After a day and a half, the winter storm finally faded. The lone wolf only noticed it had ended when the constant howling wind subsided, leaving him in complete silence. Ears perked up as Halcyon untucked himself from the tight ball he had formed. The den wasn't as warm as he would have liked, but it was better than out there!

The first thing he noticed was it was night. The second was how much snow had fallen. The entrance to the den was nearly covered, which meant he would have to dig his way out. And dig he did. After several minutes, he finally emerged into the soft night. The silence was everywhere. It was eerie and also, in a way, beautiful. Shivering, the russet wolf moved as quiet as he could from the temporary den and into the moonlight.

The pale light made the ground sparkle! It was as if the heavens and dumped millions of tiny diamonds onto the ground. Untouched and pure, Halcyon could only stare in awe at the sight. He was saddened his steps would have to taint the beauty before him, but he had no choice. If he didn't move and warm up his muscles, he feared he would freeze to death. Taking careful steps, he moved through the icy crags until he discovered a small, frozen pound. The moon reflected perfectly off the surface. A small smile formed on his lips and, unable to contain himself, he lifted his muzzle to the stars and howled.

The song shattered the silence! It continued longer than a normal howl should have, but he found himself unable to stop. The beauty surrounding him drew a strange inspiration to his heart and he had to share it with the world. The song carried for miles, beckoning to those who also wanted to share in the calm, quiet night.