the winning choice was 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘: go and find gravelpaw, and see what she's doing.

the sky darkened further. another illuminating light flashed ahead: harsh and bright, and a deafening roar of thunder followed it immediately, and silenced the gentle chatter of camp mates.

stonechatpaw leaped in fright and he bounded across camp, seeking somewhere to wait out the rain. his eyes drifted across camp, catching sight of tallskunk as he disappeared into the warriors' den with a confident stride. stonechatpaw bolted towards the medicine den, his paws slipping on the wet ground as he ran.

the scent of herbs mixed with the sharpened tang of wet and rain, and damp muck. nightmask worked diligently alongside his apprentice, gravelpaw.

on a bed of moss, lay a warrior, acorndust, wincing as nightmask carefully tended to the deep scratches on her mottled flank.

stonechatpaw waited at the entrance, his sides heaving from his sprint. nightmask glanced up, his eyes calm and assessing. with a nod, he gestured to the small she—cat beside him. ❝ you can go with your friend, i'll finish up here gravelpaw, ❞

gravelpaw's eyes lit up, her weariness from working melting away. she bounded towards stonechatpaw and rubbed her head affectionately against his chin.

the unexpected gesture left the young tom flustered, his fur standing on end. and, for a moment, he stood still, frozen, feeling the warmth of gravelpaw's touch despite the chill of the storm behind him.

❝ come on! ❞ gravelpaw called, already darting out of the den and into the downpour. stonechatpaw quickly shook off his surprise and hurried after her.

the camp blurred past and the sound of the storm seemed to have intensified as the two apprentices' dashed through the rain, paws splashing in puddles that had formed and dappled the camps grounds. 

gravelpaw skidded to a halt at the fresh—kill pile and stared down at the array of prey. she picked out a bird: big enough for the both of them to share, before she turned to stonechatpaw and motioned towards the apprentices' den.

understanding what she was indicating, he followed her into the den and shook off his drenched pelt.

❝ how was training? ❞ gravelpaw asked after she spat out the bird and settled into an empty nest.

stonechatpaw puffed out his chest slightly, walking to gravelpaw. ❝ tallskunk said i'm proving. we are going to be focusing on hunting tomorrow, ❞ he beamed and shuffled beside gravelpaw.

❝ oh amazing! you'll be hunting prey like a seasoned warrior in no time, ❞ the she—cat purred, nudging him playfully.

❝ and, i beat him in a race! ❞ thrilled the tom—cat with a gentle stomp of his paw. he pushed the bird towards gravelpaw. ❝ you take the first bite, ❞

stonechatpaw couldn't help but watch gravelpaw out of the corner of his eyes as she ate. she was always so full of life, so dedicated to her training. he admired her, her skill, and her kindness, and the way she seemed to lighten up everyone's day.

❝ stonechatpaw? ❞ gravelpaw's voice broke through his thoughts. ❝ you're staring, ❞

he blinked, his ears growing warm. ❝ sorry... i was just thinking about tomorrows training, ❞ he mumbled.

gravelpaw chuckled lightly and she pushed the bird his way. ❝ you'll do great, i know it, ❞

the storm outside slowed outside, the rain softening to a gentle drizzle. the pitter patter of droplets being all that the two could eventually hear after finishing the last of their prey.

gravelpaw leaned into stonechatpaw, and purred out a soft mew. ❝ thanks for coming to get me, i needed that break, ❞

stonechatpaw's head dipped with a nod. ❝ anytime, gravelpaw, ❞

gravelpaw glanced out of the den, catching sight of the retreating acorndust as she hopped out the medicine den with. nightmask had done his work well, it seems.

gravelpaw rose to her paws and she flicked an ear. ❝ i should get back to work, ❞ she said, a slight hint of reluctance in her voice, ❝ nightmask and i need to on a herb patrol before nightfall, ❞

stonechatpaw sighed but nodded, understanding all that came with his friends role. ❝ be careful, ❞

gravelpaw jerked her tail upwards and pushed out her chest before letting out a playful purred growl. the grey she—cat stepped out the den then bounded across the clearing towards the medicine den, leaving the tom alone.

the den felt suddenly quiet. stonechatpaw settled back into his new. he'd accomplished a lot today with his training, he was proud of himself.

a stir from across the den drew his attention. his sister, robinpaw, blinked awake. she yawned widely and got up from her bed of leaves with a long stretch, and a muffled groan.

❝ still here, brother? ❞ she teased, ❝ while you are still learning how to hunt and fight, redtail and i, along with father, are going on a border patrol. we're doing real warrior work, ❞

stonechatpaw rolled his eyes, a familiar gesture when dealing with his siblings boasting. ❝ everyone starts somewhere, robinpaw. enjoy your patrol. maybe you'll see something interesting, ❞

robinpaw smirked. she was clearly pleased with herself and she stretched once again, her claws extending and retracting as she prepared to leave. ❝ oh, i will. don't worry brother, we always do. try not to miss me too much while you're napping, ❞

stonechatpaw watched her for, her tail flicking with confidence as she strolled towards redtail and their father. her cheerful face wrinkled with a sour look after she arrived by her mentors side, and a booming laugh carried in the wind as their father chuckled.

flicking his ears, stonechatpaw just turned. he'd find out what happened later, he was sure of it. with a soft, contended sigh, stonechatpaw nestled back into his nest once again. the den felt cozy. he closed his eyes, and his muscles, sore from the day, welcomed the rest.

stonechatpaw was in hot pursuit of a rat, his heart pounded with the thrill of the chase. the rodent bolted and darted across the grass, zig—zagging in and out of tufts of tall blades to avoid the feline's gaze, its small body a blur of motion, and its eyes wide with fear. the smell of panic burned the tom's nose. stonechatpaw could almost taste victory as he closed in, his body bunched for the final leap.

he stretched out a clawed paw, ready to strike—

a forceful nudge to his side jolted him awake.

he blinked groggily, the dream slipping away like early morning mist. the dim light of the apprentice's den surrounded him, soft and silvery, filtering in through gaps in the leafy den's walls.

stonechatpaw turned to see his sister, robinpaw, her light brown and ginger tabby fur glowing slightly in the moonlight. he screwed up his face in annoyance, still groggy from sleep.

❝ what do you want? ❞ his grumble was thick with irritation. ❝ you ruined my dream, ❞

robinpaw rolled her eyes, her whiskers twitching with amusement. ❝ boo—hoo. i don't care about a dream, i have something cool to show you, ❞

stonechatpaw sighed. ❝ can't it wait until morning? ❞

❝ nope! ❞ robinpaw bleated cheerfully. ❝ come on, this is worth it. i promise, ❞

despite his annoyance, stonechatpaw felt a flicker of curiosity. he stretched and yawned, shaking the last remnants of sleep from his body. ❝ okay, okay. lead the way, i guess, ❞

a grin widened across the she—cats face. she darted out of the den, eagerly and quickly. stonechatpaw followed her, his paws padding softly. the camp was quiet, bathed in the gentle white light of the moon. the rain had stopped but left behind a dampness to the soil and numerous small puddles.

stonechatpaw stopped outside the medicine den. his sister skidded in her stride and turned. she wrinkled a brow.

❝ come on, mouse—dung! ❞ robinpaw growled lowly with an annoyed roll of her eyes.

𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘱𝘢𝘸 𝘥𝘰:

━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗘 ... continue after his sister and find out what she wants to show him.

━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢 ... ask if gravelpaw can come along, maybe she'd enjoy time out of camp.

━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 ... change his mind about leaving camp, and go back to sleep.