Challenge: Into the Wild

Word Count (min. 500): 620

Rating: K, suitable for all ages

Second Thoughts

Crunch.

The fallen, orange leaves crunched under the three cat's paws. A small, golden she-cat gracefully padded after two big, burly toms.

They came to a fern tunnel and the two toms walked through it. The she-cat followed them curiously.

"We're at the FernClan camp, kittypet," one of them— a strong sandy tabby— meowed. "We'll take you straight to Palestar."

The golden kittypet purred in excitement. Soon, she would be joining the wild cat Clans! She was sick of being a housecat and she wanted adventure!

As the three cats continued through the tunnel, a pale grey she-cat met up with them at the end.

"Welcome, Caramel," she purred. "I hope you know that being a warrior isn't going to be all fun and games."

Caramel nodded.

"You will have to be loyal and trustworthy, and you can't have a paw in both worlds," Palestar continued. "You will have to choose between being a FernClan warrior or a kittypet. Which do you choose?"

"I want to be a warrior," Caramel insisted. "I will be loyal and strong. I want adventure; I don't want to become a fat, lazy nobody."

The FernClan leader looked convinced. But the two toms didn't. "We should give her a trial," the second warrior— a black and white patched tom— meowed. "We'll give her a moon. She can train as an apprentice of FernClan, then after the moon is up, we'll see what she decides."

"Very well, Patchfang," Palestar meowed. "I do believe in your judgement, as you are my deputy. We'll give Caramel a trial. We'll see if she truly wants to become a warrior of FernClan."

Caramel purred. She'd show them. She would be the best warrior of FernClan! Nothing would stop her!

.

Panting, the small golden brown she-cat tried to keep up with her mentor.

"Come on Pinepaw!" her mentor, Patchfang, purred. "Keep up!"

"I'm trying!" she snapped back.

The Clan ways were not as fun as she'd hoped. She had thought that they would all love her—why wouldn't they love her— but most of the cats still hated her and always called her 'kittypet'.

She slept on an uncomfortable nest made of ferns and moss— it was nothing like her soft bed back with her housefolk. And the den was crowded. Five other cats slept in there and all five of them kept complaining about her 'kittypet stench'.

She had to get up before the sun while she was still half-asleep. Pinepaw hated that part the most. Patchfang always dragged her out of her nest and forced her to join patrols. The patrols were boring and she was not allowed to do anything fun during the patrol like cross the border or leave a scent mark on the wrong side of the tree.

FernClan was strict and there was never any time for games or fun.

She couldn't believe it, but she actually wanted to go back to her kittypet life. It didn't matter to her is she died without going on an adventure but at least she'd die knowing that she'd had a fun life.

"Keep up Pinepaw!" Patchfang teased.

Pinepaw stopped running. She had made her mind up.

"My name isn't Pinepaw," she sighed.

Patchfang stared at her, confused. "What?" he asked. "You're an apprentice; what else would your name be?"

"I'm not an apprentice." the golden she-cat lifted her head proudly. "I'm a kittypet. And my name is Caramel."

"Oh, I see..."

She looked at her mentor. "Patchfang, I want to feel my housefolk stroke me behind the ears. I want to eat the biscuits and pellets they give me. I want to sun myself on the fence like I used to."

"I want to go home."