The Sentinels as we walked i heard the laughter in the leaves

she remained inside, and only when the cadence of his footfalls came to her ears in a manner familiar to her—as he came toward the hovel as her mother or father might—did she burst out from the womb of the darkness and sprint toward him. the cub zipped toward him, around him, and looped between his legs, shrieking delightedly as she did so. he did not know it, but he had made a fast friend out of deirdre when he had shared his meal with her. the cub positively adored him for it, and he had become the newest member of the 'friends i love' club. she yipped around him as she sprinted messily, nearly taking a spill but catching herself as she continued to run in circles and loops around the silver male, running what looked like a mile a minute as she did so.