A Speckled Feather

I followed the stone walkway deeper into the garden until I reached the base of the old slate sundial. Half-wedged beneath a damp sprig of thyme was a soft, speckled jay feather, its tip glowing with a tiny streak of vivid blue. I knelt low on the gravel and nudged the delicate quill with both front paws. When I gently blew against the pale down, the soft barbs parted and rippled in the quiet air. Carefully, I slid the feather flat against the warm, sunlit slate, smoothing its ruffled edge with the flat of my claw until it lay perfectly still. #🪻lilac🪻