Sorry for the late update!
Together the apprentice and the warrior made their way up towards camp. Under a brilliant fall canopy, cardinals and robins swept overhead. Brittle twigs crackled under Mistleheart's paws. She saw tightly woven dens come into view, and heard a babbling brook and anxious meowing.
"Come on, Rowanpaw! Hurry up!" Mistleheart called, dashing ahead and sending up a spray of crimson leaves.
"Okay, okay. I'm coming," muttered Rowanpaw. She bounded after the warrior and they burst into camp, sending up a tidal wave of multicolored foliage in several cats faces.
"Mistleheart!" Badgerfleck exclaimed.
"Rowanpaw! I was so worried!" Feathersong scolded.
"Watch where you're going, kits," Goldenwillow meowed.
Mistleheart rolled her eyes and pushed through the crowd of cats asking where they had been. "I need to speak with Ravenfoot!" She protested when Treebranch inquired the story for the fifteenth time.
She squeezed out of the Clan's tight huddle, and sprinted towards Ravenfoot's nest. "Hey, Ravenfoot!" she yelled.
"What is it? Are you actually going to explain where you've been for a day and a night?" Ravenfoot grumbled.
"Yes!" Rowanpaw skidded to a halt beside Mistleheart.
"Rowanpaw, go talk to Feathersong," Mistleheart said.
"No! I was there and I get to tell the story too!" Rowanpaw demanded.
"She has a point you know," Ravenfoot pointed out. He hopped lightly out of his nest and sat down in the weak sunlight, washing one of his paws casually.
"Alrighty then," Mistleheart said. She batted Rowanpaw gently behind the ear then sat down to begin the explanation. "We were on the dawn patrol, as you know. Rowanpaw-"
"I saw a squirrel and chased it onto that strip of pebbles that go to the center of the lake-" Rowanpaw interrupted.
"And she was careless and fell in." Mistleheart added. They quickly recounted their adventure and discovery of Starstone. When they were done, Ravenfoot said three words.
"Go see Badgerfleck." he said dryly.
Mistleheart was offended that Ravenfoot didn't believe her, but shook it off and decided that she would see Badgerfleck. And Whiskerpelt and Pebblepaw, while she was at it. She walked off purposefully and ducked into the medicine den. Badgerfleck and Pebblepaw were inside, tending to Silver.
Forgetting all about Starstone, Mistleheart crouched next to the young she-cat. "How's she doing?" she asked worriedly.
"Not too well," said Badgerfleck solemnly. "She's in the paws of StarClan."