Arn Kalapunki makes camp, resupplies, and spend several days in the woods on his own. It snows gently on the treetops, as Arn reflects on simpler days long behind him in the Southern lands. The howling winds build into a storm, and combined with his meager supplies, prevents him from making a sufficiently protective camp.

Looking to the sky as he leans against the trunk of a great tree he asks, “Why .. why have I embarked upon this madness? Oh, sister .. why did I ever leave you? Why did I ever put you and our people in this position? I should have stayed .. I should have stayed.”

He struggles in this time to gather enough food, and sets off to find a settlement and a blacksmith.

After some days of struggling through the wilds, he comes upon an ancient road signposted with Elvish signs on the trees along it. The road is long unused, overgrown and choked with overgrowth. He makes camp along the road.

As he sets off the next day, he follows the road further and it begins to become less decrepit. He makes camp as he travels along until he comes to a walled settlement. It is heavily fortified and its spiked wooden palisades are constantly patrolled by guards.

Upon coming to Frostmoor, he makes passage to the stronghold on the boats of some local fishermen. He disembarks at a bustling dockyard filled with fishing vessels and merchant activity. He inquires as to the overseer of the town, and is escorted there by town guards.

The overseer is a disfigured hunter with huge scars across his face, a dead right eye, and a thick beard who wears clothes made of the furs of animals he has taken with his own hands. He is not friendly when Arn arrives, who asks to take temporary residence, which Lago grants.

Arn rests and recuperates. Spending time in the local ale halls, he befriends many of the locals, swapping stories and news. He also learns that the overseer is focused on avenging a wrong.

However, every time he tries to explore the town outside his boathouse and the taverns, he is rebuffed and told to return to his haunt. Eventually he is told that there is a horrible disease that has gripped the outer islands which are currently under quarantine.

Having learned of the plague, Arn returns to the overseer and offers to try to find a cure. Facing possible disaster due to the interruption it has caused in fishing and other economic activity, Lago accepts Arn’s offer, noting that others have tried .. and failed.

Arn finds a blacksmith in the town who reforges the blade into a proper spear.