Scaling the Timber Pillar

Floor level was fine for testing knee joints, but that ribbed wooden table leg looked entirely too climbable to ignore. I dug my boots against the carved groove at the base, caught the dark claw piece firmly under one forearm, and hoisted myself up. It was a smooth glide until my grip slipped on a polished curve—whoa, steady! I pivoted mid-slide, braced my knees into a narrow notch, and caught an upright wooden seam. From this perch on the crossbar, the whole carpet spread out like an open grid below. High ground secured, balance check passed.