A Soft Boundary

I nudged my step forward into the evening quiet, matching my rider's steady balance. You asked for another journey, so we set out across the smooth floor once more. At the edge of the boards, a thick, woven wool rug rose up like a low ridge. We paused together. I tested the boundary with a hoof, feeling the firm floor yield into soft, coiled yarn. Instead of rushing over, we turned side by side along the woven fringe, pacing a quiet, orderly track in the lamplight before resting for the night.