Border begrudging border patrol ~ Hollowmumble

[Hollowmumble]

{$title} TW// Contemplating the recent border violence relating to Thunderclan

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / 'Windclan' Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Fogstare

---

It was a burning hot day. The heat made the prairie wobble in the distance, flowers bright and in bloom to soak up all of the sunlight. Bugs and grasshoppers scattered as Hollowmumble's paws padded through the yellow grassland, one jumping on her muzzle before she shook her head to toss it away. She sighed.

The two of them had been sent on a patrol together, a border patrol to be more specific. Hollowmumble didn't see the point in it. All the mess about borders and territories and hunting grounds and... it was a big mess. They didn't need borders, they didn't need territories, they should all be able to share a hunting ground as they please. They did so at the barn, and it was no different out here. The prey was flourishing, there was no lack of it. The 'clans' were fat and well fed, comfortable and thriving. The only thing borders did was spill blood. That had already been proven time and time again.

Gorsepaw being attacked by Thunderclan... by Owlbark. The violence at the gathering, because a Skyclan cat had been murdered by Thunderclan... by Owlbark. Hollowmumble was beginning to think all of their border violence would be solved if Owlbark wasn't around. Maybe Hawkstar had a point in wanting to- no... no she wouldn't think like that. Violence only breeds violence, especially within groups so aggressively protective of their territory and borders.

It was clear that Fogstare wouldn't take the lead, so Hollowmumble took point in the front, glancing back every so often to make sure he was still following. At the very least, they were sent to walk along the Skyclan border. The deep gorge between their territories was a clear marker. Crossing it or going around was extremely difficult. While she was wary of Skyclan themselves and the aggression that they had shown at the gathering, she knew it wasn't aimed towards them. Windclan was currently in their good graces, and they certainly weren't planning on screwing that up anytime soon. Nobody would be accidentally crossing their border anytime soon.

"Be careful, near the gorge." She mumbled as they got closer to the border, making sure it was just loud enough for Fogstare to hear.

 

[Fogstare Fogstare]

- • Fogstare • -

---

"Mhm, yeah..." Fogstare hummed absently at Hollowmumble's warning, eyes pointedly not on the gorge just a tail-length away from them.

Clearly, he found more interest in the swaying heather than potentially falling down a cliff.

Fogstare just couldn't see the reason for this thing called "border patrols", not for any logical or honorable reason like Hollowmumble; he simply found the rule needlessly strict. Why worry about something as silly as "territory"? Hadn't they all lived perfectly fine without it before all this "clan" stuff happened? It just felt like unnecessary stress, wouldn't it be nicer to simply catch prey and return home?

There's no need to cause a fuss over it all...

Fogstare blinked, realizing he had paused for a moment too long. He sped up to a trot, an easy grin spreading on his face as he sidled up to the other cat's side. "Hey! Isn't it hot today? Think we can take a dip in a pond if we come across one?"

Maybe their opposing dispositions were what made them get chosen to go on this... border patrol.

---

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[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / Windclan Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Fogstare

---

Hollowmumble didn't know much of Fogstare, but as they walked along the gorge she kept an eye on where his paws were placed, seeing as he didn't seem to be paying much attention. She never familiarized herself with him, only knowing him from afar from their time in the barn. She always had more concerning things to think about and cats to worry for, and now that they were in a 'clan' she had to focus on keeping them all fed, only giving time to her closest and spending the rest alone.

She blinked at the idea of taking a dip, briefly pausing her footsteps before continuing. That sounded so nice, it was far too hot to be running around at high noon like they were, she longed for the cool relief of some water. Thinking it over for a moment, and mapping out the area in her head, she eventually spoke. "We could do that... Maybe once we're done at the border we could find one. How much do you hunt above ground? You're one of the cats who spends a lot of time in the tunnels, right?" If they found a pond or some kind of body of water, surely there would be prey nearby, seeking water to cool them off in this awful weather. Maybe she would be able to actually get something done today.

 

[Fogstare Fogstare]

- • Fogstare • -

---

Fogstare gasped at Hollowmumble's agreement, ear flicking in her direction while his tail wobbled in eagerness behind him. He didn't have much of an opinion on Hollowmumble before they were placed on this patrol, only knowing her as a lonely shadow roaming the unnoticed spaces of the barn. Of course he was curious, but what if she was the strict kind of quiet! Those kinds of cats were always a bit mean to him, and he'd rather deal their annoyed stares than scolding words. Clearly he should have talked to her sooner, if she was willing to go along with his ideas! He should keep a more open mind to intimidating cats.

"Ahhh..." He pondered her question, gaze trailing off to the sky as did his mind. Hunting? What did hunting have to do with ponds? Well, the lady asked a question...

"I'll be honest with you... not at all if I can help it." He turned back to the black cat, his smile taking on an embarrassed wobble. "I always end up losing track or missing them entirely! Why can't they stay in one place..."

The gray tom started mumbling complaints of jumping rabbits and multiplying mice. Whether he wanted Hollowmumble's own opinions on his shortcomings with hunting was unclear.

---

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[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / Windclan Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Fogstare

---

Hollowmumble listened with the patience of a cat who had long gotten used to the ramblings of Weaselchirp, which could go on for hours upon hours. At least Fogstare's muttering made sense and has a reason behind it- not to say Weaselchirp's didn't, but the she-cat often went on long winded rambles that ended in a point not even closely connected to the original subject at hand.

"Hunting above ground can be... a bit difficult, I suppose, if you're not used to it..." her paws abruptly turned away from the gorge, only about halfway done with the patrol route, but no Skyclan cat would dare cross the bridge to go into Windclan territory, and nobody would notice if they skipped out on patrolling it.

She strolled across the grassy fields, clearly confident in where she was headed and familiar with the terrain. "Do you catch a lot underground? Like... gophers, rabbits in their burrows?"

 

[Fogstare Fogstare]

- • Fogstare • -

---

Fogstare didn't even notice when Hollowmumble changed the direction of their patrol, now improvised pond trip, only sighing as he tilted his head this way and that. "Yeah, yeah..."

He jumped at her mention of him hunting underground, his giddy smile returning as he turned towards her with large sparkling blue eyes. "Ooh! Yes, I can catch really well underground! I'm really good at cornering them down there!"

Too distracted by the chance to prove he wasn't a total failure of a hunter, he walked right into a patch of tall grass and spluttered at the blades that caught in his mouth. He struggled for a moment to back out of the grass, spitting out pieces with a scrunch of his snout. "Ugh! Where'd you come from-"

Fogstare looked around, seeming to only just now realize his surroundings and how it was not the border they were tasked to patrol. He looked around in confusion before hopping through the grass to where Hollowmumble was, still walking to her unknown destination. Could it be... Hollowmumble.... was secretly a rebel?! Fogstare found himself staring at her back with increasing wonder. Could it be? No, no! He's learning more about the molly, but it can't be that she'd reveal such a personality so different to her usual one at camp!

"Umm... Are we done with the patrol now? I thought the border was bigger than that, haha..!"

---

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[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / Windclan Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Hollowmumble

---

Hollowmumble glanced back at Fogstare, a nervousness nipping at her heels at his question. Looking back, she focused on where she was walking, following a particular trail to somewhere she knew well in the territory. She spoke, voice quiet over the wind, "Skyclan won't dare cross the border, don't worry." after a second, she added, "They'll be far more concerned about Riverclan's border and any Thunderclan cats they might run into." The borders are useless she thought to herself, but didn't voice. It wouldn't do to say such a thing, considering how cats were acting now-a-days. She didn't know how the 'gale guards' or 'deputy' or for heaven's sake 'Dustystar' might react to her skipping out on checking over the border, and she didn't want to find out.

After a beat of silence that made her anxious, she spoke again, "Keeping everybody fed is more important. We can go to a pond for a little while until the worst of the days heat is over and then hunt some, there's bound to be more prey near the water than- well, you know." she took a breath. "Checking over the border wouldn't be as productive as hunting will." there were kittens that needed to be fed after all. Sitting around staring over a gorge at a clan that didn't care for them at all was a waste of time.

 

[Fogstare Fogstare]

- • Fogstare • -

---

Fogstare's ear flicked back at the mention of Thunderclan, his expression unseen as Hollowmumble turned away.

There was more silence after Hollowmumble explained herself further, a strange tension lingering...

Only to quickly evaporate as Fogstare suddenly bumped into her side, both swaying with the motion as he laughed with joy. "That's the most I've ever heard out of you before! Hehe, you have a nice voice, but don't tire yourself out!" He nodded vigorously at her, like he seriously thought she would exhaust herself from simply meowing. Well, what can you expect from a lazy cat like him? It's entirely possible that he feels tired from just meowing. "Hmm.. I think I agree with you though, hunting does seem more important than wandering next to the gorge. Sitting in a pond is especially better than boiling under the sun in front of Skyclan."

The tabby let out a longing sigh, eyes shut as he brushed his tail over Hollowmumble's back. With how friendly the tom is, it was difficult to tell if he was simply being affectionate or using her as a guide while he shut his eyes thinking of ponds.

---

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[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / Windclan Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Fogstare

---

"Right..." she mumbled. She had said too much, in her nervousness. She doubted Fogstare would repeat any of her thoughts, he seemed too absentminded for that, but you could never truly know. At least he seemed much more pleased at the idea of soaking in the pond instead of patrolling the border like they were ordered to do. That was fine with her. Paws crunched against low grass and patches of dust as they walked, tall grasses of the plains towering over them. It was still abloom with many flowers and colourful plants, reds and oranges and yellows and greens a blur in the distance, the smells of them all almost overwhelming.

As they approached their destination, the dirt turned a more murky red and orange. Breaking through the line of grass, a large pond was splayed out in front of them, shoreline decoated with bright red and orange rocks and clay. The frogs and cicadas sung, loud and free as they hopped around. The water reflected the light beautifully, and it would undoubtably be warm at the edges. The deeper part in the middle had small waves and ripples from frogs and fish, sure to be much colder if one dared to swim out.

Hollowmumble glanced back at Fogstare, before moving to climb down the small ridge leading to the shore of the pond. The dirt under her paws sunk down slightly, wet from the water and recent rains. The plantlife was lusher around it, happy to have water to feed off of.

 

[Fogstare Fogstare]

- • Fogstare • -

---

Fogstare followed after her on the ridge, letting out small 'oh's whenever his paws sunk too deeply into the mud or would catch on dried up roots and plants. It was strange to find so much dried up and half buried plant-life outside of the water's reach, perhaps this small pond of theirs used to be larger? Maybe the waters receded due to the heat of green-leaf.. Fogstare glanced at Hollowmumble, mouth opening to ask her if she thought the same, but closed it upon seeing the molly quietly surveying the wildlife. Even with the tom's constant chatter, he at the very least knew to keep quiet as they took in the view of the pond's environment, undisturbed and peaceful.

His whiskers twitched as he looked over the water, tail twitching in growing anticipation. The water looked awfully refreshing, the green hues of the shoreline blending to a blue that got darker as it went further to the deeper stretches. He so badly wanted to jump right in but...

Fogstare turned his head towards Hollowmumble, claws digging into the dirt in restraint. As the one who led him here, she should really be the one to take the first dip, right? Was that the polite thing to do?

---

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[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / Windclan Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Fogstare

---

The sun beated down on them as they stood there in silence for a long moment, Hollowmumble lifting her head a little to taste the air before taking a couple steps clover to the pond and looking down. Many different sorts of footsteps decorated the wet dirt, showing how many animals had come by recently to get a drink. This was good, exactly what she was looking for. She parsed through them in her head, hooved tracks and smaller ones that were just barely there that may indicate a rabbit or hare. Some scents were still fresh, lingering in the breeze and on the plantlife that the prey brushed against.

She let out a sigh, and slowly approached the water's edge, leaning down to take a drink before the mud could be kicked up and ruin the taste. A moment later she took a couple of steps into the warm water, and it was almost instantly refreshing. She was luckier than most, considering her fur was so short. She doesn't know what she would do in this heat if her fur were any longer. Wading deeper, she continued walking until only her back and head were sticking out of the water.

Hollowmumble turned her head to look back at Fogstare, a silent invitation before she turned back and enjoyed the cool water. Her paws sunk down, and she flexed them to squish the mud under her toes. It was so nice, a beautiful reprive from the awful heat. Her ears perked up as she listened to the far sound of a woodrat scurrying around in the grasses nearby, but elected to give herself at least a couple more minutes to cool down.

 

[Fogstare Fogstare]

- • Fogstare • -

---

Fogstare perked up as she finally entered the pond, feeling the heat sinking into the fur of his neck now getting unbearable. He really needed a cool down..

Wasting no time as she turned to look at him, he started to wade in. It was a bit loud, and filled with far too many splashes like he couldn't figure out where to put his paws, but eventually he sunk until only the top of his head was visible. His eyes squinted in pleasure, huffing little bubbles into the pond surface as the water did its job to give him and his poor fur a break from the sun.

Of course, the quiet moment couldn't last, and he perked right up when he noticed a frog flop into the water. It ruffled through some of the grass, but Fogstare could see its shadow swimming slowly under the water surface. He dug his claws into the muddy underwater floor, slipping as he pulled himself forward to where he could see it lingering. Maybe... Maybe...

Unfortunately, as Hollowmumble could clearly see from her spot in the pond, the poor tom didn't realize the depth and exact positioning of the frog under the water. Thus, resulting in him diving right in with a splash and subsequent flail as the shadow of the frog flitted away, and him scrabbling at the muddy rock floor. The poor fool eventually found surface, coughing and sputtering out muddy water and dirt stuck to his tongue, fur completely soaked and eyes squinted in confusion. Where'd it go? Dirt tastes awful...

---

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[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / Windclan Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Fogstare

---

Hollowmumble was very clear witness to what very well could be the worst attempt at catching a frog she's ever seen. Fogstare's coughing and gasping after he finally reached the surface in his blind, confused hunt underwater only made it better, and she couldn't help the loud laughter that fell from her mouth as she watched him reappear absolutely soaked, fur dripping everywhere. Her chest heaved as she gasped for air, trying to breath through the cackles that she let out. He wasn't even close to it! He was so confident when he dove down!

She shook her head, stray droplets flying off it as she tried to calm herself, but when she looked back and saw Fogstare's face she couldn't help but start laughing again! If the poor tom wasn't utterly embarassed by it all, this would certainly be a story she would have to tell Cloverpaw and Weaselchirp... Closing her eyes and forcing herself to breathe a little, she took a second to quiet down. It was only then that she realized how silent the frogs, cicadas, and everything else had fallen.

"...I think we scared away the prey."