The Songs I Sing

Chapter 9

My rear end was planted on some stubbly bark while my back reclined against the core of the tree. The back part of my right ankle crossed with the left while laying on the tree limb. These trees were great as they had large enough limbs to rest upon.

Crickets sounded from all around me. The evening birds sang their melody creating a euphonic song with the crickets. Chitter chattering of the squirrels added splurges of chorus. Picking a song that I loved, Into the West by Peter Hollens, I started to add some lyrics to nature's song. "Lay down your sweet and weary head. Night is falling, you've come to journey's end. Sleep now and dream of the ones who came before. They are calling from across the distant shore."

Noises from behind me disrupted the melodious feel of the music. Crunches against the ground brought in unwanted percussion that drowned out the wood peckers. Male voice chimed together as the evening birds flew off. Even with their unwelcome noises, I kept singing unbeknownst to them.

"What can you see on the horizon? Why do the white gulls call? Across the sea a pale moon rises. The ships have come to carry you home."

Five men tramped into the view before ruining its previous glory. Before me, there was a cliff that gave an overview of the forest below. At this time, the sun was going to sleep for the night displaying its wonderful colors across the clouds.

The last time I had seen people was around fifty years ago, a little before I had found this spot. I had decided to visit the cliff in one of my usual mourning times. Without Tayla to speak to, my thoughts were the only thing keeping me sane. It was uncommon for people to travel through this area but maybe that had changed during my slumber.

"Hope fades into the world of night through shadows falling out of memory and time."

The males dropped their items in the clearing to then pick up pieces of cloth to make mini tents. One of the men--that had left shortly after finding this spot--came back into view with three rabbits in hand. A tingling sensation knotted itself at the sight of the man. His hair was black enough to have a contest with the crows, a nose that was a little too big for his face, slanted eyes, and a rounded chin. He was lean throughout his body. All of his fingers were very slender.

A sense of happiness lifted my mood for no apparent reason. The other men were just that, men. They had no importance, so why was this man any different? I analyzed each one finding that they all had medium cut hair, t-shirts, jackets, long sweat pants, a bag each, a lean figure though some had more meat than others, and smiles. Their hair could be categorized as simple since they either had brown, black, or dark blond hair. They were about six feet tall making them all towering the poor shrubs on the ground.

A fire was ignited inside a fortification of small stones like the heating sensation inside my chest. Each rabbit was skewered and placed above the flames. I could practically hear the meat starting to simmer. All of the men, including the raven haired man, lounged around the burning wood. Laughter and voices mixed throughout the conversation as I observed them.

That man just kept drawing my attention no matter how much I try to view the others. My attention was dragged back to him against my wants. It wasn't until a voice I hadn't heard from long ago, did I give in to the current of emotions from him. Follow him; he's very important to us both, advised my wolf.

Night soon started to descend when I couldn't see him anymore.

During the night, I got down and scavenged the land for something small to eat. There were plenty of small rabbits and gophers but I wanted a larger meal than that. Then, the smell of blood hit my nose and I knew that my meal wasn't very far off. At the bottom of a hill, a doe had fallen.