Dreams of the next step (Snailstar and Owlscreech)

Night had hit quickly on the sky, replacing the sky blues with indigo darkness. Cats emerged into the warrior's den, sheltering themselves from the cold and to lay down for deep sleep. The cats cuddled against one another for comfort and warmth. The den was practically right under the medicine cat's den and leader's den. Which was memorizing. Eyelids fluttered lightly, baby blue optics the only light that was noticeable regarding the dark figure in the den. The cat was unable to sleep, all she was thinking about was her past life. Ears lowering slightly, the feline released a soft sigh.

Oh, Cinderjay. I miss you so much... Owlscreech thought to herself, frowning at her self thoughts. The death of her mother broke her, and her last words to her were to be the kindest she-cat that she could be. And that is what she will always do, for the sake of her mother's dying wishes. The white and grey she-cat treated her with respect, and with care. While her biological mother was disgusted with her, insulting her and making her feel small. When she had been killed, Owlscreech didn't know how to feel. Sad, happy, or mad. She was just so confused. Her haunting dreams appeared every time she closed her eyes, which is why she refused to let herself sleep. Not as though she felt tired anyway. After a while, the cats surrounding her were fast asleep next to one another, huddling for warmth.

Owlscreech raised herself from her laying posture, exiting herself out of the den, making her way into the empty clearing. The small tabby glanced around to see if there was anyone around, before she was able to embrace a frown on her own time. Sitting next to a stone, she leaned against the cold surface, pressing her cheek against it. There was an empty feeling upon her. Then there were paw steps nearby, making her ears perk in alert. The sight of the ginger and white leader appeared, they seemed to be cautious. 

Owlscreech raised herself and rushed over to the leader, worried about them almost immediately. Not too long ago, or so it had seemed, they were already considering themselves as friends, and wanting to get to know her. But Owlscreech had always cared for anyone, but with Snailstar, being their friend, Owlscreech was more than ever worried about them. "Are you okay, Snailstar? What happened?" She had asked the leader, nosing their shoulder for comfort. The tabby rasped her tongue on their shoulder, looking up at the leader with wide eyes.

Owlscreech gazed up at Snailstar, confusion striking mostly upon her baby blue optics. What had gotten into the leader? They had been fine when they last spoken just this morning. The tabby feline perked her paper thin ears, one flicking with a sign of alert. When Snailstar announced her name, the tabby grew herself back from flinching from the sudden reaction. It was so weird how the leader was acting. Did she have a bad dream? Or perhaps she remembered something bad.

When they used the name of Star Trail, it grew more of her attention, a smile beaming on her hued lips. Star Trail? A task for them? This was even more better than the time she had caught a bird for the first time, considering the fact that she had a stumped tail and it was hard for her to balance on her paws in the first place, Cats need their tails to balance on thin surroundings. 

"Really? Where are we going?" Owlscreech asked, standing next to the orange and white cat. 

With all due to respect, Owlscreech didn't like the tunnels too much. There had been too many cat corpses there, and the smell was rotting and horrific. The thought of the smell was causing her nose to crunch up. Even maybe the bodies will cause a chill to go down her spine. But, the leader did mention Hailingstar. The first leader ever of HailingClan. So that got her a bit of motivation to go into the tunnels with Snailstar. It would be exciting to be near the presence of where Hailingstar laid to a peaceful rest.

Following Snailstar close behind, Owlscreech was trying to catch up, even though her paws were small and forelegs are short, which matched her body figure. Great Star Trail the leader was in a rush, and she had a feeling she was going to become tired way too soon. Catching up by slightly running beside the leader, Owlscreech looked over at Snailstar. The brown tabby was concerned for the leader,and she considered them as a friend, so of course she cared more than anything.

"No need to apologize, Snailstar. I'm honored that you chose me to come on this journey with you. I wouldn't miss it for anything." She meowed, bringing herself closer to her friend with a soft and graceful smile on her lovely hued lips. "I didn't expect it at all, Slow Poke." She chuckled, winking playfully.

Owlscreech followed Snailstar without hesitation into the much smaller tunnel, the darkness over crept their view. But their vision were far more better than any other animal, or so Owlscreech believed. Her paws stabbed on pebbles and soil that hadn't seemed to become solid quite yet due to the cold weather of leaf-bare arising. Squinting her baby blue eyes in the dark, she was able to see the pathway, and though the smell was absolutely stomach-churning in a way, the tabby learned to ignore the smell and continue only on their main course -- to find their clan's first leader's remains and for Snailstar to have contact with it. Owlscreech wondered what Hailingstar had planned for Snailstar. Perhaps a prophecy?

The mackerel tabby exchanged a quick glance with her leader, nodding slowly. "Alright, stay close though." Owlscreech murmured, hearing her own voice echo through the dark abyss.

She made her way forward, relying on her paws, whiskers, and nose mostly through the dark. Tasting the air made her nearly hurl, but she tried to focus on her main goal. Taking a moment, she tried to concentrate on that goal, praying for herself to not disappoint her leader, and to know the way. It then drew her attention of where the remains could be. Far deep in the tunnel.

"I think I know where it is." Owlscreech meowed, leading the way straight into the tunnel.

The further they went, the more the air seemed to be hard to breathe in. But, the tabby assumed it was only because of her weak posture. The tunnels shrink, and Owlscreech crawled her way through a gap hole, which led into the large open space, with bones that piled up as the moon's light hit upon it. Hailingstar's bones. Owlscreech thought to herself, moving a bit from the entrance so that Snailstar could come through.

"We're here, Snailstar." She murmured softly.

It all seemed to go just as planned, where Snailstar could touch their nose with the bones of Hailingstar. It was what they was brought here to do. Watching closely, Owlscreech seen that they paused for a moment, causing Owlscreech who was sitting to stand up and approach the orange and white feline. What seemed to be the problem? Were these the wrong bones? Although, being nudged gently by her leader and hearing their words string through their eardrums, Owlscreech's eyes widened.

"But, Snailstar-" Owlscreech paused. These bones were for high ranks. Not for warriors.

"These bones are not supposed to be touched by the nose of a warrior..." Owlscreech murmured.

But then they spoken of how this prophecy was hers. Her mind screamed for her to do it, her heart also told her to do it. And she wanted to touch the bones of her previous leader more than anything. Hesitantly, the tabby then approached the pile of bones. They were a little bit covered in dust, but other than that, they were white and not rotten like most bones piled up in these tunnels. Looking over her shoulder, she glanced at Snailstar for reassurance that this was okay. And then, she lowered her body to press against the not too cold and not too warm ground, compressing the ground beneath her. Leaning forward, the she-cat pressed her nose against the cold bones, immediately feeling loopy and her eyes feeling like weights upon them. Soon, her vision was black.

There was no longer any feeling of wind, just the feeling of... snow? Lifting her eyelids, the tabby found herself laying in snow. This caught her by surprise. Raising herself from the ground, she shook the snow that was attacked to her thick pelt, the snow spraying off her. Looking around, where was in a wide land space covered in snow. It was definitely night, and looking up, where the wonderful colours of the Star Trail. 


Mouth gaping, Owlscreech walked toward a hill, where it seemed to reach directly to the trail. Though she wanted to run up, her instincts told her to remain calm and to approach it slowly. It was a big hill, but she did make it. The lights were now much closer to her, where she was nearly able to touch her paw on it. Would it feel like anything? Maybe like water since it waved slowly like the lapping shores of a lake on land. It was absolutely memorizing. Her large baby blue orbs reflected on the lights, that waved slowly in a rhythm, and the stars seeping through.

Owlscreech smiled and leaned forward to accept the interaction between Hailingstar, as he pressed his nose against her forehead, radiating the warmth to her chest, smiling gently. It was her honor to serve and help her clan alongside with Snailstar and Nutmegsnout. And of course it was for the clan but especially for Hailingstar. Flattening her ears at his words, she raised her cranium once he pulled away, smiling up at the tom.

"Thank you. Your words mean everything to me." Owlscreech murmured. 

Wow, she was going to be the first medicine cat in the clans. In this new era. Meaning a lot relied on her now. Pressing her nose against the tom's shoulder - surprised that she didn't go straight through the deceased spirit cat as he looked see through,  showing her greatest respect for the feline. "I will not let you down." She meowed softly, opening her eyes to see everything fading away. And soon darkness took over her vision once again.

Her laying posture seemed to be very peaceful, her sides heaving up and down in a rhythm of her breathing. Lifting her eyelids slowly, she raised her cranium up to see that she was back in the tunnel, laying next to Hailingstar's remaining bones. Looking up, the moon was still up, but the sky was slowly changing into a whole new color. The indigo blue was changing into a lighter colour and the stars were all gone. Looking forward, she saw Snailstar, and she raised to her paws to approach them.

"I saw Hailingstar, Snailstar. And... he said I am destined to be HailingClan's new and first medicine cat." Owlscreech meowed, smiling up at them.