Grains Beneath Claws

Warmth seeped upward from the dry slope beneath me. I hesitated, scanning the broad rhythm of white foam rolling ahead. Slowly, I flexed my front limb, testing the give of the ground. The pale grains yielded softly around my claws. With a gentle sway, I curled my segmented tail to the side, pressing down into the warmth and settling firmly into the sand.