would remember something like that. But I get that not everyone is the same as me and one cat's reactions to something is gong to be different than the next cats—"

    Violetkit found herself tuning the medicine cat apprentice out as she wouldn't stop talking. She looked out at the camp instead, watching as cat's began their day. She spied her dad talking with Mousesqueak near the freshkill pile in the middle of camp. And sure enough their apprentices were right beside them. Sapphirepaw was washing herself, and pointedly ignoring her brother, while Amberpaw was making occasional swipes at his sister's ears, being careful to do it when their mentors weren't watching.

    She wondered briefly what it would have been like if she had had littermates. She didn't think she would like it very much, especially if it would split her parents attention between her and them. No, she was glad that she was an only kit.

    Dandelionheart and her mother were were heading back toward the medicine den, having just spoken to Stonestar and Darkmoon about Violetkit's mysterious injury.

    "You'll be staying in the medicine den until your leg is healed," Dandelionheart told Violetkit when he entered the den. "Your mother will stay in the warriors den until the nursery is inspected and secured."

    Violetkit just nodded. She realized now that if she wanted to keep training under Viperfang, she'd have to be more careful about her injuries. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go back, but one thing was certain, she wasn't going to let this happen again.