The Guardian of the Forest Path

 The Guardian of the Forest Path 

 

 

Deep in the forest, where the trees whispered secrets and the moonlight painted silver paths, lived a black cat named Noctis. By day, he was content—curled near the fire, safe beside the woman who loved him. But by night… Noctis listened to the forest. Every evening, when the stars began to wake, Noctis would wander—soft paws padding through moss and fallen leaves, exploring the quiet world that came alive after dark. The people in the nearby town told stories. Stories of a woman who walked the forest at night. A woman searching for cats. Cats who never came home. Noctis had heard the fear in their voices. And one night, beneath a full and watchful moon, something felt… wrong. The air was unnaturally still. The moonlight hung heavy, as if waiting. Cosmo followed the pull in his chest and ventured deeper into the forest. That’s when he saw a tabby cat lay on the ground, his breathing shallow, his body wounded. Noctis nudged him gently, circled him, called softly—but the tabby did not rise. Noctis’s only instinct was to rush home for help. As Noctis raced home, the forest seemed to close in around him. There—beneath an old tree—sat a woman. As Noctis slowed, she rose to her feet. She watched him silently. She turned toward him… and began to walk. Something about her was wrong. Noctis felt it instantly—the sharp pull of danger, the kind that lives in instinct and bone. This woman was not meant for him. She was not meant for any cat. Her gaze. Noctis didn’t hesitate. He darted through the undergrowth, leaping over roots and fallen branches, the moonlight flashing behind him. He did not look back. At home, Noctis cried out—urgent, insistent, refusing to be ignored. His human followed him, trusting his voice, trusting his fear. Together, they returned to the forest. The tabby was still there. She lifted him gently, carried him home, fed him, cleaned his wounds, and later took him to the vet. The tabby would heal. He would live. That night, Noctis curled beside him, purring softly. The forest had tried to take one more soul. But a black cat had said no. And so, Noctis didn’t just return home that night— he brought someone with him. A new life. A new family member. A promise kept under the moon.

Read and download the full story here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/44515402... 

Written for readers of all ages, this story can be enjoyed by children, adults, or shared together. 

 

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