"Can you even read the runes?" Beren asked her, curiously. The two humans in one of the adjacent rooms, using it with the excuse they had a good vantage to overlook the undercity from the open window to their left. It felt more like an indoor porch made of stone, had that not been underground and without the usual elements of the surface world. 

"No..." She remarked, a tad defensively. "But it's dwarven runes, you get credit for trying. I'm certain someone knows-..." She stopped her walk of appraisal, eyes popping open wide. "Wait, you know how to read these!" 

She rushed over to him and leaned close, and Beren leaned back, one part holding his ground and one part trying to change the subject. "I do, but that's because I earned their trust. And because of that, I have to stay and fight with them." He said, and Jocasta sighed, shaking her head. Beren threw his arms out wide. "I can't just leave them to this alone!" 

"I get it, and I won't leave you here alone!" She said suddenly, but after a moment she looked away from him and seemed to realize what she had declared. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms. "Besides, it's not like I would survive long in the underworld alone anyway." 

Beren grinned, suddenly standing very close to her. She tried to hide behind her hair, but he had leaned in close enough to where she couldn't avoid him. "That the only reason?" He asked her teasingly. 

A guttural clearing of the throat drew their attention, and the two turned to see Gurin standing in the doorway, almost filling it with his squat and armored frame. He raised an eyebrow, and Beren made a show of looking past Jocasta's shoulder to peer over the edge of the windowless gap. "Coast looks clear," He remarked absently. 

"That's because the beast approaches." Gunir said, and his mouth quirked in a half smile, though his eyes remained hard. "The lass knows a few tricks, aye? We were hoping ye would use them for a small distraction if the beast ever seems to have too much time on his hands. And as for ye, lad, it's time to get yer axe. We've slaying to do."