Lost Hope: Book 6: Future of Hope

Chapter 16

Violetshadow sat at the edge of camp, enjoying a shrew. There was a small line of cats going into the medicine den that were still getting treatment for their wounds from the dog attack. Stonestar had recovered just fine, although Violetshadow knew that him and the rest of the Clan were thoroughly shaken from the event. She personally was just itching to dive into her next scheme.

She sighed, finishing her shrew and headed to the warriors den for some early sleep. And by early sleep that actually meant extra time training in the Dark Forest, not that she really needed it, but Viperfang would want updates and for her to fight more rogues.

When she woke up in the Dark Forest, there was only a couple rogues in the training clearing, and thankfully none of them were Tarantulaclaw. She wasn't sure if she could bear to face him after that stunt he pulled the other day.

"Hey, Violetshadow." She saw Daffodil was sitting by the edge of the clearing. The ginger she-cat waved her over and Violetshadow sat down beside her, trying not to show any emotion. I wonder why she's being so friendly?

"Seen Tarantulaclaw recently?"

Oh. That's why. Violetshadow resisted rolling her eyes. "I saw him the other day."

"Yes, I know." Daffodil seemed a little embarrassed. "But he hasn't been here since then. I'm just a little worried, and I thought that if anyone would know...."

Violetshadow felt a small sense of dread growing in her stomach, and she tried to shove it away. Tarantulaclaw was probably fine. The Gathering was in a couple days, and she would probably see him there. And if Viperfang had done him in, well, the furball likely got what he deserved.

***

"Cat's of all Clans, we welcome you to the Gathering!"

Violetshadow stood proudly at the bottom of the Fallenoak beside the other Clan deputies as Willowstar started the announcements. Most of what she heard was white noise, but she caught some small key words from the leaders like 'prey' and 'warriors.' Mostly she was inconspicuously searching the crowd for a familiar brown and gray pelt. Why do I care? a small voice in the back of her head whispered. You don't like him, you should be glad that he's not here.

The cats around her continued to be a blur of motion and static until the Gathering was over and Stonestar jumped down from the Fallenoak to land beside her.

"Let's go, Violetshadow," he said, and she nodded tersely, following him, along with the rest of the Clan, out of the Hollow. Her paw steps felt heavy and light at the same time, like she wasn't really telling them to walk, they just were. If Viperfang was willing to get rid of Tarantulaclaw just like that, what was she willing to do to Violetshadow?

That just depends on how many mistakes you want make, whispered a voice that wasn't her own.

    Violetshadow barely registered the noises around her as they got back to camp. She went straight to her nest, her mind set on getting to the Dark Forest and figuring out what happened to Tarantulaclaw. Not because she cared, but because Viperfang wasn't telling her something. Something possibly important. She knew the callous she-cat was up to something.

    Violetshadow was no longer certain that her place as EchoClan's future leader was secured. And I've worked too hard for this to let it all go to waste, Violetshadow thought. For StarClan's sake, I killed my own mother. Her claws curled around the bracken in her nest and she clamped her eyes shut. What was happening?

    "Violetshadow? Are you alright?"

    Her eyes sprung open and landed on the brown she-cat that spoke; Griffinwing. She took a small breath and sheathed her claws before they could make her nest into more of a murder scene. "Of course I am," she said.

    Griffinwing opened her mouth to say something else.

    That's when the screams started.

    The two she-cats and the everyone else around them immediately bolted out of the warriors den, searching for the commotion. At first, Violetshadow couldn't figure out what it was. Her vision was blurred by the rushing shapes of cats, and the terror that spiked through them. And then, when she was able to push to the front of the crowd, her eyes finally landed on Stonestar battling the largest, bigger than a cat, iridescent green snake Violetshadow had ever seen.

    Viperfang.

    The snake coiled back, ready to strike, while Stonestar crouched in front of it, breathing heavily and blood dripping from multiple spots on his body. But his teeth were bared and his eyes showed no fear. He was going to fight to the death, and he knew he was going to lose.

    The EchoClan cats seemed to freeze in place as they watched the snake lunge forward, mouth open wide, fangs glinting as they caught the moonlight. Violetshadow wasn't really sure how to describe what happened next other than, Stonestar got swallowed by the snake, and then the snake disappeared.

    There were shrieks of terror as EchoClan realized what was happening. Some cats tried to leap forward and land a few blows to the snake's scales, but there claws glided right off the smooth surface. Violetshadow stood with her tail erect, her ears forward, and her eyes pupils as small as slits.

    Happy, kitten? a voice whispered in her ear, the slight tickle of breath, or the breeze on her neck.

    Violetshadow wasn't sure if she was.