The Sentinels you have my whole heart, you always did

tachyon had not returned to donnelaith to be idle: most days that he could, he was limping about, trying to redeem himself in the eyes of lasher. he was sullen as he committed his duties -- more sullen than he had been in the past -- but he committed them all the same. he had tried to save deirdre's small flower spot, the place he knew she cherished -- and haplessly he had secured only one stalk. that one stalk he would bring to deirdre -- he clutched it in his muzzle and trotted as quick as he could on his lamed leg. the bugs beset him during his progress, wild and teeming with plantlust -- with barks and growls he would shake his head abruptly, hoping to sway them off his trial as he made for the den the pups were secured in.

In those first few days after a swarm of hungry bugs had left not a single green stalk in the forest and the surrounding areas, Osprey would find herself walking around the territories, eyes wide in surprise and awe, taking in the magnitude of the damage and trying to understand, what was going to happen now. At the moment life went on as it had been, but the instinct told her that this was not going to last, that more troubles awaited them. But, what was more important, was, what fate awaited her children that were just about to be born - a week from now more or less - what kind of world they would be welcomed in?

With those pressing thoughts in mind she almost ran into Tachyon and had he not been making a noise, she would not have stopped in the last moment. "What's wrong with you?" she asked her packmate.

the bugs continued to assail him, and he continued to be annoyed by them: he shook, he flapped, he even snapped -- all to no avail. finally he settled into glaring at them with the most gruesomely contorted of scowls, though it did nothing to intimidate the inquiring locusts from settling on his ears and nose. he too had been consumed by his own thoughts, though he slowed respectfully as he saw osprey approach. he had not seen her in some time through fault of his own, and he was surprised by the girth her barrel had acquired. with a warm smile seeping his countenance he replied to her question, though his words were mumbled through pressed teeth given the wildwood flower in his mouth. "everything!" -- that was the short answer -- he dropped the flower and collapsed upon it to protect it from the tittering bugs. "the bugs, being hungry, letting everyone down." he looked at his paws the way a chastised child might view their toes, his eyes averted to the ground. "i've messed up."

"Well, in that case you have managed to eff up a lot of stuff in a very short time," Osprey returned, finding Tachyon's irritation mildly amusing. She still remembered him as the funny guy, who had told the story about bacon, and knew very little about his latest adventures and why some of the pack-mates may not be too thrilled to see this guy. As far as she was concerned now, the elder was in for some fun.

"And we can fix the hunger thing," she said reaching out with one forepaw and putting it on a not a particularly live locust. "Have you tried to eat them?" she asked, not looking at her friend, but leaning down to look at the insect.

while osprey hadn't really asked him to divulge much past his present mood, all of the sudden tachyon fought down the swelling rise of words that threatened to overtake him in a drowning wave. his expression contorted as he denied the words their entry, but the battle was short-lived and he quickly blurted: "before i came here i knew a girl.. and i found her.. and i tried to bring her back, but couldn't.. and now i've hurt someone who cared about me." he was pathetic, he knew it -- could a wolf crawl any lower?

so sorry did he feel for himself that he didn't even consider the inquiry osprey offered: he had not eaten them, nor would he -- certainly not after sampling the fine succor that was bacon.

Osprey had been about to pick up the locust, when Tachyon began to speak very quickly, leaving her frozen with eyes turned to her packmates face, while her jaws were slightly parted to take the bug from the ground. Three things she noticed about the story was: 1. He was upset. 2. He spoke way too fast. 3. He assumed that she knew the background of the history, when she didn't. When you sum up all three, the result is - she understood very little of what was going on.

Therefore, once he had finished, she didn't give an answer right away, grabbing the locust, chewing it and swallowing. "Crunchy, yet... not too bad," she told him, licking her lips. "Now - back to business. Please, take few breaths and explain in detail, what is/was going on," she asked him in a tone that would not take a "no" for an answer.

invades -- lmk if this isn't cool of me to do !!

deirdre followed his scent, worried for the one her heart so adored. her father had likely in jest told her to watch after the patient, but deirdre was dutiful in the request, and sought him as she always had the days he had been gone. she fret that she might not find him—for more than days she had not been able to—but she heard his voice from afar, and a small smile dawned upon her lips.

she was not aware of his misdeeds, her father not sharing with her these details—be it because there was no time to, or because she was not the proper age was not known for certain this eve—and so, as she came upon him and osprey, her opinion was unsullied. but she heard his mourning tones, and the tail-end of what he had said. you hurt no one! she soothed, not knowing the truth of the matter but speaking instead from her soul, that you are here and well... we are all happy, she glanced to osprey, her eyes full of wonder at the change in the others shape. from so low deirdre could see where exactly her stomach grew in its curve, and she gasped. osprey! does your stomach hurt????? she paused, and with wide-eyes, told the woman, its very big! all-innocence in her admission.