On The Road

After Brightblade's departure, Arran spent some minutes inspecting his wounds. It wasn't too bad — some burns, a few shallow wounds, and more than a few bruises, but nothing that would take more than a few hours to heal.

Just two years earlier, these same injuries might have killed him. And even if he'd survived, he would have been bedridden for weeks if not months. But his body had grown far stronger since then, and now, the injuries were little more than an inconvenience.

Still, he did not hurry in leaving. He sat quietly for several hours, looking out over the mountains around him as he chewed dried dragon meat and waited for his wounds to heal.

Evening was already nearing when he was well enough to travel, but after giving it some thought, he decided to remain for the night. Without knowing the region, traveling in the dark would be both dangerous and foolish.