Emmaline had, in point of fact, forgotten the existence of the ring, though this wasn’t an artifact of her flighty nature or self centered outlook. The Ring of Shadows was, by its very nature, an item of obscucation. It’s subtle magic encouraged others to forget its existence, to overlook its presence, even as it encouraged watchers to ignore its wearer. Even now it was brought to her attention, she found the fact of its existence slipping quietly from her mind. It wasn’t important how Amal had survived afterall, simply that he was alive and Zhar Tan Zhou was dead. The greenskins too seemed to be sharing in their masters fate. Zwili tore into them with a fury, teeth bared with ancient racial hate. One of the goblins tried to grab her with its yellowed talons, but she twisted aside, broke its arm with a powerful blow, and then staved in its skull as it staggered back. That was enough for the rest of them. Emmaline burned one down with a bolt of golden energy, just to be seen to be contributing, and the few survivors fled squealing from the throne room, vengeful dwarf on their heels.
 
“Well I’m glad you were in the neighborhood,” Emmaline said, catching Amal in a relieved hug. She still wasn’t exactly sure where they were or how they had gotten here, but she suspected Amal would be able to fill her in.

“And I’m glad you finally decided to show up,” she said to Asp, who had transformed into his snake form and was coiling around her arm.

“Better late than never,” she said, somewhat censoriously. Asp lifted his head, tongue flicking as he hissed and bobbed his head in lengthy explanation.

“I can’t understand you,” Emmaline reminded him. The snake lifted its snot loftily, in clear indication that her lack of understanding was both not surprising and beneath his regal notice. Emmaline stuck out her tongue at the serpent, but it had already sunk back into her arm, becoming the familiar tattoo once more.
 
“Luckily some heroes are right on time,” she grinned, bestowing on Amal a lingering kiss.
 
___
 
“So the villagers sold us out?” Emmaline asked incredulously. She took a bite of cheese and washed it down with a gulp of wine. They were sitting in the garden, enjoying a meal of pilfered supplies. Emmaline had scanned both the strange cavern and the supplies carefully with her mage sight and detected no sign of the taint of Chaos upon them. It was somewhat saddening to think that Zhar Tan Zhou had accomplished this without the aid of his patron. What great works he might have done if he hadn’t been lured by blind ambition into madness. Emmaline couldn’t even begin to contemplate the spells woven into this place, and her head throbbed faintly from the effort.
 
“And you rode here on a dragon?” she asked incredulously.

“Technically its a Wyrven because it has only wings and legs,” Amal replied around a mouthful of bread.

“Ohh pedantic for a street rat,” she snickered.

“Ped what?” Amal asked, reaching the limit of his Riekspiel. A sudden noise prevented further conversation and they both turned to see Zwili stalking into the cavern. They hadn’t seen the dwarf in the hour since she had chased off after the goblin and she was much changed. Her fine clothing was gone, she wore only breeches, boots and a bandeau that wrapped around her chest. Her hair was disheveled beyond belief,  clumsily shaved on both sides to leave a kind of crest that hung somewhat limply, an effort having obviously been made to make it stand up. She held a heavy hammer in her arms, a real weapon rather than a miners tool.
 
“Zwili I take it the goblins are…” Emmaline began.

“Dead,” the dwarf concluded with grim finality. Emmaline wondered how she had managed to catch them all but didn’t ask.

“Did uhh… I mean what happened to your hair?” she asked, imagining a goblin barber assaulting the dwarf.

“I have taken my oath to Grimnnir,” Zwili spat. Emmaline had no idea what a Grimnnir might be but judging by Zwili’s expression it was a sore subject so she chose not to pursue it.
 
“I owe you a debt, to both of you,” the dwarf continued, ignoring Emmaline’s lack of reaction to her announcement.

“To both of you, I will travel with you until I can repay it.”

"But we don't really..." Emmaline tried to interject. Zwili's hands closed so tight around the haft of the hammer that her knuckles ran white. When she responded it was very slow, as though speaking to a child.

"I will travel with you."