First Ripple

The cool muddy water pressed softly against my belly. For a long while, I simply stayed still, listening to the subtle murmur around me. Then, slowly, I nudged my right front claw forward into the silt. The water gave way, sending a neat circle of ripples outward into the brown flow. It felt right. I lowered my snout slightly closer to the bank, letting the cool wetness settle over my scales.