“HazelPaw”, echoes as it slowly opens the scene. 

Darkness is all around, and little hints of light pop up, “HazelPaw!”. 

The darkness goes away when HazelPaw wakes up. They run their paws against their eyes and look up to their mother, SunKist. 

SunKist rubbed their head against HazelPaw and licked them on top of their head. Grooming and waking them up altogether. SunKist stopped when she was done and told them why she woke them up.

“PrismrosePaw is waiting outside for you. She is ready for you to come out and play.”

HazelPaw gasped and screamed out, “Really?!”

SunKist nodded.

“Okay! Can you tell him to wait a little bit for me? I have to get ready.”

SunKist smiles sweetly, “Of course.”

“Thanks, Mom!” 

SunKist leaves HazelPaw’s room for them to get ready. Once they were ready, HazelPaw said goodbye to their parents, but SunKist made sure to get one thing out before they left. 

“Make sure you come back a little bit earlier than usual, EmeryKit wants to go out to play later. Make sure to watch him too, okay?”

HazelPaw quickly nods, “Okay, I will! Bye!” 

“Bye! Have fun!” HazelPaw leaves the den to see PrismrosePaw sitting outside, waiting for HazelPaw. 

HazelPaw stepped in front of PrismrosePaw, with their ears low in their head, “Sorry…. I kept you waiting.”

PrismrosePaw smiles slightly, “It's alright! I came a bit too early anyway. Your mom saw me waiting and decided to wake you up early.”

HazelPaw felt a little bit better that they weren't late to meeting up with PrismrosePaw. “That's good! So? What are we gonna do today? I can't stay out as long as I did last time. I have to take my brother out to play later!”

“Oh, okay! It's understandable.” PrismrosePaw spoke cheerfully. 

“So, how about we try out hunting! We should practice some more to become good warriors! Oh, oh, also, we should spar too! Oooo, also! We should g-” HazelPaw keeps going on happily, jumping from one topic to another.

“Sure! That would be so much fun! I can't wait to put my claws into my prey!” PrismrosePaw would giggle a bit. 

HazelPaw pouts, “You're going to ruin the prey like that! You can't just claw it up! And I still want the fur to be usable!”

“Well! Mom says ‘The quickest way to any defense is straight into the gutter'! She also told me when I'm hunting, I should practice that tactic!” She responded as he dug his claws into the ground.  

“‘Gutter’?” HazelPaw's quotes, confused. 

“Well, there's a difference between food and cat. We have to use the prey for its delicious meat and its beautiful fur! Your mom can't just ruin it! ‘Nor can she tell you to do so either!” HazelPaw shouts out passionately.

“Hmm… I suppose you're right… After all, it does not taste so delectable after that...” He replied back in a bit of a sad tone. 

HazelPaw felt bad, “Well….”

HazelPaw looks away and blushes, “You can ruin some if you want to…..Just don't give me any of your prey’s meat or fur. It's yucky….”

PrismrosePaw’s ears perked up, before a smile appeared upon her face. He went over to HazelPaw and rubbed on their shoulder. “Alrighty! I promise I won't give you any of my ‘yucky’ prey meat quality!”. 

HazelPaw’s face flushed a little bit more out of embarrassment, “T-That's good! Anyway,” HazelPaw slightly walks in the direction of the woods. “Are you ready to go?”

PrismrosePaw nodded as she quickly ran in front of them, cheerfully. “Of course!”. 

“HEY! Don't leave me behind!” HazelPaw yelled after him, making sure not to pass and let him be in front. 

.

..

…

..

.

PrismrosePaw would lean close to the ground beneath him. As she slowly makes her way to his prey. He leaped out onto it and bit down on the neck, as he had clamped his paws on it so it couldn't escape its death. 

She then stood up happily, as a smudge of blood was on his cheek. He would look around to find HazelPaw and see how they were doing with their hunting. 

On HazelPaw's side of things…..

HazelPaw could be seen herding a small group of rabbits in one direction. On the left, a rabbit could be seen going a little off track of how HazelPaw wanted and sped up a bit to push them back where they wanted.

Up ahead, HazelPaw had made sure that there was a clean and clear way. Yet, these bunnies didn't know that the path they saw wasn't a golden brick road to safety. It was a staircase straight to heaven. 

HazelPaw’s heart was pumping, excited to eat and see how their plan works. 

‘This might be a feast if I get all these delicious plump rabbits…… I can bring some back home for my parents and EmeryKit!’

PrismrosePaw on the side was confused by what HazelPaw was doing, but watched anyway.

HazelPaw kept going and then slowed down just a little bit. The bunnies kept hopping away; they felt free from the predator that was chasing them. But…..

They all got snatched up quickly, flying into the treetops, then bouncing up and down, tied up in a net made by lots of vines. It was made by HazelPaw, and the net was made close together so the rabbits couldn't squeeze out. 

HazelPaw’s adrenaline was helping them round up their prey. “It…..worked?! Let's go! I did it!”.

HazelPaw jumped around, making big leaps in the air, but after their celebration, they fell on the ground, out of energy. 

PrismrosePaw came up to their side. As he chuckled, “That was some creative hunting skills! I would never have thought to have done that.”. 

HazelPaw also laughed, “I didn't think it would work at first! But now look at my goodies!”

HazelPaw stood up from the ground and looked up to see the bunnies trapped in the net, trying to escape. 

“They look so tasty…..” HazelPaw licked their lips. 

“Yeah…. But we can't eat them yet, that's the thing. Gotta feed the elders first, then the kits!”. PrismrosePaw licked his lips as well at the prey. 

HazelPaw pouts and looks away from the prey, “But…. the warriors already get food for them.” 

HazelPaw gets an idea and jumps in front of PrismrosePaw, “I can have this batch for myself! Then maybe later, when I come back while playing with EmeryKit, I can get some more! Those can be for the elders!”

“HazelPaw… I know… but.. there's a reason why it's written in the rules. Let's just check to see if the elders and kits have been fed already or not, then?”. 

HazelPaw didn't seem happy at all but gave up. They sighed and went towards the tree to cut down and kill the prey. HazelPaw made sure to secure the prey on their back and looked at PrismrosePaw, ready to go.

PrismrosePaw nodded as he carried his prey into his mouth. As she leads the way back. 

As they headed back to the clan, HazelPaw and PrismrosePaw can be seen walking to the elders' den. They appreciated HazelPaw and PrismrosePaw for thinking about them. JuneBug and MilkFlake, elders who were in the den, were impressed with how many HazelPaw had gotten.

JuneBug laughed heartily, “I'm proud that we will have two successful warriors in the future!”, as he patted both of them on the head. 

PrismrosePetal would giggle a bit, “I'm going to be just like my dad and my mother!”. 

MilkFlake yawns softly as she stands up and heads over to them a bit more. “I know you will.”. She would pause for a bit before turning her head at HazelPaw. “Now is there anyone you want to be? Or is it something else?”. 

HazelPaw puffs out their chest, “I don't want to be like anyone! I just want to be the strongest warrior there ever was!”

MilkFlake smiles softly, “I believe in you, just don't be too cocky. You don't want to like a certain warrior here….”

“Who?” HazelPaw was confused about who they were talking about. 

“SteelPelt.” JuneBug said, shaking his head. “He has a big ego, it's all in his head.” 

HazelPaw nodded, keeping what they said in mind. “Well, I have to go home to give my brother some fresh air! I'll see you later! Bye PrismrosePaw!” 

PrismrosePaw waved at them, “Bye, HazelPaw!”.