As Ravenna galloped alongside Rick's jeep, Arthur heard the immediate sounds of screams and gunfire. "We're near! Be ready to give support on your camp as soon as we arrive!" Arthur shouted toward the group in the jeep. After reminding them, he patted Ravenna's mane as she ran. "Girl, I'll jump off as soon as we arrive. Be sure to get in a safe area, don't wanna lose you." Ravenna let out a confirming neighh. When the camp came into full view, Arthur took out an arrow and stood and balanced on Ravenna's back. Rick and the others saw this and the only coherent thought that went through their minds was, 'What the fuck?'
Arthur leaped off Ravenna the moment they reached the camp's perimeter, simultaneously releasing an arrow. It hit the head of a walker approaching Amy and another girl who was holding a bloodied, sharpened pole. 'Emma... Watson?' Arthur momentarily thought, noticing the girl's uncanny resemblance before dropping to the ground with a roll, snatching another arrow, and beginning rapid fire.
Rick and Daryl also began firing instantly. Rick shot a walker in the head before shouting, "Baby! Carl!" "Dad!" Carl replied, running toward Rick. A walker emerged from the brush and lunged to grab Carl. Rick, Lori, and Shane, who saw this, felt their stomachs drop right before an arrow flew past, hitting the walker's head. Rick embraced Carl as he looked toward Arthur and nodded. Shane stared at Arthur, a person he'd never met, with a suspicious look. Arthur, whose enhanced senses caught Shane's gaze, merely smirked at him, causing Shane to look away immediately.
Arthur saw Ravenna approaching him. She kicked a sneaky walker with her hind leg as it tried to flank her. Arthur smiled, shooting the walker's head just as it dropped from the impact of her kick. After the immediate threat subsided, the only sounds left were those of sobbing and crying. Arthur then hopped back onto Ravenna's back, not in a riding position, but sitting as if on a railing with his legs crossed, and brushed her mane. "You did well, Ravenna." He then heard a blonde girl shouting, whom he recognized as Andrea. "Amy," Andrea cried, running and hugging her sister. "Thank God you're safe." Amy replied, "Hermione saved me on time before the walker could bite my arm."
Arthur, with his sharp hearing, heard the name, 'Hermione?' He turned to the girl who looked a lot like Emma Watson. 'What in the Harry Potter is happening here?' he chuckled inwardly.
"Arthur," Rick called out, approaching with Carl and Lori in his embrace. "Thank you, man, for saving Carl." Everyone turned to Arthur, the new face who was sitting casually on his horse. "No need to thank me, Rick, it's my way of showing that I mean what I said back then," Arthur replied. He then felt a prickling sensation, as if someone was dissecting him. Arthur turned his gaze toward Hermione, who swiftly averted his eyes and looked the other way.
"Look, I know this isn't the good time, but welcome to the group, Arthur," Rick said after some thought. Daryl remained silent, but he had witnessed Arthur's skill and saw the five small game tied to Ravenna's saddle, which improved his opinion: 'Finally, someone who can hunt.' Shane, however, still looked at Arthur with suspicion, which Arthur easily ignored. He never liked that guy anyway. Arthur hopped off and extended his hand toward Rick. "Thanks, Rick."
Arthur turned around and untied the three rabbits and two squirrels he had hunted. "So, who's hungry?" A burst of chuckles and light laughter broke the heavy tension.
Morning sunlight slowly crept into the quarry. Arthur had already collected all the arrows he had fired and strapped his bow and rifle to Ravenna's saddle. Glenn and Dale approached Arthur, who was brushing Ravenna's mane.
"I haven't seen you use that rifle earlier," Dale inquired. Arthur smiled. "Rifles are loud, even if suppressed. Plus, it's a waste of bullets when I could use my bow."
"Fair, or maybe you don't know how to use that?... Oy, we don't burn our friends!" Glenn chimed in, rushing away as he saw Daryl, T-Dog, and Morales carrying one of the dead toward the pile of bodies meant for burning. Glenn stopped them. "We don't burn them, we bury them," he said with a choking voice. Daryl and the others relented.
Back with Arthur and Dale, after Glenn's outburst, Dale admired the horse. "She's a beauty eh?. This is Ravenna, my trusted mount," Arthur said. "Yeah, I've always wanted to buy one," Dale replied. Arthur was about to reply when he felt the sensation again, as if someone was reading him, dissecting every piece of information. He instantly turned toward the direction he felt it and saw that it was Hermione again, who clearly avoided his gaze by looking down at the book in her hand.
Dale noticed Arthur looking at Hermione. "That's Hermione, a studious girl. She's been a great help during our time in the city, good at analyzing and strategizing. Sometimes I feel like she's a detective from how she dissects each information," Dale said. This made Arthur think deeply. 'From what Dale said, that kind of intellect is quite familiar to me, but it's impossible for someone to have it...' He turned to Dale. "Like how exactly?"
Dale chuckled at Arthur's curiosity. "Back when we were trying to escape the chaos in the city, she's the only person who seemed aware of minute details, seeing things that we weren't able to notice. Just by gathering information in the surroundings, she was able to deduce a risky area. We didn't believe it at first, considering she's only 26, but yeah, she saved us from a lot of troubles."
"Interesting," Arthur couldn't help but mutter. 'Reader pathway, huh? Sequence 9? No, it only enhances their mental, reasoning, and learning capabilities. Sequence 8 Student of Ratiocination or possibly 7 Detective.' Arthur looked toward Hermione, who suddenly stood up and went inside the RV. Arthur could only smile warily.
"He's been bitten by a walker!" a woman shouted. Arthur hastily turned toward the shout and approached. Jacqui, a black woman, repeated, "He's bitten!" Rick, Shane, Daryl, and others circled the suspected victim, Jim, who was holding a pickaxe. "I'm not," Jim said with a tired voice. "Let us confirm it, Jim," Rick said, trying to get Jim to lower his tool. Arthur casually approached Jim from behind and silently closed the distance before swiftly restricting Jim's hands as he thrashed around. "It's just a scratch!" Daryl then walked over, lifted Jim's shirt, and saw a bite mark. "See? Just a scratch? What do you think, smart guy? It's a bite! You hid it!"
Daryl was about to take action when Arthur swiftly kicked Jim's leg, forcing him to his knees. Arthur unsheathed his dirk and positioned it at Jim's throat. "Just say the word, man, I'll make it quick and painless," he offered, his efficiency shaking the onlookers. Andrea, Amy (still shaken from the attack), Hermione, and others watched as Rick and Shane pulled their guns and pointed them at Arthur. "Arthur, don't do this, man. We don't kill the living," Rick pleaded. "He's about to turn, Rick. There's no cure to this. Let's just make it simple for him," Arthur rebutted, looking around and seeing Carol and Lori hiding the children behind them. Arthur cursed and let Jim go, sheathing his dirk. "You're just making it harder for Jim, man. There's no cure..."
Then Hermione cut in sharply. "How can you say that? CDC hasn't fallen yet; it closed as soon as the chaos started." Rick and Shane lowered their guns, and Arthur was momentarily speechless at Hermione's sudden interruption. "Alright, I'll play along with what you said, Miss Detective." Arthur still felt weird seeing Hermione Granger appear here.