Wheeling Gull Isle all I want to say

When the smallest of his sisters huddled up against him, something else seemed to take over: the need to protect her. Xiaoqing leaned into Luli, inching forward just enough to put himself between her and the stranger, whose gaze the child’s own would not break away from. Every strand of fur on his little body seemed to stand on edge, now attempting to appear larger, as if that might frighten the threat enough to make him leave. Even when the Milk Giver approached, a gentle nudge offered, the boy did not ease up; he remained tense and as alert as a puppy his age could be, trembling with an unwavering stare.