Shadewood Tired Eyes

Like a frightened bird, Chacal sensed her brother's fright and skittered sideways toward him- even though he was tumbling away from her- casting a glance over her shoulder to see what it was he was bolting from. Was it the snake? Was it after both of them? But she saw nothing, and in her moment of being distracted, she too stumbled, and sprawled onto the ground close against Valravn's side, but when she looked again, and saw nothing, she forgot about being spooked, momentarily, and remembered how relieved she felt to have found someone she knew. 

She wriggled happily against his side, heedless of the water and mud, and squirreled her way between his forelegs so that she could shove her nose into the fur of his chest, seeking closeness and reassurance from her brother. Her heartbeat finally began to slow as she breathed a deep puff of air into his fur.