Goodbye

Tiger

Another meeting had been announced not long after the last and Tiger was sitting with perked ears in the middle of his tribe mates. Maybe there were news about the fire? 

Though as Thorn began the ceremony he had long since awaited  but not expected now his ears quickly turned down and he looked up to the leader with shock. They would go now?! While the mountain might still be burning?

He gulped as he remembered what Honk and Shroom had told him about their Quest of Belonging. The time came to say goodbye to your family then. His first instinct was to look towards Hawk, but he was hesitant.

Hawk

The tabby felt his heart o into his throat when Thorn announced the To-Be's who would leave for the mountains, he hadn't payed that much attention to the last meeting, but the rumors.

Hawk's ears lowered with worry, a dread in his eyes just at the thought, and he looked around, spotting the sandy pelt of the young cat from his place, and he stood up to walk towards him.

"Tiger" He greets, looking at the tabby tom with clear worry in his eyes.

Tiger

He saw the other moving then and a small smile got on his face as he noticed that Hawk was walking right towards him. Tiger stood as well then and meet the other on the way.

He stood then before the Claw Guard, looking up and noticing the worry in his eyes. The To-Be was glad about it. Not that the other was worried of course but ... that he cared. 

Tiger was afraid himself so he just ... he wanted to tell Hawk some things. Just to make sure that he would know. "Hawk. I-" he began, looked away from his eyes for a second before looking up again "Thank you so much. For ... for everything really." The sandy tom began to knead the ground a bit with his paws as he talked.

Hawk

The blueish eyes of the tom looked down in the younger To-Be, and he took a deep breath as the worry just seemed to grow.

It felt like yesterday Tiger was still a cat who wanted an out of the Claw Guards, a tom who was scared of his family, it felt like yesterday he had accompanied him to tell Thorn.

It felt all too soon.

"I just helped" He said, patting the head of the younger cat, a proud smile on his face "Tiger you did all by yourself, I just helped in some steps"

The tabby looked around, to the cats saying goodbye, and returned his eyes to the other with the dread on his throat "Tiger in all my time seeing and helping train To-Be's, I have never been prouder to see one go"

Tiger

A quivering smile grew on his face at Hawk's words. It felt like an explosion was going off in his chest and the feeling of happiness and fondness overwhelmed him a bit. Especially mixed with the fear of the Quest.

It was a bit of a gut reaction as he quickly buried his head into the fur on Hawk's neck with his eyes shut closely. "You helped a lot." his voice was so small as he said it, muffled in the Claw Guard's fur but he hoped the other still understood it. A few tears of happiness wanted to break out but he tried to hold them back.

Hawk

He let a paw rest on the others back when the other let his head rest against his chest, a hug between the two, a quiet moment.

A calm before a storm, he wasn't sure if he wanted the other to go.

"Be... Be careful" He whispered, his head resting on Tiger's, the hug tighter, he didn't want to see the other go to a place that wasn't safe "Son, please come back" He begs, a small tear escaping his eyes, the fear is too great to ignore.

Tiger

Tiger drowned out all the other sounds around them of the cats talking to each other. Enjoying the moment and listening to Hawk's breathing. He calmed down for just a moment.

"I will be ..." he mumbled in the same volume of voice as Hawk. He gathered a bit of courage and then repeated "I will be, dad. Promise. I'll be back in no time." he smiled a little into the others fur as he lost the fight against his own tears as well.

Hawk

The tabby felt a small sob escape his mouth, then more tears, he shook his head as he took a moment breath and calm himself, nodding to the younger cat before finally letting the hug go.

"I'm proud of you, I'll be here once you're back" He smiled, patting the other's head, the fondness in his eyes was clear "...I'm glad I met you, son" He repeated, just to say it again, and nodded to the sandy tom once again "Go and say goodbye to the others, I'm sure they'll want a goodbye too" The Claw Guard smiled again, for reassurance to the other.

Tiger

The young tom sat up as well as Hawk ended the hug, opening his eyes again and looking back up at the other. His chest was a bit swelled in pride as he tried to still hold onto the calmness that he felt around the other.

"I'm glad too. I will tell you all about it after I'm back." Tiger said and nodded as Hawk send him off to use the rest of the time to also say goodbye to the others. 

He looked over his shoulder towards Honk, Shroom and Brave before looking back to Hawk and touching his head one more time with his own as a goodbye "Goodbye dad. See you soon." he said before he gave the other a reassuring smile of his own and turned towards his friends. Saying his last goodbyes to them as well, before he was called with the other three apprentices to the front.