Lost Stars/Chapter 14

==Chapter description==
:Rootpaw and Dewspring venture out of the SkyClan camp to go hunting, but along the way Dewspring is not pleased that they had to go out hunting again just to not find anything. Although at his grumpiness, Rootpaw is relieved that he had persuaded his mentor to let him try again to make up for the messy business with the vole the day before. Rootpaw recalls how Kitepaw and Turtlepaw had been acting towards him recently, holding him in little regard for his incident with Bristlepaw and the vole. Embarrassed, Rootpaw tries to forget the events of the other day and tells himself to focus on his Clan and to make up for his foolery with ThunderClan.
:He pads farther into the forest, but smells nothing. At this, his mentor comes up and rebukes him again, repeating that there was no prey, but Rootpaw begs him to stay outs a little longer. Dewspring agrees, but starts to go back to camp himself, implying to Rootpaw that tick duty was coming his way. Cringing, the apprentice promises not to stay out too late. Wandering around frantically, he still is unable to scent any prey, but then catches a faint whiff of ShadowClan. Puzzled, Rootpaw turns around to see a shadow moving along the lakeshore, recognizing the cat as Shadowpaw, the medicine cat apprentice who had told him a weird story at the Gathering. Demanding to Shadowpaw what he was doing on SkyClan territory, the latter is startled and admits he is heading for the Moonpool, but Rootpaw asks if it was safe for him to travel alone, but suddenly feels sympathy for Shadowpaw at how stressed out he was. Then the medicine cat apprentice asks Rootpaw to keep his trip a secret, but the latter asks why, so Shadowpaw says that his father would be angry at his disappearance.
:Then, Rootpaw volunteers to accompany Shadowpaw on the trek up to the Moonpool, so Shadowpaw agrees and they set off. Unfortunately on their walk, Rootpaw trods on a big thorn, which sends shooting pain up his pad. The ShadowClan apprentice offers to treat him, and uses dock leaves for the cut. Afterward, Rootpaw meows that it's about time for him to get back to camp, or Dewspring wouldn't be happy, so the two bid each other goodbye and part ways. The whole way back Rootpaw thinks on what Shadowpaw had told him, wondering if something bad would happen to the Clans.
:When Rootpaw returns, Reedclaw approaches him, asking where he was, and why he smelt of ShadowClan. The apprentice freezes, remembering his promise to Shadowpaw, and tells her that he stayed out longer to hunt. But Reedclaw's eyes narrow, and she orders him back to his den, as he and Needlepaw were assigned to take out the old bedding from the dens. Rootpaw obeys, and realizes that his paw felt better after the thorn injury, and notes that Shadowpaw was going to make a good medicine cat, and hopes that the young apprentice finds what he's searching for at the Moonpool.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
Category:Lost Stars
Category:The Broken Code arc
Category:Chapter subpages