Fleck flinched. The old tom's breath was sour. But he did not back away or make any rude comments that could offend the tom. This was Graystripe. Firestar's closest friend. Fleck had been raised on stories of his bravery. He would not disrespect this cat simply because he was no longer as young and strong as he had once been. To Fleck, the thing that mattered most was the heart and spirit. And he knew with the utmost certainty that Graystripe's spirit had not faded as the years passed.
He looked into the eyes of the old tom. It was odd, he thought, how he knew Graystripe so very well, and yet Graystripe had no clue who he was. But that was up to Fleck to change. "My name is Fleck. You are correct, I am not Ravenpaw. But I knew him. I am the kit of his daughter Minty."
Graystripes eyes sparkled with emotion, clearly remembering a time long since passed. "I sould have known. You look so very much like he did, when he was younger. Except for the white speckles on your pelt." He wheezed. "So Ravenpaw settled down, eh?" Fleck heard Graystripe murmur happily.
"It makes sense that your Ravenpaw's kin, but what I don't understand is why you've come all the way here. The barn where Ravenpaw lived is very far from here. It couldn't have been an easy journey for you, So why come all the way to Thunderclan?" The old tom asked.
Fleck swallowed nervously. He was painfully aware of the silence in the clearing, and that every single cat in the clan had their eyes trained on him, listening intently to the conversation. His pelt was flaming with embarrassment. He could feel their eyes boring into him. Fleck wasn't used to being around so many cats. "I came here because of a promise I made to Ravenpaw. And to meet Thunderclan. Ravenpaw died a few moons ago. When I was a kit, he taught me all about the clans and his adventures with them. It was clear that he loved Thunderclan very much. Just before he died, I found that his last wish was that he could see his old friends once more. To walk among Thunderclan. He wished that he could have given his descendants the opportunity to become warriors. Though he never once regretted the life he chose, I know he missed the companionship of the Clan cats. So I made him a promise. I swore that I would find the clan he loved so much, to walk among them because he no longer could."
"So Ravenpaw's gone to join Starclan... At least he'll be able to walk among old friends now. Such a noble cat will be welcomed into the ranks of Starclan." He meowed. "Young one, you are brave to come all this way. Ravenpaw would have been proud. It has been many moons since I've seen such determination." Graystripe rasped.
Fleck looked at the faces around him, so familiar and yet so foreign at the same time. He could tell not all of them believed him. Some of them still had hostility in their eyes, though many of the older warriors had lost their aggressive stances. He had to make them all believe him. He had known from the beginning that earning the trust of the clan would not be easy. But he had to find a way to do it. For Ravenpaw.
When he spoke again, his voice was louder, rising with confidence. He addressed the whole clan now, not just Graystripe. "Thunderclan, you may not know me. But I know you. I was raised on tales of your bravery and strength. I was put to sleep with tales of your nobility. Firestar, Bluestar, Yellowfang, Graystripe, Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Leafpaw… These are names I know so very well. I have never met you, and yet I feel I have known you all my life." He finished.
The clearing was silent for a moment. Then, on one side of the camp, the warriors started moving aside to let someone through. Fleck craned his neck, trying to see who was pushing their way through the crowd. Out of the mass of cats, a huge brown tabby with fierce amber eyes and a scar on his shoulder stepped forward. It was clear that this cat was a highly important member of the clan. But who? The tabby opened his jaws to speak.
"A very moving tale, young Fleck. You have succeeded in finding Thunderclan. And I welcome you to our camp. My name is Bramblestar. I am the leader of Thunderclan." When the tom spoke, his voice was deep, and filled with wisdom.
"Thank you, Bramblestar." Fleck meowed, his voice full of respect. He slowly realized that this must be the son of Tigerstar that Ravenpaw had spoken of. The one determined not to follow in his father's pawsteps. Brambleclaw.
Bramblestar nodded. "Well, now that you have found us, I must ask you this: What do you plan to do next? You have fulfilled your promise to Ravenpaw. So what does your future hold?" The clan leader asked. Fleck could see the curiosity in his amber eyes.
There was no hesitation in Fleck's voice as he replied, despite the pounding of his heart. Not the slightest bit of uncertainty. "I want to join Thunderclan."
Well, that's it for this chapter! Thank you so, so much to everyone who has taken the time to read this story. I hope you're enjoying it! I suppose I should tell you all a little bit about my plans for this story. It's going to be pretty long, I can guarantee that. I can't say quite how many chapters, but there will be quite a few. I also plan to write a sequel and prequel after I'm done with this story. The prequel will come first, and it will be about the Clans about 8 moons after the last book. I hope you all continue reading!