Ouroboros Spine agga ⋄

As voices rose in chorus, it reminded her of another night, not so long ago, when a similar song had stirred her from sleep in Firefly Glen. She listened for a moment without joining, a sharp pain stabbing through her breast as a strange voice declared, I am your spear.

She was happy to hear how many they numbered. Kukutux and Sialuk may not even need her support for long. Meerkat didn't have the heart to sing with them. It was in pieces, most of them elsewhere. The biggest one belonged with Bronco, always; another lived at the caldera, from whence she'd just returned within the past hour; and the rest were broken, jagged and scattered elsewhere.

But she managed a wan smile, the bits beating in her breast glowing warmly as the melody carried on without her.