You're very welcome.

What else has to happen at some point.

Findekáno?

Yeah?

If you've settled on what your implement is going to be about, not having a spirit of fire isn't the problem anymore.

I am using the ring. The meaning I want to associate with it is a betrayal laid aside so a greater evil could be faced together. I don't know what kinds of nuances of meaning one puts into these things but 'laid aside' rather than 'forgiven' or certainly 'forgotten', and ideally as a sort of persistent character thing it'd be 'I will not let grievances override the potential to accomplish goals we share' not 'I will continually work with people who sell me out'. 

They aren't usually that specific—they can be, mine is—but that just means people might not catch the whole thing at a glance.

Is it likely to keep the same symbolism if Maitimo in particular dies, or if you do eventually forgive him? It is a permanent statement, more so for you than most.

All of them left us to die, it's not about him specifically. And I am not very worried I will forgive him.

And if they collectively apologize and make amends while it's still not too late, laying aside the betrayal will still be a thing you did even if not a thing you're doing.

I was going to say 'have you met them' but I guess now you have. Maitimo, though, who'd at least do that if he benefitted. Most of the others wouldn't even then.

Macalaure is acting out of character to help us, but that could easily be Maitimo having him do it.

I think that's likely. And Maitimo'll control the camp well enough to steer you away from everyone who'd spit in your face.

For having the bad taste not to join their side instead, or something more specific? I've barely insulted them at all where they could hear.

A lot of them hate Men, the Enemy made you sound bad and my more arrogant cousins lapped it up. And for working with us, and for offending them which is easy to do...

Oh, if it's just racism that makes sense. It's weird, that just seems so tiny compared to everything else.

You would think. Sort of disappointing. General casual amorality is one thing, but they seem like they should be above petty dislike of people for their species.

Well, maybe if one of them shows it I'll be all disappointed instead of offended. Can't imagine they'd be encouraged by that.

Worth a try. Though Maitimo's not going to let you near anyone he doesn't want you meeting.

Yeah, I don't expect it to come up.

Anyway, magic? The other major advantage over them, aside of course from ethics. We'll just have to get out of hearing range.

Let's go.

It's a trivial flight to Findekáno's demesne, which seems like as fitting of a place as any that's far enough.

"We should make your ring a magic one before making it your implement. Do you have a preference for what aspect of fire it should be? Heat's in short supply, but the appearance of the flame or the destructive potential or even the effect on air. There were a lot of minor elementals in those forges."

"Do they vary in anything other than type? Are they complex enough to have personalities? And destructive potential sounds useful."

"They'll vary in power too, but the symbolism's at least as important. These ones definitely aren't people."

"Destructive potential, then."

Amber reaches into a pocket and comes out with some small wooden discs—"Pretty decent material for holding a lot of types, at least temporarily"—in various states of burnedness, and selects the most charred one.

"The difference between this and what I usually use them for is that it's expending the elemental to give your ring thematically appropriate properties. So it being nowhere near sentient is pretty important."

"I hope people don't use sentient others for magic item creation but now I am worried that that's a thing."

"It's a thing. It's possible to use humans for magic item creation. Usually weapons."