The Sentinels resolve and resolution

deirdre thrived, even despite the odds against donnelaith and her narrowing frame. though she hungered, her spirit was sated and her eyes were ripe with happiness. her father was ceaseless in his teachings, and the old owl was much the same. the young cub felt connected to the earth, and though much had died she had been told that life would return yet. surviving this would be hard—she knew it by the ache that sometimes came to her belly—but 'twas not impossible, and so deirdre was not dour or dark. she felt as the moon must: a beacon in these dark times. the locusts had come and taken much, and yet there was the hope the stars brought and the trees sang.

deirdre moved through the woods, whispering to the trees to encourage them to blossom with color again. the crunch of leaves—or perhaps locusts—caught her attention, and the girl drifted in that direction. there stood lucani, who looked better than she ever had, and such a sight was met with a delighted smile by deirdre. the sickly smell was gone, and deirdre sang, you are well again! a vibrant note of hope lingering in its wake. though lucani was thinner, she looked better than deirdre had remembered.