The third man was more of a half-man, the dwarf’s stature barely rising to her own chin, his blond beard plaited into a dozen vines that stretched more than halfway to his toes. Despite the rough hair’s thick texture, Perfidy thought she could detect the gleam of three golden markings beneath it. He was showing his teeth, but it wasn’t exactly a smile, for his lips didn’t curl up. One of his eyebrows was raised, but she couldn’t tell whether it was a purposeful expression or just the way that particular brow sat above his eye. His own leather armor looked like an oversized human man’s tunic, making it more of a skirt for the dwarf as it brushed the top of his feet. Even more surprising than anything else, a long bow was strapped to his back along with a quiver of arrows. Everything Perfidy had heard about dwarves had told her they were earth dwellers, their weapons of choice shovels, hammers and picks.

Beside the dwarf were two members of the fairer sex. One was a woman grown, though she wouldn’t win any beauty contests. Her features were blunt and hard, and one eye was on the lazy side, constantly drifting closed. Beneath that eye was a single golden leaf, drawing the attention away from her imperfection. She wore simple forester clothes: a green, cloth shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows and a sturdy brown skirt that flared out so as to not impede the movement of her feet. Her red hair was shaped into a simple bob that only reached her shoulders, frizzy bits escaping the leather thong she’d lashed around the upper part of her forehead. She offered only a half-smile, not too much, not too little, to Perfidy as their gazes locked. She immediately decided she liked this woman more than any of the others so far.

The final member of the ragtag, mismatched group was a pint-sized girl who might’ve been six name days old on a good day. She was a pale little thing who wore a dour expression that made Perfidy think she’d rather have been anywhere else in the world at this particular moment in time. Her black dress, dark eyes, and spilled-ink hair seemed to leech even more color from her skin, the only spots of cheerfulness offered by the three golden leaves set in a tight triangular formation between her eyes. “You talk funny,” she said in a strange accent. “I’m Aliza.” She pronounced it ‘Ahleeza’.

“Well, Ahhhhleeeeeeza,” Perfidy said, exaggerating every syllable, “ye talk funny too, by my reckonin’.”

“I guess that’s true,” the girl said, seemingly satisfied by the response.

“Might as well introduce the rest of yourselves,” Miss Marin said with a sigh.

“I’m Clemmy,” the red-haired woman said. “Nice to make your acquaintance.”