Omen of the Sun Book One: Secrets in Shadows ✅

Chapter Twenty Two

A single thought slid through Sunpaw's mind as she watched Applefoot step into the arena. What is she doing here?

She'd always thought of Applefoot as not nice. Not at all her favorite cat, and she hated her. But she didn't think Applefoot would train in the Dark Forest. It was an evil place, and Applefoot had always seemed loyal, if a little bad tempered and nasty. Of course... Sunpaw knew about Moonpaw. But she didn't think that was true. Moonpaw had probably been killed by a fox or something.

Applefoot crouched, her supple muscles tense and hard as stone. Sunpaw watched her movements, looking for the usual, tell-tale signs if an attack. "Go!" Lionscar shouted.

At once, Applefoot leaped forward, stretching out to bowl Sunpaw over. Sunpaw rolled onto her back. She was exposing her belly, but she had to fight off the silver she cat. Would she kill me?

She knew Cinderpaw would say yes. And deep down in her gut, she knew it too. She knew Applefoot had seen Goldleaf continuously coming up to her and trying to talk to her. But she wasn't going to talk to him. She wouldn't and she couldn't. She couldn't just back down. Especially after the fight just a few hours earlier.

Sunpaw felt Applefoot's claws scoring down her belly. She unsheathed her claws and slashed at Applefoot's sides; blood pooled around her but Applefoot didn't stop. Sunpaw rolled over. Maybe I can trick her. She lay crouched for a heartbeat. "Is the match over already?" Drawled a voice. "Sunpaw, get up. Applefoot, off her. The match is-"

Sunpaw exploded upwards, back flipping and kicking out with her hind legs to catch Applefoot in the ribs. She landed neatly on her back and swiped at her head, then hopped off before Applefoot could retaliate. She shot a glance up at Lionscar, still standing on his rock. He was nodding approvingly.

Sunpaw turned her attention back to the battle. Applefoot was getting to her paws, her eyes full of rage. She turned to Sunpaw, and Sunpaw saw her pelt was free from injuries, save for the ones she had just received now. Where was she during the battle?

Sunpaw snarled and watched carefully as Applefoot padded around her. Suddenly she lunged at Sunpaw, landing on her back. Sunpaw was ready for her. She bucked and threw her off, but not until Applefoot had landed a few hard blows to her fur. One hit a wound that had not quite healed and she shrieked. Applefoot got to her paws and Sunpaw raced forward. Maybe I can catch her unawares. She leaped onto the silver tabby's back and sliced at her muzzle. Applefoot reached up a front paw and hooked Sunpaw's paw out from underneath her.

Pain shot through Sunpaw like a hot bolt of white fire. Applefoot had hooked her injured paw! It throbbed as if the whole of HollyClan had trampled over it. She yowled, and knew she needed to finish the fight quickly. She scrambled to her paws, darted over to Applefoot, and slammed her way to her neck. She sliced a claw into the she cat's neck- not deep enough to kill, but hard. Applefoot collapsed and Sunpaw stepped back.

"Fight over," Lionscar meowed. "Step back."

Apolefoot staggered to her paws and Sunpaw stepped back, bent her head, and began grooming her fur. Applefoot stumbled out if the arena. Lionscar looked at her carefully. "Wake yourself up and go see your medicine cat."

"But what will I tell her?" Applefoot challenged. Lionscar smiled. "Make something up. You'll think of something."

As the end of the night drew near, one more group of cats padded out of the arena, and Lionscar stood. "Go back to your nests."

He disappeared off of the rock, and all the Dark Forest cats followed. Sunpaw darted a quick glance around and saw that the remaining cats were licking their wounds, and so she lapped at the flank would Applefoot had given her. She hadn't gotten much else, though so she closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was alone in the apprentice den.