Porcupine Ridge ouroboros

"Hex!?"

Was it him?! Was it him?! Nutuyikruk raced through the mountains after hearing a call out for Makono. The urgency, she could feel, and as the voice of a familiar man grew louder and louder, her feet felt the sores beginning to form.

Be him! Be him! Be him!

Running harder, harder, until Makono's figure blossomed into view. Beyond her, the embrace of Muskrat and the shadow man held into a tight hug. Nutuyikruk's heart stuttered in place. It was him! It was him! It was him! "Hex!?"

Breezing beyond Makono and not thinking for even a moment, she cried out desperately for a third time, "Hex!" Tail, borrowing between both legs as the girl squeezed to wrap an arm around his now frail, frail body. Every day in the mans missing, there had been not a word from the girl. Quiet, accepting- accepting that he would not come back, or that the mountains had collapsed down on their shadow leaders body somewhere. Another had been lost. Another would not come back.

Hex came back and she could not breathe from the elation. Overjoyed.