Emmaline squeaked in very unwizardlike terror as the reeking rat things took Amal up on his challenge, wicked blade held to strike. For her own part Emmaline tried to think of a spell that would help but before she could do so the skaven were upon them Amal parried a spear thrust and stepped in close, slashing the first attacker across the neck. Emmaline shrank back as the creatures rushed forward chittering in anticipated triumph, one made a lung for her with its dagger but she skipped back and delivered clumsy backhand cut that opened a gash from shoulder to forearm in its matted fur. The thing howled, dropped its weapon and fled up the beach screeching. Another Skaven bounded forward and slashed at Emmaline, knocking the sword from her hands. Seeing her peril Amal grabbed the brute by the tail and yanked it into the fire. The oils in its filthy fur ignited with a soft whuummp and the thing screamed in agony making a staggering down the beach towards the ocean like a living torch, the stench of burning furn unbelievable. 

"Advance to the rear quick quick!" the largest of the things chittered as Amal gutted another of the attackers with a quick upward thrust and ripping motion that sent coils of intestines spilling to the sand. The creatures needed little encouragement and turned to flee en masse. Emmaline, finally finding the presence of mind to focus incanted a spell and a beam of golden light shot from her hands burning a neat hole in the back of the creature who had given the command, dropping him smoldering to the ground, the whole in its breastplate glowing cherry red for a few moments where the spell had struck. A sudden silence descended on the beach broken only by the rawkus cawing of sea gulls and the equally strident objections of jungle birds as the surviving rats fled into the verdant forest. Emmaline sagged with exhaustion, fear and the aftermath of battle while Amal stood glaring into the jungle for long moments.

"What have we here?" Amal asked, stepping to the Skaven Emmaline had felled with a spell. The creature had a leather satchel around its waist. Not new but of better quality than the rude weapons and equipment that the other ratthings had carried. He tugged it free and opened it. Inside were several gold coins of Brettonian minting and a rolled parchment map. The map was not Brettonian, covered in strange glyphs symbols, but there were several notations on it that were clearly Brettonian and, unless Emmaline missed her guess, in the same hand that had filled the journal on the ship. The map showed several cities, or what Emmaline assumed to be cities, depicted as strange blocky pyramids.

"Do you think their could be people here?" Emmaline asked cautiously.