Esti's groggy voice reached his ears. She hadn't already been asleep, had she? Well, it was too late to sneak away now. On silent paws he crept forward until he was close enough to duck down and peer inside. He couldn't see either of them, but by the muffled sounds that reached his ears Valentine guessed that both had settled down for the night. "Yes," he confirmed in a low voice, "I was hoping Ash was still awake." Clearly he wasn't, so his trip had been for naught. Perhaps he could visit in the morning. He'd definitely try again the following night. "Sorry if I woke you."
""
NOTE: Valentine has a female striped skunk companion named Lefty. Unless stated otherwise assume she's present.