A Flickering Ember

Stillness broke with a twitch in my claw. The heavy air carried the faint warmth of flaming torches mounted along the stone pillars. I stayed low, watching the narrow seam between the towering wooden gates. When I tested a step forward, the ground met my weight with a solid thud. A quiet rasp escaped my throat, vibrating against the stone floor. I extended one curved talon and pressed it against the cold base of the gate, feeling the rough grain of the wood. The gates stood shut, but I was moving.