***

"Where's Wildstar?"

"No idea" Rosethorn replied.
Blushpool gazed wildly around the camp, but found no trace of her.

"Silentpaw, Windpaw, Moonpaw, have you seen your leader?"

"Yes, please don't think I'm lazy, Blushpool, we are only eating because Silentpaw saw Wildstar leaving earlier, and she asked what was going and what we were supposed to do, and she told her we'd work hard so we deserved a break-- We went rabbit hunting today as you can see-"

"Windpaw," Bloodpool interrupt the rambling apprentice. "Where is my mate?"

"Yes, yes, about that--"

"She told Silentpaw that she was going for a walk near the Riverclan border." Moonpaw interrupted her.

"Thank you."

Blushpool when through the
Bramble tunnel.

A raindrop fell in front of her. In the light of the sun setting down beyond the moor, the dropplet had a red-tinted hue that starleted Bloodpool for a moment as she thought the sky was raining blood. Blushpool felt a such a drainig disconfort that for a moment all Blushpool could do was stared at the place where the drop had splashed in the ground. She couldn't move a paw as a fright to come near it overpowered her. As she closed her eyes, imaged flashed across her face of her mother's wounded, blood-stained pelt.

"Irislight..." She called as she had done when she was a frightened little kit.

Ans yet, her guardian was gone, and Blushpool was alone. She had to go on, to find her mate.

She opened her eyes with a sharp inhale, and stepped over the splash with resolution.

"Where are you, Wildstar..." She murmured to herself.

Rain poured even harder, and her pelt felt damper and damper.

Above the thundering of the rainfall, she heard a loud crack behind her. She turned around, shivering.  The sound couldn't have been from a small creature. With a fright, Blushpool pictured a hungry fox trailing after her.

"Who's there?" She called out.

Two familiar shapes emerged from the fern. Bloodpool relaxed for a second, but then anger strucked her.

"Windpaw, Silentpaw! What are you ding outside the camp?" She exclaimed.

"Please don't be mad, Bloodpool. Silentpaw was worried about her and I convinced her we had to go. She told me she heard some things about Wildstar that..." The she-cat trailed off as another shape emerged from the same ferns.

"Moonpaw! You too?"

"I only came to make sure they stayed out of trouble."

Before Bloodpool could reply, Silentpaw stepped up. "I'm worried about Wildstar."

Blushpool felt a tinge of empathy. "Me too."

Silentpaw seemed encouraged by her answer. "So you've noticed it too? She hasn't been herself for a while, I think it's Rosethorn."

"I agree." She replied honestly. "But polítics shouldn't be a concern for apprentices. Silentpaw, you can come with me, but the rest of you need to go back to the clan and tell your mother what's going on, but tell no one else unless they need something important." Blushpool looked at Windpaw in the eye. "Can you do that?“

“Yes, Blushpool." Wildpaw replied earnestly.