Hope ✓

Chapter Seven

It was very loud in Starclan.

It also hurt.

Wait, how could I feel pain if I were in Starclan?

I heard someone call my name, but I ignored it. I just wanted to relax and go to Starclan. Why should I struggle to survive when letting go was so much easier?

Unfortunately, the voice was very persistent. I felt something nudge me and I recognized a voice, except I couldn't pinpoint who it was. I didn't think it was any of my clanmates . . . so who could it be?

"Lavenderpaw! Lavenderpaw, we've got to go, now! Lavenderpaw, can you hear me? It's me, Bella!" The voice said urgently.

Bella!

That was who was calling me! But, why was she so worried? I was just sleeping, wasn't I? How long have we been traveling now? A quarter moon? A half-moon? I did feel pain, though. Maybe that was why Bella was so worried.

Bella continued to nudge me and calling my name for what seemed like a long time. It should be sunhigh by now, why was she still trying to wake me? That's when I heard an unfamiliar voice.

"We need to get her to safety, and quickly." I heard a tom's voice say.

I moaned. "Let me sleep." I managed to say.

Bella sighed with relief but shook her head. "No, Lavenderpaw. Don't you remember? We're going to continue our journey back to Shadeclan!"

Shadeclan.

My head whirled and the ground seemed to disappear from beneath me. It felt like I was falling, but why was it for so long? Then I finally hit the ground.

I groaned and opened my eyes to see that I was surrounded by pine trees. Wait, I recognized this forest . . .

"Lavenderpaw!" I turned to see Cloverpaw and Pinepaw rushing towards me, worry in their eyes.

"Oh Lavenderpaw, I was so worried!" Pinepaw said.

"Did the twoleg hurt you?" Cloverpaw asked.

"The . . . twoleg?" I said, confused. I couldn't remember what had happened.

Cloverpaw and Pinepaw looked at each other. "Yeah, the one who almost put you in the monster?" Cloverpaw said.

"Are you okay? Did you hit your head?" Pinepaw asked me.

I stood up and I got a head rush. I shook my head as it whirled but that made it worse. I groaned. "I think I did . . ."

"Come on, we'll take you to Berrycloud." Cloverpaw said and the two stood on either side of me for support.

As we padded back to camp, confusion circled through my mind. Why did this feel so wrong? Like this wasn't supposed to be happening? I tried to remember what happened before the falling but she couldn't seem to remember.

When we got back to camp, I was still trying to figure it out. It felt important, like something I absolutely needed to remember.

"Berrycloud!" Pinepaw called and the she-cat poked her head out of the medicine den.

"Oh my Starclan!" I heard her say and told the two apprentices to bring me into her den.

I hadn't realized I was limping or that my paw was even hurt until I tripped over something in the medicine den. I lay down and Berrycloud asked me something but I barely heard her.

"Lavenderpaw!" Cloverpaw called and I raised my head.

"What?" I said and looked around.

Berrycloud looked at me, full of concern. "I asked where you got hurt."