our solemn hour

Weird first post is weird. xD

Saying goodbye to Ira and Bones had been harder than Hex had originally intended for it to be. It should have been easy but the truth was: it hadn't been. It had been easier for him to walk away from Suluk, his own father than it had been to walk away from his adopted brother and friend. He didn't know why, only that as Hex grew older and more defiant Suluk had become disgruntled and resentful. Ungrateful; perhaps Hex was ungrateful for the life that Suluk had “allowed” him but Suluk was becoming a senile old man and someone needed to speak up about it. Unlike Arux or Nefarious Hex hadn't been about to sit around and kiss Suluk's toes because he thought that he deserved freely earned respect. Suluk could have sacrificed Hex to Sos as he had Hex's mother. It would have made all of their lives easier, the young Kesuk-Nox had no doubt. The very worst part was that he couldn't get away from Suluk, no matter the distance that Hex put between himself and Ikkuma; every time he caught his reflection (disorted as it oft was) in a semi-clear water source it was Suluk's face staring back at him. Like Arux, Hex had been cursed with being a spitting image of Suluk Kesuk. It was not Suluk's voice that came from his lips, nor did the fire in Hex's eyes burn with madness as Suluk's did but still the similarity between the facial features were eerie despite the shared genetics, as was the exact coloration and markings. Likely, it was easy to assume that Arux and Hex were identical twins though they had not even shared a mother with one another.

The water source that Hex had been, mere moments before, lapping contently out of suddenly became insulting to the Kesuk-Nox and he recoiled back as if he saw a monster instead of his own murky, distorted reflection. His thirst suddenly sated, Hex felt his brow furrow as he turned away with a soft snort of indignation and moved further inland, towards the heart of the Caldera — his new home. Half melted snow squelched under his steps, scaring off any potential prey though his appetite, for the moment, had abruptly abated and abandoned him. Suluk had that way about him: haunting even from afar. With Ira and Bones Hex had been able to turn it off and actually begin to find himself. Leaving them, it seemed, had him in a backwards spiral.

In an attempt to empty his mind the Kesuk-Nox turned eyes of fierce ice blue to studying the path before him, trying to commit some sort of rudimentary map to his mind.

Hi! Hope it's okay if I assume that Elwood has already met Hex, since Kat suggested that one of the Betas had accepted him. :)

Elwood needed some time away from women.

Not Finley, of course -- though she was a fine example of crazy and her picture was probably printed in the dictionary next to the word, there was something endearing about her insanity. But the other females in the pack had all become strangely hormonal, and somehow, inexplicably, Elwood kept getting caught up in it. First Grimm, then Somnia and Dove...

So he had been more than happy to accept a young male into their ranks. Hex had made a good impression on him from the start, and he made a mental note to check in with the yearling after he had been given some time to settle. When he scented the charcoal male nearby, Elwood rerouted and tracked him down. The caldera's newest subordinate wasn't far from Lake Rodney, and was making his way inland, towards the squat mountain itself.

"How's it going, Hex?" Elwood called as he jogged towards the other wolf, closing the gap quickly with his long strides.

That's completely fine, thanks for joining! c: Also, I'm so sorry this post is so short and shoddy! :c

Emptying his mind was, as he should have known from the get go, much easier said than done, especially because Hex did not have the ability to answer how he had shut them off before. Perhaps it had been because he had had many more things to worry about with Ira and Bones. Or perhaps it had simply been company that had chased Suluk's memory away from him temporarily. The sound of footfalls were evident as Hex was approached, ears swiveling back to catch the noise mere moments before he paused and half turned, glimpsing at Elwood over his shoulder. The Beta male that had accepted him into the Caldera. The grayscale colored male jogged towards him, inquiring about how it was going. Recognizing Elwood's rank, Hex made the appropriate submission required of him before he rose with the intentions of responding to the other male's question, though Hex was careful to divert his eyes to focus upon Elwood's paws for a lack of knowing any where else to look. This male was not Suluk and thus Hex had no reason to challenge him. Defiance was all that Hex felt he was good for, but thus far these wolves seemed honorable and respectable — at least Elwood since he was the only member that Hex could claim he'd met yet. “As well as can be expected for a newbie fond of getting lost,” Hex spoke with good-natured humor and a soft laugh. He didn't think he was lost, but then again he didn't know that he wasn't either. He did not know the lay of the claimed lands (let alone the free territories beyond).

3/14: Editing in a conclusion.

As Elwood drew nearer, Hex adjusted his posture accordingly. He wasn't a wolf that demanded active submission from lower-ranked wolves, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless. It showed that Hex had manners, and that he knew the importance of integrating himself into the pack. There had been other newcomers lately that hadn't been quite so polite.

He came to a halt a few feet from the Theta, leaving ample space for them to converse comfortably. The younger male admitted that he was trying to acquaint himself with the territory, to which Elwood replied with a chuckle. "I'd be happy to show you around a bit," he offered, thinking back to the last two tours he had given. Godfrey and Prima had been the recipients, and neither wolf had stuck around for very long.

Gesturing for Hex to walk with him, he started to move through the trees, following the gradual incline of the land as they neared the base of the caldera. "Have you been up to the top yet?" he asked; the pack's namesake was its most notable landmark.

When Hex expressed that he hadn't yet ventured to the peak, Elwood was happy to escort him. They spent the next few hours enjoying the views, then parted ways.