Lost Hope: Book 4: The Darkest Shadow

Chapter 22

Violetpaw glanced up as shrieks of terror echoed form the entrance. The medicine cats filed into camp holding the limp body of Forestpaw.

    What happened? Her curiosity was piqued, but she didn't dare join the cats crowding around, for fear that they might start pointing at her for the murder of yet another one of Starfur ad Darkmoon's kits.

    "Forestpaw!" Amberpaw's yowl went up at the sight of his sister's still body. "NO!"

    "What happened?" Stonestar asked calmly, but even he looked disconcerted.

    "We woke up and she wouldn't wake up, her pulse is gone," Dandelionheart said. "But she doesn't have any visible wounds. StarClan must have just decided to take her." His face was twisted pathetically.

    Well I have a hard time believing that, something else is going on, Violetpaw thought.

    "Then we shall honor her life by holding a vigil tonight," Stonestar said. "This is most unfortunate."

    Violetpaw saw Starfur Darkmoon draw in their last remaining kit close and held him there, as if at any moment something was going to come and get him too. Violetpaw didn't blame them, but she didn't feel bad for them either.

    The medicine cats carried Forestpaw into the medicine den to prepare her body, and as Violetpaw was walking over to the apprentice den, she caught Foxflame staring at her as if to say, I know you had something to do with this.

    She looked away. I didn't, but I'm going to find out who did.

***

She wasn't able to visit Viperfang that night, she had to be present for Forestpaw's vigil, but the night after, she laid down to sleep and woke in the Dark Forest.

    "Thought you didn't want to come again, you wouldn't fall asleep," Viperfang said, her eyes gleaming.

    "I didn't get a chance, one of my Clanmates died," Violetpaw told her. "Very mysteriously."

    "Oh." Viperfang looked cheerful. "This one?" She flicked her tail and Forestpaw appeared beside her, flinching away from them both.

    "You!" she said, staring at Violetpaw fearfully.

    "Me," Violetpaw agreed. "What did you do to her?" she asked curiously.

    Viperfang shrugged. "What was necessary," she said. "She could've gotten us all in trouble. And we wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?"

    "Violetpaw!" Forestpaw shrieked. "You have to tell them I'm still alive! I saw them bury my body." She looked like she might pass out.

    "Oh, if you do that," Viperfang said to Violetpaw. "I'll have to subject you to the same fate. And I don't want to have to do that to my star pupil." She gave Violetpaw a little pouting face before smiling broadly again. "Oh! Let me go get Arcticwind."

    Arcticpaw—Arcticwind—must've had her warrior ceremony, Violetpaw thought. I should be having mine soon. I am the best apprentice after all.

    Forestpaw looked at Violetpaw pleadingly. "You have to tell them, please! I would forgive you for killing Sapphirepaw if you did!"

    Violetpaw scoffed. "What makes you think I want your forgiveness? What makes you think I regret killing her?"

    The medicine cat apprentice looked taken aback by this, and utterly puzzled. "But I thought—"

    "What?" Violetpaw asked. "That I was a good cat? That I didn't mean to kill Sapphirepaw?"

    "So it wasn't an accident?" Forestpaw asked quietly.

    Was it?

    "What does it matter? She's gone," Violetpaw said carelessly. "And guess what? So are you."

    "I will find my way back to the living world, just you wait!" Forestpaw declared, and Violetpaw laughed.

    "I wish you luck with that," Violetpaw said.

    Viperfang reappeared with Arcticwind just as Forestpaw disappeared. Violetpaw narrowed her eyes a Viperfang. How did she do that?

    "Hey, Violetpaw!" Arcticwind said. "Guess what?"

    "You got your warrior name." Violetpaw smiled. "Congratulations."

    Arcticwind smiled and turned to Viperfang. "What will we we be doing today?"

    "Oh, nothing to complicated," she said. "I wouldn't want Violetpaw to lose to a fully grow warrior."

    "What is it then?" Violetpaw asked impatiently.

    "Tsk, tsk." Viperfang shot her a smirk. "Just a mock battle. But you'll be fighting with claws unsheathed."

    "But I don't want to hurt her," Arcticwind protested, and Viperfang glared at her.

    "You'll never win a battle talking like that," Viperfang told her sharply.

    Arcticwind winced, and crouched down in front of Violetpaw. She copied her and the two circled, neither wanting to make the first move.

    Finally giving in, Violetpaw sprang and landed with Arcticwind between her paws. The white she-cat struggled, knocking out Violetpaw's legs and freeing herself. She pounced before Violetpaw could recover and swatted her on the nose, and suddenly Violetpaw was staring at Sapphirepaw again, her one amber turned blue, and her pelt turned gray.

    With a sudden fury, Violetpaw lashed out a paw and scraped her shoulder, leaving four long slashes. Arcticwind gave her the most betrayed face she'd ever seen, she almost felt bad, but when she saw Viperfang's approving face, she ignored her guilt. I'm sorry, Arcticwind, she thought. Violetpaw realized that this wasn't just a mock battle, this was going to be a fight to the death.

    Violetpaw lunged and reached for Arcticwind's throat with her claws, but the she-cat protected it well.

     "What are you doing, Violetpaw?" she asked, her eyes wide and sad.

    "I'm protecting myself," Violetpaw told her, and she found that all her regret had disappeared. She was focused on surviving.

    Arcticwind's gazed at her, morose glimmering in their blue and amber depths. "Fine." And she surged upward, throwing Violetpaw to the ground and pummeling her belly with claws unsheathed.

    Violetpaw bit back a yowl of pain and wriggled out of her grasp, landing blows to her ears. She leapt forward while Arcticwind was distracted and pinned her down, leaning forward, and opening her jaws around her neck, feeling warm blood spurt out from beneath the skin.

    And then she was gone, not in the death sense, rather, she had woken up. Or someone else had.

    "Well, thats too bad," Viperfang said. "You were about to win there. But no matter, she won't be coming back here anymore."

    Violetpaw wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed. Maybe a little bit of both, she decided.

    "Now," Viperfang said. "Not a single word telling about my little pet, and practice as much as possible, I expect you to have your warrior name by our next encounter. Farewell." And the forest around her disappeared.