Lost Hope: Book 5: Forest of Vipers

Chapter 9

Forestpaw wasn't sure how she would be able to find the Star Pearl, if Viperfang had it, but she knew she had to try.

    The difficult part was, well, every step of it.

    She sighed and laid her head on her paws, hoping that somehow her dreams would give her some inspiration. As she was falling asleep she thought of her Clanmates, of the EchoClan camp, of the tangy but comforting scent of the medicine den, of her parents, and of Amberpaw and the last words he had said to her, "I don't want to lose another sister."

***

Forestpaw wasn't in the Dark Forest anymore. She was in the EchoClan camp.

    What a miracle! she thought. She bounded around the clearing, but something didn't feel quite right. Where were the cats? Were they all out on patrol? Not even the medicine cats are in their den, she thought as she ducked briefly inside the den to find it empty.

    What is going on?

    "Forestpaw!"

    She turned around and cried out in joy when she saw her brother behind her. Forestpaw bounded forward, and the two practically collided, Amberpaw putting his head over her shoulder and twining his tail with her hers.

    "Is this. . . real?" Amberpaw asked softly into her fur.

    "Isn't it?" Forestpaw pulled back a little to stare into his eyes. "I'm back aren't I?"

    They both just looked at each other for awhile before Amberpaw broke the silence by saying, "Is this StarClan or the real world?"

    "StarClan's trapped in the Dark Forest," Forestpaw said.

    "The what?"

    "The Dark Forest," she repeated. "The. . . opposite of StarClan? It's where all the bad cats go. If you don't go to StarClan when you die, then you go there."

    "Oh." Amberpaw tilted his head. "So if this isn't StarClan, then what is this? Didn't I just go to sleep?"

    Forestpaw thought for a few heartbeats. "Am I visiting you in your dreams?" she pondered. "I must be, I mean, I was thinking about you right as I fell asleep."

    "But wait, are we in StarClan then, in the Dark Forest?"

    "No, I don't think so. I'm. . . I'm trapped in the Dark Forest, but not the same way that StarClan is," Forestpaw explained. "I'm not really sure what dreamscape we're in."

    "But you're talking to me!" Amberpaw said. "That's good. I thought I'd never ever see you again."

    "I don't know if I'll ever be able to come back to the real world though," Forestpaw said miserably. "I mean, I think I'm stuck here, forever."

    "Don't say that! We can figure something out. . . ." Amberpaw paused, and then said, "How did you. . . die? Or get stuck there? Starfur and Dandelionheart said that you wouldn't wake up."

    "Because there was nothing for them to wake up," Forestpaw said. "I mean, Viperfang, an evil Dark Forest cat, invaded StarClan's hunting grounds while I was there and took me hostage, my spirit I guess. I've just been stuck there ever since. And since you buried my body. . . ." The words felt like bile on her tongue.

    "What if I unburied it?" Amberpaw said, although he looked a little mortified by the idea.

    "Could you really?"

    "We have to try," her brother said determinedly.

    "But I don't even know how to get out of here," Forestpaw said, her paws working on the ground beneath her. "I'll have to find a way out first."

    Amberpaw looked down at his paws and gasped. "I think I'm waking up," he said, holding up a claw. Forestpaw could see right through it.

    "I'll try to visit you again tomorrow, okay?" she said, and gave his cheek a nuzzle. "I love you."

    "Love you too," he said, smiling slightly, and then he was gone.