Phantom Hollow And still, as he looked, he lived

Oh, there’s a chill to the air today, Ratty remarked as he scurried from his home and onto his front porch. The river water drifted lazily along, charting a course that would surely carry it toward the sea and the depths beyond.

Rat gripped a rather firm stick in his paws and used the device to hook into the edge of his small wooden boat, tugging it into the dock of his riverside home. Ratty grunted and groaned with the effort of it until he had secured the makeshift raft to his home dock and reclined to his bum with a sigh.

Mole would like to visit before the snow fell, Rat thought with a small smile toward the babbling river water.

"This place is creepy," Darcy muttered to herself as she wandered the Hollow. It was eerily silent here, and even the sound of her own footsteps set her on edge, as leaves crunched underfoot. She grinned to herself. "I kinda like it, though..." 

From up ahead, she heard the sound of splashing in the river. Already on edge from the haunted vibes this forest was giving her, she crept forward, expecting to see some kind of--she didn't know--ghost fish? Instead, what she saw was a little water vole. She huffed out a breath, rolling her eyes.

A huffing sound drew Rat's ears to stand stiff atop his small head. The little figure settled his beady gaze upon a rather large shape, an impressive shape indeed! Rat could not help but to think that this animal had ventured to the river from the wild wood. 

Hello there! The squeak was made as loud as he could manage. Do mind your paws, good hunter. My home is just on the edge of the river here, see. Ratty gestured to his riverside home with fondness. 

What was a wild wood creature doing there?

Darcy tutted in irritation the second the vole began speaking to her in his squeaky little voice. "Don't talk to me," she complained. "Now I can't eat you--it would just feel wrong." She sighed, sitting down, and shaking her head. Her eyes drifted over to the home he had just mentioned, and she studied it with a tilted head, as if she were, in any way, a good judge for water vole homes. "It looks... cool, I guess?" she conceded, unsure of what the vole wanted her to say, if anything. "Dunno why you'd pick this creepy place to set up shop, though."

First, the wild wood animal sparked fear in Rat. His beady eyes grew large at the remark that she did not feel she could devour him after he'd spoken to her. Fortune favored the talkative river rat. 

Oh, I do wish I could show you the inside, Ratty began when she marveled at his home. It's quite messy now, but... well if you're hungry, I can offer you some filling nuts or berries. 

Rat smiled at her and squeaked a happy little laugh. He did not mind sharing his food.

UMMM, I LOVE RAT.

Darcy couldn't help but smile and chuckle at the little water vole, flashing her teeth in amusement and then promptly snapping her mouth shut, wondering if her fangs were scaring the creature. Her tail set up a friendly thump on the ground. "Thanks for the offer," she said, referring to the nuts and berries, "but I'm a coyote, little dude. I need meat." 

She hesitated, thinking for a moment, her eyes wandering upwards to stare at the slowly-dying leaves overhead. "I don't suppose you'd let me fish in your river?" she asked. "I'd move farther upstream, so I wouldn't destroy your house or anything."

( ｡ᵘ ᵕ ᵘ ｡) Darcy is such a joy!

Meat! Oh dear, Rat thought, a paw reaching to his mouth in surprise. He knew well enough that the wild wood was home to many beasts, many dangers beyond anything he'd faced, but he did not wish to think such dreadful things of his company. 

Why, I'll go with you! I'd just love to see how you fish. I've got my boat right here, I'm certain I can help, Ratty exclaimed joyfully. He would allow her to fish, regardless.

"Uhhh," Darcy said, hesitating. "I mean... you're not gonna be grossed out about me fishing, are you? You know I have to eat the fish after I catch it, right? I mean..." Darcy's ears pulled back along her skull. "You can come if you want, but... there's gonna be like, blood and stuff." 

She'd never given a second thought to the fact that the creatures she ate had their own lives and could, apparently, talk. Could fish talk? She cringed, imagining snapping a fish up into her mouth and hearing it scream in horror and pain as she consumed it, while this poor water vole watched. "Maybe you should just... stay here," she said, and stood up, beginning to back away. Man, she was never gonna be able to eat a vole ever again.

The beast of the wild wood was swift to stumble through uncertainty. Ratty did not want her to feel as though she was put on the spot, but he didn't imagine Badger or Mole would be thrilled with only a half story. 

Don't be silly! Rat raced to the end of his dock and shoved his makeshift boat into the riverwater with a wobbly start. It was only a smooth piece of wood. 

I'm not friends with fish. Dreadfully stupid things. Rat smiled to the wild wood beast. He waved his paw for her to travel with him on the river edge. She would surely keep up with those long legs.

I love that Darcy's first thread here, she's having an existential crisis about eating other animals lmao

Darcy watched, a bit stumped, as the vole took a running leap and landed on a small piece of wood in the water. He was moving swiftly through the water, already, and she scrambled to her feet and began to trot alongside his little raft. "I mean, as long as you're cool with it," she muttered. Shaking her head a little, she said, "I'm Darcy, by the way. Who're you?" She kept her eyes up ahead, occasionally glancing down at the vole on the raft, but mostly looking out for a promising fishing spot.

She is such a good sport! I hope he won't ruin her appetite.

Darcy introduced herself and then asked for his name. The little creature made a small bow, wobbled dangerously on the boat, and then steadied himself. 

Darcy, a fine name. I am Rat, or Ratty to my dear friends. Mole and Otter would love to hear this story later. The only sorts of creatures from the wild wood who troubled the river folk were weasels and they were horrid company. 

Darcy, are you a traveler? Have you journeyed far?

Darcy was quick to lunge toward the water vole as he wobbled dangerously on his little raft, but he righted himself soon enough. "Jeez, dude," she said, taking a breath. "Don't drown on me. I just found out water voles can talk. I can't have you dying the same day."

She'd been so freaked out by him almost falling off of his raft that it took a while for his name to register in her brain. "Wait... why are you named Rat if you're a... vole?" she asked, mostly to herself. She shook her head as he asked her if she traveled much. "Well," she said, slowly, "I was born in a tundra far away from here, but the second I was old enough, I got the fuuu...dge outta there." She glanced down at Rat, suddenly feeling self-conscious about cussing in front of him. He seemed so innocent. "Way too cold for me," she finished. "Dunno how my mom can stand living there."

Darcy stopped, then, looking back at where they had come. "I guess this is far enough," she said to Rat. "Now comes the boring part. Gotta just... hold still and wait, and stare at the water for who knows how long. Best not to talk, either. Fish can hear stuff, and they'll stay away if we're too loud." She gave the vole an apologetic smile. "Sorry it's not more interesting. Might wanna get out of the water, too, and take your raft with you." She turned away from him, then, and sat down by the river's edge, staring with deep concentration at the water, searching for the flash of scales below.

I suppose because it would be confusing for my good friend Mole if I was called Vole, Ratty answered thoughtfully. Truth be told, he had never really considered why he was called Rat and not Vole. Being called Rat felt more like a story, like a rat aboard a pirate ship, feasting on barrels of goods.

Darcy seemed to have traveled a good distance herself. This was impressive. Rat had only ever known the river. He did dream of the world beyond quite often. It was a thing of stories.

Oh, no, I am certain I can help, Ratty remarked quickly when Darcy suggested he not cause a commotion atop the water. Rat reached down between his paws and withdrew two large nuts. He bit into them a few times, creating smaller bits, and began to sprinkle them atop the water as he rowed toward the shore where Darcy stood.

I did say they were dreadfully stupid. The fish swam quickly to the surface and greedily ate at the crumbs that floated there.

Darcy blinked quickly, several times, as several fish swam quickly to the surface of the river, nibbling and snapping at the little bits of nut that Rat had sprinkled over the water. She grinned widely after a moment, tail wagging. "You're a sharp one, aren't you," she told the vole, and then spread her legs a little more for better balance and hovered over the water.

A moment later, her upper body lunged into the river, and she came up a moment later, a fish clamped in her jaws. She bit down, tasting blood, and kept biting until the fish stopped struggling, then turned and flung the fish into the grass behind her, over her shoulder. She stared back down into the water; some of the fish had scattered in the mayhem of the hunt, but they were returning again, probably hoping for more food. 

The second time she lunged, she came up empty-jawed. The fish, it seemed, were more wary than she'd thought after her initial catch. She shook herself, spraying water everywhere, and turned to Rat, shrugging. "One's good enough for now, 'less you want some?" Realizing she had just asked a vole if he wanted to eat meat, she laughed awkwardly, trying to pass the question off as a joke, and turned away from the river. Making friends with prey animals was weird...

Rat shone beneath the praise, standing proudly for a lean rodent of his size. He watched intently as Darcy positioned herself over the hungry fish and plunged into the river with a deft snap of her teeth. 

Good show! 

Rat could not help but to cheer for the display. Darcy threw her catch into the grass where it flopped once and remained still. She tried again but the second attempt did not reward her efforts. 

I'll stick to my nuts and berries. Those fish will forget soon enough and we'll get you another. Rat chuckled heartily and pulled his boat to the shore.

Darcy flopped down in the grass where she'd thrown her fish and placed her paws around, it holding it in place as she began to tear into it. "One fish is fine for now," she said, around a mouthful. "I wasn't much hungry, anyway." She continued to eat, watching as Rat pulled his raft ashore. She glanced down at her fish, feeling bad all of a sudden. "Hope those nuts weren't the only food you have, and you just wasted 'em for me" she muttered. "Guess after I eat, I could help you... look for more? Sometimes, if there are fresh berries on the bush, I'll eat some, but I've never eaten nuts."

Darcy was so kind. She had gone so far as to think of his food stock. She was even willing to assist him in gathering more. Now, Rat found this a difficult prospect. 

You needn't worry! I've been stocking up all summer long in preparation for winter. It'll get quite cold.

Rat looked thoughtfully to Darcy. She had mentioned not liking the cold of her birth home. He wondered if she would dislike the winter there. 

How do you prepare for the snow? Ratty asked.

IDK where this thread is going. I just know I don't want it to end lol.

"How do you prepare for the snow?" Rat asked her, as she continued to eat her fish, carefully working the succulent meat off the delicate bones.

She shrugged, swallowing a mouthful. "I don't have to do much. My fur gets longer and thicker to protect me from the cold. If it gets really bad, I can always dig a den to sleep in to protect me from the elements." She paused then, thinking. "It's autumn now, already. Guess I should be thinking about some place to settle down for winter." She sighed, wistfully. "It would be easier if some of my brothers and sisters were around. We used to sleep in big piles back home, keeping each other warm... Oh well. Maybe I could find a pack to take me in."

She stared out at the river, watching the water churn past for a while, and then seemed to rouse herself. "What about you? What do you do when the water freezes over? Can you still, like, get in and out of your house? Isn't it super cold inside?"

Well you know that Ratty and Darcy are friends now. He will expect her to visit for picnics every once in a while. ^w^

Darcy was positively interesting. Ratty could scarcely stop himself from bubbling over with question after question. He'd never in all his life met someone as well-spoken, and to think that Darcy came from the wild wood!

Well, where I live by the river, it continues to flow year round, Ratty explained cheerfully. I can't go messing about in it, though. I'll catch my death if I try. Winter was a difficult time for the river folk. 

Rat had a faraway look sweep over his narrow snout and he reached up to stroke his whiskers thoughtfully. It's quite cozy, my little home. I can't say I could want any other.