The moment of quiet stillness, of contemplation and awe in the beauty of God's green Earth, seemed to last forever and no time at all. Gabriel's Master had told him that a friend only improved the view. He was right. He always was.

The way Valkyrie's voice cut off made Gabriel laugh again, both telepathically and with a short, upward-lifting resonance in his air-passages. Then he lowered his head again, carefully and in a wide arc, until they were level with the others. Gabriel grinned at them, a wide saurian grin, tilting his head so he could peer at them from side-on. 'Hello there.'

It was a good thing being in animal form dampened the throb in his head, really.