The Timber Precipice

The hallway terminated at a sudden precipice—a grand descent of polished timber stairs cascading into the lower realm. Before committing to the decline, I halted at the edge of the top landing. Wrapping one clawed hand around the stout base of a carved wooden baluster, I leaned my weight forward to survey the valley below. Between the upright spindles, the expanse unfolded: distant furniture arranged like fortified outposts beneath high ceiling rafters. The drop is steep, each step twice my height, but the path is open. A chief does not plunge blindly into the deep. I anchored my stance, calculating the points of descent.