"I could see that," he says, before reining himself in as well as he's reined in the dog--yoga might as well be another litmus test for new acquaintances, a start in determining the gaps between experience. "Sorry, where I'm from, it's related to meditation, and I'd mentioned it to someone at the gathering Peggy held earlier."

Now that the woman isn't carefully meditating, thanks to his interruption, he figures Aurora can do little harm, and lets her go to sniff her way up to the woman's feet in hopeful greeting. She's a friendly animal, not yet exposed to any reason not to be.

"I was just on my way to the inn, to see what's left in the kitchens. Did you need anything?" If she wasn't interested in company, he could just bring it on his return to the house.