"Now, Tarva," Gann shouted, as the spirits fell, and Okku became vulnerable. Finally, they could press the attack; Safiya was almost out of spells, and Gann wasn't doing much better himself. Kaelyn – well, he didn't know; all her attention had been focused on the weapon master as she tumbled and feinted, trying to stay just out of reach of Okku's claws and teeth. Whether she'd succeeded or not, Gann wasn't sure, but as he and Safiya rushed forward, he could see that Kaelyn was pale and sweating, and Tarva was not moving with anything like the speed and grace she had been.

Kaelyn brandished her mace, and charged, "For the Crusade!"; Safiya muttered something a lot less wholesome under her breath and fired off the few nastier single-target spells she'd saved, just in case.

Even with a severely reduced spirit army to back him up, Old Father Bear was still full of fight, roaring defiance at the three who dared to attack him. Tarva ducked under one massive, raking paw, as Safiya's spell caught him, draining half his vitality away in one instant; the weapon master's scythe carved a sharp line across his side, and the fire enchantment Safiya had placed on it blazed. Gann chanted as quickly as he dared, attempting to fill whatever Okku used for lungs with water, while Kaelyn brought her mace down on a joint and dodged away when he lashed out.

After that, it got complicated. He could remember glimpses, later; Tarva's face covered in blood, as Okku's claw made a good attempt at removing her scalp; one massive paw sending Safiya flying; a lot of pain, felt and then gone; Kaelyn everywhere at once, healing or attacking as need or opportunity dictated; Tarva slower now, but determined as ever, spinning, whirling, striking, and finally –

"Enough!" Okku cried, and, barely comprehending it, Gann lowered his hands, Kaelyn helped Safiya stand, and Tarva planted the butt of the scythe firmly in the ground and used it as support.

"Hurry," the bear rumbled, panting for breath, his head bowed. "Take your blade, and tear out my throat. Finish it."

"No. Go back to your barrow, Okku. I do not –" Tarva bent nearly double, her scythe falling to the ground, as an enormous black thing erupted from her and spread its many arms wide, reaching for Okku. Gann had never seen anything like it before, but the aura of hunger and emptiness that radiated from it... so that was -

Safiya put her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in recognition, as a pulsating cord stretched from Okku, through Tarva, and to the thing, which grew bigger, darker, more tangible as it fed on Okku. "Stop it!" Kaelyn cried. "You're draining-"

"Forgive me," Okku's deep voice cut over them all easily. "I tried to stop you." Already he looked smaller, diminished.

"No." It was Tarva's voice – at least, it came from her mouth – but hardly recognisable. She tried to straighten, but the thing shook again, the cord grew thicker, and it seemed inevitable that in a moment –

She screamed, voice raw with pain and will; her hands clenched into fists, knotted with tension; the cord snapped; the dark thing protested as it was denied its prey and slowly sucked back beneath her skin; Tarva wrenched herself upright, shaking with the effort.

"Well, isn't that interesting?" The words that fell out of Gann's mouth were just as much of a surprise to him as they would have been to anyone listening; fortunately, nobody was. Kaelyn and Safiya had hurried to the half-elf's side, Okku was raising his head, looking as incredulous as a multi-coloured bear could manage... and Gann was just standing there, like a fool. He realised that his mouth was still hanging open (how unbecoming) and closed it before more words could spill out.

"You... you spared me, spirit-eater," Okku rumbled.

The last word explained a lot of things. That absence that had nearly masked the woman, the dark thing, the furious spirit army... of all his luck, to get tangled up with this mess. Gann shook his head slightly, vaguely aware that his train of thought was wandering off into the wilds, and returned to paying attention. Safiya was looking similarly enlightened, with a hint of intellectual avarice accompanying it; Kaelyn and Tarva, however, were completely at a loss.

"Spirit-eater?" Tarva asked, her voice hoarse.

"Yes. I knew it when you woke in my barrow. Nakata scented it on you, before you destroyed her. I did not think you had the will to fight what you are. "

"I... oh, gods," Tarva said, and tried to say something more. She failed to shape a word, but for once, all the questions could be seen swirling on her face, and all her emotions. Seeing her so open was rather a disconcerting thing, Gann thought idly; he'd seen so much of the neutral mask. Most of his mind, though, was echoing the word: spirit-eater. Spirit-eater. Spirit-eater.

"I have known one other spirit-eater with your strength and mercy." Old Father Bear said. Gann forced himself, again, to pay attention. "On the lake of ice, he spared my life, as you have done today, and I swore an oath to end this curse. That you stand here now... means I failed. So you have inherited the promise I made him; little one, I will see you and Rashemen freed of the spirit-eater."

"I... um, thank you," Tarva said, a little hesitantly. "By 'ending this curse', you're not intending to try and kill me again, are you?"

Okku snorted. "No, little one. You have spared my life, and I shall not take yours. No, I intend to come with you, if you permit me, and... see what can be done."

"Old Father Bear deigns to travel with us?" Gann said, delighted to find his brain and mouth were properly connected again. Okku wanted to travel with them. The god of bears had sworn his loyalty to this woman. Tarva was a spirit-eater. There were so many strange things going on here; the only proper response was flippancy.

And a sudden burst of nostalgia for his safe little prison cell, which didn't contain impervious women who turned out to be spirit-eaters, Red Wizards, angelic priestesses who saw far too much, or ancient bear-gods with old oaths to fulfil.

On the other hand... who could resist the opportunity to find out how all this would end?

"We are honoured indeed!" Gann swept a low bow to Okku. "I am already here, but it would be pleasant to have another being of legendary beauty and power along. The company of equals is always preferable."

He surprised a weary chuckle from Tarva. "Okku, I would be honoured if you would join me. Pay no attention to Gann; he's not too bad if you can ignore his ego. Admittedly this is a difficult task, since there's not much else to him. Most of the time, we don't bother."

"Such hurtful words from my cursed – and strikingly beautiful – leader! I am deeply-" offended, he was going to say, but was unexpectedly silenced by the combination of a chilling growl from Okku, who seemed a little miffed at being upstaged, and a flat, unfriendly look from Tarva at his final words, her stony neutrality falling back into place.

"If I may interject," Safiya said, shooting an amused glance at them. She studied Tarva carefully, and was apparently relieved at what she saw. She bent to pick up Tarva's scythe and offer it back to her, leaving Kaelyn to support the weapon master. "The Rashemi are a superstitious folk, and I am certain I noted several of them spying during our battle. It would probably be a good idea to find somewhere more private to discuss this, lest we be greeted with hordes of fearful peasants with torches and pitchforks."

"I agree," Kaelyn said. "There is much here I do not understand."

"Tell me about it," Tarva muttered, then raised her voice. "Unless the witches have spirited Magda back, the Veil should still be empty." She eyed Okku. "That's all right with you? You won't feel uncomfortable inside a city or anything, will you?"

The bear shook his head. "I do not care overmuch for cities, but I do not think we will find an answer to your curse in the wilderness, little one. Let us go."