Prologue

In a time long ago, a Northwestern Indian tribe, one composed of five different tribal bands or clans, betrayed the god of Thunder. It happened in an age when food was plentiful, when starvation was unknown. Yet the men of the tribe sought to kill more game than was needed.

The Thunderer’s children thought to intervene on the animals’ behalf, but little did they know that the tribe’s greed had turned to lust. Ultimately, the tribal leaders and their followers killed the Thunderer’s children, every one of them.

In retaliation for this evil deed, the Thunderer stole four beautiful women from the tribe and sought to destroy every other member of it, all clans. It would have been accomplished, too, but for the Creator, who intervened.

“Nay, these people shall not die,” the Creator decreed. Instead He sent the people of these tribal bands into the mist. There, they would live a half existence. Neither alive nor dead, every individual would be cursed to live forever in the shadows, not real, not even ghosts.

But once a generation, a boy would be summoned as his clan’s champion. Becoming real and taking a form of substance forever, the boy would set out into the tangible world, where he would be charged with the duty of undoing the spell which enslaved his people.

In 1816, there were four tribal bands left, their people still imprisoned in the mist. Swift Hawk, then ten years old, was chosen to represent the Burnt Chest Band of the tribe; Spirit Raven, also ten years of age, was next selected from the Fast Runner Band; Long Bow would represent the Black Fire Band; and Spotted Wolf, the Yellow Shawl Band.

The boys were to go out into the world to be adopted by other Indian tribes. The champions were to grow, to learn, to watch, to come to know the enemies of their adopted tribe. For it was only through a special act of kindness and selflessness toward an enemy that the enchantment could be broken.

In 1835, Spirit Raven has less than a year left to break the spell. Adopted by the Assiniboine Indians when he was still a lad, Spirit Raven is now known to his adopted brothers as Grey Coyote; Coyote, because of the form his spirit protector takes, and Grey because the Assiniboine have observed that black clouds and hard times follow the boy always.

With so little time left to accomplish his mission, Grey Coyote is desperate.

And so begins our story…