A New Horizon: Book 1: Sun Awakening {COMPLETE}

Chapter 16

Cloverstrike's size was much larger than his own, her legs were longer and she managed to trip him up. Falconpaw stumbled and landed on his side, his belly exposed to the AshClan warrior. Before she could move, Falconpaw saw a flash a color as Cherryleaf tackled Cloverstrike to the ground.

"Too scared to fight a warrior that you pick on an apprentice, Cloverstrike?" Cherryleaf spat as raked her claws along Cloverstrike's haunches. The AshClan she-cat let out a hiss of pain and lashed out at Cherryleaf.

"I'm a lot braver than you!" Cloverstrike lunged on top of Cherryleaf, knocking the tortishell to the ground. Falconpaw scurried to his paws then sprang on top of Cloverstrike's back, digging all of his claws into her spine. Cloverstrike arched her back and reared on her hind legs, letting out a screech. She fell backwards, on top of Falconpaw. He let out a huff of pain and then shoved her off. Cloverstrike struggled to stand up again, as he watched her, Falconpaw felt teeth in his scruff as he was thrown across the forest floor, rocks digging into his pelt. He looked up and saw that a large gray tom had joined in the fight, he was clawing at Cherryleaf who avoided his claws with nimble movements.

Falconpaw hurried back into the battle, bracing himself to impact with the large gray tom. He was about the size of Falconclaw, so he slipped under the warrior and caused him to lose his balance as he had done with Falconclaw the night before. The tom hit the ground hard, and let out a hiss as his paws lashed out at Falconpaw. Falconpaw stepped back, but tripped and stumbled into Cloverstrike who met him with her claws in his pelt. He felt his fur tear and he pulled away, striking at her with his own claws.

Cloverstrike avoided him, and attacked again. He once again felt her claws in his pelt, he hissed and battered at her with his hind legs, he sunk his teeth into her foreleg. Cloverstrike hissed and tore away from him. Falconpaw gave chase, the brown tabby had many scratches and her pelt was ruffled and bloody.

"Leave her, Falconpaw!" Cherryleaf called, and Falconpaw stopped and turned. Cherryleaf was wrestling with the gray tom once again, but there was a lot more going on. Snowtail's white pelt was stained with dirt and blood as she fought a gray tabby tom and a dark-gray she-cat at the same time. Cloudspots looked exhausted as he fended off two warriors himself. Rainears threw a ginger tabby she-cat to the ground, but she bled heavily from a wound on her shoulder. As she stepped back from the ginger tabby, she was tackled by a brown tom.

Falconpaw himself was feeling sore and battered, there were too many of them! He clawed the ground, he refused to give up! Falconpaw dashed forward, his claws ripping into the gray tom's pelt. He was instantly thrown off and struggled to regain his balance. He felt blood welling in a wound above his eye and his breathing was rough and heavy, despite all of this...Falconpaw had never felt more alive!

"SunClan! Attack!" Falconpaw spun around and saw more SunClan warriors swarming through the forest led by Dawnstar and Cinderflame. Suddenly, the battle was much more in SunClan's favor! The gray tom was pulled off of Cherryleaf by Crowfur. Applespots and Redclaw crashed into two more AshClan warriors, and Falconpaw spotted his father fighting with the AshClan deputy, Ashblaze, but where was Riverstar?

Falconpaw shook away the thoughts, it was not a time to think. It was a time to fight! Falconpaw broke into the battle now that Cherryleaf was safe, he needed a new cat to fight. He spotted Earthpaw wrestling with a familiar cat, it was the first AshClan apprentice he had met! Baring his teeth and claws, Falconpaw tackled the black apprentice. They rolled over each other in a tangle of claws.

When they broke apart the she-cat faced him with bared teeth. "It's you! The stupid kit!" She sneered.

"I'm not a kit anymore," Falconpaw growled. If he could make a full grown warrior run off, he could fight a stupid apprentice! He tackled the she-cat, digging his claws into her black pelt and raking across her flesh. She hissed and returned his attack, he felt her claws in his pelt and suffered through the pain. He sank his teeth into her shoulder as hard as he could, her blood welling around his muzzle. His vision turned red and clawed harder into her pelt. Falconpaw's red haze was stopped when he was thrown violently off the apprentice. He tumbled away and stood up, his entire body shaking.