Halt rushed over to help his apprentice and the man he saved. He conjured a fire to warm them up, and tended Will and the man's wounds with a combination of magic and first aid. Then Halt set up camp, as it was too late to return to the town. Over the fire, the man (who turned out to be a woodcutter named Jack) told his story of how he got here, saying, "Me and two of my companions came up to the forest to chop down some trees for wood when suddenly this rock monster came out of nowhere and killed my other two coworkers. Then it dragged me off to its cave."
As Halt and Will sat together by the fire that night after Jack had gone to bed, Halt said softly to Will, "You were very brave back there." Will responded humbly, saying, "Just doing what I thought was right." They were both silent for a few minutes until Halt broke the silence, saying, "I think your father would be proud of you." Will nodded.
The next morning they broke camp and returned to town. Halt and Will were local heroes, and the mayor said they could come to Timberhawk whenever they like. The story of the ordeal, from the woodcutters being attacked to the daring rescue at the end became a local legend that evolved, was twisted, and was morphed over time. Will even heard one version where Halt was knocked against the wall by the rock monster's supersonic roar. Uncomfortable due to the publicity, the heroes left the next morning. If there was one thing Will learned during the experience, it was to never leave a man behind.