Lost Hope: Book 4: The Darkest Shadow

Chapter 19

This will be interesting, Violetpaw thought as she followed her Clanmates down to the Gathering Hollow. I wonder what Stonestar will say about Sapphirepaw? He'd probably avoid saying anything at all, but someone else might notice.

    EchoClan reached the Hollow and started to settle in with the other Clans. Violetpaw twitched her ears as he heard Amberpaw talking to Forestpaw, Claypaw and Lilypaw. "Let's go over to where the other apprentices are gathered," he said, and flicked a tail at the BrookClan apprentices.

    They started walking over to them, and Violetpaw tailed them, not making her presence known until they reached the group.

    "Hey, Violetpaw!" Arcticpaw called, spotting her behind the other apprentices, who swiveled their heads to look at her.

    "Hey! You followed us!" Amberpaw said, his pelt fluffed in annoyance.

    "I was merely going to the same place as you," Violetpaw said simply, passing him to sit beside Arcticpaw.

    Amberpaw narrowed his eyes at her before turning to Tarantulapaw, "How's everything in BrookClan?"

    The large tom glanced at him, as if he was nothing but a snail. "Alright, trainings been intense since I'm close to becoming a warrior."

"Ah, nice," Amberpaw said. "Talk to any, uh, nice she-cats lately?"

"No. . . ?" Tarantulapaw gave him an amused look. "Why?"

"Well, I happen to know one," Amberpaw said, standing a little taller. "May I introduce. . . Lilypaw!"

The gray tabby she-cat went scarlet as she realized what was happening. "Me?" she said in a whisper.

"Yes, you," Amberpaw said, nudging her.

"You shouldn't be encouraging half clan relationships, Amberpaw," Violetpaw said.

Amberpaw flattened his ears. "This is why no one wants to talk to you, you're no fun! And you're a conniving mur—"

"That's enough," Forestpaw interjected quickly before he could finish his sentence.

Violetpaw had been a little shocked by his outburst and her paws felt rooted to the ground. She couldn't help wondering how the other apprentices would have reacted when they found out she had killed Sapphirepaw.

They'll know soon enough, a thought that wasn't her own whispered in her ear.

"Come on, Violetpaw," Arcticpaw said. "Let's go somewhere else."

Violetpaw nodded and followed her, but before she turned, she caught Tarantulapaw staring at her with interest. Anything that Amberpaw said about Lilypaw seemed to have been forgotten in that moment.

He's suspicious, she thought as she followed Arcticpaw away form the other apprentices. He's probably guessed what Amberpaw was about to say.

Violetpaw didn't find that she was too concerned about it. Let him think what he wants about me, it doesn't affect me.

"What was Amberpaw going to say about you?" Arcticpaw asked, when they'd settled close to one of the enormous oaks.

Violetpaw shook her head and laughed a little. "Amberpaw doesn't like me very much," she said. "He thinks I'm worse than I actually am."

That seemed to satisfy Arcticpaw. "Ah. Sometimes I feel like my littermates don't like me very much either."

"Why not?"

"Well, this might sound silly," she said. "But Tarantulapaw and Aloepaw always call me 'Weird Eyes,' for obvious reasons."

"Really?" Violetpaw smiled a little. "Amberpaw calls me the same thing. It's because no one in my family has dark blue eyes."

"Oh, wow, what a coincidence," Arcticpaw said. And then quietly, she added. "I think your eyes are very pretty. And mysterious. Like they hold many secrets."

Oh, you bet they do, Violetpaw thought.