The Sentinels the world moves on without a sound

@Deirdre

golden dust motes swirled about tachyon's prone figure, stirred only by the slanted and weak pylons of sunshine that split through the forest's upper reach. as the afternoon advanced he found himself seeking the pale pools of sunlight -- he moved quite a few times around the brim of the den until at last he was content of the warmth that radiated upwards from the stone. with a slow yawn he licked his lips and felt his eyelids tug heavily downwards -- there was truly nothing like the peace and quiet of donnelaith after chores were done...

after the incident, deirdre had unconsciously begun to avoid her father. any time he drew near she would recede or depart. the mayfair knew nothing of the head, but remembered red, and remembered the deeper, darker hue of it from her fathers lips. the nightmare woman had been forgotten, and her savior had taken the place of her as the babe came to terms with what had happened that day. too young was she to comprehend much, and to know good versus evil. she simply understood the way she felt, and so remained elusive to lasher as she had come to fear him. this fear was exhausting, and she was sleepless for it. she napped in the nearby briars where none could reach her, but any could find her. it was not something apparent; she had avoided near everyone. for the time, she was shy even toward emaleth. she had been shaken to the core, and had nothing to say. 

she meandered away from all, but followed a trail that was familiar to him. she plod tiredly along until she found him, and when she did deirdre moved to settle alongside him. three times the babe circled in place until she was comfortable, and then she lay right alongside tachyon. no. she squirmed nearer to his face, thrusting her snout right beneath his soft throat, his furs acting as the perfect eye mask.

it was not until deirdre thrust her little head into the fur-ruff of his thick neck did tachyon awaken, a singular eye opening with surprise as he took in his surroundings. he breathed in, deirdre's scent cusping at his muzzle as the ridge of her little shoulders arched between his blackened nose. surprised but not at all taken aback, tachyon shifted to better accommodate her wriggling form. for now he was content to nuzzle her affectionately with grooming nips, though he inwardly had noticed the quiet change in her demeanor.

as he shifted around, deirdre grumped as any child might when they themselves were utterly comfortable. she only presumed he had been as comfortable as she herself had been; no one ever had told her differently, but she was quite aware of others. she enabled him to groom her as for the time since the incident she had allowed no other; she frequently shirked from touch, remembering the painful cuff she had taken and when seeing with her eyes felt that this was perpetually coming to her again. but it was not at present, and she was too tired to think or do or run, so she only sniffled tiredly and relented. deirdre looked very much like natures child, twigs and flowerbeds as well as burrs and thorns knotted in her furs. she could not sleep throughout the process, but neither could she watch, fearful she might see any other face.

as his grooming continued with no outcry from the whelp, tachyon felt the nagging sense of suspicion. the last time he had extended his salon-services to deirdre, she had wholly protested. with a whuff tachyon shifted the entire of his weight, likely pushing little deirdre from the nook of his chest. he peered down at the small wolf with a playful squint, turning his muzzle to the side as if about to perform some impish deed. "wait a minute." the druid spoke softly, his nose seeking the round softness of deirdre's cheek: "no protest today?"

he moved again, and deirdre was forced to open her tired eyes to look upon him. the impish look was regarded with a look of evident exhaustion from herself, and his question was thought about for less than a minute. sleepy, she responded to him, hoarsely. and sad. and confused. and afraid. but if he were to try to resume his grooming maneuvers toward her while she looked upon him, he would be met with an entirely different reaction. she flinched sharply as he had moved toward her, her reaction quite belated and delayed. still she did not turn from him, and her jade eyes were watchful. she trusted him, and loved him, and that was enough to keep her here for now. deirdre then slowly placed her muzzle upon her forelegs as she adjusted her own position, her eyes closing tightly. the forest sighed in mourning as the witch trembled, unable to meet sleep try though she might.

he wasn't convinced -- not because deirdre was not a convincing actor, but because he had never witnessed her this demure. he shfited and nosed her again -- this time, with somewhat more insistence as he found her plush chest and licked it. the movement would likely disturb her but it was an outcry he was looking for -- if she provided none, he would know almost instantly that whatever was bothering her was troubling indeed. with a gentle huff he brought his muzzle back over her forehead and licked between her ears gently. "why?"

the babe was no actress, and was woebegone as his tongue brushed against her, but froze at the touch too. only the tightening of her lids betrayed that she truly detested the contact that might have otherwise made her laugh then run off even still... but to flee from the touch then seemed quite a dangerous thing to do. the last time she had run, she had been struck; it was that which provoked complacent stillness from her. he asked her why as his touch moved toward her pale crown, and she mumbled most unhelpfully a low, tired, anxious, dont know, in the breath that answered him. one eye opened to look at him for a moment before she supplied him with, can't sleeps. she seemed to coil into herself so he would have no access at further testing her limits, but even should he deirdre knew she would not run away. i a-feared she whispered meekly at last, mispronouncing and even confusing the words in her addled mind.

so sad )': pet deirdee

as the small pup curled between his forepaws and chest, tachyon felt a sting of worry tug his heart. he had never seen the jolly babe so struck by a shadowed emotion -- and despite having no conceivable feeling of what deirdre was enduring, tachyon felt the lance in his gut all the same. with a soft lick he sighed, eyeing deirdre as she sunk deeper into his fur, impervious now to his nosy probing. he did not ask why -- he wrongly assumed she was referring to the event in which wednesday had come upon her. unbeknownst to the man, the trauma exacted upon deirdre ran much deeper. with another sigh he rested his head atop her body protectively, feeling his eyes close in silent despair.

deirdre felt safe as his muzzle went over her form, and decided she would stay with him. with her eyes tightly shut, she tried to sleep... but it was difficult, and she feared seeing blood-drenched thorns and her father in fearsome anguish. deirdre restlessly shifted beneath tachyon, but kept her eyes closed and willed herself to fall into that state.

;_____; TOO SAD N DIS THRED

it rly is ;-;

he was at a loss -- he could feel her fear, but it was incomprehensible. it was not unlike a bystander watching a horrific event, unable to prevent it. with a sigh he nosed the fretful pup as she shifted restlessly beneath him, and with slow laps of his tongue he sought to sooth her by licking the top of her little head. if nothing else, he at least provided warmth -- there was plenty of fur for little deirdre to bury her cherubic face in.

last posty frum me

though it took good time, deirdre soon did fall into a sleep. it was deep, and it was dreamless and dark, not filled with sweet and imaginative nothings. she felt safe here, unseen in the nook tachyon had made himself, and so she would rest undisturbed until he himself detached himself from her, or she roused independent of that.

he stilled, feeling the little stirrings of deirdre's heart down to the faint pulse of the blood that coursed in her ribcage. the closeness was overwhelming, but in a good way - he felt his senses swarmed by comfort, adoration -- even a little love. quietly he watched her until she fell into slumber, and serenely he followed suit. he felt his eyes droop and before he knew it the two had fallen in quiet, peaceful sleep.