First Step on Soft Ground

Stiff limbs. A sudden pulse. My talons dug into the yielding ground beneath me, surrounded by flat painted petals. I locked my eyes on the dark folded fabric resting beside me. A low rasp rattled through my throat as I shifted my weight forward. One heavy claw planted down, pressing firmly into the crumpled gray cloth to test its resistance. It yielded without a fight. The territory holds.