The Hawk, "HEALER!"
39 The man rushed over quickly, knelt beside Gray Deer, and began to
undo his breast plate. Doubling his fist, he struck him hard on the
right side of his chest twice. The Hawk looked on in horror. The Healer
locked his fingers together, put his hands on Swift Deer's chest, and
began to push down and let up rhythmically, counting as he did so.
40 "Lord," asked The Healer, "can you do this?"
41 The Hawk fell to his knees and began to copy The Healer's actions.
The Healer went to Swift Deer's face, held his mouth together, and
began to blow air into his nose. He began putting his fingers to Swift
Deer's throat, and watching his chest. Finally he motioned to The Hawk
to stop. "We did it!" he said, "His heart's beating again; weakly, but
it's beating! Now, if only we got to him in time, and his wits weren't
destroyed."
42 "What happened to him?" asked The Hawk, "Was he injured in battle?"
43 The Healer shook his head. "I've been watching him for some time,"
he explained, "ever since I learned what happened to his mother's
brothers, and, all her uncles. Their hearts all failed when they were
quite young men. Such diseases can be passed from generation to
generation, not only by the males, but by the females of the family. It
is strange it does not affect the women, only the males born of them.
The ways of birth are strange, indeed! He'll live....I HOPE. But he's
finished as a Warlock. If he follows the pattern any heavy
exertion, any undo strain, he'll either faint or die!"
44 The Healer summoned some helpers, and they carried Swift Deer to a
tent. The Hawk worried terribly about his friend, but he was too busy
organizing the march home to visit him, much. It