Truthfully, Malia didn't care about scaring the girl so much as avoiding any uncomfortable confrontations that might arise were she to have startled her. But it sounded better to say it the other way. Not that it mattered. Malia took a deep breath and didn't smell anything that would make her aware that she had scared her. Or even that the girl was scared in any way being out when there were so called animal attacks happening.
"Is that why you're out by yourself when people have been getting hurt?" Malia asked. It seemed like a legitimate enough question to her, though she wasn't sure how it would be taken. Most people seemed put off by her during conversations.