 Hearth has a traumatic past, as he is effectively unwanted by his parents, who shun him for being deaf and not as great as his brother, Andiron, who died young; he is forced to face his past in the second book, when he has to collect the Skofnung Stone from his father, Alderman, who wants him to finish the blood tax imposed on him as repentance for Andiron's death.He is also reminded that sooner or later, he will have to take the "othala" rune from Andiron's place of death, which he planted as a reminder of his past, to complete his magic arts.In the third book, Hearth decides to take "othala", using it to summon Andiron's spirit to distract his father long enough for Magnus to pierce his heart.