​Hands joined, the odd couple walked out of Iron Forge with promises to visit again. This time, sooner. Without a plan in mind, they crossed oceans of sands, vast plains of lapping waves. Their bond had strengthened and deepened. 

 

Then, on the tallest peaks of the world, it happened. Despite the chill in the air, the struggle to stay warm and the early hour, Dagna whispered those precious words. Every word produced a puff of steam from her lips.  

 

That moment etched itself into RU0’s memory. With Dagna huddled against her chest, time stood still. She stared at Dagna like it was the first time all over again. 

 

Sun rays streaked across the land. Everything it touched glowed a pale yellow. It chased the purple-blue bruises across the sky until they were no more. 

 

Dagna chuckled at her inaction. Looking into her eyes, Dagna repeated, “I love you.” 

 

That jolted RU0 out of her stillness. She blinked. “Are you sure? I’m a warforged. I don’t know if warforged can love.” 

 

Dagna shook her head. “Of course you can, dummy. You’re alive. You feel things. You, most certainly, love. I know because I feel it — your care for me is in all the tiny things you do.” She pressed a hand against RU0’s chest. “You might not have a beating heart like mine, but you can love. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. But I just want you to—“ 

 

RU0 never considered herself as an impulsive person. But at that moment, all she wanted was for Dagna to shut up. As her eyes turned entirely pink, she pulled Dagna in for a hug. “I do… I think I always do, I just didn’t know what those feelings are. I didn’t know until you said those words.” 

 

Dagna hummed as she leaned against RU0. “Well now you do. And I love you, dummy.” 

 

----

 

Things weren’t always smooth sailing. As experienced as they were, they did manage to get separated. Unable to find each other for long hours, the fear, the anxiety, the experience scared both of them. For the first time, RU0 wanted something. “A compass ring. So that we will always find each other again.” 

 

Dagna agreed heartily. They promptly got a pair. RU0 slipped Dagna’s onto the finger next to her pinky on her left hand. “Now you do mine.” 

 

RU0 offered her left hand to Dagna. The bright red points on Dagna’s cheeks indicated something was up. 

 

“What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?” She stared at the ring she put on Dagna’s hand. It dawned upon her like a punch to the face. “Oh… I should not have done that, right? It’s… It’s something sacred, special, right?”

 

As RU0’s reached out to pull the ring out again, Dagna closed her smaller hands around hers. Dagna shook her head. “It’s apt.” Without a word, Dagna slipped RU0’s seeking ring onto her finger, the same one. 

 

Dagna’s eyes lifted to meet hers. Her eyes must be all pink and glowing, but she didn’t care. Dagna would typically tease her when she blushed, but this time RU0 noticed a pink glow on her cheeks as well. “You’re blushing…” she whispered in wonder. Her metal finger brushed against Dagna’s very real flesh and blood cheeks. 

 

Dagna chuckled and leaned into RU0’s hand. “Yeah I am.” The admittance was almost quiet as RU0’s question. “I don’t mind it because it’s you.” Her arms encircled around RU0’s waist as she rested her head against her middle. “I’m not losing you again, never again.” 

 

RU0 understood the sentiment. She hugged Dagna tightly. “Never again.” 

 

The two dummies travelled some more. The rings proved their worth many times over. The situation might be mundane, it might be dire, but it worked and had never failed them. Things were good, peaceful, and joyous. 

 

Their love wasn’t like most. Some couples’ passions flared with all the brightness of fire and lightning against a dark night sky. Theirs was quiet, deep, but no less strong. It’s in the tiny gestures of care. It’s in every cup of oil, every night guard stood, every firewood collected, every meal cooked. 

 

But age and the urge to stop moving took hold. 

 

While nobody knew how long could a warforged live — potentially forever — a dwarf’s life span was finite. That scared RU0 to no end. And Dagna knew it. Even though Dagna wasn’t all that old for a dwarf, barely halfway through an average dwarven life span, she wanted RU0 to make a promise. 

 

“Do not throw yourself after me, if I’m doomed,” Dagna said one day. 

 

“Why? I could save you.” 

 

“You know what I mean. Save me if there’s a chance, of course. But if it’s hopeless, if saving me means both of us being gravely wounded, I do not want you to throw yourself after me,” Dagna explained. 

 

RU0 looked at Dagna, heart already broken prematurely. “And you’d promise the same for me, right?” 

 

Dagna smiled and cupped her warforged’s face. “Of course. I know you wouldn’t want me to do it too.” She leaned her forehead against RU0’s. 

 

“No, I want you to join me too,” RU0 replied. And that was her first attempt at applied humour. Dagna spluttered in a series of wordless surprised noises. “That’s meant to be funny.” 

 

Dagna roared with laughter. “I think I need to teach you how to make jokes properly.” 

 

In the rosy colours of a rising sun, amidst the waves and the breeze, it was an easy promise to make. To keep it, only time would tell. 

 

----

 

The pair had their fill of travel and were looking for something new — something stable. After discussing, they decided it was time to return to Iron Forge. Their travels had taken them far away. Just because they had made up their minds, didn’t mean the return was quick. They were continents away, and they didn’t have a dragon as a friend to give them a lift. So, they did it the regular way, taking ships, riding carts and a lot of walking. 

 

RU0’s joints suffered when they crossed the ocean. Rust set in. As much as Dagna tried to keep up with oiling and buffing the affected parts, there was just too much. Until they got to the nearest city, it was impossible to repair them. Identical parts were getting fewer and harder to get. 

 

They made it into the mountains. Iron Forge was close, but it was on the other side. Climbing a mountain wasn’t something RU0 looked forward to with her joints being the way they were. 

 

“We are close. I can last until then. Rakam will know what to do. If I can’t walk anymore, I can wait for you to return with help,” RU0 said. Her focus, however, was on how Dagna was limping again. With her joints being the way they were, she was in no position to carry Dagna like the last time. “Let me tend to your stump. You’re hurting again.” 

 

“No! I’m not leaving you behind.” Dagna popped the prothesis out and shifted so that RU0 could get to the sore muscles. 

 

Without a word, they both worked to ease the other’s pain. RU0 never suggested it again. The thought of leaving Dagna behind was beyond consideration, so it was the same for Dagna. 

 

The weather was good. Crossing the mountain shouldn’t take them too many days. Like before, they set out hand in hand, and like before they would arrive at their destination together. 

 

----

 

Just one more day, and they would be dry and indoors. Why couldn’t the weather hold until then? Rain came down hard in the middle of the day as they approached the bridge. RU0 had convinced Dagna to let her carry her. “Save your strength for when we need it.” 

 

Now, they did.

 

The bridge hadn’t looked any different from the last time they were here. But it was older, swaying in the strong winds and creaking ominously as water cascaded in rapid gushes below. “I think you should cross first. It might not hold both of us at the same time.” Carefully, RU0 set Dagna dow, shielding her from as much rain as she could by angling her body. “But let’s tie a rope between us, just in case.” 

 

Their eyes met. Dagna’s eyes held a weight. The echoes of an old promise rang in the howling winds and raging rain. RU0 wanted to pretend she didn’t remember, but Dagna said, “Okay, a rope, but remember what you promised before. We can find each other again. We have the rings.” 

 

RU0 wanted to deny making the promise, but time was of the essence. The speed of the river was growing. The bridge wouldn’t get any safer if they waited any longer. Her joints would seize up sooner rather than later. If they wanted to cross, it had to be now, or trek back to the nearest cave they saw hours. 

 

She nodded and tied the rope securely between them, hoping that this was all not needed. 

 

Dagna took the first step onto the bridge, her hands gripped the support ropes tightly. Her second and third steps were steadier, but her pace was slowed by pain. RU0 clamped her jaw down tight. There was no time for distractions. She fed the rope out and remained ready for it to snap taut unexpectedly. 

 

And, it did. 

 

Dagna was halfway across, growing more confident with every step. One moment, she was there; the next, a sudden rush of water swept both her and the bridge away. 

 

“Dagna!” 

 

The rope burnt against RU0’s palms as she held on tightly. The weight pulled her towards the edge. Her joints creaked and groaned in protest. Jaw tight, she pulled against the rope regardless. Her arms shook, her body taut as she leaned backwards. There had been no response so far. If there had been any, the storm had drowned it out. 

 

RU0 struggled, taking a painful step backwards, hauling Dagna’s weight along with it. One step, two steps, and her arm gave way. Pain like never before seared up her shoulder as her elbow ripped apart. The rope, her arm, and Dagna went over. 

 

“No!”

 

RU0 raced to the edge, heedless of her bleeding wound. The urge to jump over was immediate and overwhelming. But Dagna was nowhere to be seen. “Dagna!” 

 

No answer. There was none to be had. Only the roar of the never-ending rush of water filled her ears as rain pelted down upon her. Despite that, she still wanted to jump over, if only to be closer to Dagna. However, the promise rang at the back of her mind. 

 

The weight of it felt like a mountain on her shoulders. She sank to her knees, staring and watching over the edge, hoping she’d find a glimpse of Dagna’s red hair, or her green cloak. There was nothing. 

 

The ring! 

 

Yes. Why had RU0 forgotten about it? She glanced at it, knowing it would point to its mate. Where her ring would have been was only empty space. Her arm gone, and the ring with it. The seeking ring was lost. 

 

And that’s when RU0 wept oil for the first time. 

 

----

 

Time ceased to have meaning. All RU0’s focus was honed in on one thing — find Dagna. Her only clue was the river. She had to follow it and search along the way. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, she’d find her heart’s desire. One foot in front of the other, her pace was careful and prudent. 

 

Day or night made no difference. A warforged saw better than most in the dark. She wasn’t tired, she didn’t need to sleep. So, she went on hour after hour, day after day. The storm blew itself out. The frigid cold was replaced with humidity as she made her way down from the mountain. Her joints creaked and groaned, but she pushed on. 

 

Hope was the only thing that sustained RU0. She couldn’t crumple, or give in to despair. Dagna wouldn’t have, she couldn’t either. 

 

She searched, she looked, she walked. Had it been days? Weeks? She didn’t know. The floodwaters had passed. Anything — anyone — caught in the deluge would have been washed up against the river’s shores. But there had been nothing, just rocks, branches, or a whole tree that had fallen in. Without the seeking ring, RU0 only had sheer determination to help her find Dagna. 

 

She was a lone being walking through the brush. Her voice heralded her arrival. Her rust caked joints measured the pace she kept. Her ripped arm marked the path she took with oil. There was no answer from Dagna. The tightness in her chest only grew. With every passing day, it spread up her throat. Streaks of oily black tears tracked down her face. If anyone had met her, she would have been a monster to them. 

 

----

 

The river was shallow here, the water barely reached RU0’s ankles. The clearing she found herself in was beautiful and shaded by the canopy overhead. Deers peered at her curiously, while squirrels twitched their noses at her and the scent of oil she carried. A couple of foxes dared approached to investigate, but ran away quickly when she proved to be nothing interesting. 

 

RU0 saw none of the surrounding beauty. The singing brook was merely a guide for her to follow. The cold water wasn’t a balm for her overheating body. She scanned the banks, the water, and finally — *finally* — she saw something familiar. 

 

It must be a jest from the gods because it wasn’t Dagna, or her body, but RU0’s own arm. Stumbling into the water, she found her arm tangled among the reeds. She grabbed it. The seeking ring remained on her finger. Yes! Finally, some good fortune. Using her teeth, she pulled it free and slipped it onto her right hand. 

 

It should work. It *must* work.  

 

Lifting it, she expected a steady beam of light, piercing into the distance, showing her where she must go. But nothing happened. RU0 frowned. “Please, please, please…” she begged as she shook her hand and tried again. And again. And again. And again. Nothing changed. 

 

“No, this cannot be!” RU0 walked deeper into the shallow waters. She trashed about the reeds hoping to find something, *anything*. “Please!” 

 

Heart breaking, chest tightening, throat swelling, she had no hope left. Her arm was here, the rope her left hand had been holding was here. But there was no Dagna. The other end of the rope lay frayed and broken, tangled in the underbrush. And the ring didn’t work. She fell to her knees, sinking into the mud. There, in that tiny clearing, she stopped moving. There were no wailing or crying. She didn’t sob, she didn’t scream at the gods, she just stopped. 

 

For good.