Ouroboros Spine not today

"no. you are not."

reflexively her paw closed again atop that of callyope; "i waited and samani did not know her own. i waited and ariadne did not give spirit names to her children."

little fox! they had sung for him, but in her heart of hearts did the duck believe he was gone into the twisting grey worlds beyond the reach of sedna.

"if i wait for you to be anaa, then you — maybe you will do this before you are ready. no, no. you must know now."

before sedna makes her choice. she has turned her eye against us, my daughter.

does she see how much i love you?

"it is tattilgat. crane bird woman. i named you here," she murmured, looking up at the familiar old darkness of the ulaq. i named your brother here. and your sister.

"crane bird woman takes a soft form, but her wings are ready to go high, to carry her through a storm of ice." to fly. to flee. to see far, to carry the weight of the things seen but not yet understood.