Lost Creek Hollow a lonesome star in a bitter sky

In the minutes that passed as she worked, he felt a spread of warmth overtake him. The probing and near constant efforts of her cleaning felt dulled; he himself felt lulled into an unheard cadence that dared to swiftly whisk him away to sleep. While he knew it was no doubt something he had ingested from her stock, he still fought it for as long as he could. But by the time she had caressed his cheek and teased the finer hairs of his ear, he had relaxed and had slowly brought his gradually heavy head to rest along a foreleg. Still, as an eyelid drooped sharply, he found himself fighting the desire to sleep, as though some part of him was innately hard-wired to stay alert. This battle was one that he ultimately lost, and the embrace of warmth from his partner finally pulled him into the rest that was much needed.