Lost Hope: Book 6: Future of Hope

Chaper 15

Vixen's parents seemed to be growing suspicious of her. She had been missing Dark Forest training more so than usual and had been sneaking off during the night to check on Claystream and Lilypetal and to bring them food. Jaguar seemed more inclined to monitor her and she was surprised when he let her off to go hunting.

    "Try that patch of trees over there, Vixen," her father had told her, and she eagerly agreed.

    She found one squirrel, which she cached, and then took off. Where was she going? She wasn't sure. A quick sniff told her that she was nearing the EchoClan border, but was well enough away not to get in trouble with any patrols. There was a rustle somewhere to her left side and Vixen jerked around and stared around the tall grass. The breeze was blowing her scent toward whatever was stalking her, and she couldn't pick out who, or what, it was.

    Her lips curled into a snarl. "Wolf, if that's you—"

    Something came at her from the other side and Vixen fell to the ground with a yelp. Her green eyes met a pair of blue ones and the scent that filled her mouth was distinctly Clan.

    "I'm not on your territory!" Vixen hissed. "Get off me!"

    "You're one of Viperfang's rogues," the disdain in her attacker's mew was palpable. And also familiar.

    Vixen narrowed her eyes. "Lilacsnow?"

    "That's right," Lilacsnow sneered. "And you, Vixen," she said Vixen's name like it was poison. "Are coming back with me for questioning."

    "Do I get to ask you questions?" Vixen asked.

    "No, I'll be doing the questioning."

    "But I don't want to do the answering."

    "That's too bad," Lilacsnow said with an irritated lash of her tail. She looked past Vixen at whatever was in the tall grass. "Amberclaw, those poppy seeds would be helpful right about now."

    A gray tom with brilliant ginger stripes stalked out of the grass, clutching a rolled leaf between his teeth. Vixen gave him a relaxed smile, which he didn't return. Lilacsnow took this as apparently the perfect opportunity to pry Vixen's mouth open and let Amberclaw pour some small black seeds down her throat. Vixen gagged and tried to spit them out, straining against Lilacsnow's hold on her, but the pale gray she-cat was too strong, and Vixen's brain was starting to fog over.

    "Sleep tight," Lilacsnow whispered, and Vixen was gone.

***

"Are you sure that wasn't too many poppy seeds?"

    "Well, I don't think so...."

    Vixen felt like she'd been drug across a million rocks and then dumped into a trench. Her body ached and her mind was drowsy and slow. She twitched her whiskers and forced her eyes open. Several cats stood around her, and as her brain began to come back to life, she realized she recognized more than one.

    "Oh! You're awake!" A ginger tom with dazzling blue eyes said. Foxflame. Vixen blinked at him.

    "See? I told you it wasn't too many," a smaller gray she-cat said. The brown she-cat next to her gave her a teasing but affectionate pat on the head.

    "Now that you're awake—" Lilacsnow began.

    "Food?" Vixen croaked. She cleared her throat. "I'm really hungry." She flashed Foxflame a smile and he looked like he was about to melt, but he quickly regained his composure.

    "Lilacsnow, we can hardly expect to get answers out of her if she starves," Foxflame said to his sister in his most practical tone. Lilacsnow rolled her eyes, but Vixen was given a small mouse which she gobbled up in a couple of swift bites.

    "Alright, now," Lilacsnow said. "I want to know why you work for the rogues."

    Vixen thought about just not speaking, but then she remembered Claystream and Lilypetal and realized this was the perfect place to hide them. They weren't in the EchoClan camp, some kind of makeshift hideaway. Why they were here, she didn't know, but she was sure that Violetshadow had something to do with it.

    "I don't really," she said, licking her lips. "My parents do, I just train there sometimes."

    "But Viperfang expects you to fight against the Clans?" Lilacsnow was quick on the follow up.

    "I suppose."

    "Will you?"

    Vixen paused. She hadn't really considered it before, the 'final battle' always seemed so far away in her mind, but now that she thought about it, it was closer than ever. "No," she said decisively, and she could almost see the relief that flashed in Foxflame's eyes.

    Lilacsnow opened her mouth to ask another question, but Vixen interrupted her. "I want to help you guys. There are some Clan cats that are being held at the barn—"

    "Claystream and Lilypetal," Foxflame said, his voice edged with guilt. "Are they okay?"

    Vixen nodded. "They're alive. I promised them I would help them escape if I found a place to shelter them." She looked around again at their little camp, centered by a tree stump. "And I think I've found that place."

    Lilacsnow narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?" she asked. "What do you get out of this."

    Vixen took a small breath. "If I help you get your Clanmates back, I want to stay here with you. I want to see Viperfang defeated, just like you."

    Lilacsnow still looked suspicious. She shared a glance with her brother, who gave her a look that probably communicated more than words. Lilacsnow turned back to Vixen. "Deal. Where are they keeping them?"