Lost Hope: Book 5: Forest of Vipers

Chapter 27

The time passed so slowly.

    Forestpaw thought she might be going insane.

    When Viperfang had caught her spying on her and Violetshadow's conversation she had sent her to some kind of small island in the middle of a murky pond, although the distance from the island to the rest of the land was too far for a cat to jump across. It smelled strongly of rotting flesh and it was filled with what Viperfang had told her were electric eels. If Forestpaw got in the water, she would be dead in seconds.

    How am I going to get back to the living world now? I'm even more stuck than before. At least before she could sneak out of her den and explore, what could she do now?

    She was almost tempted to stick an experimental paw in the water just to see what happened. But the part of her brain that wanted her to survive said no, so she didn't.

    Her only hope was that Viperfang might take her out and she might be able to run off. Would she be safe if she went to StarClan's hunting grounds, or would Viperfang be able to get her there? She thought that if Viperfang could get in while StarClan was there, then it would be infinitely more easy if they weren't.

    There was so much about StarClan and the Dark Forest that she still didn't know and it was killing her. Literally.

    I'll have to tell Amberpaw, she thought. He might be able to come up with some ideas.

    She curled up at the top of the island's peak and thought of her brother, gray and gold tabby pelt, bright amber eyes and when she opened her eyes again, he was standing before her.

    "Amberpaw!" she said, touching her nose to his.

    "I—I'm Amberclaw now," he said, although he wasn't smiling.

    Forestpaw paused. "Wow! That's great!"

    Amberclaw shook his head. "My mentor is dead," he said. "I was only made a warrior because Stonestar finally realized that maybe I've been training for long enough. EchoClan is falling apart, Forestpaw."

    Forestpaw blinked at her brother, then pushed her face into his scruff and he rested his head over her ears. "I'm not in a much better position myself," she murmured, her voice slightly muffled. "Viperfang's put me on this island with electric eels."

    Amberclaw pulled back and gazed at her. "Electric eels?"

    "They can shock you to death," Forestpaw said. "At least that's what Viperfang says. Although I'm not super inclined to test it."

    Amberclaw nodded thoughtfully. "I have a plan," he said quietly. "Let's just hope it works."

***

Forestpaw hadn't been enthusiastic about the idea that Amberclaw had come up with, but she had to admit, it seemed like their only option.

    She sighed as she opened her eyes. She was still in the Dark Forest, still on the island in the middle of an electric eel filled pond. But, if Amberclaw's plan worked then she would be out of the dark Forest in a matter of hours.

    It was the Gathering tonight, so Amberclaw hoped he would be able to excuse himself from going, although it would probably be more suspicious this time, since Stonestar would expect him to come so he could announce him as a new warrior, but he told her he could manage it. He would drag her body the rest of the way to the Star Hollow, and from there, he would try to enter StarClan's hunting grounds and by extension, the Dark Forest. She only hoped they wouldn't get caught.

    All she had to do was wait.

***

"You seem lost little one," a voice from behind Forestpaw said.