And another, so I don't keep ya'll waiting!
"Rowanpaw!" Mistleheart skidded to a halt at the edge of the rushing water. "Rowanpaw!"
There was no response, only the gurgle of the rapids and shift of small pebbles. "Here goes nothing," she muttered, and bounded into the lake. It was colder than a block of ice. The rapids tossed her back and forth, playing with her as her lungs began to burn and scream for air. She wanted to resurface, but knew she had to find Rowanpaw.
She paddled blindy to where she had seen her Clanmate disappear, and was taken off guard by a sudden stronger current. "Wha ta?" She gurgled, drenched to the bone. The current picked up speed then suddenly slammed her into a cold stone wall.
Mistleheart was inside a circular cavern under the water. In the center of the cavern a silver fern shimmered. A crack was split above the fern, and sunlight poured onto it. Rowanpaw crouched next to it, soaked but alive. The apprentice batted it experimentally. A roll of thunder boomed and a gray cloud blocked the sun from the cavern for a moment.
"I suggest you don't touch that," Mistleheart remarked.
Rowanpaw averted her eyes and saw Mistleheart. "Oh! You found me! I was beginning to get worried!"
"What is this place?" she asked.
"I don't know. I thought I was a goner for sure, but the current swept me in here." Rowanpaw responded grimly.
"How are we gonna get out?" Mistleheart wondered aloud.
"We wait," Rowanpaw commented dryly. Mistleheart flopped down on the hard stone floor, expecting in full to have to wait however long it would take awake, but the water had exhausted her more than she realized, and the two were asleep in seconds.
It was pitch black in the cavern, lit only by the faint twinklings of distant stars. Mistleheart lifted her head and unfortunately smashed it against a low-hanging rock. "Yowch!" she yelped. Rowanpaw jumped to her paws and also got a face-full of roof.
"It's night!" Rowanpaw pointed out helpfully.
"Yes, they must be so worried!" moaned Mistleheart.
Then a distant sliver of golden moonlight illuminated the cavern. The walls changed from mossy and gross to golden, and sparkling like-well,-stars. The silver fern radiated a delicate glow, shimmering and bright.
"We-we're inside an underwater stone," Mistleheart realized. "Starstone!"
"Oh? I thought it was gonna be a Moonstone thing." Rowanpaw said.
"No, it's the cave. It's this plant that you see StarClan with, I guess." Mistleheart said quietly.
Suddenly a spray of icy water splashed into Starstone. More and more began to pour in through the hole. "As much as I'd like to stay and admire this, um, plant-I think we've got bigger problems!" Rowanpaw exclaimed.
"Do we swim, then?" Mistleheart said halfheartedly.
"Yep, we swim." responded Rowanpaw.
"Oh, gee. Here we go again," she said sarcastically.
They plunged into the waters, but the current's force just washed them back in again. "How's this gonna work?" Rowanpaw cried.
"Oh, StarClan!" Mistleheart yelped in surprise.
"What?" Rowanpaw shrieked.
"There's a pawprint mark on a carving of a silver fern…" Mistleheart hesitated.
"Press it!" screamed Rowanpaw. Mistleheart dug her paw into the fissure, and a golden arc of moonlight doused it. A wall of normal ferns grew together to form a tight barrier against the water.
On the other side of the cave, a layer of pebbles fell away to reveal a hidden passage. They followed it safely back up to land.
"Wow, do we have a story to tell StreamClan!" said Mistleheart enthusiastically.