'I am the mog-ur. You are the leader. You have ordered Ayla cursed with death. But the spirits are not play things. They do not wield to the will of men. They cannot be ordered to do something. They can be cajoled, if there is a reason, they will help if help is needed. But they cannot be used for spite. You have ordered Ayla cursed with death. It is not done. Instead, I have cursed you with death,' Goov motioned, then turned his back of the leader of the clan.

Broud's mouth twisted into a frown as he slowly realised what the mog-ur had done.

'No,' he screamed. 'You were supposed to curse that disobedient woman. How dare you try to curse me?'

He started to run toward Goov, wanting to hurt him, but then noticed as one by one, the members of the clan, his clan turned away from him.

'You can't curse me,' he motioned. 'I am the leader.'

And then he saw Ayla. Standing near the cave that she'd just come out of. 'She,' he screamed. 'It is she that is cursed. Not me. Never me.'

But Ayla, in a world of her own, did not hear him. Too upset about the death of Creb, she didn't see him run toward her.

But Brun did.

'Be gone foul spirit,' he shouted, holding up a spear to bar his war to the woman. 'You are dead. You are not of the clan anymore. Be gone.'

Broud shook his head. 'No, I'm not cursed with death. She is.'

Other hunters have run up behind Brun now, all blocking his way to the woman.

'You will go spirit,' Brun indicated. 'We will have no dealings with the dead.'

'But I am the leader,' Broud motioned. 'I am…'

And then he saw Oga coming out of the cave, carrying his fur wrap. Followed by others, carrying other things of his. Spears, his cup, his furs to sleep in. One by one, they walk over to the fire that he'd had built outside.

'What are you doing? You're not going to burn my belongings.' He ran up to them. 'Oga.'

Oga turned away from him, fear showing in her eyes, and threw his wrap on the fire.

'Be gone spirit,' she said, ignoring him as she walked past.

'The leader is dead,' Brun motions. 'I will take up leadership again until Brac is old enough.'

'I am not dead.'

'I will train Brac in all he must know. And hopefully I will do a better job than I did with the son of my mate.' He sighed.

'No, I am going to train him,' Broud motioned. 'Not you. You are just an old man.'

He started to head toward where Brac and Grev are cowering behind the fire, looking at him with fear in their eyes. 'I am going to train you. Brac. You know that don't you? I am going to train you. The leader training the next leader.'

'Go away spirit,' Brac motioned.

'You will not treat me with disrespect.'

Someone small stepped next to Brac. 'Go away spirit,' Durc put his arms out to almost push Broud away.

'I am not going to let a deformed boy speak to me like that,' he gesticulates. 'You should never have lived. You should have died. Like your mother should have died. Neither of you belong in this clan. You never did,' Broud indicated, raising his arm to hit the boy.

'No,' a woman screamed.

Turning around, he saw Ayla marching straight to him. Standing tall before him. 'You are dead spirit, you will not hurt my son.'

Broud lurched at her.

She stepped out of his way, and he fell in a heap.

He scrambled to his feet. 'I will not go,' he said, spitting at her feet. 'I am not cursed with death. I cannot be cursed with death. I am the leader. I wanted you cursed with death. Not me. I will make Goov do what I say.'

'You will not spirit,' Goov motioned, coming into Broud's sight. Followed by Brun, all the hunters, and the rest of the clan. 'You are cursed with death. You are not of the clan anymore. You must go. Now.'

'No.'

'You will.' And then he nodded, and the hunters walked, with the spears pointing toward him. 'Be gone spirit,' they said, jabbing him with them.

And using the spears, they make him move.

'You can make me leave,' Broud motioned. 'But you cannot make me stay away.'

And then before one of the spears killed him for real, he ran.