DreamsnakeDreamsnake

The spring after that, if I haven’t returned, forget me. Wherever I am, if I live, I will forget you

When he raised his head, there were tears on his cheeks.

You said it yourself, you can’t know all the customs and all the fears.”

“I’m crippled,” she said. “Without Grass, if I can’t heal a person, I can’t help at all. We don’t have many dreamsnakes. I have to go home and tell my teachers I’ve lost one, and hope they can forgive my stupidity. They seldom give the name I bear, but they gave it to me, and they’ll be disappointed.

I told them Grass couldn’t hurt them, but they saw his fangs and they didn’t know he could only give dreams and ease dying

“If things were different, I might have stayed. There’s work for a healer. But...”

“They were frightened —

the tumor, and found that it had begun to dissolve and shrivel, dying

The strength that came from danger seeped from her,

they were offended by her crying.

“Can any of you cry?” she said. “Can any of you cry for me and my despair, or for them and their guilt, or for small things and their pain?” She felt tears slip down her cheeks.

Such a small creature, who could only give pleasure and dreams.”