[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

Delano didn't smile, feeling as nervous as he was. "Yeah, about that..." His gaze lowered, as Delano found himself unable to look at Lina in the eye. "We... we don't really have that much time left..." Agitated, he started to back away from Lina slowly without realizing it. Now he knew how hard it was to tell Lina.

Forcing his gaze up, Delano was finally able to look at Lina. "I'm leaving today."

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina smiled with excitement, already looking forward to spending the following day with him. The smile slowly faded away as Delano uttered those three words, leaving her completely shocked and confused, "What?" she asked, her expression blank. "But... You said we were going to... I... Why?" she was of course feeling completely lost. She went over to where Delano backed off to, feeling even more nervous at the way he backed away from her. She looked into his eyes, not knowing what to say.

[DGFone]

Delano looked away from Lina again. "It's better that way," he muttered quietly, "there's no point in having me stay for a few days." He leaned over and nuzzled Lina. "Even if I would leave tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, today would still feel like I will leave now." He sighed. "So it's better to just not have this wait."

Now, he looked up at Lina, and tried to smile. "Besides, if I leave now, I'll be able to come back sooner."

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina did not see this coming at all. She was already planning on how they were both going to spend the next few days, and this came to her completely by surprise. However, thinking on what he said, she knew that he was right. The sooner he would leave the sooner he would come back, and also the longer he stayed the worse they'll both feel once he did decide to leave. Sighing, she gave him a big hug, nuzzling him as she did. "So you're leaving now?" she asked, letting out another say, not wanting to let him go.

[DGFone]

Delano hugged Lina back, grateful that she didn't seem mad at him. "Yeah, I guess I'll go now." He said simply. At this moment, leaving felt like the hardest thing he ever had to do in his life, but he knew he had to. "Let me go get the others."

He got up and walked into the den, moving over to where the rest were. "Would you mind stepping outside?" he asked. "I would appreciate it if you were there when I will leave."

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina nodded, managing a slight smile. There was no point delaying the inevitable. After a few moments they got back to the den. Muroki looked at Umeme and Kasi, who looked back at him before they all went outside. Muroki went ahead and placed a paw on his brother's shoulder, "So... this is it." it was the first where he and his brother were going to be apart for more than a few hours. Muroki had a hard time believing that they were going to be apart and god knew for how long.

[DGFone]

Delano nodded. "Yeah. This is it." He reached out and embraced his brother in a deep hug. "I'll miss you," he said in a soft voice. "Keep Lina and Umeme safe for me." He broke up the embrace, and smiled at Muroki. "We'll be separate for the first time in our lives... So long, brother."

He then went over to Kasi. "Stay strong, Kasi. Your family needs you. Don't forget it." He gave his cousin a playful shove before moving away.

Kasi nodded. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered at Delano. "Return soon."

And finally, Delano went over to Lina for one last time. "I'll miss you a lot," he whispered, "I don't know how often I'll be able to communicate with you, but I'll do so as often as I can. Remember what each symbol means..." He stared into her eyes. "Goodbye."

Delano got up and began to walk away with a heavy heart. But there was no turning back now. Forcing himself to keep moving one step at a time, he only stopped when he reached the last hill where the den is still visible. Quickly turning around, he saw the others still watching him. "I'll be back soon!" He called out. "You just wait!"

With a heavy sigh, he turned back and disappeared from sight.

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina could not believe that this was happening. She was thinking that they were going to spend at least another day together, and either way she never expected him to tell her he was leaving just five minutes before doing so. But Lina held her tongue back, reminding herself that the sooner he left the sooner he would come back. If at all. When he stared into her eyes, she went ahead and spoke in a soft and quiet voice. "Goodbye my love." other than that, she couldn't think of anything else to say to him. Once he was out of sight, she let out another sigh and then walked back inside.

[DGFone]

Umeme watched Lina walk back inside the den, clearly upset. She turned to Muroki. "She needs our help," she said, "come on." She made sure that Muroki followed her inside before approaching Lina, who was lying at a far end of the den, staring at a wall.

"It will be okay, Lina," Umeme whispered, trying to comfort her sister. "He'll be back before you know it." And in her heart, she hoped that that would be true, for if Delano won't come back, Lina would have an extremely hard time adjusting to a new life.

[TheWhistlerify]

Lina stared at the wall even after Umeme arrived by her side. The black and blank stone was somehow visualizing the way she was feeling right now; empty. She didn't answer her sister at first nor did she even look at her, until she felt Umeme placing a paw on her shoulder. Her head turned in Umeme's direction so quickly as if Umeme's paw was a burning piece of wood or an ice cube. Despite how it might have looked for a moment, Lina wasn't angry or bothered by her sister. "How can you tell?" she had already asked Delano this question, and she knew that Umeme didn't know the answer either. To show that she didn't mean to ask such a question, Lina rested her head on her own shoulder and on Umeme's paw. "I hope he'll be back..."