Go after her yourself

"I will find her myself," you announce, pulling yourself up to Steeheart's saddle.

"Forgive me, Sire... do you believe you can find the Vixen when the entire City Watch cannot?" Mshindi asks.

"When she first asked me to meet her, she chose the Druid's circle as the meeting place," you say. "It is possible that she feels safe there; it is a spot which may be easily defended by a single person... with a bow." You look grimly down at the weapon in your hand.

"Sire, you cannot go into the woods alone -" Trina begins.

"You will follow, Lady Trina, but I must ride as quickly as Steelheart can run, so we will be separated."

"I am sworn to protect you, Sire."

"And I have sworn to protect Lady Sylvia," you reply. "Her safety is my responsibility. Mshindi, organize a contingent of ten watchmen, and meet us at the high meadow. Send word to Captain Navarre of what has happened. Lady Trina, we must away!"

You turn Steelheart to the road, and put the spurs to his flanks. Steelheart leaps into a full gallop, and behind you comes Mshindi's shout, "Make way for the King! Make way!"

The wind blows your cape back as Steelheart takes to the road, the people leaping aside as you ride through. In the back of your mind is the thought that you will be very late getting back to your guests, but first and foremost comes the oath you swore to Sylvia. As the Vixen, she has taken care of herself well enough for many years, but the fact that she dropped her bow while fleeing the tournament grounds does not speak well of her state of mind; clearly, she is running in panic, and with Velimir's men aware of her presence, she may not be able to run for long.

The streets outside the tournament grounds are all-but empty, due to nearly all the people being at the tournament itself. Steelheart's shoes throw out sparks as you dash across the cobblestones of the stonemason's bridge, and then turn up the road which will eventually lead into the woods and the high meadow. The gate to the forest path has swung shut, but Steelheart leaps over it as though it were a stick in the road, and soon his hooves are pounding the dirt path through the forest. A branch scratches a thin line of pain into your face as you charge into the woods, faster than you have ever dared to ride on the narrow path.

After a moment, you are compelled to slow Steelheart's pace; such is the horse's loyalty and training that he would run himself to the point of collapse if you urged him to do so, but of course that is something you would never do, and in any event the path grows treacherous and he could easily trip and break a leg. You proceed deeper into the woods at a quick trot, looking from side to side for any sign of the Vixen. On foot, she is likely still ahead of you, but not by much... assuming that you were correct about where she was going.

You realize that you have just about reached the point where you first encountered her, where she shot the riding cape off your neck. It is later in the day than it was then, so the sunlight penetrates the leafy canopy of the forest more than it did before; and the morning mist is completely evaporated, robbing the place of the ethereal quality it had at that time. You glance over to where you first saw the Vixen, half-expecting her to be there, draped in her black cloak... but of course, she is not there.

A narrow but clear mountain stream crosses the pathway just ahead, and you allow Steelheart to stop and quench his thirst.