Lost Hope: Book 4: The Darkest Shadow

Chapter 10

Forestpaw climbed into her nest in the apprentices den. It had been a quarter moon since the last Gathering in which Violetpaw had won the apprentice showdown, and she was still replaying the whole thing in her mind, wondering how a fresh apprentice could have beaten apprentices much older than her.

Something was going on, but she didn't know what.

Was there a possibility that Phoenixwing had just been drilling battle skills into her over three days? She didn't believe that though.

But when an answer didn't come to her, she drifted off.

After several moments, she found herself in StarClan's hunting grounds. I thought I'd only be visited at the Startree? she wondered, gazing around curiously.

Suddenly, a figure stepped toward her, sparkling like a thousand stars in the night sky.

It took her a moment to recognize the figure, and when she did, she gasped. "Sapphirepaw? What are you doing in StarClan?"

***

Violetpaw walked confidently beside the other apprentices as their mentors led them to the training clearing for battle training. Sapphirepaw kept casting looks at her through slitted eyes that Violetpaw chose to ignore. Who's the jealous one now?

When they reached the clearing their mentors turned to face them. "Today we shall practice more offensive moves. Lets have Amberpaw and Sapphirepaw up first."

Violetpaw took her place next to Phoenixwing on the sidelines, watching as Sparrowfeather and Mousesqueak demonstrated some moves. A dive roll while striking the opponents legs. Something Violetpaw wanted to yawn at.

"I hope you're paying attention," Phoenixwing said to her.

"Of course," Violetpaw said. Another lie, she supposed. She was more or less focused on how Sapphirepaw and Amberpaw fought. Sapphirepaw was more poised and graceful, seeming to focus on her form and how well she executed each move, while her brother was all strength but no smarts. He was using his weight to his advantage, which, in this case, worked well when Sapphirepaw smaller. She made a mental note of that.

Although this exercise was more dedicated to practicing particular moves, their mentors let them one on one spar for a bit before Amberpaw finally overpowered his sister.

"Good job, you both!" Sparrowfeather praised. "That was very good."

"How about we show Violetpaw a few moves, and then she practice with one of them?" Phoenixwing suggested.

Ok, I'm going to have to act like I don't know these things, Violetpaw thought.

"Sounds good," Mousesqueak said. "How about a back kick?"

She demonstrated a scenario in which Phoenixwing was behind her and she brought her back legs upward to hit the ginger she-cat, although she held back much force.

Violetpaw nodded. Easy stuff.

"You try now, Violetpaw," Mousesqueak said, letting Violetpaw stand in front of her, facing the other way.

    Violetpaw crouched a little, bringing in some momentum, and lashed her back legs at Mousesqueak, although she missed the she-cat's chest by a whisker.

"Very good!" Mousesqueak said. "Try again, but aim a little closer to me."

"Ok," Violetpaw said, and positioned herself again. Taking a breath, she bucked again, and this time swiped her paws across Mousesqueak's fur and landed again.

"Much better!" Phoenixwing said. "You would obviously put more strength into the blow to actually harm a cat."

Violetpaw smiled sweetly. "Of course."

They showed her a few more moves that she 'mastered' quickly, and then they decided to pair her up with Sapphirepaw. The dark she-cat narrowed her eyes at Violetpaw, and then grinned. Turning to Sparrowfeather she said, "Should I go a bit easier on her?"

"I don't think that will be necessary, Sapphirepaw," Sparrowfeather said with a bit of a laugh.

Don't worry, I wont go easy either, Violetpaw thought, and sprang forward. She knocked the other apprentice over and Sapphirepaw squealed, "Hey! I wasn't ready!"

"Do you think your enemy is just going to wait for you?" Violetpaw asked.

Sapphirepaw let out a low hiss and leapt forward, but missed Violetpaw, who had dodged just a little so it wasn't too obvious how much better she was.

But Sapphirepaw was on the attack again, and she managed she strike Violetpaw hard on the nose. Violetpaw flinched upon impact and stumbled back a little. Sapphirepaw took advantage and jumped on top of her, pummeling her belly with sheathed paws.

"Not so tough now, huh?" Sapphirepaw asked. "How's your nose?"

Infuriated, Violetpaw pushed upward and knocked Sapphirepaw on to her back.

"Aw, little kitty's angry," Sapphirepaw taunted, although she kept her voice down so only Violetpaw could hear.

You have claws for a reason, Violetpaw, a voice in her head whispered. Use them!

Without much thought, Violetpaw extended her claws and sank them into Sapphirepaw's stomach. The apprentice shrieked in pain and their mentor's rushed over. Phoenixwing yanked her off Sapphirepaw and gasped. There were two long sets of claw marks stretching down her stomach, and they ran deep. Blood was seeped her belly fur and it wouldn't stop coming.

"Get some cobwebs!" Sparrowfeather shouted at Amberpaw and Mousesqueak.

Violetpaw sat in horrified silence. What had she done? She looked down at her blood stained paws. Sapphirepaw's blood. She'd unsheathed her claws, she'd raked them down the other apprentice's stomach, spilling more blood than she'd seen in her life. She'd done that. But a tiny part of her had enjoyed it. She squashed that feeling quickly.

Sapphirepaw continued to gasp and groan as they waited for Amberpaw and Mousesqueak, who eventually arrived with wads of cobwebs. Sparrowfeather took them and pressed them to his apprentice's stomach. It immediately soaked through with red.

"We need to get her back to camp," Phoenixwing said quietly.

"She might not make it in time to be treated," Mousesqueak replied reluctantly.

Sparrowfeather growled and Violetpaw shivered as he turned to her. "I thought we said no claws." his voice was dangerously quiet.

"I'm really sorry," Violetpaw said, lowering her head, genuinely stunned by her father's anger. "I got carried away."

"Well you 'getting carried away,' is going to cost Sapphirepaw's life," her father said, and she cringed away from the disappointment dripping from his usually kind demeanor. "I expected better from you."

      He turned away and, with the other cat's help, put his dying apprentice on his back. He didn't acknowledge her the whole way back to camp and Violetpaw felt a pit growing in her stomach.

      With a glance at Amberpaw, she could see that he also had resentment glimmering his eyes. He noticed her staring at him, and he whispered, "Weird Eyes," before brushing past her to walk close to his mentor.

      Violetpaw bristled, but held back a retort. I actually deserved that, she admitted, but it still stung.