Falconblaze and Hawkspirit barely noticed it when they finally left the meadows where they had been staying all leaf-bare. Now it was finally new-leaf, and time to move on. As the two warriors reached the top of the hills that surrounded the peaceful valley they turned and looked back one more time. Far behind they saw the lonely tree where they had made their nests, and on the other side of the meadows the cluster of trees that represented the wolf camp. Finally, in the middle of everything, the rocky out spring where they had defeated the wolf pack for the last time.
What he and Hawkspirit had learned here would always stay with them, but it was time to move on. It was a wonderful place those meadows, but if they were going to explore the world they could never settle down. That didn't really bother him though, because it is what he had always dreamed of doing. The only thing that pained him, that made his heart bleed, was that with each step he was going farther and farther away from NightClan. He knew that as soon as they reached the mountains he and Hawkspirit would never see their friends and family again.
After a long time, just standing there and letting the image of his old home burn into his brain, the two cats turned away and kept going. In the horizon they could just make out the silhouettes of the wolf pack retreating north. As they watched the lead wolf stopped and turned its head towards them. It raised its muzzle to the sky and howled a final goodbye. Falconblaze replied with a soft yowl. As the sounds died away the wolves picked up speed again and ran into the forest, out of sight.
"I'm going to miss this place." Hawkspirit said. Falconblaze smiled and nodded.
"Me too. Who knows? Maybe we will return one day. Never know where our travels will lead us from now on." he replied. Hawkspirit looks at him.
"You think so?" he asks, but Falconblaze just shrugs. Hawkspirit sighs and looks away. Suddenly he sees something in the corner of his eyes. "Hey, Falconblaze! Look! It's a cat!" he exclaims. Falconblaze frowns and looks in the direction Hawkspirit was pointing in.
Sure enough, to the left a small black she-cat walked with her head hanging and tail drooping. She hadn't noticed them, just kept walking.
"Should we call her?" Hawkspirit asks. "She looks kind of miserable."
Falconblaze hesitates. They didn't know who this stranger was, and if she really was as sad as she looked. On the other hand, this cat looked young, maybe even hurt. So Falconblaze nods.
"Go ahead. Don't be too-"
"HEY, YOU! Are you alright??" Hawkspirit yells. The she-cat looks up at them, freezes fir a moment, then flees away into the forest.
"-sudden." Falconblaze sighs. "Great job, now you just scared her off." he growls. The brown tabby hangs his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry." he mutters. Falconblaze shakes his head.
"Oh well. Let's just keep going." he meows and they keep walking. Now their only mission was to get to the mountains. And what happened after that, well, StarClan knows.
