After a while, Hermione finished cleaning and patching Arthur's wounds with fresh bandages. Noticing the group was still tense, Arthur casually fastened his bracer onto his forearm. "Relax, scratch doesn't turn you, bite does," he said.
The group immediately eased their posture. Jenner was about to speak, but he caught Arthur's gaze and decided to remain silent, resolving to talk to him later.
"So, I've been thinking, what is that bracer on your forearm? Is it a form of shield for the bite?" Glenn asked with hesitation. Arthur chuckled and flicked his wrist. A blade sprang out of the bracer. "It's a hidden blade. It's good for a surprise attack and assassination," he explained. Rick, Daryl, Shane, and Hermione all thought back to his earlier claim: 'Is he really an assassin?' Arthur retracted the blade, then put on a loose gray long-sleeve polo.
Then, the question everyone was waiting to ask since his return was finally posed. "What happened in the city?" Arthur was silent for a moment before sighing. "Variants are slowly emerging. Aside from volatiles, there's also a hunter variant. The wounds on my shoulder and back are caused by a Hunter," he revealed.
Rick and the others immediately picked up on the strange names. "What do you mean by volatiles and Hunter?"
"Volatiles are those strong, fast, durable ones with a predator-like mouth. Meanwhile, Hunters are... a crawling bastard that sneaks and jumps on you the moment you let your guard down or are alone. They're agile and fast, with high jumping power," Arthur explained.
Hearing this, fear gripped the group. Rick thought for a moment. "How do we deal with these Variants you named, the volatiles and Hunters?"
Arthur stared at the group. "Hunters are glass cannon. One shot in the head is enough; you just need to be cautious and have fast reflexes," he paused, then continued, "Volatiles, on the other hand... High-power weapons or a modified cold weapon that could shoot with a built-in electric feature." He then added, to ease their minds, "While most of them are still evolving and are mostly in the city, you guys need to train your CQC, reflex, body, reaction, and, most importantly, your stamina."
Rick replied decisively. "We'll do that when we find a good and relatively safe spot. Shane and I can teach how to use the guns. Arthur, I want you to train us in CQC, mostly physical, and reflexes. Meanwhile, Daryl, I want you to train most of us how to hunt." Rick naturally took charge, giving out orders. Arthur might have been a good candidate, but he clearly wasn't interested in the leadership role.
Soon, the group settled down to sleep, though some remained awake. "So why are we still staying here?" Arthur asked Hermione, who then filled him in on the entire situation, including Sophia's disappearance.
Hearing what happened, Arthur turned to Carol, then to Daryl. "You haven't tracked the kid yet?" he asked Daryl with a touch of bewilderment.
Daryl replied, "The tracks went cold by the creek, man. I stopped temporarily when the sun went down."
Arthur thought, 'I forgot, Daryl might be a hunter, but not really a mystical one.' He turned to Hermione. "Hermione, I'll track the kid with Daryl. If we take a while, inform Rick and the others."
"You're wounded, Kenway. Just wait 'til morning," Hermione argued, staring at his shoulder. Carol also spoke, her voice thick with gratitude. "Thanks for being concerned about my Sophia, but you should rest, Arthur."
Arthur stood up, shrugged his shoulder, and made a strained movement. "See, this wound doesn't hurt anymore, plus I'm with Daryl." He turned to Daryl. "You'll come, right?" Daryl nodded, grabbing his crossbow and flashlight.
Hermione relented. "Alright, but be careful, alright? If something happens, pull back immediately," she warned, looking from Arthur to Daryl.
Arthur gave an 'okay' sign, then stood up and grabbed his bow, quiver, dirk, and the shoulder holster for his S&W Model 500.
As Arthur prepared the bullets for his revolver, Amy came out of the RV and saw Arthur and Daryl preparing. "Where are you both going?" she asked, concerned.
Before Arthur could answer, Hermione's voice cut in. "They'll look for Sophia." Amy looked from Hermione back to Arthur.
Amy spoke again, her voice laced with concern. "Arthur, you're still injured, and it's midnight. It might be dangerous."
Arthur turned to her, strapping the fully loaded revolver onto the holster under his armpit and the quiver on his back. "And leave the girl all alone in the forest? Not a chance," he stated.
Hearing this, Amy couldn't help but raise her voice slightly. "You just came back! Leave that to Rick and the others!" Carol and Hermione raised their eyebrows at her outburst, but Arthur and Daryl simply ignored her and walked past.
"You're just going to let him go? Just like that?" Amy felt hurt by Arthur's blatant dismissal and turned to Hermione.
"Yeah, I trust him, just like how I trusted he'd come back earlier," Hermione replied with a hint of irritation.
Hearing that, Amy went silent. 'Is this why Arthur chose her? Because she trusts him?' She remembered the scene earlier: while she froze at the thought of Arthur turning, Hermione went to him without fear. Amy finally realized the true reason why Arthur chose Hermione over her.