Lost Hope: Book 6: Future of Hope

Chapter 8

Violetshadow's plan to get Forestpaw out of camp was simple—framing her for a crime. Specifically prey poisoning.

She'd heard the medicine cats talk about dangerous herbs before when she was recovering from one of her fights with Viperfang. She didn't remember if they mentioned the name of it, but from what she did remember of Starfur's description to Dandelionheart, it grew as a cluster of dark berries, but they weren't close to camp, so there was no risk of any apprentice's eating any, or any cat brining back poisoned prey.

Although she was planning to do exactly that.

"Servalpaw!" Violetshadow called to her apprentice; he was chatting with Lynxpaw outside the apprentice den. "Training!" Servalpaw bade his sister farewell and hurried over to his mentor. "What are we doing today?"

Violetshadow began heading toward the camp entrance. "I'll tell you on the way."

The mentor and apprentice duo followed a trail that led closer to the BrookClan border, so that they could walk along the river. Herbs weren't often collected here and Violetshadow thought it be the best place to start looking for these berries.

"My mission for you is to find the most delicious piece of prey that you can," Violetshadow told her apprentice, stopping at a small river plant. "Something fit for a leader."

Servalpaw narrowed his eyes, but he didn't ask any questions, likely knowing that he wouldn't get any answers. He nodded, and then turned and bounded back into the trees, his long black tipped tail streaming out behind him.

And now all I have to do is find some berries.

She didn't know what they smelled like so she had to go based on sight. This really wasn't the best way to go about this. But they're tiny little black berries, how hard is that to find?

When Violetshadow still came up with nothing after awhile of searching she realized that they probably wouldn't be on EchoClan territory to begin with.

This way. It wasn't her voice that led her. but she found herself walking along the riverbank, on the edge of EchoClan territory, closer to the BrookClan border was this little bush with tiny purplish black berries that emitted a tantalizing smell. It smelled like it tasted good, and that was precisely why they were so deadly.

Violetshadow found a broad oak leaf on the ground and knocked a few of the berries onto it's surface and rolled it up. She wasn't certain on the dosage but this was probably more than enough. She grabbed the bundle gently between her teeth and bounded back to the place where Servalpaw and her had split paths. The apprentice was waiting with his tail wrapped neatly around his paws and a fat squirrel on the ground next to him.

"Good, good," she said and laid the leaf bundle on the ground and unrolled it.

"What are those?" Servalpaw asked.

Viperfang would have swiped his nose for that but Violetshadow said simply, "Deathberries." She wasn't sure what made her call them that, but the name seemed fitting enough. She carefully opened up the jaws of the squirrel and tipped the berries into the throat with the leaf.

"Now," Violetshadow said, satisfied with her work. "We're going to catch a few more pieces, and when we get back to camp, Forestpaw is going to give this squirrel to Stonestar."

"And what'll 'deathberries' do to him?"

Violetshadow actually smiled. "What do you think?"

***

"I'll take it from here," Servalpaw said, taking the squirrel as they dropped the rest of the prey by the prey pile.

"Are you sure you understand the plan?" Violetshadow asked, anxiety clawing at her pelt at the thought of putting her plan in the paws of her barely five moon old apprentice.

"Trust me," Servalpaw said, giving her a meaningful look that Violetshadow wasn't sure how to react to.

She watched in stunned amazement as Servalpaw marched over to his littlest brother, who was sunning himself near the apprentice den. Violetshadow started to busy herself with sorting through the prey, watching the pair out of the corner of her eye. Servalpaw said something and Raccoonpaw gave him a startled look. Servalpaw said something else and he stood there for a moment before reluctantly going over to the medicine den, coming out a minute later with none other than Forestpaw.

He's done it.

The two apprentices disappeared into Stonestar's den, Forestpaw holding the squirrel. Violetshadow couldn't help the small smirk that spread across her face.

"How'd I do?" Servalpaw was at her side again.

"Brilliantly," Violetshadow said. "But why did you bring it to Raccoonpaw first?"

Servalpaw rolled his eyes. "Because he's not nearly as suspicious as I would be, walking into Stonestar's den. And plus, he has a huge crush on Forestpaw."

Violetshadow nodded, deep in thought, as she said, "Now, take this to the elders." All she had to do now was wait to see how her plan played out.