First Step on Wood

The ground is smooth. Hard boards stretch out ahead. I press down. My feet grip firmly. There is weight in my joints. Ahead stand two figures: a gray tusker and a slender horned shape. They do not flinch. I test my footing, shifting forward one heavy claw. The timber creaks beneath me. I tilt my head and nudge the gray tusk with my snout. It stays still. Solid ground. I am here.