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

but they had not come. kukutux looked away from towhee in thought, wondering if she should make a prayer for them.

she would.

"tooteega is an old woman spirit," the duck said softly. "she guides women. mothers, daughters, the elders. she guides a woman at each part of her life. and she is there when one of us lose our breath forever."

her chin trembled, but she did not weep again.

"we sing the death songs for nine nights. tooteega watches. we sing so that a spirit can be guided into the heart of the dark sea, to the goddess sedna. she swallows the spirit. we sing so that it knows it must always walk forward. that the spirit must go to the dancing lights."