Omen of the Sun Book Two: Snowfall ✅

Chapter Thirty-Four

Sunpaw folloed Skypelt quietly, wondering why she was acting so strange, and ready to face Applestar. She knew they wouldn't fight- she hoped, anyway, because she knew what had happened the last time they had fought -but she knew there would be a silent battle- a mental one.

Applestar would not intimidate her.

Te sky was growing dark as they reached the Sky Tree, and Sunpaw was exhausted, and hungry. She had been hunting all day, with only a small mouse divided between two other cats very early in the morning. She would have definitely wanted something to eat if she could, but she knew she couldn't.

When they got to the Sky Tree, Skypelt sat down without looking at her, her eyes fixed on the sky. Sunpaw turned to a nearby tree and decided to practice climbing it. It wasn't allowed, she knew, to climb Sky Tree any time before your assessment, but there were some other trees near it that were perfectly good for some last-minute training.

Sunpaw leapt onto the tree trunk of the tree next to Sky Tree, and shimmied her way up the long, smooth strip of wood, digging in her claws to get a grip like Skypelt had taught her. She was halfway up the tree when Applestar arrived.

"Sunpaw!" Skypelt called up."Applestar's here!"

Sunpaw turned and faced her, then took a deep breath and hurled herself downto her mentor, looking up with a clear look on her face as she landed neatly and nearly silently on the ground. Her gaze locked onto Applestar's. Try me, she seemed to say. Applestar stared back coldly. This should be fun.

 Applestar gacve her a small nod, looking away. Sunpawfelt a small prick of satisfaction that she had seemed to intimidate her leader enough to make her drop her gaze. "Alright, begin."

Sunpaw nodded, and turned to the tree, then leapt, unsheathing her claws as she flew powerfully into the air. Their razor-sharp points latched onto the scarred wood, and she held on tight. Immediately, not wanting to give Applestar something to take points off her performance for, she began to pull her way up the tree, just as she had done with the one before it. Just keep calm and you'll be fine.

Sunpaw was about an eighth up the tree when she heard Applestar and Skypelt muttering down below. "Not bad form..." "But she's taking very long..." "No tail out for balance..."

Sunpaw hurriedly stuck out her tail, feeling herself instantly steadied. For once, thank you, Applestar. She began to make her way up the tree trunk, quicker now, so that Applestar would be happy with her performance.

By the time she was halfway up the tree, she was starting to loose stamina. How can I climb this huge thing? She thought in despair, stopping for a moment to look up at the top of the tree. It was so high, she couldn't even see it. Her claws ached from hanging on, and her muscles were exhausted. "I can do this," she muttered to herself. She forced herself to go onwards. I have to know.

With her legs aching with tiredness, she stopped at a thin branch and sat on it, hoping that it would hold her weight for a moment. She didn't care what Applestar thought; she was simply too exhausted to continue then.

Maybe I should just turn back, she thought, her mind already half made-up to do it. But as she turned, she remembered all the things that would make her life so much better as a warrior- her own patrols, her own time to do whatever she wanted, easier investigations on Applestar. She'd also be able to be announced at Gatherings as a new warrior, and she didn't want to loose that. She hadn't been to a Gathering for a long time...

Then an image of Goldleaf burst into her mind. With it came Cinderstorm. And then came Lightningfeather. Then came Moonpaw, and Gingerpaw, and all the other cats in the Clan. Then she remembered Raintail, who had died in a battle with HollyClan when she had first joined the Clans, and of Snowblaze, who had just died now. She thought of Brightsky, the former deputy, who's spot Applestar had taken. And of Silverstar, who had died from an infected wound.

She would make this. They didn't, but she would. She was strong.

She remembered Moonpaw.

She threw herself up the tree.

In a moment of pure, white-out climbing, she had reached three-quarters of the way to the top, the energy of cats forgotten and remembered fueling her. Voices whispered to her unintelligible things, but she knew what they were trying to say.

And then, at last, her muscles aching and her legs feeling like they might fall off, she reached the top.

With a small cry of joy, she began to make her way back down, jumping off when she was close enough to the ground. Euphoria lit her veins, and she felt like she might explode. She had done it! She had climbed Sky Tree!

She was going to be a warrior!

Applestar's eyes met hers, cool, as she leapt down to the ground. "Very well," she meowed. "Tomorrow, at sunhigh- you will be made a warrior."

OOOOOOH DOUBLE UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YASS! SUNPAW IS GONNA BE A WARRIOR! YAAAAAAY!

IF I HAVE TIME I MIGHT SQUEEZE OUT ANOTHER CHAPTER TODAY. NO PROMISES THOUGH!

MAN I AM REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF FOR GETTING OUT ANOTHER CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR 3K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME IT'S JUST GAH I LOVE YOU GUYS <3

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS BOOK IS ALMOST DONE!

ALRIGHT, SEE YOU!

~Rainfeather