Rootpaw/History

Lost Stars

 * Rootkit is a SkyClan kit, born to Violetshine and Tree alongside his sister, Needlekit. Leafstar calls a Clan meeting to make him and Needlekit apprentices, and Rootkit thinks that he wants to be the best warrior he can be. He is named Rootpaw, with Dewspring as his mentor. However, the young apprentice is sensitive about the strange behavior of his father, Tree, which the two apprentices Kitepaw and Turtlepaw pick up on after the ceremony, and tease him about.


 * Two days later, Rootpaw has battle training with Dewspring and the other apprentices. He struggles with a battle move that Needlepaw seems to get right away, causing him to become embarrassed yet again, though his sister comforts him. Turtlepaw offers advice, but Kitepaw suggests that Rootpaw is not cut out for warrior life like his strange father. Rootpaw threatens the reddish-brown tom, and Turtlepaw reminds them that they'll get in trouble for fighting, though it's not likely that Rootpaw would win. This causes Rootpaw to snap, and he lunges unsuccessfully at the tortoiseshell she-cat. The older apprentices continue to taunt him, but Rootpaw insists he'll become a strong warrior.


 * Kitepaw suggests that to prove himself, Rootpaw should help them collect herbs by the lake, though Needlepaw urges her brother not to listen to the tricky apprentices. Rootpaw agrees to come along, though Kitepaw and Turtlepaw continue to tease him, and after one taunt too many, Rootpaw attacks them. However, they dodge, and Rootpaw falls into the lake. He is rescued by a ThunderClan apprentice, Bristlepaw, and brought to the ThunderClan camp to recover.


 * Kept there for a few days, Rootpaw recovers, and grows to admire Bristlepaw. She advises he stay away from Kitepaw and Turtlepaw, and focus on his training. Rootpaw thinks she's very smart, but she just brushes it off as knowing enough to keep away from those kinds of cats. A SkyClan patrol arrives soon after to take him home, and he hears his father, much to his chagrin. Rootpaw reflects on how he doesn't want to be like Tree, and how his father doesn't seem to even try to fit in. On the way back, he also mentally disagrees how Tree talks about the way of the warrior not being the only one, and who is really true to himself when his father lives under rules he doesn't really respect.


 * Waking up for a training session, his mentor explains that Turtlepaw and Kitepaw are being punished for their part in Rootpaw's almost drowning, and Rootpaw objects by saying it's his fault too. Dewspring says that they're older and should know better, and is he a bit disappointed in his apprentice for going along with them in the first place. Apologizing, he goes along with his mentor to train. When he runs into Kitepaw and Turtlepaw, the two apprentices blame him for being mouse-brain enough to fall into the lake. Rootpaw confides in Needlepaw, who believes he should ignore the others and work on being true to himself.


 * While reciting the warrior code, he and Dewspring overhear Fidgetflake and Leafstar discuss the medicine cats disconnection with StarClan. Rootpaw initially frets about it, but Dewspring silences him by reminding his apprentice they should trust in their leader and medicine cats. After, Rootpaw catches a plump crow, and sets off to camp. On the way, he sees Tree lay in the snow, pretending to be a bush to kill a vole. After seeing him do that, Rootpaw decides his father belongs with the Clans. The Clan feasts for the first time in moons, and even Turtlepaw and Kitepaw are impressed by Rootpaw's catch.


 * At the Gathering, Rootpaw boasts to Bristlepaw how he caught the crow, much latter's ire since she's been struggling to catch anything. After a successful battle training session, Rootpaw reflects how he wished he could show Bristlepaw, whom he had grown to admire. Noting how frustrated she seemed about the lack of prey, Rootpaw asks Leafstar and Hawkwing if he could catch something to bring to Bristlepaw as a thanks during his recovery. They reluctantly agree, and Rootpaw catches a vole. He, Dewspring, and Sunnypelt travel to ThunderClan's camp, and Rootpaw gives her the prey. Bristlepaw awkwardly accepts it, and Rootpaw notices something off about Bramblestar. Meanwhile, Bristlepaw is furious about the scene Rootpaw made, and Stemleaf teases that the younger apprentice is in love with her.


 * He becomes embarrassed after bringing Bristlepaw the vole, and frets about his Clanmates despising him for potentially wasting prey. While hunting alone, he runs into Shadowpaw going to the Moonpool. The two amicably chat, and Rootpaw relishes finding someone else who was also struggling to fit in. While traveling together briefly, Shadowpaw treats Rootpaw when the latter accidentally steps on a thorn, and Rootpaw reflects how Shadowpaw will become a great medicine cat.


 * Rootpaw, among with many other cats from SkyClan, ThunderClan, RiverClan, and WindClan, try to break the ice in the Moonpool which they believe was severing their connection with StarClan. Rootpaw runs into Bristlepaw, who is now Bristlefrost, and he forgives her for the way she acted. He helps push the rock onto the Moonpool, but the crack created only reveals more ice.


 * After Bramblestar is revived following Shadowpaw's unorthodox treatment, Tree calls a family meeting, concerned about Bramblestar's behavior akin to Darktail's. When his father suggests they should leave, Rootpaw argues against. Tree makes them promise to be careful. Afterwards, while walking in the snow, Rootpaw bumps into what he assumed to be Brambelstar but was slightly transparent. Frightened, Rootpaw runs away in terror as the "Bramblestar thing" cries out for help.