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Though uninvited, Sizh followed behind Biat, Chosia and the two elder otter females as they strode purposely through the dark to the healer's holt. The otters of Blue Lake Romp failed to notice he was there until they reached Minttuka's house. As she held the hide that covered the door aside for the others to enter, she became aware of the stranger.

"What are you doing here? Go back to the male's couch. We have serious romp business to discuss; this is a private matter."

Biat started to say that he had invited the newcomer, but Sizh waved him off.

"I disagree. My friends, the newly arrived females, have been possessed by spirits. It may happen again. I think that you and your romp-mates know more about what is going on here than you say. I do have some knowledge of but no experience dealing with spirits. I have a duty to help my friends, and I will do whatever I can whether you work with me or not. You decide if it is better that I blunder about on my own or if you will allow me to work with you."

The old healer's slanted, blue eyes narrowed further as she moved defiantly to push the insolent pup away and drive him back to the bachelor's couch. The young male steadied himself for the verbal and physical onslaught he anticipated. Minttuka was held back as Tega's brown and white arm emerged from the dark interior of the Holt and her paw grasped her romp-mate's shoulder.

"Tuka, let him enter. I sense a need for change and new blood to heal this old wound. Let him help." A scowl formed on the healer's face, but she exhaled loudly and stood aside so Sizh might enter.

"Thank you," Sizh said, sincerely grateful to be allowed into their confidence. "Both of you."

The interior of Minttuka's Holt was an eclectic mess of strange objects and artifacts strewn and hung about without seeming to have any order. Amongst the clutter were baskets and pots full of herbs and potions that were the mainstay of her art. She clearly lived alone and was unused to this much company. She had to hustle about clearing away the clutter so everyone could have a seat.

Though it was Minttuka's Holt, Tega took charge giving direction to the conversation. "Chosia, tell me what you have done and what you have discovered in the valley."

The white haired youth dutifully recounted all he had done and experienced in the valley over the last fortnight. The plump Shamaness listened with her yellow eyes half closed. She offered no interruption, but expressions of surprise and anger crossed her face as Chosia described his use of Minttuka's herbs by burning them to help him hear the spirit voices.

Sizh observed Tega glare at the healer, who avoided eye contact with her intimidating peer. Minttuka twirled the purple streak in her unkempt hair with a nervous claw. When Chosia described in detail the attack on the newcomers by the spirits, the Shamaness' expression changed to shock and slowly to resignation.

With his tale finished, Chosia fell silent. No one dared speak before Tega, who sat grimly silent undergoing an internal debate over how to reconcile an old promise with a new reality. Her eyes remained closed until she sighed and opened them again.

"It is time that others besides Minttuka and I know the truth."

The healer gasped and let go of her hair. "Tega, no! The oaths we swore..."

"...Are no longer binding. We swore those oaths to our elders who are long gone. We are the elders now. Our current situation is different. It demands action, and for good or ill, we must act."

"But, Tega, the shame."

"That is also ours to bear and share as we see fit. You should now carry an extra burden of shame for encouraging young Chosia to speak with the spirits. Your herbs and spells have allowed them to become stronger and penetrate the barrier of our mortal world to a level that surpasses anything we have seen before. I can sense the spirits strongly now. There are many of them and they seek to use us for their own ends."

Minttuka hung her head. "I am sorry, Tega. The boy has a gift for sensing the spirits. He gets it from his mother, I think." A mischievous twinkle returned to her blue eyes as she spoke of Tega and Chosia's relationship. "I thought he would learn things that might help put the spirits to rest. I never imagined that he would release them into our world."

"I am sorry, Mother." Chosia knelt at Tega's hindpaws. " I know that you did not want me to go to the valley. I disobeyed."

With her paws, Tega tenderly touched her son's face. "Such is the purpose of youth: to overturn the sins and traditions of their elders so that change can happen. What has been done cannot be undone. We can only seek forgiveness for our folly and do our best to make it right."

Bending over, she kissed his forehead. "I forgive you, Chosia. When I explain the truth, I ask that that you forgive us. Now, we must do what we can to make this right. We have a responsibility to do what is best for the romp. To do that, we need to understand these spirits and discover how to help them find peace. Our romp is slowly dying. If we fail, it will likely be the end of our romp. We cannot continue to live with both powerful spirits and a curse."

"Curse?" Chosia, Biat and Sizh voiced the question at once.

Tega sighed and prepared herself to explain what she and Tuka had kept hidden for so long. In a rich voice long used to telling tales and reciting history, she began.

"In a generation before mine, we called ourselves Glacier Valley Romp and had a male shaman. He had many pups, but only the last two matter for this tale, his youngest daughters, Kuantti and Misati. The shaman and his mate had the two pups late in life when most otters had long since had their last litters, so they indulged and spoiled the two girls. Misati was the elder of the two and had always been disgruntled despite her parent's indulgence of her whims. We all know how young otters chirp, however, she whined and chirped all the time, demanding attention from her parents. Her desire to be the focus of her parent's every waking moment didn't ebb as she grew older. Instead, as a young otter girl she always found ways to get into trouble to gain their attention. Even as a young woman when it seemed she had everything, she was still not content. Jealousy over her sister Kuantti festered in her heart. Though the two had been born in the same litter and she was Kuantti's older sister, they were very different in temperament and appearance. Misati was not as pretty as her sister. Her hair was an unusual orange color, and she had red stripes on her ears and tail."

Tega paused to touch her own white hair and examine a long braid with her paw. Minttuka self consciously twirled the purple lock in her own gray hair. To Sizh, the Shamaness explained.

"Members of our romp did not always have such unusually colored hair, fur and eyes. When we were Glacier Valley Romp, we were mostly brown furred like those of your romp and all the other romps. Misati was the first, and shortly you will understand why there are now so many more like her."

"Kuantti, unlike her sister, was a happy pup, making it easy for her parents to care for her more demanding sister. Unusually quiet, she did not make the typical chirping noises most impatient pups made while waiting for food. As a young girl, Kuantti made friends easily and was fun and helpful, unlike her sister, who did all she could to be mean and spiteful to everyone, especially Kuantti. She was beautiful, with unusually curly brown hair that grew long and lustrous. Her eyes were like sapphires, and all the young males from neighboring romps tried to catch those eyes and have them gaze only on themselves."

"The Shaman loved his daughters and anticipated with joy the day that they selected mates and produced grandpups for him. Certainly, the shaman loved all of his pups, but Kuantti was the Shaman's favorite. This favoritism only inflamed Misati's jealousy."

"When Kuantti came of age to select a mate, her father was the happiest otter alive. She had many fine suitors any of which he chose would make a fitting mate for his favorite daughter. It was then that fate turned against our romp. A stranger from the other side of the mountains appeared. The word 'stranger' is perhaps not adequate to describe Star Fall. Yes. That was his name, and it was not the only unusual thing about him. He was a wolf person."

Despite Tega's commanding presence and enthralling manner of storytelling, Sizh could not contain his astonishment. "A wolf person? I always thought they were just rumor and legend."

Instead of reprimanding the young otter for his interruption, she laughed. "As did my ancestors. Star Fall's presence was both frightening and fascinating to my ancestors. To their credit, they welcomed him with even greater hospitality than any traveling otter would receive. Star Fall was honored and housed with the Shaman and his family."

"The wolf told them of the lands to the east that were, and still are, mostly unknown to us. His people live on the far side of a great desert that lies east of the mountains. It is a wasteland that no one crosses except out of the greatest need. Star Fall had such need. His people had been suffering for generations with drought, famine, dwindling litters and earthquakes that had gripped their lands. The shamans of his and other packs had all determined that something in the heavens was wrong. The gods that made the sky, the earth, the people and the bounty upon which they depended had lost their power somehow to keep the world and its people safe and healthy."

"It was during this time of sorrow that Star Fall was born. Upon the moment of his birth, there was a bright flash that lit the night sky and a smoking rock from the heavens fell near the entrance of his mother's den. The shaman knew it was a sign that Star Fall was destined by the gods to do something, but no one knew what. It must be obvious to you now how Star Fall got his name. It may sound unusual to us, but among the wolf people names after natural things such as Bright Moon, Birdsong, Desert Wind were quite common."

"From the day he was able to walk, Star Fall wore the stone from the heavens that his mother had saved for him in a woven belt about his waist. He wore it wherever he went and never took it off. When he came of age, he undertook the vision quest of his kind. Unlike a typical youth, in his vision the gods spoke to him. They told him the stone that was his namesake was one of four stones that fell from the realm of the gods to earth on the day of his birth. When brought together and placed in a sacred vessel in the heavens, they gave the four deities that gave life and safety to his people their power. The stones were lost because the gods had fought jealously among themselves to control all the stones. Their battle resulted in dispersal of the stones. Before they could find them, the stones fell to earth out of reach of the now powerless deities."

"The gods implored Star Fall to recover all of the stones and climb a sacred mountain peak in his people's homeland. From there, and only there, the gods could lift the stones back to the heavens and restore their lost powers. Each stone had the power to find the others. Since Star Fall already had one, he need only head west along the track of their plunge as they streaked across the sky when he was born. The gods promised that if he did this deed, they would undo all the suffering of his people, set their world right again and bless his people with many generations of prosperity and fruitfulness."

"Star Fall, accepted this quest as his destiny. He vowed to succeed and save his people from their misery no matter what the cost to himself. It was a dangerous journey he undertook, but he endured the hardships, overcame great trials and found one stone in the desert and another in the mountains. The three led him inexorably to where he found the fourth stone, in the valley where our romp once dwelled that now lies cursed."

Tega paused. Biat took advantage of the moment and asked, "Why is it cursed, wise one? Did the wolf gods curse us?"

The answer came from Minttuka. Her voice was full of sadness. "We cursed ourselves." There were quizzical stares from the three young males.

To relive their curiosity, Tega continued. "So far the story of Star Fall was full of heroism and good fortune. He had found all four stones and only had to return to his homeland to finish his quest. Unfortunately, winter was setting in, and a crossing of the mountains before spring was impossible.

"So, Star Fall elected to stay with our romp over the winter. This was his undoing, because he fell in love with Kuantti, and she fell in love with him."

Her audience was shocked but remained speechless. The Shamaness saw the shock in their eyes. "Yes. You are scandalized and perhaps appalled. Imagine how the Shaman would have responded if he found out." She corrected herself. "When he found out."

"Like most tales of true love, these lovers did not seek romance deliberately. It may even be that destiny drove them together. Kuantti had found the fourth stone years before while exploring the glacier. She loved the snow and ice and often went there to slide and ski. She wore it as a pendant around her neck. Star Fall had met her there on the glacier because he was drawn to the stone and thus to her.

"The two unlikely lovers tried to keep their affair secret, knowing that there would be violent opposition to a union between an otter and a wolf, especially since the otter was the daughter of the Shaman. To avoid suspicion, they only ever met alone up on the glacier above the valley where few others went."

"It was Misati who discovered their secret by spying on her sister. Misati was never content with what she had and always wanted to take what was Kuantti's from her. Prior to Star Fall's arrival, Kuantti had started meeting regularly with a certain male otter. Misati made it her business to always be around the two of them, insinuating herself between them and following them. Misati had several other males that wanted her attention, but she forsook them to try to steal Kuantti's male. She didn't do it because she loved him; she did it for spite. So, when Kuantti abruptly stopped meeting with the poor otter boy, Misati needed to know why. That was why she followed Kuantti to the glacier."

"The jealous sibling saw the wolf snuggling and kissing her sister. Always eager to drive a wedge between her sister and her father, she told the Shaman, who went into a rage born of fatherly love and embarrassment. He gathered some warriors and took them to the glacier where Misati had told him the two lovers were meeting to consummate their love."

"Star Fall and Kuantti were found in the initial stages of foreplay. Harsh words and threats were exchanged. Kuantti was defiant and would not yield to her father's demands that Star Fall be banished from the romp forever and that Kuantti stay and be mated to an otter male."

"Though the encounter was tense, with everyone but Kuantti insisting the stranger leave, it likely would not have ended in violence or tragedy if Misati had not goaded one of the warriors, who wanted to be her mate, to stab Star Fall with a spear. As the wolf lay dying and his blood stained the ice, he cursed our romp for its intolerance, swearing that no newcomers would find peace in the valley."

"Kuantti wept ceaselessly over the loss of her love. Her father was distressed by the murder of Star Fall, but he had not the power to undo the deed. He tried to reason with his daughter telling her that it was for the best. Star Fall and she could not have had pups."

"So angry and bitter was Kuantti in her grief, that she spat in her father's face. Berating him for his mindless insistence of having her bear him grand-pups at the expense of true love, she uttered a curse upon the romp declaring that we deserved neither daughters nor pups. Pointing a claw at her sister, Kuantti further declared that and all pups born to our romp further more would wear the marks of her betrayal and shame. The result has been small litters and few female since that day, and these." She pointed at the white stripes on her arm and the purple streak in Tuka's hair."

"It was as Kuantti spoke those words, that the glacier rumbled. Perhaps it was Star Fall's gods, angry at the death of their chosen savior. The terminus of the glacier lurched and shattered and began to fall away into the valley. Star Fall, Kuantti, her father, and Misati were all lost as were many of the warriors in the gigantic mass of broken ice and rock that thundered to the valley floor. Their bodies were never recovered. A few of the warriors managed to escape the falling ice and return to tell the tragic tale to the romp.

"The survivors were horrified at what they had done and regretted their actions and the actions of the group. The shame and fear of the wolf male's gods ran so deep, they forbade any talk of what happened, foolishly hoping that silence would undo the curses. However, nothing can be kept secret forever, and a few of the regretful otters made a pact to keep and tell the story to their descendants to be handed down orally for future generations. Minttuka and I are the current holders of that secret. She is descended from the line of the male who killed Star Fall, and I am the last of the line of Kuantti and Misati's parents."

Tega fell silent and hung her head. Exposing the guilt of the past and the shame she felt that she had inherited from her forbearers left her hollow and tired. Minttuka wrapped her arms comfortingly about her old friend and hugged her as she shared her grief and disgrace.

Biat finally filled the conversational void. "So, this is why there are so few pups born here and why so few are female?" Tega nodded.

"We all bear unusual colors because she did, don't we?" Tega nodded again and Minttuka wept silently.

"It is a part of the curse to force us to live every day with the wrong that was done to Kuantti and Star Fall. Kuantti's curse is why fertility is low here, and Star Fall's curse is why we abandoned the valley. The romp was driven from the valley by the spirits of the dead. It makes sense now, but which spirits are trying to posses the newcomers?"

Chosia stood. "I felt what must have been Star Fall's presence when Hiallaru and Ntessi were possessed. He tried to possess me, but could not get past my wards and spells. Based on this story I now suspect that Hiallaru was possessed by Kuantti. Though angry, she was helpful in subduing the possessed Ntessi, who tried to kill us. That was likely the expression of Misati's spirit."

Sizh rose to stand next to Chosia and placed his paw on his shoulder. "Chosia stirred up these spirits and allowed them to become strong. I know that seems like an evil act to you." He directed his speech at the healer and Shamaness. "I think it is also an opportunity to put an end to this curse if we act with courage and love to try to right this ancient wrong and help these spirits find rest."

Tega lifted her head and met Sizh's eyes. "How do you intend we do that?"

"With your help, of course." The outsider smiled, when he saw the gleam of acceptance in the Shamaness' eyes.