The Sentinels all the innocent who suffer

tagging @Emaleth for reference. hoping anyone who saw which way emaleth went will join!

in the chaos of the afternoon, when the locusts descended upon donnelaith and robbed it of all that was good, lasher dashed madly about to gather his family close. deirdre was saved, though she sobbed brokenly for her flowers -- he counted again and thrice more, but he knew that they were missing one of his witches.

"emaleth!" he shouted into the tumult of insects and the loud hum of their wings, his voice filled with trepidation and with anger that his belov'd forest should suffer so! leaving behind the pale child in the guardianship of tachyon, taltos laid back his ears and began to press through the crush of locusts, grimacing as they died in writhing slime underfoot and gnawed at his ears, filling them with the deafening vibration of their destruction.

"emaleth!" he cried again.

Eilidh had remained in the dark confines of the hollow log for hours, waiting for the swarm to ascend and leave their home in peace. When she finally did emerge, the whole world was different, and again her heart suffered for it. The insects hadn't left completely, but they swarmed no longer, so she pushed through them. Where was Emaleth, the dark sister she had come to love so? Deirdre was safe with Aria and Tachyon, and Constantine had last been seen with the newcomer. Eilidh lifted herself from the hollow grave she'd dug and went in search of her family.

But her search was brought short when her father's voice boomed out, clanging in her head. She followed his scent and finally found him searching in vain for his dark daughter. Pappa, she's gone. Again her body wracked with sobs, and she crouched beside her strong Pappa while sorrow and grief overtook her. I couldn't stop her. I tried... The girl had tried, and yet her slippery sibling had escaped her. It's all my fault, Pappa... She sobbed and leaned into him, feeling for all the world a failure.

His heart ached – such joy had been within him only a day before upon his reunion with his family, and he had held such promise.. Particularly to Deirde and Emaleth both, whom he hoped to gain ground and friendship with. Yet once the sky had darkened and the locusts had come, they had blown out his hope much like the flame of a candle, and it was with quick paws that he made his way to the sobs of his sister. She sought comfort to their father, and with worried eyes, the wolf studied his father and littermate, a shaky sigh releasing form him. “No, Eilidh,” he murmured gently, pulling alongside her to press his shoulder to her flank, his ears falling back to his crown. “It is mine. I should have grabbed her. She evaded me,” he spoke, his words solemn as he took the blame entirely.
 
He had returned back to his family and had already failed them in the span of a day. They had surely been better off without him.

oh, pale eilidh. lasher could only stand helplessly as she advanced upon him with tears plain upon her face, take her into his embrace as she wept. poor, stalwart eilidh, she who had been handed the role of mediator and of peacemaker, who had assumed their familial burdens as if she had been the ones to create them. "you did not fail, little one."

but here too came constantine, siblings together as they had not been for some time -- one had always been missing, two for many months, and he too tried to take the blame for what had happened. "no one is to blame!" the druid murmured in a sharp whisper. "emaleth escaped because that was her fate. we could not halt it, but we can find her. the three of us -- donnelaith searching for its lost daughter. now tell me, both of you -- darling eilidh, dry your tears -- where have you looked for her?"