Lay Us Gently to Rest

The pond stared into the pale-blue Tennessee sky - a great unblinking eye, reflecting back to the heavens all that passed above it.
From the pond's reedy banks, a deep-green meadow stretched away in every direction, and at its edge, wildflowers danced and swayed to the slightest breeze. Farther out, young saplings stood tall and alert, like brave, young soldiers marching out from the older, darker forest beyond.
Above the ancient treetops, billowy clouds hunched together, making their slow, sulking trek from west to east. Against their stark whiteness, a hawk lazily circled, enjoying the last of the afternoon thermals sweeping up the mountainsides.
The sun, dipping to the crest of the western ridge, had turned from the sharp yellow of midday to the restful orange of late afternoon - its rays puncturing small openings in the clouds and spilling across the landscape, creating sharp contrasts, defining edges, lengthening shadows. The air, sharp and clean, held the whisper of winter's approaching footsteps.
And on a log, at the edge of the pond, sat an old man.
He held a fishing pole, light and easy, in his farmwork-hardened hands. His eyes, bright and undimmed by age, were intent on the red-and-white bobber at the end of his line. He could almost see into the pond's murky depths - even the old, recalcitrant catfish lying there in the bottom mud.
Long as a man's arm, the old cat stubbornly considered the baited hook dangling before it, every bit as intent and concentrated as his worthy adversary on the other end of the line.
Locked in this silent, patient, and well-rehearsed battle - both rivals obstinate beyond measure - the two foes considered one another.
They had done this many times before.
This was not a battle to be won, but a battle to be fought and savored. A battle to be survived and later bragged about. A battle with no victory, other than the respect earned by each stalwart combatant. A battle of equals.
But while the old man trained his attention on his venerable aquatic opponent, his still-keen hearing was focused on something else.
There were footsteps within the forest depths.
A shadow moved near the tree line.
Someone - or some thing - was nearing the edge of the meadow.