The tears in Sam's eyes surprises her, she's glad she finally reached him, but still.. wasn't something she was used to.  As he starts struggling for words, she reaches over and gently touches his cheek to bring his face up to look at hers.  

As he starts spinning the ring, she takes his hands in hers and starts nodding, "Yes we do, and none of it has to do with Muir.  And you're right, now is definitely not the time."  Her eyes look hopeful as he says as soon as possible.  And finally she can't hold it back any longer and she throws herself in his arms, holding him as tight as she can.  She doesn't know when she'll see him again, and she doesn't want to admit it, but that scares her.

She lets him hold her as long as he wants and when they release, she turns to the group.  "I'm sorry to leave you all, I truly am.  You know I would never abandon you if I had the choice.  But you all need each other, now more than ever.  Please, let us put all of this in the past and move forward to take care of Mori and come back to me.  Sooner the better as I don't know what I'm going to do without all of you."

You can see that she is just barely holding it together.  Before she cracks, she heads over to the lamp and touches it.

As soon as Elthana's finger touches the spout of the lamp shaped, object her body drifts to one side, as if someone had freshly painted her in the background of your vision and then smudged her out, her shape distorts more until she is merely wisps of the colours that make up Elthana and then like smoke, she dissipates.

The lamp hims lightly for a moment and then becomes inert, shenoh puts it away and gives the group a nod. "Good luck with your mission. Make a good impression and I'll be willing to help you out with the help your group needs, Sol will get a report as soon as we have Mori." 

Taking a breath she looks to vin and Muir before you begin to leave, "I've not received anything from vox in some time, and never anything covered in runes."

     Sam is surprised and shocked and flabbergasted when Elthana embraces him.  He is slow to respond to it but when he does it is fully.  He squeezes her tightly, his eyes squeezed shut as well, and he tries to forget every other thing in existence besides this. But of course, even for one as dim as he, that is not possible.  Eventually thoughts come back to him and his arms squeeze less forcefully, his eyes open, and eventually he lets go.  Sam coughs awkwardly and takes a small step before giving Elthana a small smile.  

     Sam watches as she says her words and then walks away from him before reaching out and touching the lamp.  As she... disappears? a growl rises up in Sam's chest and his hands grip his maul as he lifts his eyes to the one who is speaking now.  Shenoh.

     "Keep your luck.  If anything happens to her while she is in your care Liches, Gods or Death itself will not save you from my wrath," he states.

Muir says nothing but wonders how this leg of their trip will play out. He wonders to himself about the 3 who will travel with him.....One he doesn't trust, one he trusts some, and the other.....

Just as it seems everyone has been given their missions and are ready to proceed, and with Elthana now gone, Vin turns to Shenoh.

"I am interested in earning your trust, and gaining your help. I would very much like to go to Ginro and see what they have to offer us. But none of that will happen if you send us on our mission with Sam and without Elthana. I suggest he stay here with her".

     Sam glances towards Vin suspiciously, suspecting this is some type of betrayal, but says nothing.

As Sam retorts to shenoh's well wishes she rolls her eyes, "threats, how refreshing" she responds sarcastically.

At vins request she takes a moment, maybe in thought or maybe at the shock of her decisions being rejected yet again by this group. "No." She responds in a rather short manner, also eyeing vin suspiciously, before continuing to outline why in a very matter of fact tone. "Elthana is being kept safe... from Mori, from those who may be under Mori's influence, but also from you all, your group has shown nothing but dysfunction and barbarism since the rest of you arrived. This mission is to earn back that trust, because right now with all of the threats and distrust you have shown amongst your ranks I am not handing over the key to Nivara's power... or was I not clear? Your other option was a decision either you abandon Sam to trial here or you leave Elthana in my protection indefinitely." She leans forward In her chair almost conspiratorially and cocks a head to one side. "Mission or decision vin. If your group is your family then there is only one way to keep you all together.

You say you cannot complete this mission and gain my trust with Sam at your side then you will have proved my point, you are all as strong as your weakest member. As smart as your least intelligent. If you cannot rely upon eachother, then you will fail. Not only here, but fail to protect Elthana, fail to defeat Nivara as you are hoping. That is what will make you untrustworthy for the task, and I'll be damned if I waste resources and energy on a group who is destined to fail... that is why I am denying your request. Because I hope to the gods you prove me wrong."

     Sam sighs.  Sam drops his head and shakes it a bit, exasperated.

     "You know what, Toots?  It's your world about to be destroyed, not ours.  We're not here to get your help, we're here to help you.  But if you want a freaking trial before you are happy, then let's have the fricking trial and be done with it."

"Very well, if this is how it must be. Speaking of barbarism, Sol never did answer my question. Why did you all think you were creating Mornlyf and using it to kill leaving perfectly preserved corpses and shipping them off to Vox Tontritor?", Vin asks.

Shenoh ignores Sam, this was to be a group decision and has more than pissed her off with his behaviour.

Sol gives vin a nod, gesturing to the door, he was likely going to give that explanation on the way

Vin spots Sol’s motion, inclines his head to Shenoh and leaves, walking straight passed Sam.

     Having received no answer to his demand for a trial, Sam strides as close to Shenoh as he can get and waits...  He does not know the customs of this land so maybe there is paperwork or something that needs be done before they can tell him the rules of this trial.

As Sam strides closer shenoh does acknowledge him with a look and says quietly, "they will decide whether you stay and face trial, or whether they can accept your help in their mission and prove that you can all be functional and trusted. Though your eagerness to die is noted."

     "You don't trust them.  With or without me. So this mission is either a suicide run or a fool's errand," Sam replies.  "And  I am sick and tired of you droning on with stupid accusations about things that don't concern you and yours anyway.  So yeah, I am eager for you to shut your mouth.  If it takes a trial to do that then bring it on... Tell me the rules and let's get started."

Muir decides the best course of action is to allow Sam to choose his fate "If Sam wishes for a trial, I will support whatever he chooses.....it is his fate" Muir walks out following Vince

Realising Sam has stayed, and that Sam being found guilty at trial would ruin their chances of getting Elthana back, Vin whispers to Sam from outside the room.

"Elthana is relying on us, Sam. However we feel right now about each other and Shenoh, I don't want to let Elthana down. And I don't think you do either. It's time to go, for all of us".

As Muir follows Vin out, the double doors to the throne room casting light in from the large corridors. Vin poke a finger toward Sam sending a message, but no message is returned. Those who stick around and watch see a familiar pink haze surround Sam as he challenges shenoh once more. Shenoh looks confused. Sam stops in his tracks and seems to go inert, listless. 

Gewyn walks over to the doors, done with words. He stops before going through, to wait and see if Sam would come with them or start more drama. He fingers the spectral chain leading up to the unseen dragon on his shoulder as he sees the pink haze.

Vin waits a moment for a reply before shaking his head sadly.

"Everything seems to have turned to ash, Muir. Be honest with me. You went back to the pack because we didn't listen to you about coming here, right?", he asks trying not to sound judgemental.

"It's just if we were all together journeying to the core, with you and Sam too, I think this would have all gone very differently. Elthana would still be with us and what happened at the pack....", he says sounding more sad than anything as he trails off.

Muir smiles at Vin "You are perceptive. The short answer is yes and no. Yes I was annoyed my advice was not heeded. However, I would have stayed. Unfortunately the wheels fell off as soon as we landed making the situation worse.  If Sam would have stayed, I would have stayed as well, but him leaving gave me a reason to go back, which was 2 fold. I felt that if 2 of us were at the pack we could hatch a plan if you were all captured, but this also gave me an opportunity to ask Sam some things alone. I did not want to do it in front of everyone fearing Sam would fly off the handle. I did not conceive he would fly off the handle alone the way he did, but apparently my questions struck true and hit a nerve that I saw..... I also understand that I need to ask my questions at better times. Something I am working on. If I could go back in time, I would do things differently, and I am sorry for the grief I have caused Vin. At this point of  the conversation Muir's shoulder have slumped, his smile has faded, and he is contrite