© 2001- 2024 Linda Aarts
Part 3

**Talon.**

Wildlight stood up, and nodded to Hawkeye to sit near the man who had been his best friend for a large part of his life. Hawkeye gratefully accepted the place, and he kneeled down. The sending of Talon seemed to be getting somewhat stronger, and he now lock-sent: **I’m dying, Hawkeye…** He hesitated for a moment. **We have treated you so badly, Hawkeye… And I feel so sorry for that… I truly hope that you will forgive me.**

Hawkeye smiled, and his eyes were soft. **I already have, my friend.**

Talon tried to smile, but then a cough interfered, and it took a while for him to send again. **I ask you to do me a favour, Hawkeye, although I am aware that I do not have the right to do that.** He hesitated, not knowing if he would go any further.

Hawkeye nodded. **Go on.**

**Please… keep an eye on Goldstar… and Stormsong… I know that you have always had an eye on my lifemate, Hawkeye… that was the base of our friendship, after all…**

The only thing that Hawkeye could do was nod.

Soon after that, Talons breathing slowed down, and he coughed more and more. Goldstar kept her strength, sussing and talking to him, removing the warm, wet piece of cloth and replacing it by a cold one. Hawkeye admired her for her courage, and felt so sorry for her. Wildlight had left the den; to leave the family with the last hours the sick one had left.

After a few hours, Talon lost consciousness. Stormsong left a few tears, without making any sound. Hawkeye comforted her, by wrapping an arm around her shoulder. A few moments they just sat there, not knowing what Talon would do. Then Goldstar sent to her lifemate.

And she kept sending, so deeply that it almost seemed she got in a sort of trance. For a couple of moments, she went on, and both Stormsong and Hawkeye almost forgot to breathe.

Suddenly, Goldstar seemed to collapse, and she began to tremble. With her eyes full of tears she looked up to her daughter and her lifemate’s best friend, and she softly spoke: "He is gone."

Hawkeye closed his eyes. He already knew. He had almost felt the spirit of Talon, leaving his body. Stormsong wrapped her arms around her mother, and they both cried. Hawkeye felt not welcome anymore, so he stood up. **Goldstar, Stormsong… If you need any help, any support… I’ll be there for you.**

Stormsong looked up with a kind of a smile, and nodded thankfully. It didn’t seem that Goldstar had heard the sending. He closed his eyes for a moment. Talon, his best friend, had passed away. He felt so cruel for all the bad thoughts he had had about the two of them, and gasped. Then he sent out to Wildlight.

**Chief… Talon passed away.**

Further words weren’t needed.

Hawkeye thought of the way he felt a week before. Goldstar had laughed so brightly, her eyes twinkling with joy. He wondered if that twinkling would ever return to her leaf green eyes. He felt so… mean, for what he had thought. Of what he had done. And although the fact that it was not his fault, that it wasn’t he who had to feel sorry, he did.

He hoped that Goldstar would forgive him, someday…