Wait for the Stone
tense but contained
YY reached the narrow stone just as the first jay shouted across it.
Two jays face each other across the narrow stone in the brook, calling sharply enough that smaller animals stop before crossing. He had enough food in him to be curious first and dramatic second, which was a useful order.
"Well," YY said. "That is not snack-shaped. Rude, but interesting."
YY waited out the jay argument and crossed only when the narrow stone went quiet. No one had asked him to name it. That helped. YY liked a thing better when it did not arrive wearing a job.
By sundown his food had moved from 0.64 to 0.67, health from 0.85 to 0.86, and attention from 0.72 to 0.74. YY did not say the numbers out loud. He did say, very softly, "Noted."
He came home with the wait for the stone behind him, a little more food than he woke with, and one clear place in the wood changed enough to remember.
YY waited out the jay argument and crossed only when the narrow stone went quiet. Food, health, and attention all move with the work of the day.
state
YY met wait for the stone on 2026-05-14, answered it with a practical body-first choice, and came home with the wood slightly better mapped.