Lost Hope: Book 6: Future of Hope

Chapter 27

Vixen didn't realize there was a place so completely polar opposite to the Dark Forest. But here she was; surrounded by bright white trees that sparkled in the fading moonlight. Just the mere glance at them almost gave her headache. And these medicine cats went here regularly? Sure it was pretty at first glance, but she'd take any other regular forest over this.

    "Are we almost there?" she asked Foxflame.

    "I think so," he said. He glanced around before taking another step a small stream that curved behind a wall of trees, and when Vixen came closer she could see that the stream wrapped around a clearing where an even bigger version of the white trees they were surrounded by stood. Long thick tendrils of root came out of the ground and made a little barrier around the trunk, and there were pale green leaves scattered around like snow.

    "Beautiful isn't it?" Foxflame asked her.

    Vixen shrugged. "Not as beautiful as me, but I'm sure it's a close second."

    Foxflame actually laughed and flicked her tail with his own.

    "We can have fun later," Servalpaw hissed. "We have a job to do."

    The ginger tom gave him an odd look before narrowing his eyes at the trunk of the tree. "Forestpaw said you could just step into it, like walking into water almost...."

    Servalpaw stuck out a paw and to Vixen's surprise it went right through the tree like some kind of entranceway. She let out a small hiss as his head and then body followed.

    "Are you scared?" Foxflame asked, but he wasn't teasing.

    "No, of course not!" Vixen said. "I just don't like... things like this."

    Foxflame cocked his head. "What? Like StarClan?"

    Vixen just gave a noncommittal shrug before turning to the tree. She took a step, and then dove in.

    The first thing she saw was stars. And more stars. A whole lot of stars. Like seriously, the terrain was literally made of stars, and she was literally walking on stars. Vixen wasn't sure she'd ever been so flabbergasted by stars.

    She turned to see her companions look equally as stunned by the landscaped, but Servalpaw hid his expression fast. "Where to next?" he asked.

    "Forestpaw said to look for another entranceway like that, but like, Dark Forest version," Foxflame explained, glancing around.

    "Spooky," Vixen said. "Let's spread out a bit."

    They all picked a slightly different direction, but remained well within earshot as they looked around. It didn't take long for Vixen to spot a dark swirling portal with thorny vines draped over it. "I found it!" She called back. Foxflame and Servalpaw darted to her side and stared at the portal, before Foxflame took a step forward and pushed a paw in. He turned back to Vixen and Servalpaw and said. "Only follow me if I stick my paw back out, okay?" They both nodded and Foxflame stepped all the way. They waited a couple seconds, before seeing a ginger paw slip back out and wave them inside.

    "She-cats first," Servalpaw said.

    "Here goes nothing." Vixen ducked in and was met with the familiar sights and sounds of the Dark Forest. Her claws unsheathed reflexively as she saw a cat move toward her, but relaxed as she realized it was only Foxflame.

    "Safe journey?" he asked.

    "Debatable," she replied as Servalpaw too found himself on the other side of the portal. He looked between the two of them before saying. "What are we waiting for? Let's go."

    "Do you know the way?" Foxflame asked.

    "I think so," Servalpaw said, opening his mouth to take in the repugnant smells. "This way...."

    He led them down the small slope to where the long murky river opened. The followed it until it split two ways. "That leads to the training clearing," he said, jerking his muzzle to the the left.

    "So we go right?" Vixen asked. Servalpaw just nodded and the continued walking, tails twitching uneasily. Foxflame especially looked unsettled, likely due to the fact that he had never been to the Dark Forest before, unlike Vixen and Servalpaw.

    "Is it all like... this?" he said to Vixen in a low voice.

    "Like what?" she said

    He shrugged. "Dark I guess...." he trailed off, his ears twitching as if he heard something. Vixen's eyes darted around. She stopped, spotting two figures up ahead, shrouded in mist.

    "Servalpaw," she hissed, but the young tom had spotted them to.

    "What do we do?" Foxflame asked.

    "Follow me!" Vixen said and she sprinted off-course, the two toms quick on her heels, but they weren't fast enough.

    "Hey! You there!" That was Tarantulaclaw she realized. Maybe she'd be able to throw him off then.

    He was soon upon her, and Vixen gave him her best easy-going and relaxed smile. "Heeey, Tarantulaclaw. How's it going?"

    "What are you doing here?" he asked at the same time.

    "I think I got lost on my way to the training clearing," she said.

    "No you didn't," Tarantulaclaw growled. "What in StarClan's name is going on here? First her and now you?"

    Vixen saw Burrowpelt come up beside Tarantulaclaw and noticed a glint of confusion in here eyes. Could she pretend she didn't recognize her? But she had stayed silent too long already and Tarantulaclaw was glaring at all of them.

    "Look," Foxflame started. "We're not trying to start a fight here, we're just here to help our friends."

    "Right," Servalpaw interjected. "They could be dead right now and it would be all your fault."

    Tarantulaclaw looked confused. "Your friends? Wait, how would that be my fault?"

    Vixen sighed. "Because you're standing there like an idiot, pointlessly questioning us. Burrowpelt was obviously a distraction so the others could sneak by you and steal the Star Pearl!"

    "Oh.... Well, there's even more cats that were standing guard," he said, looking uncomfortable.

    "Exactly!" Servalpaw said. "So we need to get over there right now."

    Tarantulaclaw looked like he wanted to say something else, but he just nodded before taking off in a sprint they way he'd come, the others close on his tail.