This isn't goodbye

Viridian eyes watched his mother, his littlest sister, and one of his brothers fade into the distance. Oleander didn't understand. They may have told him a hundred times, but he still couldn't understand. He was finally strong enough to play, to run, to roam... Did he keep his mother here? Now that he was strong enough was she sick of him? If he got sick again would she come back? Did they have to leave so she could focus on his siblings instead of him?

He was waiting for her to come back, to tell him it was a terrible prank... But they didn't, they kept going. Maybe if he proved that he could survive and even be stronger than both his taller bigger brothers she would come back...

When their father turned towards who was left and invited them for a hug Oleander watched the space where he had seen Halo, Whisper, and Warden last. He stood rooted to the spot, his eyes couldn't hide the growing sadness and stress. He had been tended to so closely through his sickly puppyhood that he suddenly felt so very alone.

He took a half step to follow them through the woods but huffed and turned around to his father's embrace. Not letting his tears show, burying his creamy face into the smoke and slates of his father's fur and feathers. He couldn't relax though and quickly slipped out of the hug. He nimbly hopped upon a low branch and then climbed into the upper canopy that could hold him. He hoped he could still see their forms but the leaves and trees around them all still obscured them from view.

Instead, he tried to hide from his family among the leaes, he didn't want them to worry how he was taking this and didn't want to show them his tears.