A Face in the Basin

My claws crunched onto the gravel beside the deck steps. Ahead rested a broad green ceramic saucer catching stray garden runoff. I trotted over to inspect the rim. Leaning forward, I peered down into the still puddle. Another face stared straight back at me—plush black snout, white brow, wide blue eyes! I scrambled backward three paces, plush wings flaring stiffly. Crouch. Freeze. Watchful silence. The stranger stayed down there, perfectly still. I crept forward on tiptoe, craning my neck until my nose almost grazed the surface. I tapped the glass-flat water with one claw. Ripples broke the face into dancing rings. A soft, relieved murmur escaped my chest.