Level Up! - [Rise Tasks] - G U L L C L A N

[eel.]

snowstar awoke from a fitful doze - the best sleep he had gotten since hecate and the oracle had visited him two days ago. that night, heronstep had received a dream from starclan - or what could be counted as one.

she hadn't seen any starclan cats, persay, but she had been in their land - though she said everything was tinted in red, a warning of what was to come. so the idea of evil spirits was discarded.

that afternoon, snowstar, still exhausted, had gathered greystorm and heronstep again. this was when he had learned of her dream - and this was when he asked them what he should do.

after discussing the facts: hecate was not hook; she probably wouldn't disturb the clan unless it was dire; the oracle was never known to lie; and the prophecy specifically stated that things would probably work out better if the two groups stood together, the three cats decided that two would become one - they would help the castaways, and the castaways would help them, in return.

the three spent their next day and night among their clanmates, which was very therapeutic for snowstar especially.

snowstar let out a breath as he stretched, letting his worries momentarily float away. then greystorm came and ruined the peace of the moment. 'my love, hecate is here with pan.' he said softly.

snowstar shut his eyes tight before opening them and following greystorm to the camp entrance, where hecate and pan stood, with juniperclaw and hollyfur guarding them from either side. every once in a while, the two young warriors would eye each other and stand up straighter and put on a fiercer expression than the other. snowstar felt his heart lighten for a moment at their antics before it settled back into the place of ohnoeveryoneisgoingtodie.

snowstar dismissed the two warriors, who gave him a curious glance, but scampered away with a glower from greystorm.

'hecate.' snowstar greeted. 'pan.'

pan gave a small jump at the fact that snowstar knew his name and Hecate cast him an affectionate glance before turning to snowstar. 'What decision did you come to?' she asks, her tail sweeping the floor nervously.

snowstar dipped his head. 'greystorm, heronstep, and i decided it would be better to work together than to fall apart. two can become one.'

the small she-cat grinned, and her ears swiveled forwards. 'thank you; you may have just saved both our groups, agreeing to work with us. i know you've all probably had a long few days, and that you're going to need time to explain this to your clan. meet us near the ravine tomorrow at sun-high. we can discuss our plan of action. bring who you need.'

snowstar dipped his head in agreement and flicked his tail at greystorm. his deputy escorted the rogues out.

noticing his clanmates curious stares, snowstar leaped to his speaking place, and the clan gathered beneath him without need of a call.

'cats of gullclan,' snowstar began. 'two nights ago hecate and the oracle of the castaways visited us with news. with a prophecy.'

snowstar went on to explain the rest of...well, everything, and answered his clanmates questions to the best of his ability.

the one no one asked, but all wondered: why did the oracle receive a message and not heronstep?

but for now snowstar pushed the question away and flicked his tail to silence his clan.

'tomorrow i meet with hecate. who wants to come with me?'