Back to where it all started [Open, Flintstar needed!]

The sun sat just above the horizon by the time Stagleap had reached Shadowclan's camp. Along the way, he made sure to follow every one of Spark's directions as he followed the tom through the unfamiliar territory. Stagleap had spent the trip marveling at the great pines that scattered the marshy land, and if he wasn't looking at the trees he was lost in thought, thinking about how he may finally be able to meet his family.

Now, he stood before a thorn tunnel, heavy Shadowclan scent seeping from it. It was obvious that this was their camp. 'This is it. Your parents might be on the other side of this tunnel.' He thought to himself. With a gulp, he followed Spark through, ducking low to prevent his fur from catching on the thorns. It reminded him of Thunderclan's camp entrance. When Stagleap emerged on the other side, he found himself in a muddy hollow, Shadowclan cats rushing this way and that, carrying on with duties, he assumed. Even so, he could feel their eyes on him as he padded further in. His own eyes darted this way and that, searching for a familiar face- Flintstar's face. He stuck close to Spark, hoping that the other tom could provide him some comfort. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke. "I'd like to speak with Flintstar, please."

Flintstar had been lazing outside of his den, half-alert lest any of the rogues that were threatening the Clan decided to be brash and launch an attack on the camp itself. His ears twitched at the sound of movement, glancing towards the entrance to see Foxspark stepping into camp. For a heartbeat, he let his gaze slip away...Before he realized he didn't recognize the cat that Foxspark was with. At that, he pushed himself to his paws as a dark shadow crossed his face, giving the tom a long look as he gave a small taste of the air. ...ThunderClan? His tail lashed as he glanced between Stagleap and Foxspark, his expression as unreadable as always. "...What do you want?" he questioned, his tone sharp but he had a few guesses on why this... There was a pause, a flicker of something flashing across Flintstar's face. ...Why did this tom look familiar? Like...

Family.

A wave of relief washed over Stagleap when he caught sight of the Shadowclan leader. "Sorry that I arrived so unexpectedly, I don't think I was expecting to come here either." The second half of his words were mumbles under his breath. He stepped toward Flintstar, looking at the larger tom. He took in a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "My name is Stagleap. I... I was wondering if I could join Shadowclan- I come from Thunderclan, but I was one of the kits taken by the Asylum, I stayed there because I didn't know where else to go. I was just hoping that, if it was okay with you, I could join in an attempt to find my parents? Even if I can't, I'll stay here. I have Spark, after all, and he's more than what I had in Thunderclan." He gestured to the orange tom behind him, casting him a nervous glance before turning back to Flintstar. The silence between them felt like it lasted ages to Stagleap, each heartbeat past was another moon. He nervously gulped, awaiting the Shadowclan leader's response.

There was a long silence following Stagleap's explanation where the tom simply stared at him, unblinking. Stagleap...Was one of the missing kits? He had to be from ShadowClan if he wanted to find his parents. He... Two kits had been stolen from ShadowClan - Emberkit had returned to them shortly after Asylum's fall but the second kit... He could see it now, why Stagleap had seemed so familiar - like family. Because he was. "Burntkit," the leader finally muttered, falling back onto his haunches as he stared at the warrior. "You...Are my nephew. Your brother - Emberleap, one of the other stolen kits..." he paused, trying to recall what Emberleap's name had been he had been officially made a warrior. "Pyrik. He is here but your parents..." He gave a sad shake of his head. "Nobody has seen Smokespirit or Ebonysong in moons. I suspect the worst - most cats who disappear do not return. But if you wish a place within ShadowClan, then you shall have it - I am not one to turn down cats, but even more than that you are a ShadowClan cat in blood and you are family to me. I will speak to Minkstar at the next gathering about your choice - Foxspark can help you find a nest within the warrior's den." There was a pause, before his eyes narrowed slightly. "You should be informed thought - rogues lurk within our territories. No cat is to be in the territory alone until the threat is confirmed over, is that clear?" he meowed, giving a sharp look at Foxspark before he pushed himself to his paws. "However, you need to be taught the layout of the territory anyways. Foxspark, you will be in charge of teaching Stagleap how to safely navigate our territory."

When Flintstar finally responded, Stagleap simply tilted his head with confusion. What did he mean by Burntkit? The warrior opened his mouth to ask, but stopped himself when the leader spoke again. Wait... Nephew? Stagleap's eyes widened the more Flintstar went on, his expression changing from joy to surprise to disappointment. He sat silently, taking in every one of Flintstar's words despite the war of emotions going on in his head. Pyrik is his brother? But his parents were missing? And Flintstar was his uncle? It was so much to take in at once. "I see."

It was disheartening to know that his parents had been missing for moons now, but at least now he knew who his parents were, and that he even had parents. Besides, he had family here. Flintstar, the Shadowclan leader, was his uncle! Replacing his disappointment, Stagleap expressed his gratitude to Flintstar, dipping his head. "Thank you Flintstar, truly. Without your help I wouldn't even know where I had come from- and with Spark's help, of course." Before, Stagleap had seen Flintstar as a cold, strong leader who looked out for his clan. Although the last two were true, he had come to realize that the Shadowclan leader was kind and understanding. He was proud to be related to him.

Stagleap turned his attention to Spark when the other tom was mentioned before looking back to Flintstar and replying to him with a nod. He knew that Shadowclan had been dealing with a rogue problem, but he had never known how bad it was. He could worry about that later, though. "Alright! You hear that, Spark? I can stay! Let's go find me a nest!"