“While his brain lay slowly dying, Bevan felt his body come back to life.”

“He felt now as if his entire body were recovering from frostbite, and he understood suddenly why people died in blizzards. It was not because they were cold and fell asleep. It was because it hurt too much to come back to life.”

“Jesse slipped her arm beneath his head and clutched him to her.Her body began rocking slowly, and as she did so Rides the Wind lay still again. His chest rose,the nostrils flared,and with great effort,he whispered through clenched teeth, "I will come for you." Jesse wanted to cry out,to stop the words, to hold back his farewell.But she sat clutching him to her,rocking. "I will ask the Father.And I will come for you.”

“Slowly, very slowly, he sat up, and as he did so he felt more alive, and more aware of his own living body than ever before. Why had he never appreciated what a miracle he was, brain and nerve and bounding heart? It would all be gone...or at least, he would be gone from it. His breath came slow and deep, and his mouth and throat were completely dry, but so were his eyes.”

“His wits were coming back to him, however slowly. That was good. His wits were all he had.”

“[Annie] “I just wondered … is slowly a good thing?”“Is slowly …” His fingers relaxed and she felt rather than saw his smile. He brushed his fingertips across her lips, then sank back to his pillow. “Oh yes, Annie love. Slowly is a very good thing.”“Oh, my.”