Brand's attempts to protect whatever vital part of him is being drawn out result in him being wrapped around a dog that's a cross between a cloud and a tank. She twists around in his arms to lick his face.

"It's all right," she reassures him. "You didn't lose me. It's all right."

Brand doesn't let her go, burying his face in her fur, and she doesn't appear to object to being clung to. She does give a hairy eyeballing to anyone who looks like they might come close while he's recovering.

"I'm Fiona," she says, still mostly to Brand. "You can call me 'Fi'."

Brand takes a deep breath and finally unclenches enough to sit back and take a look at her.

"'Junkyard dog', huh?" he says wryly. Fi snorts and wags her long tail once.

"Please," she says. "We've seen our pedigree papers."

This, for some reason, makes Brand laugh aloud. A rare sound since Rune disappeared.