Omen of the Sun Book Two: Snowfall ✅

Chapter One

Applefoot?

Sunpaw watched in amazement as the silver tabby she cat padded up to the Rock Pile. Why Applefoot? The warrior was young and inexperienced. Sure, she had an apprentice, but she had only been a warrior for a few moons, according to Cinderpaw.

Sunpaw looked around for Lightningfeather. The ginger-spotted black tom stared back at her. Sunpaw saw something in his gaze.

It was hurt.

Lightningfeather was Applefoot's brother and everyone knew that Silverstar liked him better. Still, Sunpaw knew that Lightningfeather's father was dead and that Applefoot despised him as much as his mother did. The only people he had were Cinderpaw, Sunpaw, and Goldleaf.

Sunpaw realized that the cats around her had lifted their muzzles to the sky and began cheering the new deputy's name. "Applefoot! Applefoot! Applefoot!"

Goldleaf padded over to Applefoot and touched noses with her. He murmured something, and Sunpaw looked away. He had promised just a few minutes ago that he didn't love Applefoot; that he was just being her mate to protect Sunpaw. Still, Sunpaw was unsure as she watched him lick Applefoot's ears. He was a good actor, if what he had said was true.

Lightningfeather padded over to Sunpaw. "We should go see Cinderpaw, tell her the news," he meowed. Just then, Silverstar called, "Wait! We have some more ceremonies to perform."

Sunpaw sat down again, confused. Lightningfeather joined her. "Moonkit, Gingerkit, step forward," she ordered. Sunpaw looked around and saw the small white and silver and dark silver shapes step, or run, Sunpaw thought, would be a better word, up to the Rock Pile. "These two kits have reached their sixth moon and are ready to become apprentices of our Clan. Your names will be Gingerpaw and Moonpaw."

Sunpaw heard a sharp intake of breath from Goldleaf, farther up, and knew that it was because he had once loved a cat named Moonpaw.

But then Applefoot had killed her.

"Moonpaw, your mentor will be Hailheart," Silverstar went on. Moonpaw looked around for the silver and white tom, who stepped forward. They touched noses and stepped back. "Gingerpaw, your mentor will be Shadowfur," Silverstar meowed. The silver and white she cat and the black touched noses, their pelts as different as day and night. "Moonpaw! Gingerpaw! Moonpaw! Gingerpaw!" The Clan cheered. "Clan dismissed," Silverstar meowed lazily, hopping off of the Rock Pile. The Clan broke up and Lightningfeather turned back to Sunpaw. "Let's go see Cinderpaw."

They made their way over to the medicine den, preparing to push their way in through the hanging curtain of lichen that covered the entrance. A light gray, blurred shape passed in front of them and knocked them out of the way. "No! You can't go in!" Cloverfur meowed angrily. "Cinderpaw and Frostpaw are still very sick. Maybe on their way to StarClan."

Lightningfeather's eyes widened angrily. "That's fox dung! If she's dying we should at least be allowed to see her!"

"No!" Cloverfur repeated. "You might get sick, and we've hardly enough catmint already, and it's leaf bare, and there's a snowstorm coming in a few days! I can smell it on the air."

Lightningfeather sighed. "Come on, Cloverfur, please? Just for a minute?"

"No," Cloverfur insisted. "Maybe tomorrow. But could you ask Gingerpaw or Moonpae to come along with me? I need to collect some herbs."

"Well, it's night," Sunpaw pointed out. Cloverfur shot her an irritable look. "Thank you for that wonderful insight. I, Sunpaw, am not blind and can see perfectly well. I meant in the morning."

"Oh," Sunpaw muttered. "Yeah sure."

She and Lightning feather padded away. "Well, good night," Sunpaw meowed. "Night," Lightningfeather meowed, dipping his head to her before padding away to the Warrior's den. Sunpaw padded off to the apprentice den, slipped through the tunnel, shivering. The weather was cold, and when she brushed up against the tunnel wall accidentally she got the chill of snow through her fur.

She climbed into her nest and shut her eyes, fully expecting to be transported to The Dark Forest like she was every night. Before she could fall asleep, however, a loud screech rent the air. Peonystorm! Sunpaw thought. She leaped out of her nest and dashed into the clearing. Cloverfur and Featherpelt were streaking to the nursery in a blur of gray fur, bundles of herbs clutched in their jaws. A few cats trickled into the clearing but most stayed in their dens. Lightningfeather hurried over to Sunpaw. "We can go see Cinderpaw!" He hissed. Sunpaw froze. Should I? What if we get caught? But then thought, she's my best friend! I deserve to see her! And it's not my fault that they didn't leave Cloverfur there!

"Follow me," Lightningfeather muttered quietly, flicking his tail towards the medicine den. "You see how it's a cave?"

Sunpaw nodded. "Well, there's a bunch of boulders outside of camp, and when we go out, we can slip through into the den. Simple!" Lightningfeather meowed.

Sunpaw nodded. "Okay, follow me."

She slunk through the shadows of the night and pressed herself against the wall. For Lightningfeather, whose pelt was black, it was easy, but Sunpaw could only hope that her silver tabby coat didn't show.

As soon as she reached a maple tree, she slid around it and ended up outside of camp. Lightningfeather followed. He took the lead, padding through the trees until they came to a pile of rocks. Lightningfeather took in a deep breath. "Okay, watch me."

He climbed up on the boulders and when he reached the middle, he dropped in. His voice floated out through the rocks. "Come on! It's easy," he called, his voice floating up from the rocks. Sunpaw followed him, placing her paws in the exact spots he had, won reached the place where she would drop down. She took a deep breath and slipped through the boulders.

She landed in a dark tunnel with Lightningfeather. His pelt was nearly invisible in the shadows. "Okay, where do we go?" Sunpaw asked. Lightningfeather flicked his ears. "That way."

They padded in the silence. Suddenly, a shriek ripped through the air. Lightningfeather jumped and Sunpaw shivered. She remembered vaguely from when she had been a rogue, before her mother- no, she reminded herself. Not her mother. Frost - had abandoned her, Frost was helping some she cat have kits, but the kits had been born too early. The kits and the mother hadn't made it through the night. Peonystorm was imitating her shrieks. Sunpaw hoped the she cat wouldn't die.

"She's in the hands of StarClan," Lightningfeather meowed. Sunpaw blinked and stopped. "Lightningfeather, what is StarClan? I keep hearing cats talking about it but I don't know what it is."

"It's our warrior ancestors," Lightningfeather answered without stopping. He looked over his shoulders. "Are you coming?"

Sunpaw shook herself. "Yes." She would get a better answer later.

Lightningfeather meowed, "We're almost there. Remember, be quiet, and don't get caught."

They emerged into the medicine den. Sunpaw immediately spotted Cinderpae's nest and hurried over. Frostpaw's was vacant. Sunpaw leaned over Cinderpaw's nest and gasped at what she saw.

Cinderpaw was no longer the bubbly, cheerful gray she cat but a shriveled, skinny, wasted gray patch of fur. She was shivering and as Lightningfeather approached let out a pitiful cough, and her eyes shot open. "Lightningfeather! Sunpaw!" She croaked, her voice weak and quavering, once she had figured out who they were. "Hi. Wait! You can't be here! I'm sick! I'll infect you!"

Lightningfeather stooped and licked Cinderpaw's ears fiercely. "You're going to get better," he vowed. "I swear it by StarClan!"

Oh no Cinderpaw!

So. How's the first chapter? It's reallllllllly long but don't get used to that 😸

So, a good start for Snowfall? I think so :D tell me your thoughts. Also it's my best friend's birthday! @WarriorCatLover03 she's a really good friend and has been since first grade :) 💜💜💜 🌼🍃🌺🎂🎂🌺🍃🌼 <-- birthday EPICNESS

Comment below any thoughts :) I wanna hear em!

~✨🐱✨ Rainfeather ✨🐱✨