GarnetTigerMom

Night Of Silence - By Cindy Darling


She shivered in the cold of the night, looking out
over hills that had all but vanished against the deep, starlit
sky. Shuffling her feet to make sure she could still feel
them, she pulled her cloak snugly around her once more -
and then there was something. Almost automatically she
froze, listening for something moving. She moved quickly but
silently closer to the rock wall behind her, her entire body
straining to hear. There. Something close. She spun around,
her staff raised, and heard a young man's laugh.

"Well done, little one."

The girl scowled at him in the dark. She thought about hitting him anyway, but lowered her staff with a sigh. Just because he was eight years her senior, he thought he knew so much more... and even her ten-year-old mind had to concede that he might. He stepped closer and threw a rough wool blanket over her head. "Get some rest."

"I'm fine, Ari. I can stay awake."

"I believe you. But this is your first night out, and these are the rules." He rested a hand on her head with a smile that she heard more than saw.

"Fine." Annoyed but obedient, she took the blanket and moved downhill to where the ewes were huddling together not far from the small fire her cousin had made, and rested between the warmth of their group and the cold stone of the hills. They stirred slightly as she settled in, and she murmured to them as she had heard her cousin do so many times. "Peace, little ones." They calmed instantly. Even Ari said she had a knack with the ewes, who were anxious this close to lambing time. Pulling the rough wool over her, she determined to stay awake no matter what Ari said.

Within five minutes she was sound asleep.

An hour had passed when she woke. The ewes were restless, only occasionally making their plaintive cries, but mostly just shuffling uneasily. Again, she felt something, something strange. She stood up, wrapped the blanket close, and hurried up the hill toward her cousin. He was standing, staring up into the sky, and she followed his look. "Ari? What is that?"

Curtains of colored light danced in the night sky, moving gently, as if heaven had left a window open and a breeze was blowing through. "Ari?"

"I don't know, little one." There was something in the sound of his voice that made her forget how grown up she was trying to be, and her hand reached for him, wrapping her fingers securely around his as they stared up into the sky. She stepped closer, leaning her head against his side, when she heard him gasp. "Look."

A single pinpoint of light in the Eastern sky seemed to explode, shining so brightly that for a moment, it appeared that dawn had come early. It settled back into itself somewhat, but still hovered there, still shining like a beacon. The lights that danced in the sky seemed to grow closer, nearly touching the ground. She was clinging to her cousin in fear when they heard a voice behind them.

"Peace, little ones." They turned to see a figure standing near the rock wall, watching them. His expression was calm, and his clothes were bright, as if they somehow caught and reflected the light.

"Who are you?"

The figure squatted down to be at eye level with her. "Listen." From somewhere between the earth and the stars, music began to play, music unlike any she had ever heard. It sang through her and even as she giggled, she heard her cousin laugh, the sheer joy of it spilling over them. The figure looked at them, the warmth of his smile taking the chill from the night as he pointed to the star in the East. "Go where it leads." He stood up again, and seemed to become one with the lights that were still dancing in the sky. "Peace."

They stared for a long time at the dancing colors, until she finally spoke in a small voice. "Ari? What do we do?"

Her cousin took a deep breath. "We go, little one."

A very special thank you to our good friend Cindy for sharing this beautiful story with us!

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GarnetTigerMom

"The rain may be falling hard outside,
But your smile makes it all alright.
I'm so glad that you're my friend.
I know our friendship will never end."
-- Robert Alan

Deafness

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GarnetTigerMom

I like this story I give my rate a 8. :-)

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GarnetTigerMom

"The rain may be falling hard outside,
But your smile makes it all alright.
I'm so glad that you're my friend.
I know our friendship will never end."
-- Robert Alan