Farewell

I padded out of the safety of my den, the cold ruffling my pelt. I looked back in to see my beautiful mate fluffed up against her two daughters. I grinned and set off, hoping that I wasn't too late. The moon winked at me through the trees and kissed my coat as I walke through what was left of the forest. I looked back at Sunning Rocks and continued on. Two ShadowClan warriors were huddled up and talking, turning their backs to me as I walked by. When I was out of ear-shot a dark gray tom spat on the ground at me. I hissed and contined to travel east. The warriors from above, guiding me. As I continued to walk through the forest I noticed how many trees were missing and how many twoleg monsters were in their place. Their yellow pelts gleamed in the starlight and they looked massive over the tree stumps. I soon reached my destination, stopping before a Twoleg nest with a familiar scent.

Cody.

I dropped down and mewed out her name. The flap under the door I used to use flew open and a brown tabby stepped out. She looked quite lovely in the moons glow and I purred and brushed up against her. The scents of Twolegs and faint forest cats waffled my nose but I was glad to see a familiar face.

"Hello Firestar, It's so nice to see you. I suppose now would be a good time to give you a proper good-bye." She licked his cheek and bowed her head, "May Birchkit be made into a fine warrior and give Ferncloud the best of luck." she paused, "tell Cloudtail that I will also miss him but, I will miss Leafpaw the most, she will be a wonderful medicine cat, and may StarClan always run with your clan," She paused and bowed her head again, "You will need all the luck you can get for you are leaving at dawn, am I not correct."

"Yes you are. We will leave as soon as possible. I wish you good luck with your Twolegs and tell Smudge I said hello." I smiled and flicked my tail good-bye and looked down the rows of Twoleg nests. I reached another familiar scent and stopped. I smelt my mother's milk and Twolegs and a faint scent of Cloudtail. I mewed one name so simple but this would be the last time to talk to someone I've loved even before Squirrelpaw, Leafpaw, and Sandstorm. A face popped out of the door flap and it looked around questionably.

"Hello." The she-cat said gingerly.

"Princess!" I yowled in delight. Leaping over the fence and into her garden. Her warm flank welcomed me and her tongue brushed against my head and face so many times, it got numb. Pulling away I saw she had a swollen belly, soon to be kitting and a clean, shimmery coat. Her face was grinning and her eyes were full of love.

"Cody says that you were leaving, and I don't want you to leave!" She pressed her face into my flank. He eyes full of tears.

"I don't want to leave but I have to..." I trailed off, but regained myself, "The Twolegs are destroying us. Too many have died."

Princess shook her pretty head, "You could live with me, my Twolegs will let you---"

I spat on the ground, "It's your Twolegs that are destroying my home!"

Princess shrank back, "Well at least tell Cloudtail--"

"I'm here," Came a voice from the shadows. A white long-haired tom appeared from the shadows. His mother quickly brushed against him.

"Oh, Cloudtail, I've missed you so!" The queen cried out. Cloudtail sighed and licked his mother. "The forests are dangerous! You are so big now! I'll miss you--"

"One at a time, mother.." He purred and stood next to me, "I must go, with Firestar and the others."

Princess mewed to herself and nodded, "I understand, and if it is as far as Cody said, then we probably will never see each other again, unless my Twolegs move."

"Let's hope not, Twolegs are bad!" Cloudtail persisted.

I sighed, "We must leave now... Maybe we will meet again."

Princess stared at her paws for some time, "I finally meet my brother, and have my first son, and I must separate from you forever? This is too much!"

She yowled in confusion, anger, and sadness. Disappointed she looked up at her kin, "I guess I cannot stop you to from your journey, to see new places, new things, prey, forests, water, air. But, you will have the same moon, and when I look up at the night sky, and so do you, somehow I bet we will be connected and bonded."

Cloudtail and I nodded in approval, I licked Princess for the last time and rubbed against her flank, she purred and I joined her, Cloudtail licked his birth mother and smiled.

"Good-bye, Mother! I shall miss you!"

"Farewell!"

And with that, a journey began...