Alexei inherits his grandfather's magical wolf-pelt and thereby assumes the position of village "metsatoll" (Werewolf) in rural late 1880s Estonia to protect the area by fighting the terrible storms in the sky that could devestate the farms and fields. But he breaks the terms of the wolf-magic and loses the ability to control the shapeshifting, becoming a killer. Heartbroken at what he has become, Alexei flees his home in hopes of finding an enchanter who can free him from the curse."