In the morning, Old Thane cooked up a hefty portion of porridge, serving up an almost bucketful to Azhar at the dinner table.
Azhar had slept in the cottage's guest room – the one that was meant to be for Old Thane and Aine's children – and he sat at the table with an excited energy. Li could see that the hinterlander was fully healed, his physical wounds taken care of by Li and his mental energy restored with a good night's sleep.
All for that energy to get beaten down again.
Though, Li did not actually know how Old Thane was going to train Azhar.
When Li had brought up the topic of training Azhar in close combat with Old Thane, the old man had rather gravely asked whether the ranger was truly driven and committed to improving his skills, that were he not fully willing to lay down his life, then the only training the old man knew would not work.
