Ouroboros Spine Oh, this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees.

When Kukutux spoke of how she might have been able to intervene and save Samani’s life had she only been there, a lump formed in Towhee's throat. If she’d gotten to Caracal sooner, could he have been pulled back from the precipice? She quickly banished that line of thinking, as it would only make her agonize more.

I told Heda—his wife, his widow now—and the kids they should come to the Moon villages. I knew they would find support here. But, they didn’t.

Tears still fell freely and her breathing remained uneasy. But with the weight of the fur on her shoulder and her friend's compassionate presence, Towhee slowly recovered from her brief fit of crying.

Who—what—who is Tortega? she wondered, voice hoarse but steady.