Territory WC dog whisperer ~ Hollowmumble

[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 43 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 @Merrystalk @Jaypaw ⏾

---

The hunting was bad.

Her last hunting trip was a disaster and she didn't catch a single thing. She got a pang in her stomach everytime she thought about it. There wasn't much to find... she was considering heading back to the barn, maybe the people had rebuilt it after so much time, but before she could, Merrystalk invited her out.

...It was a nice change of pace. Hollowmumble tried not to think about hunting or prey, as they padded scross the moor together, wind in her fur. The long, yellow, dried grass surrounded them on all sides. The flowers had long since gone dormant, slumbering for the long winter before they had to return for spring. She couldn't wait for spring. Hollowmumble longed for the warmth under her paws and the sun to heat her pelt.

Her head tilted up towards the sun, soaking up the last of it before it fell behind a cloud, the cold enveloping the world once more. Sighing, she glanced over at Merrystalk and Jaypaw.

"It's cloudy today." She mumbled. The sky was grey and lifeless. So very dreary. It reminds her of when she first came across the barn.

 

[Merrystalk Merrystalk]

The tom was going to try a quick hunt with Jaypaw, get him out of his head for once. He knew the apprentice had internalised a lot since the flooding, and while Merry still wasn't all the best with words, he tried to reassure him in gestures. He'd already offered him to come along to the moors, only then to also see his best friend, Hollowmumble, with an expression knit across her maw that made him take pause.

He didn't expect for and him Jay to have any heart-to-heart, he just wanted to remind the younger apprentice of the beauty of the moors, and despite all that was lost, it persisted in the end. But he had an inkling Hollow needed the company, too, so of course he extended the offer to her as well.

It was a cool day, clouds lolling overhead, the wind whispering past his ears. Still, nothing he could seem to fathom, but nonetheless, he smiled. If a time were to come for news on the wind, he would hear. But for now, he was there to listen to his clanmates. "'m hopin' they pass by fine. Then again, ya' think we'd get snow again like we did the last leafbare? I remember how beautiful the moors looked coated in white." Merrystalk purred, thoughtfully. The cold before the nightmare that befell them, it was the leafbare he truly connected with Harefoot. Keeping one another warm, hunting longer in snowy fields, it wasn't easy, but it brought them all together.

Though something made his ear flicker. A distant noise. Something he couldn't quite pinpoint. The gale guard shook his head, not letting it get under his pelt. He knew his paranoia was getting worse since the loss of Molewhisker, but it wasn't as if something was bad around every corner.

​

MERRYSTALK He/Him, Windclan Gale Guard, 34 moons.
A lithe, tortoiseshell cat with green eyes and pelt speckled with rye grass.
mentored by none // mentoring Talonpaw
sibling to Goldenroar and Sunnyspring
NPC x NPC / parent to no one / mated to Harefoot
"SPEECH" // "THOUGHTS" // ATTEMPTED ACTION // EMPATHY DETECTION // ALETHIA DETECTION
penned by Pheo ↛ phoenixwashere on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Jaymoon]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ Jaypaw ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☽⋆⁺₊⋆-

Adjusting to normal life after the floods again seemed to come naturally to the clan, though Jaypaw still found himself struggling. He had no one to warm his body next to in the apprentice's den and, frankly, he didn't like the suffocating feeling of the tunnel anyway. Most nights he resorted to sleeping outside - were anything like the floods strike once more, he would not be stuck inside again.

Despite trying to hide his struggles from his clanmates, Merrystalk seemed to know something was up anyway. Maybe it was their shared experience, maybe the Gale Guard could see the same terror reflected in Jaypaw's eyes that he himself felt as well. Or maybe the older apprentice just wasn't very good at hiding it, despite what he's been telling himself.

After Merrystalk's invitation, he gladly accepted to go out with him and Hollowmumble, if nothing else than to spend more time with them at least. The moors have all but lost their greenleaf beauty, the plants growing grey and withered, the morning frost coating the grasses of the land.

Jaypaw didn't remember much from his life at the barn, most of his memories pushed away somewhere the tom could not access them, but he did remember the snow. He remembered his little paws reaching to catch the flakes floating around him, he remembered his pawsteps leaving a mark in the cold white. "I hope we do." he spoke softly, lost in thought. "I wish to experience it once again."

Jaypaw was too lost in thought to notice what had made the Gale Guard pause, nor would he have paid it much attention anyway. Distant sounds were completely lost on the young tom.

 

[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 43 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 @Merrystalk @Jaypaw ⏾

---

OOC - The dogs smell is muddied because it has been rolling around/digging in the dirt/mud and has been catching rabbits.

Hollowmumble tamped down the instinctive reply of 'I hope we don't'. Jaypaw was young, and didn't understand the dangers that ice and snow brought. She wouldn't ruin that for him, or Merrystalk. Her paws hesitated, as she caught a hint of something on the wind, but it was only for a moment before the direction changed and it was gone. Her ears perked up, head lifting to glance around for a moment.

After a second, she replied, slight worry blowing away with the wind. It was nothing.

"...We might get some. It feels like a late winter this year." God knows that the earth might make up for it by giving them a heavy snow. Her paws moved forward, eyes down as she focused on the withering grass in front of her.

Her head shot up. She caught the smell again. Ears pricked, she stared into the distance, listening. The scent was muddled with mud and dirt and... rabbit? It didn't smell right, and she knew that it couldn't be rabbit. It was something else that she couldn't pinpoint yet, with the faint hints that were giving just enough to confuse her. It could be another cat, it didn't smell like Windclan... it could be anything. She couldn't tell.

Without looking at him, she mumbled, "...Merry?" to get his attention. Maybe he would be able to tell.

 

[Merrystalk Merrystalk]

Merry raised his head a little, letting the wind breeze over his pelt. It was bitter yet refreshing, a reminder he was still present. Snow would be a pain in the ass this leafbare compared to the last; without the barn for cover, they would be utterly buried by the stuff. The gale guard bristled at the thought, looking back to his companions with a small smile. "Aye, the wind's bitter but we've yet to get no storm clouds, I'll enjoy a little snow but too much 'nd we'd be cat-cicles." He teased, lightly. There needed to be some lightness to the air, too much fear, and they would all crumble.

But, something did unease him; he couldn't quite tell what, not until he looked to Hollowmumble. Her expression was unsettled, like she was trying to pinpoint something. His name was muttered, which made him stand more on edge. Merry didn't let his expression falter, but he once again raised his maw, breathing the air. Did she hear that weird thing too?

The gale guard took a step closer to the other two. Something was in the air. Strange and muddled. Not a cat, but hints of... Rabbit? What in Starclan's name?...

Barking.

Merrystalk's blood ran ice cold as eyes widened. The thundering sound of paws against hardened ground, dried grass rustling amidst an almost gallop approaching them. Approaching.

"SHIT." He hissed, taking a step back towards his clanmates, his friends. The words spilt from his maw, nothing more than a low, desperate hiss as his pelt stood on end, head lowering in a defensive crouch. "Run, now, there's a dog comin'."

​

MERRYSTALK He/Him, Windclan Gale Guard, 34 moons.
A lithe, tortoiseshell cat with green eyes and pelt speckled with rye grass.
mentored by none // mentoring Talonpaw
sibling to Goldenroar and Sunnyspring
NPC x NPC / parent to no one / mated to Harefoot
"SPEECH" // "THOUGHTS" // ATTEMPTED ACTION // EMPATHY DETECTION // ALETHIA DETECTION
penned by Pheo ↛ phoenixwashere on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Jaymoon]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ Jaypaw ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☽⋆⁺₊⋆-

It took Jaypaw a while to notice the look exchanged between the two warriors, the slight twitch of their ears as they tried to listen to the wind. The boy did not hear anything, at least not yet, but he stood alert, anxiety seeping from him as well as his companions. He just couldn't tell why.

Answers came quickly, with the sound of barking echoing in the distance, but closer and closer still. Run, his instincts told him, run, Merrystalk commanded. "Run." Jaypaw repeated, but he saw the determination in Merrystalk's eyes. "I will run, but you will run with me." It was not a question nor a suggestion. Jaypaw would not leave without the Gale Guard. "I am not leaving you behind, not again!"

But the Gale Guard did not move, seemed to struggle with something inside himself, guilt perhaps? And still, he did not move. "Merrystalk!" Jaypaw's voice grew louder as the pants of the dog neared the cats. "I can't leave without you! I'm not..." the apprentice's voice broke then, the confident facade faltering. "I'm not letting you die for me again!"

The apprentice didn't wait for Merrystalk's answer, the Gale Guard could sometimes be too stubborn for his own good. Instead, Jaypaw did something that would probably warrant a harsh talking to by his mentor and the deputy both - he grabbed Merrystalk by the skin of his neck, like a mother does to its child, ready to drag him away. "You're coming with me." he spoke muffled through the warrior's fur. "Won't you help me, Hollowmumble?"

 

[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 44 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 @Merrystalk @Jaypaw ⏾

---

The short fur along Hollowmumble's back stood up straight as she stared into the distance, barking echoing in her ears and through the prairie. All of her previous worries left her mind, as she whipped her head toward the others to yell "RUN!"

They didn't move. Merrystalk stood stubbornly, fur standing on end as he crouched, ready to fight while the other two ran. Jaypaw wouldn't allow that, it seemed, and they were fucking arguing while a dog barrelled at them! She watched them for a couple seconds, howling and barking and growing closer, as Jaypaw yanked at Merrystalk's scruff like he was a kitten, desperate to drag his friend away.

"MERRYSTALK YOU IDIOT-!" She yelled, but cut herself off with a gasp as she whipped her head back in the direction of the dog, it's humongous figure jumping and pounding through the tall grass. The ground feel like it shook from it's weight, big, so much bigger than she expected, as it enclosed on them, almost blocked out the sun from the sky, jaws open with sharp tainted teeth, ready to rip and tear, a snarl on it's face-

It was too late, far too late, they had wasted time, there was barely a second to spare as it took great leaps towards them, towards- Merrystalk and Jaypaw! Her heart felt like it stopped, breath torn from her, images of the two of them being grabbed and shaked around like a toy, and her paws moved before she could think, leaping between the dog and her dear friends.

Tail high and her ears back, she screamed a desperate, pleading: "BASTA!" ("STOP!")

Eyes shut, everything went silent, and for a second, just a second, she thought that it had gotten her, and it was the end. One eye peeked open, hesitantly, and then the other, as she laid eyes on the dog's muzzle, only inches from her face.

Dust flew around them, kicked up from the ginormous animal skidding to a halt, snarl still clear on it's face. She stared into it's dark eyes, trying to catch her breath.

"¡P-Por favor! ¡No-No somos enemigos, somos amigos!" ("P- please, we're- we're not enemies, we're friends!") came her stuttered, halted reply.

"No eres un perro…" ("You not dog...") The large, dark animal growled back, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"¡Yo se, yo se! ¡P-Pero, Yo- Pues, nosotros somos amables! ¡No quieromos problemas!" ("I know! I know! B- but, I- well, we're friendly! We don't want any trouble!") Hollowmumble said, heart pounding in her ears as she waited for his response, praying that he took her words into consideration. It wouldn't take more than a second for him to snap his jaws toward and end her life.

 

[Merrystalk Merrystalk]

A snarl curled about Merry's maw as his hackles stood on end. It had been a hell of a long time since his last real fight, let alone with a dog, but he and the barn cats could handle that thing, surely he could combat whatever mangy thing had trespassed. Where he hoped Jaypaw and Hollowmumble would take his call to run ahead so he could start running the opposite direction to get the thing as far away from camp as he could, instead, he felt something clamp onto his scruff like he was a kitten.

To his dismay, Jaypaw was trying to drag him away, and try as he might, the kid had a damned good grip. "Jay let go- I gotta get this thing runnin' away from camp- Ya' gotta warn Goldy!" Merry squimed indignantly. Though the apprentice's words registered in his mind, expression faltering as he realised Jay was in a panic at the idea of Merry dying again, his gaze wild as he looked to Hollow. She didn't know yet, she didn't-

But Merry very quickly ate his own words. Blood running cold as a huge mutt, bigger than any other dog he'd ever seen, bounded into view. Jaws so large it could snap him up in one bite, not even a chance for hobbling away with some small wounds. Adrenaline kicked in as Merry managed to free himself from Jaypaw's grasp, trying to shove the apprentice out of the way of the beast.

As he steeled himself for the sinking of fangs, instead, he heard. Huh?

Merrystalk pried his eyes open, heart racing in his throat as he stood defensively in front of Jaypaw, watching with a heaving chest as... Hollow talked to the thing? It loomed over them all; they would be a light snack at most. And Hollowmumble was talking to it. At least that's what he could gather. She animatedly talked at the thing in a tongue Merry did not understand, looking to Jay in utter disbelief.

He did not move, did not stand taller, simply in dread and awe of the sight before them all. Hollowmumble was reasoning with a dog. And by the looks of it? It was making some sense to the thing; they were still all in one piece after all. Merry still held his breath and made no sudden movement, waiting for Hollow's word first. She was the one who had control of the situation, and he wasn't about to make it worse.

​

MERRYSTALK He/Him, Windclan Gale Guard, 34 moons.
A lithe, tortoiseshell cat with green eyes and pelt speckled with rye grass.
mentored by none // mentoring Talonpaw
sibling to Goldenroar and Sunnyspring
NPC x NPC / parent to no one / mated to Harefoot
"SPEECH" // "THOUGHTS" // ATTEMPTED ACTION // EMPATHY DETECTION // ALETHIA DETECTION
penned by Pheo ↛ phoenixwashere on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Jaymoon]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ Jaypaw ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☽⋆⁺₊⋆-

No matter how hard the apprentice tried, the stubborn Gale Guard did not move. And now it was too late, with Merry trying to protect Jay and Jay trying to protect Merry, they have doomed themselves both. Once again. The beast was approaching, bigger and faster than any living thing Jaypaw had ever seen and there was nothing any of them could do now - there was no outrunning this creature.

Yet death did not come for the cats, not today. Instead, salvation came in the form of Hollowmumble, who not only positioned herself between the arguing toms, but... spoke to the dog? "Huh?" Jaypaw muttered in disbelief. What was she doing? Jaypaw's own shock was reflected on Merrystalk's face and he held his breath, too terrified of disturbing the scene unfolding in front of him by making any noise or movement.

How was Hollowmumble doing that? She seemed terrified, yet she spoke to the dog in sounds Jaypaw could not understand and the beast somehow could. The apprentice bit his tongue, stopping his body from trembling in fear, despite his instincts telling him to turn tail and run away. Moving now would probably only serve to agitate the dog more and Jaypaw wasn't looking forward to being its next meal.

 

[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 44 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 @Merrystalk @Jaymoon

---

"Necesito comer." ("Have to hunt.") The dog growled, saliva dripping down his maw, growls growing louder, looking like he was ready to snatch her up from where she stood-!

"¡No puedes comernos!" ("You can't hunt us!") she panicked, almost ready to take a run for it. She didn't dare look back behind her, to see if Merrystalk and Jaypaw had tried to sneak off while she kept it busy, please, please get out of here while you can-!

"Tengo hambre." ("I'm hungry.") The dog whined, and Hollowmumble paused. She moved her head back slightly, looking at the dog from a new perspective. His coat was thin, and his ribs were visible, pelt dirty with mud and dried blood that stunk of rabbit. Ticks littered patches where his skin showed, large and thirsty. He was hungry. He was struggling.

Her eyes softened slightly, as she looked back at him, and after a moment she spoke softer. "T-Te entiendo… Yo tambien. Pero- Pero no necesitas perseguir a nosotros. ¡Hay suffeciente coñejos-!" ("I- I know... I am too. But- but you don't have to hunt us. There are plenty of rabbits-!")

"¡NUNCA HAY SUFFECIENTE CONEJOS!" He barked, teeth snapping. "NO HAY SUFFECIENTE! ¡Y TENGO *HAMBRE!" ("NEVER ENOUGH RABBITS! NOT ENOUGH! I'M HUNGRY!") His body hulked over them, and she could only imagine how much food it took to feed it. She scrambled for an answer, some way to keep her and her friends safe, a way to help and then-

"¡Yo se una parte!" she exclaimed. "¡Hay un rancho! ¡No sta lejos de aqui- Las personas- Las personas ayi eran buenos!" ("I know a place! There's a farm! It's not too far from here-! The people- the people there were nice!") she thought of the barn, now burnt to a crisp, but the rest of the farm remained intact... the people there were kind to her, the few times she approached them, offering gentle hands and never kicking her aside.

"No caigo bien a los humanos. Los susto." ("People don't like me. I scare them.") he stated bluntly, as if it were simply a fact of the world.

"Estos humanos son buenos. ¡Lo prometo!" ("These people are nice, I promise!) her aggressive posture slowly relaxed, fur laying flat. "¡Eran amable conmigo! No mas- No mas que eres amable con eyos primero." (They were kind to me! If you just- just... be kind to them first!")

"No los caeré bien. ¡Mis ladros y gruñidos siempre los asustan!" ("They won't like me. My growls and barking always scare them away!") he explained, Hollowmumble's sympathy for him growing.

"¡Pues no mas necesitas a tratar! Mueve la cola, y no gruñas, no mas ladras a creaturas o personas estrañas en el rancho. ¡Los vas a cajer bien, lo prometo! Y… Y si en verdad no sirve, tienen animales tambien. ¡Pollos que puedes perseguir! Son grandes y llenos de carñe, mas mejor de los coñejos en estos pastos!" ("You just have to try! Wag your tail, and don't growl, and only bark when there's a strange creature or person on the farm! They'll take a liking to you, I promise! If... if it doesn't work, they have animals there, chickens you can catch instead! They're fat and full of meat, better than rabbits out here!")

The dog stared at her, eyes intense, snarl dropped as he pondered her information. "... ¿Y donde esta este rancho, gato?" ("...Where is this place, cat?")

Hollowmumble perked up, the tip of her tail waving slightly as she opened her mouth again. "Si caminas al sol, vas a ver unos postos, y un granero quemado. Cerca va estar el rancho." ("If you walk towards the sunset, you'll come across fences and a burnt down barn. Their farmhouse is there.")

The dog lifted his head and took a step back, looking down at her as he pondered this. No longer tense, she looked up at him, hopeful that he would find his way there and fill his belly.

"... Bien. Pues voy paya, gato. Y si mi stas diciendo mentiras, vengo patras a tragarte antes de que puedes a piensar a correr." ("...Okay, cat. I will go there. If you're lying to me, I will come back and snap you up before you can run, next time.") He growled the threat, but she wasn't worried. He would find it easily if he followed her instructions.

"Te prometo. Ayi sta el rancho. Si apuras, lo puedes alcanzar antes de noche." ("I promise it's there. You should reach it before dark, if you hurry.")

He huffed, and stared at her for a second more, before turning to walk away, his large paws leaving prints in the sand as he began to stalk through the tall grass, eager to find the farm.

She almost collapsed out of relief once his figure was gone from view, adrenaline wearing off.