When it finally came to telling his cats, the words dried up in his throat like the ditches during the hot days. Anxiousness welled up in his gut, but when all the cats were accounted for, he knew he couldn't put it off any longer.

"Uh, hello? Can I have everyone's attention?" Hoarfrost called, but only the two closest cats, Soot and Coal actually heard him, blinking slightly, their gazes clearly said they were only paying half attention.

"Cats of this den, listen up!" Light took a step forwards, his voice much louder. "Hoarfrost has something to say!"

Hoarfrost felt the tips of his ears burn when all the heads of the cats raised, all the eyes fell on him and ears perked curiously. He had rehearsed a speech, but as rehearsed sayings went they usually crumbled when their moment came.

"....We need to leave."

Silence.

"Leave.. this den?" Twig spoke up first, obviously confused. "What's wrong with it?" The cats started murmuring softly between each other, and his voice squeaked a bit when he corrected the small stub tailed cat. 

"No, we need to leave this territory, head far away as soon as possible."

Another pause... before a mrow of amusement broke out.

"... hah. HAHAHAH! Oh, woah Hoarfrost you do have a sense of humour, and here I was thinking... thinking... that you were in.. incapable...oh that's not a joking face you're serious," Sheer's amused parted lips fell. "Uh, hello it's gonna snow soon, why would we leave a perfectly good warm den at a time like this?"

"Yeah Hoarfrost, what's the matter with this place?" Fern spoke up, before her eyes narrowed. "You know if you're tired of us, you could just request we leave."

"No, that's not it," the silver tabby hastily insisted, Cinder started to speak up in his defence.

"H-hey, don't assume that, Hoarfrost has been good to us, we would never leave unless it was for some important reason... right?" The green eyed tom looked back at the grey eyed cat that sat before the group.

"Trust me, I don't want to leave either, but I have a feeling that something very dangerous is coming, and I've been having these bad dreams-"

"Hold up, you want us to leave because you're having bad dreams?!" Coal stood up, the white and black splattered tom's fur bristling. "That's mouse brained! All cats have bad dreams now and then, but they're just that, dreams!" 

"Not Hoarfrost's," Light growled back, as the brindle coloured cat always had, Light stood up for him and defended him. "Jay, you know how we saved you from the birds? Hoarfrost had a dream of a black sky and a wailing she-cat in distress, I didn't believe him but then when we rescued you I realized his dream was exactly like it, the ravens blocked out the sun and you were crying for help. And when when we were traveling, I didn't realize it before but it was Hoarfrost's dreams that lead us here to this upwalker place, and because of that we got to meet all of you, now there's a danger and we need to leave. Stark and his cat's will come and kill all of us."

"Wait, you didn't stay Stark was coming," Fern added her voice to the growing mix of voices, once again Light yowled for the group's attention.

"Hoarfrost will tell you what he saw in his dream, and you may decide what you'd like to do. You don't have to leave the upwalker's place, there's plenty of other dens besides this one." Light's voice seemed to have some control over the confused and angry cats, and Hoarfrost drew some courage and a breath and once again shared the horrors he had witnessed from a possible future. At first they seemed sceptical, but he saw faces change to fear and belief as he reached the more horrific parts and the part about his late brother. However at the same time, he saw some eyes stay hard and in denial, and when his story ended Coal once again stood and lashed his tail.

"Cats who believe Hoarfrost's bad dreams of doom, go over there." His white tail flicked towards the open, and then his tail flicked to where the nests of leaves, moss and scraps of upwalker pelts that the cat's slept in. "Those who have any sense, they'll stay with me and I'll be your leader." He stalked over and firmly sat down. "This way, everyone can decide for themselves."

"That's a reasonable thing," Hoarfrost leapt down from where he stood, going over to the exposed spot that Coal had pointed out.

'This is how it will feel to not have no true safe place, dangerous and cold...' the silver tom thought, Light and Cinder were the first two to join his side, slowly Twig joined them.

"Twig are you really going to trudge out there in the unknown?" Fern gazed painfully at the smaller she-cat.

"... yes, I'm sorry. Stark's cats have hurt me before, and I'd like to leave them behind." Twig's gaze fell to her paws, her stumpy tail drooping like a dehydrated leaf. Hoarfrost couldn't help but realize that their constant time spent together could have more to do then a friendship.

"I can protect you from any of Stark's fleabags, y-you know I'd fight anything for you," the green eyed ginger

"I wouldn't want you to get hurt, not on my account, I can't stand cat's getting hurt," Twig stepped closer to the three toms. "So I'm going with them, come with us."

"... I..." Fern's ears flattened. "I can't leave this place, it's the only place I've ever known, my home danger or not."

'Looks like Fern's staying then...' he saw that another cat, Snowy, a soft white she-cat who seemed to have the ability to sink into the background despite her flashy white fur stepped closer to Coal.

"T-there's foxes and sharpteeth outside the upwalker's place, isn't it just as dangerous out there as it is in here?" She meowed nervously, the tuffed ears flattening against her head. "At least here we have shelter,  and the roarings have never bothered us before, maybe if you leave they won't come." Soot stayed as well, clearly unwillingly, but she would not part with her brother Coal.

"Hoarfrost let me share my stories about my amazing death stick, and somebody has to protect them," Sheer padded over, and finally Jay joined them, wordless as she stood next to him, her tail gently brushing his and with that, all nine cats were decided.

"We... We will head towards the sunset, and travel slow for the first few days so you can catch up." Hoarfrost started, but Coal hissed softly.

"Save it, this place is mine now, but you'll be welcomed back when the cold freezes your ears off, maybe it will make you a little less crazy." The white cat gestured towards the exit. "The entrance is there."

"We're leaving in the morning, it's dark right now and everyone needs sleep," Hoarfrost  meowed, and after a moment Coal grumbled and nodded.

"Fair enough Hoarfrost, at least you have that much sense left in you, but when the sun rises you and your followers will be gone."