Dragoncrest Cliffs But if 'is' wasn't

it comes as no surprise to vex that their plights to join the wolves of sapphique are meant with a resolute rejection from arbiter while rosalyn gives her blessing that he, too, can stay. in hindsight, having asked arbiter for leadership lessons how many ever days prior only to voice that he wants to stay in sapphique with haunt was kind of contradicting. i know i asked for leadership lessons, he begins after everyone else spoke, slipping it in when he finds the opening to address arbiter's concern and questions himself. but maybe sapphique's leaders can teach me while we're here. of course maybe that was a lot to ask of strangers but at this point he was merely looking to placate arbiter. he wasn't really concerned about his own demand bribe desires.

haunt was right: she wasn't in any fit state to travel that distance. not right now, at least; and this might be a good chance for vex to learn some discipline and humility which he was sorely lacking in despite arbiter's best attempts. there was lessons to be learned in living with a pack of strangers ...something he had never encountered before; and this was different than any time previous. at least arbiter would know where they were. visits could be made if not by her than by any one of legion.

vex doesn't understand, mostly because he can't. he isn't a parent ...and even then, kaertok had left them. at first of his own free will and now with his death. kaertok had never babied them and coddled them: he would've wanted them to stick to their guns and experience life for themselves, vex assumes. dad's dead, mom. he breaks the news, voice raw from the unveiled tempest he feels inside, egged on by the same old conversation the three of them have had for months now. dad's dead and i'm not leaving haunt. and on top of that, he just didn't want to go home right now.