"Very well," Emmaline sighed, resigned. She climbed out from under the covers and began to dress herself quickly, her movements tense and anxious. "But make it quick; I still need some rest." As she finished pulling on her clothes, she fixed Rikken with a stern look. "And just so you know, if this turns out to be another wild goose chase, there'll be hell to pay."

Rikken nodded to the other person in the room, acknowledging their presence but focusing his attention on Emmaline. "Thank you for understanding, Emmaline. We'll make haste." With that, he turned and led her out of the room and down the hallway, back toward where they had come from earlier. The rest of the journey was made in tense silence as both of them knew how crucial this information was and the stakes involved.