the winning choice was 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘: the meadow; it's close to the city so she could see it while she roams and hunts, and she's always wanted to catch a rabbit.

orchidpaw remained silent as she weighed out what options she was given. the decision had come to her naturally, a pull she couldn't quite explain. perhaps it was the thrill of the open space, where a cat could feel the wind rush through their fur as they raced after the prey. or maybe it was the closeness to the city, the mysterious place that fascinated her endlessly. either way, she was certain she had made the right choice.

maggotslip's eyes lit up following her decision. ❝ good, choice, ❞ he meowed with a flick of his tail. ❝ that has to be one of my favourite spots. you'll see — it's pretty out there, ❞

carrionstar's head dipped. ❝ well, let's make our way down there, ❞ he mumbled, stepping out of camp and leading the patrol towards the meadow.

the journey was quiet. carrionstar padded at the front of the patrol, orchidpaw closely behind him, with both maggotslip and mudneedle bringing up the rear. the apprentice was excited for this patrol. she'd always dreamed of catching a swift little rabbit.

the bushes and dotted trees began to thin out. ahead, a line of hedgerows divided the land, pathing a way to the meadow. orchidpaw followed carrionstar through a narrow hole in the shrub, and her breath caught in her throat at the sight before her. the meadow was just as maggotslip had described. it was beautiful: a vast sea of golden grass that shimmered under the warm touch of the morning sun. tall, delicate stalks swayed gently in the breeze, their heads heavy with seeds that lightly glinted like tiny flecks of gold.

and, scattered across the meadow were thick clusters of wildflowers — daisies, buttercups, violets — colours that splashed against the golden backdrop. they had a sweet fragrance to them, that mixed with the slightly woody scent of grass.

the sky above was a bright, brilliant blue, not a cloud in sight, and the sunlight poured down with a steady stream, warming orchidpaw's back as she trotted into the meadow.

and there, in the distance, beyond the edge of the grass and flowers, loomed the city.

it was the complete opposite to the gently bewitch of the meadow, yet to orchidpaw, it was as captivating. the tall, stone nests of the twolegs rose high into the sky, their tops nearly touching the clouds. they were jagged and angular, their hard lines softened by the haze of the distant lights that mixed together. in the daylight, it was less ominous than it had been in her dreams, its edges less harsh, and its shadows less deep.

the lights are what truly captured her attention. even in the brightness of the day, they blinked and glowed, tiny pinpricks of colour that flickered along the rows of thunderpaths that zig—zagged in lines. they were very different from the twinkling stars on silverpelt — they seemed closer, like a living constellation spread across the ground. she could make out the faint glimmers of reds, blues, whites, and greens.

orchidpaw felt a pang of longing as she stared at it, a yearning to explore those twisting alleys and tall nests. the city was dangerous, she knew that much from the tales of others, but it was so alluring — a place where adventure waited around every corner.

carrionstar's voice broke through her thoughts, and she blinked out of her daze. ❝ beautiful, isn't it? ❞ he murmured, his eyes following hers to the pulsating lights.

orchidpaw nodded her head. she focused on the lights that shimmered, not breaking her state. ❝ oh, its even better in real life, ❞ she whispered.

❝ it's a great place to think, too, ❞ carrionstar purred softly. he flicked his tail over his paws and craned his head around to his apprentice.

orchidpaw turned away from the city life, and towards the wafting grasses.

carrionstar cleared his throat after a moment of peace and rose to his paws. ❝ let's get to hunting. we have hungry bellies to fill, ❞

carrionstar stared across the meadow. with its size, the four of them had plenty of space to hunt. ❝ mudneedle and maggotslip, ❞ carrionstar called. the two warriors turned towards him. ❝ you two spread out. see what you can find. i'll stay with orchidpaw, ❞

maggotslip and mudneedle exchanged a quick glance before dipping their heads. they set off, their bodies soon blending into the tall grass as they moved silently across the field. the rustling of the grass quickly faded, leaving carrionstar and orchidpaw alone.

orchidpaw watched her clanmates disappear into the distance, a mixture of excitement and nerves churning in her belly. she wanted to impress carrionstar, show him that she could be as capable as the warriors who had just left them.

carrionstar turned his gaze to her. ❝ why don't you take the lead? ❞ he suggested gently, ❝ let's see if you can find some prey, ❞

orchidpaw nodded. a wave of anxiety hit her, but it was soon replaced with a bubble of excitement. she took a deep breath, then stepped forward. the grass drifted around her, brushing against her legs as she began to plod across the meadow, her ears rotating attentively atop her head, each step light and careful.

the meadow was quiet, save for the soft whisper of the wind through the grass and the occasional chirp of a bird that breezed past in the distance.

orchidpaw's ears flicked toward every noise, and her nose twitched as she tried to pick up the scent of prey that may be hiding nearby.

then, in an instant, the quiet of the meadow was no more.

a rabbit, which had hidden away in a clump of dense bushes, bolted into the open, its eyes wide with fear. the sound of its rapid movement — the frantic rustling of the grass, the thud of its powerful hind legs — sent a jolt of fear through lrchidpaw's body. startled by the rabbit's noise and movement, she jumped.

for a split second, she hesitated. after her brief scared stance, orchidpaw shook her head.

she lunged forward, her paws hitting the ground in a burst of speed as she chased after the fleeing rabbit. the world around her seemed to blur, the golden grass whipping past her as she focused all her energy on the chase. the rabbit was fast — faster than she had ever expected — and it zigzagged over  the grass, desperate for freedom.

the rabbit's movements were erratic, its body a blur of brown fur as it weaved left and right, switching up the direction it ran. orchidpaw churned her teeth, her eyes locked on the small, darting figure ahead of her.

she could feel the wind whipping through her fur, and she heaved to catch her breath. her paws pounded the dirt as she followed the creatures wild path.

the meadow seemed endless, grass stretching on and on, but she didn't let up. every muscle in her body had soon began to grown and ache as she pushed herself harder and harder after the rabbit, trying to close the gap between her and her prey.

but the rabbit was quick — so quick that orchidpaw could barely keep track of its movements. it twisted to the left and turned to the right, dodging through the grass with a speed that seemed impossible for any sort of being. each time orchidpaw thought she was gaining on it, the rabbit would swerve to the side, forcing her to adjust her course and almost lose her balance.

her lungs burned, but she didn't care. this was what she had dreamed of — a real hunt.

the rabbit was pretty clever, she thought, using the tall grass to its advantage, but orchidpaw was determined. she would not let it slip away.

it darted left, and orchidpaw followed, cutting across the meadow in a sharp turn. the world narrowed to just the two of them — the predator and the prey — in their flurry of survival.

orrchidpaw's muscles were on fire. her breath ragged in her throat. she could see the rabbit's sides heaving, its energy starting to wane. they had been running for what felt like forever, and the once—terrified prey was beginning to tire.

but so was she.

orchidpaw just pushed herself harder, her paws barely touching the ground as she closed the distance. just a little closer, she thought. she was nearly upon it now, just a tail—length away.

with a final burst of speed, orchidpaw leaped forward, her claws outstretched, reaching for the rabbit.

the rabbit made one last desperate swerve, but it was too late. orchidpaw's claws grazed its hind leg, and she felt a surge of triumph as she realized she had it. she could almost taste victory—

the rabbit twisted sharply to the side, and slipped from her grasp at the last second. the feline's momentum carried her forward, and she skidded to a halt. huffing, she watched the rabbit disappear into the thick grass ahead.

for a moment, she stood there, panting and blinking in disbelief. she had been so close — so close — but the rabbit had escaped. the excitement of the chase slowly faded, replaced by a wave of frustration. orchidpaw wanted to prove herself, to show carrionstar that she was capable of catching a rabbit on her own, but she had failed.

she dropped to her haunches, her sides shallowly pulling in and pushing out as she quickly caught back her breath.

a high—pitched squeak sounded from the grass, and a feline emerged. the rabbit she had narrowly lost now dangled in maggotslip's jaw, and he trotted towards her. ❝ forgetting summin'? ❞ he slurred.

orchidpaw's ears flushed with warmth and she rose to her paws, bounding over to maggotslip. ❝ you got the rabbit! ❞ she chirped, grinning widely.

❝ you did a deal on the poor guy. couple more strides and he might've collapsed from exhaustion, ❞ purred the warrior after he dropped the rabbit down.

carrionstar padded up beside the two, looking between them both. he'd watched the entire chase from where orchidpaw left him. he knew she hadn't caught it, and that maggotslip briefly helped out, but he let out a long purr.

❝ well done, orchidpaw, ❞ he bleated. ❝ that was one excellent chase, ❞

orchidpaw's brows bunched up, confused. she turned to maggotslip, who looked elsewhere, before turning back to carrionstar. she fluffed out her chest. ❝ thank you, carrionstar, ❞

mudneedle pushed through the grass. in her mouth, she carried two plump squirrels by the backs of their necks, and a rat that dangled from her jaw by its tail.

orchidpaw, still catching her breath from the chase, looked up as mudneedle came closer and set her catch down in front of them, her whiskers twitching.

❝ woah, nice work orchidpaw, ❞ mudneedle meowed around the prey in her mouth after chancing a glimpse of the deceased rabbit by her paws. ❝ that'll make a great meal for the clan. you're becoming quite the hunter, ❞

orchidpaw's chest swelled. despite the fact that she didn't catch it all by herself, hearing the older felines praise filled her with a sense of confidence. ❝ thank you, mudneedle, ❞ she mewed, dipping her head with a respectful bow.

❝ you've done well too, mudneedle, ❞ he said with a nod of his head. he stretched his leg and swept a quick glance across the meadow. ❝ maggotslip, i'd like for you to take orchidoaw back to camp, with her rabbit, and what mudneedle caught, ❞ he instructed. ❝ we'll hang back for a bit, see if we can catch some more prey before we head back. the chase looked like it'd tired you out, orchidpaw — you should get some rest, ❞

maggotslip nodded, his eyes flicking to orchidpaw with a friendly glint. ❝ of course, ❞ he agreed, ❝ let's get to camp before our prey starts to spoil, eh? ❞

orchidpaw nodded, though she was reluctant to leave. she glanced at her mentor and mudneedle, feeling a small pang of envy that they would continue hunting without her. but she knew the leader was right — her legs still trembled slightly from the chase. ot was time to return home and take pride in what she had already achieved.

orchidpaw carefully picked up the rabbit, its fur still warm from the morning sun. maggotslip gathered the squirrels and the rat, securing them in his jaws before turning toward the trail that led back to camp.

the journey back was peaceful. maggotslip padded next to orchidpaw, matching her pace. he glanced down at her, his eyes warm with pride.

❝ you did well today, ❞ meowed the tom—cat. gently, he pushed his shoulder into hers. ❝ not everyone can boast about catching a rabbit. you're going to make a fine warrior, orchidpaw, ❞

a flutter of excitement stormed her stomach. ❝ thank you, but if it wasn't for— ❞ she mumbled, but was soon silenced by a soft touch from maggotslip's tail. the she—cat frowned, realising he wanted her to relish in her little victory.

by the time they reached the camp, the sun had risen higher in the sky.

they entered the camp and maggotslip peeled away from her, making his way toward the fresh—kill pile. 9rchidpaw followed him with her eyes, watching as he placed the prey they had brought back onto the pile, careful to arrange it neatly so that others could easily see the bounty of their hunt.

with the prey mudneedle caught delivered,aggotslip crossed the clearing, heading towards an open space,
where he then settled down in the sun.

orchidpaw glanced across camp, standing by the camp entrance, the rabbit still in her mouth.

𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘱𝘢𝘸 𝘥𝘰:

━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗘 ... join maggotslip, and share the rabbit she brought back. he helped her catch it, she should thank him for it.

━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢 ... go and show her parents. she'd caught her first rabbit. they'd be pleased.

━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 ... go and find weedscratch. he'll appreciate the rabbit more than her littermates. maybe she could share it with him, and talk about his day.