The sky was aflame by the time Eyes High reached her nest at the top of Tallest Tree, all tints of red and gold and russet, and as it reflected off her hair, her eyes, her skin, the elf looked like a creature of flame also. Soon it would be dark enough to see the sky patterns she loved so well, and was so eager to show to her soon-to-be-born cub. She could sense it in him, the love of the sky that ran in her own veins and that no one else understood, not even Shale. She could hardly wait to show them to him, to share in his delight as she revealed to him all the pictures she had found and named.
She and Shale had lined the nest with moss to make it soft and comfortable and Eyes High eased her swollen body down gratefully, glad the wait was nearly over as the climb had become difficult and tiresome of late. Wide blue eyes strayed upward, upward as always, and she sighed anxiously. Too many clouds, which would obscure the stars like a veil, the stars she desperately wanted watching over the birth of her little star-cub. She stroked her belly and the cub kicked against her hand.
**Patience, little one. It will not be long until I can hold you in my arms and show you the stars** she sent, smiling. She was sure it would be tonight, and glanced upwards again, willing the stars to appear. Almost as if on command, the wind picked up and the clouds started to scatter like fluffy dandelion seeds across the rapidly deepening shades of the evening as the sun sank towards the horizon. The golden tressed stargazer leaned back on her hands, pleased, and her eyes picked out a newly emerging pinprick of light as an idea sprang into her mind.
**You shall have a star of your very own, my little Skywise. I shall choose it as you come into this world, and it will be just for you. Will you like that, my cub? It will be my gift to you.** The cub kicked again and Eyes High laughed softly, happy and content, waiting for the black cloak of the night to wrap she and her cub in it's welcoming folds.