To Heal a Wound
by Flashbird

There was an eerie silence when they brought the young fledgeling into the shaman's tent. The young, limp, mangled body of the crow was covered in blood and gore, and reeked of death. Most certaintly, the young one was dead already, without any hope of resurection. Yet...the bird had been brought, along with the young man who had killed it. The shaman looked up as they entered, her bright, brown-black eyes serrious, and a frown upon her face.
There was no need to tell the seer what had happened.
The crow was placed before the shaman's feet, on the soft fur blanket. It didn't move.
She looked from the bird, to the young man, and frowned. "Why did you kill this innocent one?" she asked.
The young man stammered something,nervous under the keen, hawk-like eyes of the shaman, offering no true reply.
"Why." she demanded.
"He ate the corn.."
She scowled, glaring at him with such an intense, wordless fury, that the young man shrank back.Then she calmed so suddenly, he felt chills down his spine, and he shivered, looking away.
"There was enough corn to share." the shaman said.
"He was a stupid bird, just a bird!" the young man protested.
"Look," she said,"Look at the crow, and his wounds. Know they are your wounds.... for your greed,and thoughtlessness, you and the crow are one. And you shall heal the wounds you caused....by healing others."
As he heard her speak, he felt his body shrinking,contorting...he screamed out in pain as his nose lengthened and hardened, becoming a beak. Soon the man was gone, and there was only an injured, sick crow where the man and crow had been. The young crow gasped for life, coughing up blood, squawking and shrieking in pain.
The shaman took her hands, and dipped them in herb-laced paint, marking his face with bright colors.
"Live and repair your faults" she said, "Or die as the crow did."
He gulped.
"I will change! I will become better!" he squawked.
"We shall see." the woman replied.
"Everytime the moon comes out, or you forget your promise, you shall return to the crow you killed, knowing its life once again, and forever shall you be reminded of your folly."she said.
"Now," she continued,"You must learn how to heal a wound."