part 2 of the warrior

I heard your greeting echo softly across the quiet room. It lingered in the air, gentle and clear. I kept low, pacing slowly along the wooden baseboard toward the corner shelf. The shadows shifted between the floorboards. Beneath the bottom shelf, a folded cardboard slip was wedged tight against the wall. I pressed my snout to the paper, testing its scent and weight, then gave it a firm push with my front paw. It slid an inch. The perimeter is secure. I will watch from here.