Omen of the Sun Book One: Secrets in Shadows ✅

Chapter Thirteen

Frost grinned nervously.

Sunpaw roared. "What are you doing here?!"

Frost winced. "Uh..."

Sunpaw leaped forward and clawed Frost mercilessly. "No! Sun!" Frost growled, reaching up and flipping her daughter over and placing a paw on her daughter's chest, claws sheathed. "I- I don't want to hurt you-"

Sunpaw threw off her mother with an almighty heave. "Don't come any close to me!" She screeched. Frost pushed herself to her paws and stumbled backwards. Hurt glistened in her green eyes. "Sun, I- I can explain-"

Sunpaw cut her off angrily. "My name is Sunpaw. Get it right!"

Frost stomped forward, now angry. Sunpaw held her ground, looking up at the cat she despised, her mother with no fear in her gaze. "Ever since you left me, left me for the dead, I've been able to make my own way. I don't need you. I've joined one of the Clans of cats. This is my territory, and we don't like intrudors."

Though she was explaing something, her voice held a sharp malice that she had never used before. She smirked to herself. I can be dangerous. I have a power.

Frost took another hesitant step forward. "Sun, I... ever since I left you, I knew I'd made a mistake. I tried to track you down, and... here I am."

She smiled slightly, raising her tail hopefully. Sunpaw spat derisively. "Why would I want anything to do with you? Go away Frost, and stay away."

Sunpaw's mother blinked in hurt. Sunpaw raised her chin at the cat she hated, the cat who had taught her to hunt, who had given her milk, who had- no, stop.

"Leave my territory. Now!" Sunpaw ordered, charging towards Frost. Anger coursed through her. Frost turned and fled, but Sunpaw chased after her, determined to be rid of the cat she despised. After quite a few strides, they came to a pond. It was a large pond, wide and deep. Sunpaw knew Frost was no swimmer, but the silver tabby she cat threw herself into the pond and started swimming ferociously, battling through the water clumsily. Sunpaw laughed mechanically and dove in too.

She opened her eyes under the water and swam gracefully, pushing through the water with her paws, bending it, weaving it, changing it to her will. She was gaining on Frost. The water slipped in and out of her nostrils. How ironic it was, she thought, that she was chasing Frost down using the very ability that Frost had abandoned her for. As that thought struck her, she slowed. No, no chase her away! he reminded herself, and swam more powerfully.

Frost pulled herself out of the pond and shook herself briefly. Sunpaw watched as the silver she cat hared away, moving gracefully. She turned and swam back, the water easily moving through her body, and, breathing heavily, decided to hunt. She padded back to Sky Tree and sniffed the air. Mouse! She dropped into a crouch, pinpointing the scent, and stalked forward. Leaping, she caught the mouse. It let out a shriek as she killed it.

Suddenly, Sunpaw remembered that she was supposed to be changing the elder's bedding. She rolled her eyes and headed back to camp.

Frostpaw was still in the elders' den. A few more cats had returned, but the Clan was still not full as it usually was in evenings. Sunpaw quickly dropped the mouse on the fresh kill pile and, thinking quickly, hurried off to grab some moss. That was she could try to fool Frostpaw.

The white she cat swished her tail in acknowledgement of Sunpaw's return, but didn't say anything. "Hello," Rosefoot greeted cheerfully. Sunpaw smiled at the she cat, who was lying in a spare nest. She and Frostpaw worked silently until they were done. "Are you hungry?" Frostpaw asked Rosefoot when they had finished changing the bedding. "Yes, dear, a trout would be lovely, if there is any," Rosefoot replied dreamily. Frostpaw departed to go get the trout. "Well... bye," Sunpaw meowed somewhat akwardly to Rosefoot and followed Frostpaw.

Cinderpaw padded into camp as Sunpaw finally grabbed a carp from the fresh kill pile. Her belly sank as she remembered that she had to bring something to Snowblaze. She looked around, then chose a squirrel. Someone should make seperate piles, she thought sourly, noting how the flavors got mixed up unpleasantly.

She dropped her carp and hurried into the nursery. "Here," she meowed, handing the squirrel to Snowblaze. "Ooh, lovely, thank you, Sunpaw." Snowblaze purred as she placed the squirrel on the ground. Moonkit and Gingerkit, who had been playing in the back, came over. "Here, kits, try this squirrel," Snowblaze urged. Moonkit sat back and shook her head stubbornly, but Gingerkit leaned forward and took a nibble. She chewed and swallowed. "It's good!" She informed Moonkit. "Come on, try some."

Reluctantly, Moonkit leaned forward and bit some of the squirrel's leg off. "Yeah!" She said as she swallowed. Sunpaw walked back out.

"Sunpaw!" Cinderpaw called from where she was sitting, under the flowering bush as usual. Sunpaw hurried over, hunger roaring in her belly. Cinderpaw waved the carp in the air, taking a bite out of her trout. Sunpaw took the carp and devoured it hungrily in three bites. "What've you been up to?" She mumbled through the mouthful of carp. Cinderpaw purred. "Getting ready for my warrior assessment. It's in two and a half moons, you know!"

"Really?" Sunpaw asked with a twinge of sadness. Then she'd be alone in the apprentice den, since Cloverfur didn't sleep there. "Yeah!" Cinderpaw chirped, taking a delicate bite out of the trout. "I'll be right back," Cinderpaw added. She got up and made her way to the dirtplace tunnel. Sunpaw looked around the camp and spotted Goldleaf walking out. Applefoot followed closely behind.

Sunpaw narrowed her eyes and got to her paws, following Goldleaf and Applefoot on silent paws, always a few tail-lengths behind them, until they stopped, far from camp. Sunpaw climbed up a tree, stopping on one of the bare branches, and leaning down to look. What are they doing?

Applefoot pressed up against Goldleaf, even though it wasn't cold. "Oh Goldleaf..."

Goldleaf blinked. "Applefoot, why are we out here, away from our Clanmates?"

Applefoot blinked too, mimicking Goldleaf. "Well, I have something to tell you."

"Go ahead."

"Goldleaf," Applefoot began, taking a deep breath. "I really, really like... well... I love you, Goldleaf. But you love Sunpaw. I know it."

Sunpaw nearly had to catch herself, as she almost fell out of the tree. Applefoot... loved Goldleaf? Surely she didn't! She couldn't... could she? Sunpaw felt a twinge of jealousy and almost missed Goldleaf's reply.

"Applefoot, why would you say that?" He asked, his voice quivering slightly. He continued. "No, Applefoot... I love you."

Ha! Another cliffhanger. AND an update! Yeah... sorry about the slooooooooow update....... I had writers' block D:

Frost? Territory? WHAA?

HOW WILL SUNPAW REACT?! Goldleaf. Loves. Applefoot. AHH! Are you sure? Yes I'm sure! I'm the author, creepy voice!!!!!

Yay... I updated... oh yeah! My friend, Swift_Jay helped me think this up. Thanks Jay! That's their nickname that I made up yesterday. :D