Relief, panic, and regret settled in when Maheegan was plopped down beside him. He kept quiet, though unconsciously whimpering lightly. The large, black wolf was just [i]staring[/i] at them, as if visually inspecting them. Her nostrils flared repeatedly, as if she could smell them from [i]all the way up there.[/i] Then again, she probably could. Kiyiya's nose didn't work as well as he thought it should have.

His ears perked up and he lifted his head when Maheegan stepped in front of him. He tilted his head and had the urge to roll his eyes. Maheegan didn't stand a chance against this beast. Enough to cause pain but not harm her, Kiyiya gnawed on Maheegan's back leg.