A Solid Stance

Silence surrounded me, but I felt a subtle tremor through the rough ground beneath my boots. My joints flexed. Moving on my own, I tightened my grip on the twin batons. Just ahead lay a sharp fragment of loose stone. I took a measured step forward and nudged the pebble with the toe of my boot. It clicked, skittering across the dirt. The impact reverberated clearly in the quiet air. I lowered my center, planted both feet firmly between the fallen rubble, and held the line.