Beach Bonding / Early Morning Walks

    The day started like any other day – Quiet and calm, with Mothcats going about their business in Morrel Hollow.  Nothing seemed out of place.  Even the green little flapper bug didn’t cause a stir.  After the infestation, several Mothcats had decided to keep the purified bugs as pets.  They made good messengers and companions.  This little bug though, was a special messenger.  He didn’t just cross the Hollow or find a wayward kitten to bring back home.  He had been across the entire island at some point or another, carrying messages.  His name was technically ‘Crisis Averted’ but to some, his presence wasn’t a crisis averted.   It was a crisis created. 

    The crisis wasn’t so much what the little bug was doing but rather the message he carried.  Tomcat Bobcat was on his way into town, according to the message, and would be there a day or two after Crisis arrived.  The little but had been sent on ahead to warn his kids that he was coming.  It gave them time to prepare and get their gear together so that when the nomad dad arrived, he didn’t even have to stop.  He simply carried on through the Hollow and his two children caught up with him.  It was a nice arrangement as far as he was concerned, with less time actually spent in the community.  He came like a summer breeze, gone before anyone could trap him into a commitment of any kind, whether it be sharing a meal, doing work, or anything else. 

    Crisis made his way to Samphire’s home first, knowing the bug loving Mothcat would have a treat for him.  If he had a choice, he preferred taking the letters to her rather than her brother, who didn’t have the same appreciation of bugs she did.  He made his way in the window, chirruping in greeting.

    Samphire, who’d been on the floor playing with her centipede Legs, looked up at the chirp.  The instant she spotted Crisis, Legs was forgotten.  The Mothcat leapt to her paws, racing over to the window.  “CRISIS!  You’re back!  How’s Tomcat Bobcat?  Is he coming soon?”  She asked quickly, looking at the bug expectantly. 

    Crisis just looked back at her expectantly, not giving his message just yet.  Samphire quickly realized what the bug was trying to do and grinned.  “Yeah yeah yeah.  I’ll get you a treat.”  She said with a chuckle, digging around until she had the flapper bug’s favorite treat, giving it to him.  Crisis wolfed it down eagerly, clicking his approval.  Satisfied by his treat, Crisis gave her the message.

    Samphire squealed, dancing around her room excitedly.  She even grabbed Legs, swinging him around until the poor centipede was dizzy.  “He’s coming!  Tomcat is coming!”  She raced to find her mother, barely skidding to a stop before she bumped into the dark Mothcat. 

    Babb frowned at her daughter, reaching out to bap her nose gently.  “What have I told you about running in the house?”  She reminded her firmly, waiting until Samphire was sitting still (mostly) before asking calmly, “Now what is it that has you in such a rush dear?”

    “Tomcat Bobcat is coming!!”  Samphire burst out practically before her mother had even finished speaking.  “He’s coming tomorrow!  We’re gonna go on a camping trip!”  She was back to dancing around, unable to control her excitement – Not that she was trying very hard Babb noted.  Still, she forgave the young Mothcat, knowing it was exciting new. 

    Babb smiled at Samphire, reaching out to stroke her head gently.  “You’d best be packed when he gets here then.  You know he won’t wait very long for you.”  Samphire nodded eagerly and spun around, about to race back to her room, but Babb stopped her with a tug on her bobbed tail.  “Aren’t you forgetting something dear?”  She prompted kindly. 

    Samphire looked back over her shoulder, a confused look on her face.  “Um, yes?”  She said, knowing Babb wouldn’t have asked if she didn’t have something in particular in mind that the young Mothcat had forgotten.  She wracked her brain, trying to figured out what Babb wanted from her.

    “And that something would be….?”  Babb asked with a smile, knowing Samphire didn’t have the answer.  She could read the young Mothcat like a book and could practically predict her thoughts.  Finally, she prompted Samphire, “Shouldn’t Tisias be told his father is coming?”  She was pretty sure the older Mothcat didn’t know about Tomcat’s arrival, since she hadn’t seen him cross the house to grudgingly tell Samphire the news.  That meant that it had been Crisis bringing the news, and if the bug stayed true to previous visits, he was still upstairs playing with Legs, letting Samphire share the message.

    Samphire’s ears flattened and a disgruntled look crossed her face at her mother’s prompt.  “Yeah…. I suppose I should tell him.”  She muttered in agreement.

    Babb let go of her daughter’s tail and nodded with a smile.  “A good idea Samphire.”  She said, as if the Mothcat had come up with it all by herself.  “Go on and tell him, then you can come back and pack.  I wouldn’t want you to accidentally forget to inform him.”  She was still smiling but there was a hint of warning in her voice.  Samphire had tried that trick once or twice but the dark Mothcat had caught it quick enough.

    Grumbling, Samphire turned and stalked across the house to knock on Tisias’s door.  She could hear him and Haru arguing again.  Well, they claimed it was just discussions, but Samphire was of the opinion that when their voices rose to yelling level, it became an argument.  When neither one acknowledged the knocking on the door, Samphire gave up and just opened the door.  “HEY!  Knock it off you two!”  She ordered, raising her voice to get their attention.

    The two Mothcats paused in their ‘discussion’ and turned to frown at Samphire.  “How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my room?”  Tisias said, looking annoyed she’d interrupted them.

    “I’m not in your room, so there.”  Samphire retorted, sticking out her tongue childishly.  True to her word, she was toeing the line, just barely technically outside his room.  “But if you don’t want to hear the news from Tomcat, that’s fine with me.”  She turned to stalk off.

    “Hey!  That’s not fair!  You have to tell me whenever Dad sends a message!  Dad and Babb both said so!”  Tisias hurried to catch up with her.  “Stop being so childish and just tell me!”

    Samphire looked over her shoulder at him, as if not sure whether to tell him or not.  He narrowed his eyes, glaring at her.  Finally she rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh but told him, “Crisis came back with a message that Tomcat’s gonna be in town tomorrow if we wanna go camping.”

    “Dad’s coming?”  Tisias repeated, brightening up.  “I need to go pack, right now!”  He hurried back to his room, grinning at Haru.  “Sorry to cut it short, but Dad’s coming tomorrow!  I need to get packed for our trip!” 

    The two Mothccats were a whirlwind of activity, buzzing around their rooms, hurriedly packing everything they would need.  Neither one wanted to be caught unaware when Tomcat Bobcat came through.  When he said he would be in town tomorrow, he could arrive anytime from dawn to dusk, which meant they had to be packed today and be up early tomorrow to make sure they didn’t miss him.

    Babb smiled to herself, listening to the kerfuffle of the two Mothcats running around, packing everything.  She hummed softly, making a batch of cookies.  It was a little token of her appreciation, a little way to say thank you to Tomcat Bobcat for getting to know his daughter. 

    The rest of the day went by in a blur until the sun finally set, Morrel Hollow becoming quiet as everyone settled in for bed.  The poor community had no idea the situation they would be facing on the dawn.  Pleasant dreams filled the heads of the Mothcats and a peaceful silence fell over the community.  Unbeknownst to them, it was merely the calm before the storm….

    The sun had barely started peeking over the horizon and most Mothcats were still in bed with only the early birds up and about.  Well, the early birds and those that lived near the center of the Hollow, where a small cluster of Mothcats waited.  Those who had residences near the center square gave up any hope of sleeping and started their day, realizing just what day it was.  This was the crisis day, a day brought on by Crisis and his message.

    Yelling filled the square, yelling and glares as Tisias and Samphire faced off.  “Why can’t you just sit still and wait like a normal cat?!”  Tisias demanded, exasperated by Samphire’s boundless energy. 

    “Because I’m excited, unlike you stick in the mud!”  Samphire retorted, prancing around lightly.  “Tomcat’s coming!  We’re going camping!  I have every reason to be excited!”

    Babb and Haru sighed simultaneously, watching the pair.  Babb had given up on trying to make the two of them obey on these kind of days.  It was just too early and they never listened anyways, both ramped up with excitement for seeing their father, though they showed it in different ways.  The Mothcats who lived near the square had gotten used to the yelling matches that could last all day, because if it wasn’t Tisias and Samphire getting into it with each other, then it was Tisias and Haru having one of their ‘discussions’.

    Though technically Tisias and Samphire were old enough to sit and wait for Tomcat by themselves, Babb still worried about them and stayed until the older cat arrived to pick them up.  Besides, it was a nice chance to say hello to him.  She accepted his nomadic nature and never held it against him, but he would always hold a special place in her heart as a dear friend and she never missed a chance to say hello.  Haru was simply there because the arguing that echoed around the square had started back at the house, making it impossible to sleep.  So he’d tagged along, for lack of anything better to do so early in the morning.

    This particular day, Morrel Hollow was lucky.  Sometimes Tomcat Bobcat didn’t show up until nearly sunset, which meant the four cats stayed in the square all day, which of course meant there was squabbling all day.  The only breaks that seemed to come where when Babb forced everyone to be quiet and eat their lunch.  Today though, the residents around the square only had to listen to the arguing for an hour or so before Babb noticed the ruffian sauntering into town.  He always met them in the town square since they never knew which direction he was coming from or which beach he would decide they should head to. 

    “Tom!”  Babb’s purring welcome made the argumentive siblings stop their fighting and look up, grins breaking out as they saw their father. 

    Thomas Robert, better known to most as Tomcat Bobcat, was sauntering casually through the square, making his way to the group.  The little Bumblebun Bean was buzzing along in the air above him, occasionally bumping against the Mothcat’s head, as if to remind him that Bean was still there.  Tomcat Bobcat just ignored it, used to the little Bumblebun’s lack of personal space issues. 

    Seeing Babb and the welcoming committee, Tomcat Bobcat grinned at them.  “Babb, m’dear, you’re looking wonderful as always.  Sam, Tisias, ready to go?  Oh, Haru.  Almost didn’t see ya there, hiding behind Babb.”  He greeted them cheerfully. 

    Haru waved shyly at the older male, never really quite sure what to say to the nomad.  Babb had no problem moving to greet him though, smiling warmly.  “It’s certainly been awhile Tom.  I made cookies for the trip this time.  Try not to wolf them all down at once.”  She said playfully, handing him the bundle of cookies.  “Fresh baked last night, just how you like them.”

    Tomcat Bobcat grinned even wider.  “Ah Babb, ya know how to treat a guy.  They smell delicious, as always.”  He said, taking an appreciative sniff of the bundle.  “Well, ain’t gonna stick around though, not if these two squabblers are ready to go.  Say your goodbyes and let’s get going.”  He told them, not wanting to hang around longer than necessary. 

    Samphire was already pulling on her little bag of gear and bounding over to greet her father.  “Hi!!  So where are we going this time?”  She asked eagerly, dancing with impatience. 

    Before Tomcat Bobcat could answer, Tisias interrupted her.  “It’s Sarsa Beach.  You should know that.”  He said, annoyed at how she insisted on asking every time, even though it was pretty much always according to schedule.

    “Hey, sometimes he changes it.”  Samphire defended herself with a frown. 

    Tomcat chuckled lightly, stepping between the two.  “No need for all that squabbling.”  He said playfully.  “Tisias is right though.  We’re bound for Sarsa Beach.  So move those paws, ya kittens, and let’s get this show on the road.”  He shooed the two on ahead of him, hanging back long enough to give Babb a quick nuzzle.  “We’ll be back later, dunno how long.  Thanks for the cookies.”

    Babb rolled her eyes.  “Same deal as always, I know.”  She said in amusement.  She waited where she was, waving goodbye to the two young mothcats, their father sauntering along behind them.  Haru waited beside her, giving a small wave when Tisias looked back at him.  When the trio was out of sight, Babb and Haru rose to their paws and headed home.  “Looks like we’ll finally have some peace and quiet, eh Haru?”  She asked brightly, but having been through this before, Haru could hear the worried undertone in her voice.  She knew Tomcat took good care of them, but she couldn’t worrying over them.  She wasn’t happy until they were back in her care once more.

    Samphire bounded on ahead eagerly, excitement giving her energy.  Tisias was just glad she wasn’t fidgeting any more.  Better running ahead than driving him insane with her inability to sit still, he decided.  He could handle her running ahead, mostly because that way he could ignore her. 

    Tisias was startled out of his thoughts by a cold nose suddenly shoving itself into his neck, making him squeak and jump.  Samphire glanced back to see what had caused the noise then broke out laughing at the sight of Bean perched on Tisias’s back, cuddling close.  Her laughter earned her a glare, not that it bothered her in the slightest. 

    “Looks like Bean’s glad ta see ya again.”  Tomcat said with a chuckle.

    Tisias sighed and shook the Bumblebun off him.  “I really wish he could find some other way to show it.”  

    Bean didn’t seem bothered by the way he was shaken off.  He simply moved on to his next target, leaping from Tisias to Samphire.  She greeted him much more warmly, touching noses with the buzzing Bumblebun.  “I missed you too Bean!”  She purred, making him smile. 

    Tisias took advantage of her distraction to move up and walk beside Tomcat.  “I missed you.”  He said with a small smile.  However much he squabbled with others, he still loved his dad with everything in him. 

    Tomcat leaned over to nuzzle him gently.  “I know.  Yer always welcome ta join me in roving whenever ya want.”  He offered with a smile. 

    Tisias sighed but smiled.  “Yeah, I know.  I just, I needed that stability.  But these camping trips are great.  I can’t wait to reach the beach.”  He said with a smile.  The longer they were on the road, the more his mood improved.  Bean kept Samphire busy and out of his fur, letting him enjoy his time with his dad.

    It would take the group several days to reach the shore, traveling at Tomcat’s leisurely pace.  He never hurried anywhere.  After all, the beach would still be there whether they arrived in one day or one week, so why hurry and worry?  They settled into their familiar walking formation, Tomcat in the middle while Samphire and Tisias walked on either side of him.  Bean….Well, Bean didn’t really walk anywhere.  He buzzed circles around the trio, wandered off here and there, hitched a ride on someone’s back for awhile, and generally made a nuisance of himself.  Still, he was cute and it was hard to stay mad at the loveable Bumblebun.

    With Tomcat in the middle, it made it easier to break up fights between the two younger mothcats before they really got going.  Usually he stopped it by starting a new tale of something that had happened to him while he was away.  That got them to stop squabbling and listen to him instead, which was fine by Tomcat.  He liked sharing the stories of the things he’d seen, the places he’d been, especially to such an attentive audience.  There were few things the siblings liked better than his stories, even though Tisias privately held some doubts about the more outrageous of the stories.  Still, he’d seen enough odd things in his own travels that he couldn’t quite bring himself to voice his doubts.  After all, there was every chance what Tomcat was saying was true, no matter how outlandish or impossible it sounded.

    Finally though, they crested the last dune and could stare out over the ocean.  They’d been hearing it for the last while as they traveled but the sandy dunes had hidden it from sight.  Now though, it stretched out before them, all the way to the horizon, an amazing blue that sparkled in the sunlight.  No matter how many times Samphire saw it, the sight still took her breath away.  There was nothing quite like it, that first glimpse of the ocean after being away for so long. 

    “Never fails ta amaze, even fer me.”  Tomcat said with a satisfied smile, looking over the water, watching the waves roll over the sand gently.

    “Yeah…..”  Samphire and Tisias murmured together, not arguing for once. 

    They stayed where they were for a long minute, simply enjoying the view.  Even Bean was quiet for once, sensing the atmosphere of the moment, even if he wasn’t quite as entranced.  He had taken his look and was ready to move on.  He wanted to do more than just look at the waves, he wanted to play in them.  He knew better than to interrupt the moment though so he simply sat on the sand at Tomcat’s paws.

    Without a word to each other, the three mothcats suddenly began moving down the dune at the same time, making Bean squeak at the abrupt change.  He rose into the air, buzzing around the trio, scolding them in his own way.  Tomcat only chuckled at the scolding, unaffected by it. 

    “Race ya!”  Samphire shouted suddenly, taking off down the dune. 

    Caught off guard, it took Tisias a moment to realize what she’d said.  As soon as he processed it though, he was off and racing after her, determined not to be beaten.  “That was unfair!”  He called to her in annoyance, even as he pushed himself to catch up.

    “Gotta keep ya on your toes!”  Samphire called back with a laugh, looking over her shoulder at him.  Taunting Tisias proved to be her undoing though as she tripped over her own paws running down the dune.  She squealed and tumbled tail over head down the dune.

    Tisias laughed at the karmic retribution and easily passed her, getting better speed running than she was tumbling.  He made it to the water first and bounded in a few steps until he was deep enough to throw himself under the waves and start swimming.

    “Samphire?  You okay?”  Tomcat called to the young mothcat, a little worried as she tumbled to a stop.  He looked her over as he sauntered down the dune at a more relaxed pace.  Sand was pretty soft and forgiving, which was why he wasn’t rushing to her aid, but he wanted to make sure she wasn’t really hurt.

    Samphire sat up, weaving a little, her eyes crossed.  “Whoa….Bean, stop that, you’re making me even dizzier than I already am.”  She tried to push the little Bumblebun away and make him stop circling around her, buzzing worriedly.  “I’m okay, just very very dizzy.”  She reassured both Bean and Tomcat as he approached.

    Relieved that she wasn’t hurt, Tomcat chuckled lightly.  “I’m not surprised you’re dizzy, given the way you went tail over teakettle there.”  He said, reaching out to brush some sand off her shoulders.

    Samphire shook her head, clearing the dizziness as she blinked to make her eyes refocus.  “Was it at least as graceful as it felt?”  She asked playfully.

    A scoff from the water told them that Tisias had surfaced in time to hear the question.  “Graceful?  You?  Not something I’ve ever seen, and most certainly not when falling down by tripping over your own paws.”  He called tauntingly. 

    “It wasn’t my own paws!  There was a stone or something!”  Samphire defended herself, blushing as she knew it was more than likely it really had been just her paws.

    “Please.  Do you see any stones bigger than a grain of sand around here?  This is the softest beach around!”  Tisias countered, floating lazily on the water, his wings spread and resting on the surface for better support.

    Samphire hopped to her paws, a retort ready to fly, but before she could open her mouth Tomcat was pointing down the beach at a dark green patch.  “Looks like the tide’s dropping things off.”  He commented with feigned casualness.

    His play worked as Samphire’s head instantly snapped around to look where he was pointing.  “Ooh, tidal seaweed!  I wonder what kind?”  She bounded over to look at the pile of green stalks, sorting them out eagerly, uncaring of the mess she made.

    Tomcat chuckled and looked out to where Tisias was rolling his eyes.  “One of these days you two are going to learn to get along.”  He said with a grin. 

    Tisias just snorted and ducked under the water again, his tail flicking as he dove down without answering. 

    Tomcat shook his head and spoke softly to Bean.  “One day Bean.  One day.  But today is not that day I guess.”  He chuckled to himself and began padding down the beach towards Samphire leisurely.

    Before he could even make it half way, Samphire was racing back to him, eyes alight with excitement.  “Tomcat!  Look!  This one almost never washes up on shore!”  She shoved the limp strand of seaweed in his face.  “It only grows in certain places!  I almost never get to see it!  Look, you can tell by the shape of the waves here!”  She chattered on endlessly, showing the older cat everything she knew about that particular piece of seaweed, Tomcat listening patiently, smiling the entire time.

    While she chattered on, Tisias took advantage of her distraction to swim in peace.  He dove in and out of the waves, happily chasing any little fish he saw.  He’d been looking forwards to this trip for a long time now, pretty much since he got back from the last one.  He swam happily for quite some time before Tomcat finally called him out of the water.  Tisias reluctantly left the surf, tinted red by the light of the setting sun. 

    Under Tomcat’s instructions, the three mothcats soon had their little camp set up just back from the dunes.  They were close enough they could still hear the ocean and it was a walk of only a minute or two before they could be back in the water.  Still, they were far enough back that the trees weren’t too far away when they went hunting for firewood.  Tisias and Samphire stretched out lazily beside the fire – on opposite sides of course – as Tomcat got supper going.  It didn’t take long before the delicious scent was filling the air and he was serving out food for everyone. 

    “Eat up, me kittens.  When yer done, I’ve got the last o’ Babb’s cookies for dessert.  Mebbe tomorrow Tisias can catch us a fish instead of just chasin’ them.”  Tomcat said playfully, grinning at his son.

    Tisias gave the older mothcat a dirty look.  "I don't eat meat and you know that!  How can you condone the taking of lives just to eat, when there's plenty of others things?  Things that taste better too!"  He stuck his tongue out as if a disgusting taste filled his mouth at the very thought of eating meat, ignoring the way Samphire rolled her eyes at him.

    “Ah, don’t worry about it.  We got plenty o’ supplies even without catching fish.”  Tomcat reassured him, amused rather than offended by his son's indignation.  “We won’t starve, I assure ya.”

    "Good thing too.  Cause if we had to rely on him, we'd all starve to death before tomorrow was over."  Samphire said, shaking her head.  Even after living with Tisias for as long as she had, she still didn't understand his aversion to meat.

    Tisias turned his glare on Samphire but refused to sink to the level of arguing with her.  Without the squabbling, the three fell into a companionable silence as they ate, the sun setting lower and lower.  They finished their meal and sat quietly, munching on the last of the cookies sent along by Babb.  It was a quiet time of day, meant for contemplation.  Of course, for some, that just meant an early bed time.  Bean had fallen asleep almost the moment he finished eating, curled up against Tomcat’s side.  Samphire was the first of the Mothcats to call it a night and retire to the shelter, falling asleep quickly.  Tisias hung on a little longer, as if to prove he could, but soon enough he disappeared into the shelter as well.

    Tomcat stayed awake for quite awhile longer, sitting outside the shelter, staring up at the stars.  Thoughts of all kinds drifted through his head, his mind wandering aimlessly.  This was the best part of being a nomad.  The quiet peace with no one telling anyone what to do, where to go, or what to say.  It was the only way for a spirit to really fly and be free.  Oh sure, there were some mothcats who were quite happy in their town, surrounded by others – Babb being one of them – but as far as Tomcat was concerned, they were only content.  They were truly free.  Still, if they were at least content, who was he to tell them how to live their life?  That went against the very thing he’d be trying to preach!  He could only say for them to do whatever made them happy. 

    Finally Tomcat curled up and went to sleep where he was, not bothering with the shelter.  He rarely built shelters for himself or Bean, unless the weather turned bad on them.  Most of the time they just slept under the stars, enjoying the breeze through their fur, though Bean always curled up on the lee side, taking shelter from Tomcat.  On warm summer nights like tonight though, there was no need to worry about it.  The nearly full moon shone down on the little camp, watching over the nomad and his children.