My first Warriors Fanfic piece: written on 11/28/24
DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT ASKING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greenkit lay curled up in her nest, but sleep refused to visit her.
She yawned and stretched, but her eyes remained stubbornly open as she gazed up at the stars twinkling through the den entrance.
She tried counting them, but she lost track after the first dozen.
She tried closing her eyes and picturing a warm, cozy place, but all she could see was the darkness around her, and the silhouettes of her slumbering littermates.
She was getting more and more frustrated by the minute, and she couldn't help but let out a pitiful mew.
Sootcloud, Greenkit's father, heard her cry from the other side of the nursery den and padded over to her.
"What's wrong, my little one?" he asked tenderly.
"I can't go to sleep, Dada," Greenkit replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've tried everything I can think of, but sleep won't come."
Sootcloud smiled knowingly and sat down beside her. "Ah, I remember those nights," he said. "When I was just a kit, I used to have the same trouble. But I learned a trick that always put me to sleep."
Greenkit's ears perked up. "What trick?" she asked eagerly, her stubby ginger tabby tail swishing.
Sootcloud licked her forehead affectionately. "I sing," he said simply. “I sing just like my mother did. I sing, just like the Sisters.”
Greenkit rolled her eyes. "Daddy, I know you're a great singer, but I doubt that will work."
Sootcloud chuckled. "Not just any song, my dear. A very special one, a song about the wonders of the night and the mystery of the northern wind."
Greenkit looked at him skeptically. "I don't know that I've ever heard that one."
"Of course, you have," Sootcloud said. "It's the song I always sang to you when you were just a tiny kit, remember?"
Greenkit thought for a moment, and then she nodded. "Oh, that song! I love that one."
"Good," Sootcloud said, and began to sing softly:
"Hush, little one
What do you hear?
The wolf's howl deep in the forest,
And the foxes' yowl in search of food.
The owl screeches as she flies above,
A symphony of sounds, all sung in nocturnal rhyme.
But don't be afraid, dear
For the night is a friend
She covers our fur with her dark pelt,
She wraps us in her stealthy embrace.
With peaceful darkness, a calm, gentle wind
The northern wind whispers in the trees
Its chilly breath, the midnight breeze
Feel how the wind blows through your bones!
See the treetops shake and shiver...!
So, close your eyes, and let dreams take flight.
As you drift off to sleep in the beauty of the night.
For the stars will shine and the moon will glow
And the wonders of the night will forever call.
The wolf howls through the forest.
He wants to but cannot rest.
His pack is hungry, and it’s cold in their den.
The north wind ruffles his fur as it brings the scent of prey.
The wolf raises his savage head, ready for the kill.
Hush now, little holly berry, sweet slumber to thee
May the mysteries of the night be yours to see
The northern wind has tales to tell, of lands beyond where spirits dwell.
Mysterious and unknown to all
Yet the wind remembers them…as the leaves fall…”
Greenkit felt her eyes start to droop as her father's voice wrapped her in a warm sense. She snuggled down into her nest, feeling the rhythm of the song like a lullaby. The words were like a story, a tale of mystery and beauty that captured her imagination. Gradually, she felt herself drifting off, the edges of sleep tugging at her mind.
Sootcloud lowered his voice, slowing the tempo of the song, until he was hardly singing at all. His eyes were closed, and Greenkit couldn't tell if he was still singing or not. She lay there for a moment, listening to the silence, and then glanced up at her father. Sootcloud's eyes were open, and she could see the moon reflected in them. He smiled down at her, his face touched by the light of the stars.
Greenkit smiled back, feeling her eyelids drift shut. The last thing she heard was her father's voice, soft and gentle as a breeze, singing to her of night and wonder and the mystery of the world beyond. And then she slept, peaceful and content, dreaming of all the amazing things the nighttime held.