Ouroboros Spine tiniruk ⌓

again, aiolos returning. his voice was only for her. kukutux was reminded of where she had placed the redsun: between man and woman. he was not the latter, but every taboo she had broken in his presence had not harmed either of them. there was a safety granted by his innate respect. jawline tightened; no more tears cascaded along her palewater cheek.

"i live." a bitter intake of breath. the duck turned away from aiolos, pulled away, stared off toward moonspear. "my daughter sialuk lives. we waited for them. we sang death songs for nine days." features contorted again. her gaze fastened to the earth. she would weep no more. "my mind tried with all its strength to remember the correct words. so much, that i forgot that i too must mourn."

and now she had come to it, a widow, emptyhanded. "i am taqqiq here. i was helped to build this village. the mountain that speared the sky toward the moon is a place of death ulax. the glacier of moon songs is a sacred and bitter place. i am here, aiolos."

it felt as though some part of her had died.