Voices, muffled and distant, slowly lifted Arn out of the dreamworld. Before he could see or hear clearly, he could smell. He wished he could not—his bed smelled of sweat, dried blood, and the bitter herbs Jorik had bound his wounds in. A tendril of the dreamworld, a memory more visceral than a simple recollection, bubbled through his waking mind. In it, he remembered Jorik’s confused words to him the day after he killed Garem. “Garem’s blade was poisoned with ashroot—how have you survived?” Arn had become immune, or partially immune.
They were talking again, but not to Arn. He forced his eyes open. His back hurt; with his side bandaged, he could not rotate in his sleep. Long nights of relentless discomfort.
This time it was Stone Spear who had come to visit. He was there watching Arn when the hunter awoke. Arn sat up as quickly as he could, gripping his side and grunting. He didn’t speak, just looked at his leader.
“Arn,” Stone Spear said quietly. “How are you feeling?”
Arn refused to admit weakness. “I’ve been better,” he replied. “But I’m healing quickly.”
“Good,” Stone Spear said, standing up.
“How is the hunting band?” Arn asked. He was the chief hunter, even if he hadn’t yet served a day in that position.
The big man sighed, lowering his head. Now, instead of brushing the roof of Jorik’s cabin, his scalp had two inches of air. “Thalla had a duel today. Rest—she’s fine. But the band needs your leadership, I suspect. Two of their finest are dead, after that chaotic day.”
“Understood,” Arn replied. His opportunity was slipping. Thalla had never been a hunter before, but she was skilled at all things. She had done a good job of substituting for his new position, but the hunters were an unruly bunch.
After Stone Spear had left, Arn stood up and started pacing through the small hut. The mud-caked walls of reeds and wood were warm to the touch, and he spent each difficult walk waiting for the heat at the other side. When Jorik found him, the Embalmer scolded him. “You must recover your strength more. You’re going to do more damage than good!”
But Arn had been hurt before and he knew his limits. He kept walking. He needed his strength, now that he finally had access to Stone Spear’s ear. He knew that once he could hunt again, he could cause real change for Razaad. At last.