Ouroboros Spine sinnigik ⍼

As he climbed the mountain's spine Raimo came across a recession filled with stagnant water; it was small, it smelled sour, and so he knew not to clean himself with it. There were white stains along the rock bordering it.

Overhead swept a shadow as some kind of bird landed in the eaves of an oak tree, rustling at its nest. He could not tell what kind of bird it was for all the branches; but then it called out and the piercing sound of the eagle's cry rang in his ears. It was cleaning at something, and soon enough the head of a fish dropped from the tree and in to his path.

It smacked a sharp stone edge as it landed, splattering the stale water with red, and Raimo watched it expand within the water, thinning until it was gone. He looked to the fish head next. It stared at him with eyes like frosted glass. The cheeks were still intact, so he grabbed for it and moved away.

The smell was more pungent than he anticipated. It reminded him of the sea-scent that Jakoul carried with her; he drifted physically between the trees, mentally back to the quarry and the sensations they had shared. In his wandering he passed by the old ulaq of Kukutux and was surprised to find the scent of her waning there, replaced by cold shadow.

As he moved on, Raimo wondered where the moon had vanished to. Perhaps she had found Adrastus' sleeping place to keep herself warm during the nights he himself had been away; the thought was like a spear to his chest, and he gripped the fish head more tightly without noticing.

When Kukutux' scent came to him again, this time strong, there was the sound of rustling to accompany it. Perhaps she was hunting for herself, he thought. He paused to look through the shadows for her, and saw her sunning herself by a structure of rocks, her head bowed to the grass.