A Prisoner

To your surprise, when you reach the steps, Reginald heads downward instead of up. After a moment's hesitation, you follow; even in your childhood when you played around these ruins, you never ventured into the tower's cellar - none of the children ever did, not even the bravest. Still, it wouldn't do to show fear before any of your guests, least of all Sir Reginald.

"I do hope you will forgive me for pressing a point, Your Majesty," Sir Reginald says as you make your way down the old, lichen-covered steps. "The simple fact of the matter is that if you wish to make your Kingdom prosperous and strong, safe trade routes are a necessity; and if I may presume to offer counsel, it is better to address the matter now, before the thieves gain a foothold in the forest which cannot be uprooted - and may God help you if they become organized! Songs of Robin Hood and his Merry Men are fine entertainment, but the reality of an army of outlaws in your forest is something that no King would wish to face. Kindly watch your step here at the bottom, I'm afraid some of the damp has made its way inside."

You step over the muddy puddle at the foot of the stairs. The cellar is not large, and is divided into just two rooms. In one of them sits a guard, who comes to attention as the two of you enter. In the other...

"Your Majesty, may I present the infamous Vixen of the Elyssian Woods," Reginald says, sweeping his hand in a grand gesture. "I can vouch for the truth of the stories from my own experience - the cloak, the black arrows, even her wondrous beauty. But, I'm afraid she chose the wrong target when she attempted to cut my own purse!"

The slim, young woman is naked, on her knees, shackled to chains which hang down from the ceiling. Her skin is muddy and her hair matted, but she does not seem to be injured in any visible way. She does not move, and for a moment you wonder if she lives, but then you see that she is breathing. Her eyes are open only a sliver and do not blink. The cell smells only of dirt and damp, not of anything worse, so you know that she could not have been here long.

"Of course, I have no need of the posted reward for her capture," Sir Reginald says, beaming.