Stormtail's Secret

Chapter 1

I woke to a paw prodding me. "Wake up Stormpaw! We're going training before our final assessment! It's tomorrow!" Fogpaw raced out of the den. I streatched, and my tail tip almost touched the side of the apprentice den. I padded over to Fogpaw, and I saw Rowanpaw beside her.

"Mistyfur is expecting kits, so I have to train with you guys." Rowanpaw's mentor was Mistyfur.

"Can we go tree climbing? I've always wanted to climb to the top of the Sky Oak, because you know every apprentice dreams of climbing it before they're warriors! Only the best make it to the top." I asked Cloudfur, the clan deputy and my mentor with pleading eyes.

"Okay, okay. I guess we can fit that in with our schedule. Let's go, it's almost sunhigh." He bounded off, leaving me to scramble off behind him.

When we got to the Sky Oak, Cloudfur warned is that if we fall, we would likely break our necks. "You wouldn't want that to happen the day before you become warriors, right...?" Cloudfur tried to sound as if it was a joke, but we all knew the dangers. We started climbing with Rowanpaw in the lead followed be Fogpaw, me, and Cloudfur brang up the rear.

About halfway up, a branch cracked under my weight. I was only hanging on with one paw. Panic surged through me as I looked down. If you fall, you will likely break your neck. I recalled Cloudfur's mew. After a couple heartbeats, I found a branch and clung onto it. I started up again, but with more caution.

I scrambled up the last few tail lengths to the topmost branches. "Wow,"I breathed. The view was breath-taking. I could see although way to WindClan's territory. When the Clan deputy arrived, we practiced a few battle move techniques. Finally, we're done with the training and it's ready to head down.

"Hey guys, look at this!" Cloudfur called us over. I bounded over, but before I could see what Cloudfur was looking at, there was a large CRACK. The branch started plummeting to the ground below, taking me and Cloudfur with it. I shot one last glance to my left to see Rowanpaw and Fogpaw clinging to the trunk. Good. I thought. At least they are safe.

Branches whipped my back as I thought once again of Cloudfur's warning. It felt like seasons falling although way to the leaf-strewn ground, even though it was probably only a couple heartbeats. Then, I heard bone crunching and cracking and pain and blackness everywhere and I couldn't think. Then, I gave in to the blackness that threatened to overwhelm me.