Waking in the night was always a little weird, a sort of backward feeling confusing her whenever she saw her sleeping parents. Morena had gotten into the habit sitting at the entrance of the den, staring out at the trees and the distant lights above them. She was fascinated by everything, but most especially those lights; she hadn't yet been convinced to stare at the sun—it was too bright to look at, it hurt. The night-lights didn't.

She'd been watching long enough that they were beginning to fade with the coming morning, but Morena wasn't tired quite yet, determined to watch the very last one leave. Under her breath she sang to herself, swaying back and forth a little and though she was quiet she wasn't exactly mindful of her sleeping family. Birds and trees and bugs and flowers and liiights, noisy, noisy all night, night, night! The wind sent a few leaves whirling past, and she laughed at them. Hush, hush, noisy, sleep at niiight!

She would probably never listen to her own advice, head too full of daydreams to pull out of the night sky, but singing about sleeping and noise was hardly the only fanciful little song she came up with as the birds woke enough to sing with her.

Morena jumped a little when she heard the whisper, finally lowering her head from its craned-back position to see her Mamman approaching. She flattened her ears and ducked her head, unable to help the smile and the soft giggle she let out as she leaned into Mamman's touch. Her whisper was still a little too loud when she answered, Sorry, Mamman!

She stood up then and moved to nuzzle the older wolf's leg, looking up with hopeful eyes. Can I still watch the lights? They're almost gone! She didn't want to be in trouble and told to go back into the den, but Morena also knew she wasn't supposed to be outside by herself.