Mini Mission: Frog Contest

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" she whispered as she made herself a little smaller. Her legs were already hurting, having squatted in this pond for hours. Her paws were covered in mud and her fur was soaked with water. It smelled harsh and the constant buzzing of mosquitoes had been bugging her for a long time.

Storyteller next to her nodded silently and wordlessly pointed to the water. Pan sighed. What had she gotten herself into? It had sounded so funny when Storyteller told her about catching frogs. But now? It had become rather annoying, because nothing was happening. There were no frogs to be seen far and wide, but mosquitoes, mud and funny smelling plants.

"But just nothing happens," Pan grumbled, carefully stomping from one foot to the other. There was a soft smacking sound. "I mean, like, really nothing at all...." She lifted a paw out of the water. It dripped, dragging slimy strings with it as larger chunks of mud plopped back into the water.

"And we've been waiting for hours, too..."

"That's part of it. We have to become one with the pond so that the frogs forget we are there..." Storyteller answered quietly, eyeing the water surface with attention.

"Become one with the pond?" Pan almost had to laugh. "From the looks of my fur, I already am." She briefly eyed her back, on which brown speckles had already collected. Along with thousands of mosquitoes. She blew briefly to drive them away.

"And yet there's still no frog to be seen. Are you sure there are any here?"

Storyteller nodded. "Yes, that's a secret tip. I got that from Kin Amir." She shifted her weight from one paw to the other for a moment. "And what my uncle says is always true. He said this place has the biggest in the village."

Pan grumbled again briefly. Great, that didn't sound like they were leaving the pond anytime soon. "And what if the others have already picked them all off?"

Storyteller tilted her head and considered. "That shouldn't be possible. A frog like that lays tons of eggs. So the pond should still be full."

"..."

"At least two should still be there. I think so..."

"You...think so???" Pan sighed. "Two hiding somewhere.... That sounds really great."

Storyteller laughed. "Yeah, but it would be stupid if we got to it really easily, wouldn't it? Where's the fun in that?"

Pan wasn't convinced, but gave in small. She lowered her paw back into the water, huddled deeper into the filthy broth, and braced herself for a long wait.