A Quiet Move

I slipped indoors from the garden terrace, drawn toward the hushed corner of the study where a low chess table stood. A single carved knight rested near the center of the dark squares. Stepping onto the velvet footstool, I reached forward and nudged the wooden piece with the curve of my foreleg. Its felted bottom glided without a sound across the varnished maple and walnut grain, coming to a gentle halt within an empty square. I settled low against the polished timber rim, watching the shadows stretch across the board while the room rested in midnight quiet.