[Intro - 18 sec, tagelharpa drone, willow flute, snow wind, lone wolf howl far] [Verse 1 - intimate male baritone, close and whispered, guitar and tagelharpa only] Half his coat was winter, half was darkest night He shelters three small heartbeats against the winter's bite A wild spirit prowls the forest where the cold winds blow He calls into the distance, for an answer that does not show [Pre-Chorus - add low cello, very tender] The den is cold without her The stones remember feet He curls around the sleeping ones To keep their dreams complete [Chorus - soft, add distant female kulning ooo, strings enter] Sleep, little wolves, beneath the silver pine, Her breath is in the branches, her warmth is in the night. Brothers of the night with moons mark, holding fast and true, One pale girl with a black heart-mark, reaching out for you. We learn the shape of living when one half disappears, We carry love like fire through the longest years. [Verse 2 - frame drum heartbeat starts, nyckelharpa] The elder sons move carefully, their shoulders growing strong Each wears a small white promise where the dark fur carries on The little daughter follows where the moon has touched the ground A patch of midnight on her back, her mother’s lost and found [Pre-Chorus - drop to piano only] He shows them how to listen For movements in the frost How grief can guard a doorway Without becoming lost [Chorus - swell, male choir low, female kulning high] Sleep, little wolves, beneath the silver pine, Her breath is in the branches, her warmth is in the night. Brothers of the night with moons mark, holding fast and true, One pale girl with a black heart-mark, reaching out for you. We learn the shape of living when one half disappears, We carry love like fire through the wildest fears. [Bridge - all percussion stops, tagelharpa solo and vocal raw] No howl can pull her back now No river turns its course But every dawn they rise together And sorrow finds its force In the way the boys stand watch In the way the girl comes near In the half-white, half-black guardian Who teaches love through tears [Final Chorus - EPIC, full Nordic orchestra, frame drums, kulning soaring] Sleep, little wolves, beneath the silver pine, Her breath is in the branches, her warmth is in the night. Two dark boys with a white mark, fierce and tender too, One pale girl with a black heart-mark, carrying her through. They learn the shape of living, they do not live alone, The pack is made of memories, and every step is home. He lifts his face to morning, though the ache is still there, Three small bodies beside him, three prayers in the air. [Outro - whisper, tagelharpa fade, wind and footsteps in snow] Half his coat was dark, half was like falling snow Four shadows crossed the ridge where the cold winds go
