But Jostanor was resolved, for he hated the Wolf-Curse and wanted to be rid of it. Sarinina could not convince her husband, so she went to his pack-brothers and told them Jostanor's plan. The pack-brothers were enraged and surrounded Jostanor. Nuud the Sheepbiter stepped forward and said, "We cannot allow you to do this. It is against our gods and is not the proper time. We must wait!" But Jostanor still would not be deterred. He said, "I cannot wait for the dead! The Sartar are eaten by the Moon and they will not keep their promise to heal us. I abhore myself and this curse on our people. I will see it ended or die." Nuud bared his fangs and said, "Then you will die." The pack-brothers leapt on Jostanor, but he drove each of them off and killed Nuud for his trouble. Sarinina cried out, "Go, then, if you must. I will weep bitter tears for you and sire no more pups after you are gone." She gave him Dungpole, Toothsack, and Fleabiter to accompany and protect him, then Jostanor left.
He followed the trail to the place where Sartar had first visited his tribe. There he met the Darkman Ghost who told him of a great cave into the below. For his trouble, Jostanor gave the Darkman Ghost Dungpole, which he ate immediately. At the mouth of the great cave, he let Fleabiter go and followed her into the darkness, for she was a gift from the Kitori. He then met Dead Dog, who was nothing but skin over bones. He pulled the teeth from the Toothsack and Dead Dog was satisfied, so let him pass.
Finally, he found the Den of Kyga, Osting's Mother, where she lay bloated with milk. Three demons suckled at her teats and paid Jostanor no mind. Reaching into himself, he pulled forth his wolf-self and presented it to Kyga. "Great Mother, please take this pup to replace the one stolen from you." Kyga raised her head to look at the man and his wolf. "If he can find a teat, he may have it. But know this, my fourth was biten off by He Who Left Me and the other three are taken." But Jonstanor had no more magic to tempt and drive the demons away from Kyga's Teats and make room for his wolf-self. He pleaded with her to relent, but she would not. Now angry, she rose and snapped, so Jostanor fled, forgetting to retrieve his wolf-self.
Lost and alone, he attempted to find Fleabiter again, but she was gone. He wandered until he found a cave to the Above again. Seeing no other choice, he took it and appeared again in the world. But he was in a strange land where he could not eat, so he died. But his wolf-self snatched his spirit up in its jaws and carried him back across the world until it could go no further. Nearly dead itself, it put Jostanor's spirit down in a pure human pup, then found a pure wolf pup to for itself to sleep in.
When Jostanor did not return, Sarinina asked the ancestors what had happened to her husband. They told her Jostanor had died, but then had seperated himself into his Two Pure Forms. Now the entire tribe is looking for both of him.
Powered by hypermail