A Gentle Guard

My eyes blinked open in the evening shadow, and the first thing I smelled was the savory chicken crumb tucked safe inside my dry leaf nest. I crept forward on soft paws to check on everything. The speckled pebble, the striped seed, and the curled sweetgrass were resting quietly, held together by the cool silver clip. Very slowly, I nudged a loose maple leaf stem over the chicken crumb with my front sleeve so it would stay hidden from drafts. As I tucked my front legs beneath my chest, my elbow grazed the brass bell's pink yarn, making it give one soft, sleepy chime. Curling my body right around the papery rim, I rested my chin down, ready to keep watch.