After a round of ghost stories, the party settles into an uneasy sleep in the shadow of the seven standing stones. Soon after drifting off Ionas finds himself striding through a dense fog, unable to see more than twenty paces in front of himself. He hears footsteps up ahead and freezes, trying to vanish into the shadows—but there are no shadows, only dull wisps of cloud that seem to shrink from his touch.

A figure emerges from the billowing mist, practically gliding towards him with long, confident steps. She is a young Chelish woman with sleek dark hair and a mischievous smile, clad in a practical set of leather armor. A tin brooch in shape of a pair of scales pins her gray cloak around her shoulders. His blood turns cold as steel.

“Ionas, it is good to see you,” Valria says, drawing so close her Taldane perfume tickles his nose. “I’ve been alone too long in the dark.”

She lays a hand on his chest, gently cupping her fingers around the medallion beneath his shirt. “You carry a great prize with you, greater than anyone can imagine. Use it. In Korvosa, this simple trinket can get you everything you’ve ever wanted and more. Blood was spilled to put this treasure in your hands, Ionas. Don’t let that have been for naught.”

Valria kisses him, her lips searing to the touch. As she pulls back, her eyes flare briefly with emerald light. “I cannot stay, but I will watch for your return. Farewell and be safe!”

She takes three steps backward, vanishing into the fog on the third. The mist clears, leaving Slim standing in the circle of stones, surrounded by the sleeping forms of his companions, their horses, and Vendra’s snoring camel.