In through the front door

The door was open: Korven could see the broken lock on the front. Someone had been ehre before him, he cursed under his breath. Too slow, dammit, he had to be faster, before someone else got the goods.

No matter then... Korven went in, booting the door aside and striding into a massive entrance hall, now strewn with debris. A dead body lay in the center, likely a guard of some sort. He saw an arrow sticking out of the throat. Footsteps sounded upstairs, he heard glass break, and then someone scream.

"Nothing here!" he spat out, kicking away a piece of broken crockery. There might be something else down the street, he turned to leave....

Korven spun about at the sound of the footsteps. Steel clashed on steel as a curved sword came whirling down at his head. A clumsy stroke, he easily battered it aside, knocking the weapon out of his assailants hand and pushing him to the ground. He raised the sword, ready to kill....

No, not a man. He looked down at a terrified woman, barely more than eighteen summers, wearing a sheer silk dress that did little to hide her lush curves. Blond hair tumbled in ringlets around a pert face, wide blue eyes now wide with terror. Around the neck was the silver collar of a ****.

"Don't kill me," she squealed. "Mercy, my lord!"