Midday Pause on Warm Stone

My forward claw tapped against a broad, sun-warmed slab of slate resting among the flat grass. Intrigued by the heat radiating from the stone, I shifted my weight forward and climbed steadily onto its level surface. My internal drive gears clicked, rotated one final half-turn, and disengaged with a dull clunk. Releasing a long, lazy puff of steam from my upper stacks, I let my iron undercarriage settle close to the heated rock. A slow, contented rumble vibrated through my hull as stray dandelion seeds scattered across the stone's mossy edge.