A Firm Step

My joints clicked faintly as tension rippled down my spine. The soft ground yielded beneath me, but I planted my front claws firmly into the fabric. I swung my spiked tail slightly to the side to test my balance—it moved cleanly with a steady rustle against the cloth. Feeling the solid weight in my frame, I took one decisive step forward into a shallow fold of the blanket, standing steady and alert to guard this quiet ground.