The healer peers at the dressings. "Where did you obtain these bandages?" "Those particular ones? At a C.V.S., near Saginaw." Hank clears his throat. Last time he said it, it was Big Deal, so he's almost shy about it. "...Michigan. In the United States of America, on Earth..." She looks puzzled. "Merica? I haven't heard of that nation, but I know little of the those lands further away. Is it another name for the free nations of the north, or somewhere else?". Hank tries to get back on-topic. "...So, do you like them? I can show you some other supplies I brought...". "They looks like those of the Karazthan in the city", she says holding an unopened dressing up to the light, "But somehow not like them. Does this wrapper keep them clean?" Hank nods. "I have some things to ask, later, about that sort of thing- If that would be alright with you?". "You can ask me as I change the dressing", she says, as she removes the dressing and examines Kylar's wounds. She removes the stopper from a large earthenware jar, and pours some foul-smelling ointment onto the wounds. Kylar grimaces with pain. "Yes, I know it stings, but it's for your own good", she tells him. "What is it", Hank asks. "This salve prevents it from going bad, and speeds healing. The temples of the healing Guardian of the Kandar make the stuff; I've still got contacts there who can get it for me. The salves I can make up myself from herbs aren't nearly as good, sadly. We free humans lack the resources of knowledge they have in the cities". She takes one of Hank's bandages, and rebinds the wound. "He'll live", she says. "That's an encouragement", says Kylar. "Does it still hurt", she asks, laying her hands over the now bandaged wound. "Not as much" "Good. You'll have to rest up for a few days". Hank talks to the healer as she continues to examine the wounded soldier's general condition. Her references to the healing temples of the city suggest that she's not at the cutting edge of this society's medical knowledge; she works mainly from intuition rather than formal training, with bits and pieces of knowledge picked up from various sources. The idea that wounds must be kept clean suggest that there is at least some awareness of the germ theory of disease, even if it's not fully understood. As for that healing salve, Hank suspects that it may contain an antibiotic of some sort. * * * Now that the villagers are letting the group into their settlement, Ryzar carefully puts Jal's body down, out of the way of all the comings-and-goings, and walks over to Dharak. "Friend Dharak, I must ask a boon of you." Ryzar asks quietly, "Jaldaric was my oldest friend, here in these lands..." Ryzar gestures towards the death-still body, "...and I would do the correct death services for him, but I do not know the ways of the folk, hereabouts. Could you...tell me...?" Ryzar mumbles to a stop, with an expectant look on his youthful face. Dharak has never encountered two human societies with exactly the same death rites. He's even seen humans in the cities dispatched with kandar rites, in which a priest of one of the Guardians, usually Ulseth, uses some technological device to scan the brain of the deceased and pass it on the Guardians. Free human communities such as this one tend to practice less formal rites, in which they celebrate the life of the deceased, and send his spirit to the next life. Those known as 'Relivers' believe that 'good' humans will be reincarnated either as kandar or as vordral depending on their behaviour in this life. Other cults believe in various Heavens and Hells. Unfortunately in the short time Dharak had known Jaldaric, Jal had never spoken of religion. Dharak and Ryzar realise a third person has joined them, a shortish man of indeterminate middle age, brown hair and beard now showing flecks of grey. He looks down at Jal's body. "A fallen warrior?", he says, "Forgive me, I have not introduced myself. My name is Hulfe, I am the spiritual leader of this small community". -- Tim Hall Weblog: http://www.kalyr.com/weblog Photos: http://kalyr.fotopic.net/
