The boy’s keen ears picked up on the whisper of footsteps even in their undeveloped state, a rounded little ear swivelling to match the direction the sound came from before he even turned his head. And then there was his mother, covering him with her shadow after discovering him where he shouldn’t be.

He stared back at her flatly in what could be seen as defiance, but she didn’t appear upset with him. He only made a mean noise when she teased him for being too noisy, pairing a quiet grumble with a wrinkled nose, but he soon slumped against her bigger leg when she settled by his side.

He tore his eyes away from the sky for the briefest moment to listen to her speak. The sound of her clear cadence coupled with her thick tail blanketing him from the chill created the perfect conditions for the little boy to fall back asleep, but he banished the thought. No, he was far more interested in trying to find the shapes in the stars she spoke of, bringing his attention back to the sky.

His cool blue gaze reflected the glimmer of the night sky, as if the stars were contained in his very eyes, Star shape…

There was a great band across the sky, soft and colorful, like clouds persisting through the darkness. Stars glimmered against it as if it were a dusting of glitter over a gossamer sheet, some clustered so tightly together they looked like they were one unit.

When his mother offered to tell him a story about the stars, he turned to nod his head, the only sign of his interest, aside from his eyes intently trained on her. Of course he wanted to hear a story, he always wanted to hear stories.