Ouroboros Spine adakite

firegirl had carried her fox back to the village and skinned it alone beside anik lake. to eat the fox was not something that appealed; she buried its bones and its flesh in mamattuk grove, leaving the pelt for someone else to clean.

akmaaksi had become a killer, a huntress, a silent thing that stalked predators around the village who might raid a cache or steal meat from a drying-rack.

and still she had not spoken.

and still tautukpik was the only voice which spoke home to firegirl's heart. 

brother had cornered something here. her lips twitched, her tail lay still. slinking, she coursed around the ulaq, ready at once for him to drive the thing out.