Ouroboros Spine ice

tautupik did not sing. he did not look at firemother. 

but he did not need akmaaksi to speak. he wore the glower of his namesake. and just as they did, her own snowy owl watched over their nest.

with mother gone and father halving his time between moonglow and brecheliant, it was often the two of them, asleep next to one another. there were many instances in which akmaaski had slept among her cousins as well, enjoying the warmth of her aunt's nearness.

but they laughed and played and she was alone in her silence the way she was not with tautukpik.

she motioned to a strip of red fox, there in the dirt. she had grown bored of scraping it.