Omen of the Sun Book Two: Snowfall ✅

Chapter Twenty One

Sunpaw blinked open her eyes later that night to the sound of a screeching.

What is going on?! She thought as she leapt to her paws. It was dark, but she could see Moonpaw and Gingerpaw bolt awake too. Sunpaw glanced at them. "What's happening?" Moonpaw asked.

"I don't know!" Sunpaw said. The shrieks sounded a little familiar, but she could not think of how. Then it hit her. Peonystorm had made those sounds when she had her kits. Applefoot must be having her kits!

At that moment, Sunpaw decided to continue hating Applefoot, but not to hate her kits. It wasn't their fault that Applefoot was their mother.

Shut up, physological self! She thought, shaking her head and running out of the apprentice den.

Outside, a few cats had gathered- Skypelt, Shadowfur, Goldleaf, Lightningfeather, and Silverstar were all out there. Featherpelt cast a helpless glance to the nursery as he tried, in vain, to tell Silverstar to go back to her den. The proud silver she cat refused, even though Sunpaw could see, even in the dim light, that her legs trembled.

Cinderstorm and Frostcloud had stood up from their vigil places. Sunpaw noticed that they left paw-prints in the ground, and saw that it was beginning to snow lightly. She shivered as she remembered the prophecy she had been given by Doveheart, and then again when she remembered her own power. She wondered if she should excersise that.

"Am I aloud to talk?" Cinderstorm giggled to Sunpaw. Sunpaw shrugged. "Maybe, since it's an emergency. I mean, a dog is giving birth in the nursery. Quick! Hide the kits!"

Cinderstorm collapsed in fits of uncontrollable giggles.

"Sunpaw," a voice said from behind her. Sunpaw turned, and saw Goldleaf. Her laughter died away instantly. "What do you want?" She asked coldly.

"Sunpaw, please, I need to talk to you," Goldleaf pleaded. Cinderstorm got up and stood shoulder to shoulder with Sunpaw. "She won't talk with you if she doesn't want to," the gray she cat snarled at Goldleaf.

"I know. I know I don't deserve an explanation," Goldleaf meowed. A groan filled the air, and Sunpaw felt the heat of looks on her back. Cats want to know why Goldleaf, who is supposed to be an axious, loving father-to-be, is having a fight with Cinderstorm and I instead of patrolling the nursery like normal cats.

She sighed. "Goldleaf, we'll talk later, okay? I need to-"

She turned to go.

"No!" Goldleaf hissed, stepping quickly in front of her. "Excuse me?" Sunpaw hissed, staring him down.

"I said, no!" Goldleaf repeated. "I won't let you walk away. Because I am not the father of these kits that are being born."

Sunpaw gasped, her brain shorting out for a heartbeat. He... what?! She thought. Cinderstorm looked equally shocked. "But you're Applefoot's mate! How can these kits not be yours?!"

"They're not mine, but I don't know the father," Goldleaf meowed. Sunpaw narrowed her eyes. "How do we know you're not lying?"

"Not lying about what?" Came Lightningfeather's voice. Sunpaw turned. He was standing next to Cinderstorm, her pelt brushing against his. "He claims that he's not the father of Applefoot's kits," Sunpaw answered when Goldleaf didn't move.

"What?! You're lying," Lightningfeather accused. Goldleaf sighed. "Listen, you guys, I know you probably don't believe me. But here's my story-"

He was cut off by a wail, which died down instantly. Featherpelt, who had apparently managed to get Silverstar into her den, called, "Goldleaf, come here."

Goldleaf hurried away, leaving Sunpaw, Cinderstorm, and Lightningfeather to stare in wonder at the place he had left.

~*~

{Switching POVs...}

"Goldleaf, this is a premature birth, probably brought on by Applefoot's fighting earlier," Featherpelt meowed seriously to Goldleaf. "The kits may be in danger, and its a wonder she didn't go into labor earlier this afternoon. She or the kits might die."

Goldleaf didn't particularly mind about Applefoot dying, but he did care about the kits. No matter what, he would still raise them as his own. Applefoot couldn't take away the love he already felt for the kits that would be born soon.

He felt his face fall. "Isn't there any herb you can give her?"

Featherpelt considered. "Maybe burnet. But it could be dangerous with the herbs we have already given her."

Goldleaf grimaced. "It's the best we've got, let's do it."

"Go get a stick," Featherpelt meowed. Goldleaf nodded and padded out, remembering how he had found out how Applefoot wasn't expecting his kits...

Goldleaf padded through the forest, watching the leafless trees. How had he been so stupid? He felt something inside him about Sunpaw. She was different from all the other she cats in the Clan.

He remembered when he first found her, by herself after fighting off a group of HollyClan cats. He didn't know how she could be so brave. He didn't know exactly what he felt for her, but he thought that maybe... it was love.

Suddenly, he heard a crackling sound. Goldleaf spun around, leaping onto a tree and scaling the branches high until he was out of sight. He looked down. Something told him he shouldn't be seen. He was right.

His mate, Applefoot, was twining her tail with another cat.

At first, he felt an instinctive rush of disgust. What was she doing, twining tails with another cat, after she had been spending moons and moons getting closer to him, asking him to be her mate, making excuse to be on her own with him? He had said he would be her mate just to protect Sunpaw.

Then he calmed his rage and leaned down, just enough to hear what Applefoot was saying.

"...I love you, and only you. These are your kits."

The tom she was talking with nuzzled her affectionately. Bile rose in Goldleaf's throat. "I love you too, Applefoot."

"Soon, I'll have the kits, and you and I will be the rulers of the Clans," Applefoot murmured dreamily. "It'll be perfect."

"Anything is perfect with you, my love," the tom claimed. Goldleaf rolled his eyes.

"Applefoot!" Goldleaf heard. Applefoot turned, her belly swinging below her. "I must go," she meowed breathlessly to her strange mate. "When can you meet again?" He pressed her.

"I don't know, maybe sometime in a few sunrises. Stop by in the usual spot, and we'll figure it out," Applefoot said. Then she wrapped her tail around his and pressed her nose to his ear. "I love you."

"I love you too," the tom said. Applefoot ran off, eaving Goldleaf on the tree, watching as a mystery unfolded beneath his very paws.

Heeeeloooo!

Now very exciting chapter, but very necessary ;)

Yay! It's over 1000 words!

Possible slower updates for a while, sorry :\ I've got school, and I have tests and stuff D:

I don't know what to say.

BTW, thanks for everything about my drawing, all the nice comments. It makes me feel a lot better about my drawings ^_^

I just tried to draw Rainbow Dash but she looks like a fat pumpkin with hair, eyes, and wings...

LALALA I AM BORED BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

~Rainfeather