Warriors- Rising Sun: The Awakening {Book 1}

Chapter 6

The early dawn air was crisp and cold. A layer of frost cooled Sunpaw's burning pads as they trekked through the forest to get to the Sun Stones. Her heart was racing and the shrew she'd eaten before they left had left a sour after taste on her tongue. Bramblepaw was at her side, her eyes bright with confidence and eagerness to fight. I wish I was that excited to fight for my Clan, she thought sourly.

"We won't bother trying to sneak up on them," Fawnstar meowed from the head of the group with Pineshade and Applebird. "Most warriors would be out on patrols by now, so we'll have a better chance of winning in their camp."

"Are you scared?" Bramblepaw whispered, bumping her side against Sunpaw's.

"A little," the orange apprentice admitted meekly. Her tail quivered and her legs trembled. "What if we get too hurt to get out alive?" She fretted, staring at her sister with wide amber eyes. "What do we do then?"

Bramblepaw flicked her ears. "Stop being so paranoid, Sunpaw." She chided, her voice calm. "We'll be fine. Once you're in battle, there's nothing to scare you but the danger of not being able to sheathe your claws."

That didn't help settle Sunpaw's nerves as they crossed the river and emerged on the far shore, their pelts dripping wet and slicked to their frames. Something in her chest twisted as she recalled the apprentices she'd met at the Gathering. Dewpaw, Hollypaw, and Pearpaw will be in the fight. She thought, her heart sinking. I don't want to fight them!

"We're here," murmured Pineshade as she slackened her pace to walk beside the apprentices. "Don't take on a cat that's bigger than you." She warned and trotted up to walk beside Spiderscar, who flattened his ears.

Fawnstar raised her voice to a battle cry. "BreezeClan! Attack!" She pelted toward a large boulder and leaped over it, her warriors streaming after her. Sunpaw followed, Bramblepaw ran ahead of her and they scrambled up the boulder to the other side. Already, blood filled her nose as she watched her Clanmates start to lock into battle with SootClan cats.

Sunpaw bounded into the camp and lookd around, wondering which cat she should go for. Every cat is so huge! She thought, awe-struck. Who can I fight without being slaughtered? Spotting a gray she-cat with white spots, Sunpaw unsheathed her claws and ran at the she-cat. Slamming her paws into the she-cat's side, Sunpaw heard her gasp of surprise but claws sank into her fur and the apprentice winced.

The larger she-cat twisted out of Sunpaw's grip and teeth sank into her shoulder, making the apprentice yelp with pain. She staggered and fell onto her belly as the white-spotted warrior clawed at her shoulder, pulling out clumps of fur. Sunpaw shrieked and writhed. She rolled away and pushed herself to her paws, panting as the she-cat glared at her. "You're an apprentice," she growled and Sunpaw laid back her ears with a short hiss. "You've got some nerve attacking a warrior that's larger than you." With a yowl, the warrior lunged for Sunpaw, who dodged to the side and gasped as claws struck her shoulder.

Sunpaw wrenched her head around and sank her teeth into the she-cat's tail, pulling her to the ground and battering at her hind legs. Sunpaw sprang onto her back, her teeth sinking into the she-cat's scruff and she thrashed her head around.

"Get off!" Snarled the warrior and tried bucking Sunpaw off, but the apprentice held on. Panic sparked through her as claws tore her off the back of the warrior and teeth sank into her right ear, tearing the tip. Sunpaw wailed out loud in pain and whirled around, slashing the other cat's cheek with her claws.

The other cat- a brown she-cat with furious light green eyes- bit into Sunpaw's tail and lashed her side with her claws. Sunpaw shrieked in agony, thrashing as the warrior she'd originally fought raked her face with her claws.