You're startled rather dramatically out of your sleep by a rough shake to the shoulder. Huffing in annoyance you move to uncurl, blinking your eyes open in the heavy dark of your den. You feel muted surprise through your sleep hazy state at seeing Hecate looming in front of you. The tiny she-cat had, so far, stayed true to the agreement of staying out of each other's territory, so you're surprised to see her here in your den, much less, in your territory. The she-cat urgently flicks her tail at you to get you up, which you proceed to do begrudgingly, unhappy to have your sleep disturbed. It's only then that you see The Oracle hovering behind her, the frail old tom having managed to stay out of your sight before then, though how he managed to do so baffles you. Hecate hardly posed a formidable barrier. The pale tom behind her slunk forward when she gave him a reproachful look, clearly disgruntled at having to be there. You knew the feeling.
After a few long moments of you and Hecate staring expectantly at him, The Oracle makes an irritated noise and begins to speak. "Your ancestors have spoken to me once again. They warn of great danger that will befall both your clan and our own group."
You send a startled look to Hecate, whose hackles are slightly raised, almost impossible to catch in the dark of your den. After a few sluggish moments of processing, your brain finally registers the words. "What is he talking about? Our healers have heard no word of any danger." You're not awake enough for this, you decide, and don't appreciate these two crashing into your den at such an hour to drop this on you. The Oracle, at least, seems to be as unhappy about their presence here as you are, which makes you feel a bit better.
Hecate rolls her shoulders, clearly unhappy with your tone. "Your ancestors seldom speak to me. They offer me no more than the vaguest sense of what they are trying to say. Nothing nearly as detailed as they show him," she flicks an ear towards The Oracle who turns his nose away in response. "I don't know why they haven't approached you yet." She pauses, clearly debating her next words. "This is me paying you back for you letting my group live peacefully beside you even after the trouble I caused. Do you wish to hear the prophecy they gave us or debate the mechanisms behind it."
There's a snap of annoyance in her words, and you can so clearly see hints of the brash young she-cat that originally led her group into trouble, but it's just as obvious that she's trying to learn from the past. That young she-cat wouldn't be here offering you her help. You decide you should humor her, if not to get a scope of what you're facing, and figure out where to go from there. "Sure, what have they to say?"
»»———— • ————««
Prompt 1: Tell me what your leader expects this great danger to be, whether it be their own wild theories or a hunch based on current goings-on in their world, and how they feel about Hecate and her Oracle invading their den. Basically, a personalized reaction to your nighttime intruder.
Art Prompt 1: Draw your poor, tired leader getting woken up by the unwanted company.
Prompt 1
Ebonystar opened one eye with a yawn. Hecate and the Oracle couldn't have come at a worst time.
"We need to talk, Ebonystar." Hecate mewed calmly, though even in the darkness Ebonystar could see her slightly bristling fur and raised hackles. He stretched once more and let out another tired yawned, to the annoyance of the already upset Oracle.
"You seem to be really relaxed for a cat who's clan is in danger" The pale elder said with obvious annoyance and sarcasm dripping in his voice.
Ebonystar paid no heed to the older cat and simple flicked an ear looking toward Hecate. "How do you know of such a danger?"
Hecate looked toward the Oracle and Ebonystar's eyes followed. The mangy tom grumbled as he stepped forward. "Your ancestors told me. We came here because they spoke of a danger that would harm both of our groups."
The sleek tom listened intently to the words that the Oracle had to say. His tired brain racked through different ideas landing on a few as his brain slowly awoke.
Could it be the coyotes again? They had been really quiet after their spoken agreement several moons ago. Ebonystar wondered if the coyotes could be causing trouble. But even so...
He couldn't imagine having to deal with them again. A pack as big or bigger than Howlclan ravaging through the territory and scared cats fleeing. Even with all nine of his lives at the moment he couldn't deal with them. The wild canines had already taken one of his friends. He couldn't see it happening again. Though, that time Butterflywish had lured them to take down Ebonystar. But she was a changed cat. Right?
Ebonystar's usual calm manner slowly slipped away as he tried to think of the danger that his ancestors could have told these strangers. Why hadn't they come to Ratwhisker or himself? What was this danger?
"What is this danger? Neither I or Ratwhisker has heard of any danger."
Hecate's tail waved slightly. "I am not sure. You, yourself, should know that the words spoken by ancestors are riddles and their reasons are unknown at times." She mewed coldly. Ebonystar lowered his head in apology.
"You're right, I apologize for my haste. I just want to know what might befall my clanmates."
Hecate nodded toward Oracle who looked away in response. "He knows more than I do."
Ebonystar once again turned toward the Oracle expectantly. "Well, what is it? Should I watched out for Butterflywish? Are coyotes going to attack us again? Will they break our treaty?"
Oracle glared at Ebonystar who kept rambling on about the wild dogs. "Enough! Calm yourself 'respected leader.'" He scoffed. "Let me speak and you shall know all."
Ebonystar calmed himself and stopped rambling. "R-right! What do the ancestors have to say?"
468 words
"We need to talk, Ebonystar." Hecate mewed calmly, though even in the darkness Ebonystar could see her slightly bristling fur and raised hackles. He stretched once more and let out another tired yawned, to the annoyance of the already upset Oracle.
"You seem to be really relaxed for a cat who's clan is in danger" The pale elder said with obvious annoyance and sarcasm dripping in his voice.
Ebonystar paid no heed to the older cat and simple flicked an ear looking toward Hecate. "How do you know of such a danger?"
Hecate looked toward the Oracle and Ebonystar's eyes followed. The mangy tom grumbled as he stepped forward. "Your ancestors told me. We came here because they spoke of a danger that would harm both of our groups."
The sleek tom listened intently to the words that the Oracle had to say. His tired brain racked through different ideas landing on a few as his brain slowly awoke.
Could it be the coyotes again? They had been really quiet after their spoken agreement several moons ago. Ebonystar wondered if the coyotes could be causing trouble. But even so...
He couldn't imagine having to deal with them again. A pack as big or bigger than Howlclan ravaging through the territory and scared cats fleeing. Even with all nine of his lives at the moment he couldn't deal with them. The wild canines had already taken one of his friends. He couldn't see it happening again. Though, that time Butterflywish had lured them to take down Ebonystar. But she was a changed cat. Right?
Ebonystar's usual calm manner slowly slipped away as he tried to think of the danger that his ancestors could have told these strangers. Why hadn't they come to Ratwhisker or himself? What was this danger?
"What is this danger? Neither I or Ratwhisker has heard of any danger."
Hecate's tail waved slightly. "I am not sure. You, yourself, should know that the words spoken by ancestors are riddles and their reasons are unknown at times." She mewed coldly. Ebonystar lowered his head in apology.
"You're right, I apologize for my haste. I just want to know what might befall my clanmates."
Hecate nodded toward Oracle who looked away in response. "He knows more than I do."
Ebonystar once again turned toward the Oracle expectantly. "Well, what is it? Should I watched out for Butterflywish? Are coyotes going to attack us again? Will they break our treaty?"
Oracle glared at Ebonystar who kept rambling on about the wild dogs. "Enough! Calm yourself 'respected leader.'" He scoffed. "Let me speak and you shall know all."
Ebonystar calmed himself and stopped rambling. "R-right! What do the ancestors have to say?"
468 words