The Sentinels returning in a way

He was not a talented singer, but there was something about his rolling baritone that was charming, and moving, in its own way. This was a song with no name — one about seaspray and calling gulls and dancing the minuet. And he did dance it while he sang, waggling his brows once or twice at @Fable as he did.

The men had bonded quickly, if not quite so deeply yet as Sockeye often wished. He felt he'd found a companion in the much-younger man. The age difference was a little uncomfortable, but mainly it amused him even while he called himself a dog in his innermost thoughts. What did it matter? They weren't doing anything wrong.

Yet.

All told, he was happier than he'd been in months.

He trailed behind, mumbling the words to himself while he sniffed at some trail, and then Fable's voice called to him — no, to someone else! — and he hurried to catch up.

"Well," he said to himself, a laugh at the edge of his voice. Well, what do we have, here?

The girl's striking appearance left him otherwise speechless. He left it to Fable to speak to her, for now.