hydrophobia [C]

Birdchaser padded along quietly, not bothering to look behind her as her paws lead her over the familiar stony earth. She'd had intentions of scouting out the Highpine now for some time now, but before she'd went she'd made the offer for a few of ShadowClan's cats to join her. It was their home, after all; if she was going to be investigating the water levels, at least a pawful of them deserved to accompany her. She wouldn't keep that from them. Slowing her steps, the deputy flicked her tail, staring ahead. The ground had become less hard-packed dirt and rock, slowly growing softer and lusher underpaw. That, and... damp. If the ground was holding water from where she stood, she had little hope for what shape ShadowClan's territory was in. Finally turning to address the patrol, she looked across the faces of the cats with her. "Scout the border. Cross it, if you think you need to. It's your territory, I... guess." She shrugged, looking oddly sheepish. These weren't exactly her cats to boss around. Still, "Split up. You- that way. You two can search over there. And you-" As the warriors she'd dismissed padded away, Birdchaser realized she was only left with a young tom. He was smaller than her, and it was hard to tell if he had only become a warrior or if he was just a senior apprentice. Regardless, a little irritation hit her as she studied him; which ShadowClanner had brought a maybe-apprentice with them? Either way, he was here now. "Stay with me." She huffed eventually, and didn't wait for a response as she turned to pad closer to the border.

The apprentice kept up at a hop, trotting along at her shoulder as they drew closer to the border proper. He seemed energetic, like most young cats were, but quiet. She could almost appreciate that, but somehow the silence bore down on her, making her hackles stiffen and her muscles bunch as she looked out into the puddle that had become ShadowClan's territory. It offered her too much room to think. About ShadowClan, about many other things she didn't need to brood over in front of cats that didn't belong to her Clan. Thankfully, her company was quick to break it.

"I suppose," the deputy muttered in return, turning slowly to blink down at the apprentice. "It must feel very... foreign. Maybe it'll feel just as odd looking across from your side, after spending so many moons here." There was an uncomfortable tightness to her mew, the strain of forced formalities. She forced a smile though, wanting to seem friendly where her voice failed. Shifting her weight between paws, Birdchaser became suddenly aware just how wet the ground had become. It'd been sodden fox-lengths from the border but now, standing below the rising conifers, her paws had become soaked. Pulling her gaze off of the tom, she stared out across the border, eyes sharp and searching. She didn't know what the heart of ShadowClan's territory looked like (hopefully, she never would), but just from moons of patrolling their shared border she knew it looked wrong. It didn't look like there was a risk of another wave displacing more of their land, but what she could see of the marsh was buried underneath standing water.

"You won't be going home soon, I don't think. Unless you like swimming... but I bet ShadowClan has seen enough water for a few seasons. " A snicker left her, and Birdchaser turned slowly back to the cat beside her. With a shrug, she went on, "Well, I assume the water levels are from the flooding, but I could be wrong. Is your territory usually so wet? ...hm." Birdchaser's sentence drifted off, and she cleared her throat. Wavering for a moment, she eventually added, "I don't know your name. Sorry. Who exactly am I patrolling with?"

Birdchaser had kept talking to herself, muttering idly about the state of her neighbor's territory, asking names, anything to fill the silence. She hadn't looked at him, not really– a quick glance as they walked, or a lingering stare before she turned her attention back on the soaked marshland. But she hadn't really looked at him until he squeaked out an answer to her question. When she turned back towards him, he looked like he'd seen all of StarClan and the Dark Forest at once.

"Birdchaser, right. And Honeypaw..." she drifted, searching his features– the tightness of his smile, the uncomfortable way he tried to laugh as he spoke. Instead of finishing, she cut herself off for the moment. It made sense, she guessed, that he would be rattled at the sight of his washed-away home. As much sense as it made, she didn't particularly... want to deal with. He wasn't her apprentice to be concerned with. Even if he were, emotional problems were far from her place of expertise.

Clearing her throat, "I'm sure things will dry up sooner than we think." She offered stiffly. Nothing looked dry, and it certainly didn't feel dry, and she certainly did feel bad about the thought of the territory staying waterlogged for moons longer. It was better to lie though, and hopefully get the young tom to look less like a ghost, than continue on with her remarks about the waterlevels.

Tail swishing, she decided changing the subject might be a good idea. "Er, Honeypaw. Youuu..." Her jaw tightened. Fumbling, she eventually came up with: "You look like a Honeypaw." Stupid. It was something, at least. As if it would make her point any better, Birdchaser idly went on, "You know. With the orange fur, and all."