...and with the prisoner

Mrs. Mattigrue undid your bindings and took Tia from your arms so you could tidy yourself up. You slipped into the bathroom to expunge most of the cum, then put your clothes-appearance back on and returned. You found a small Tia already dressed in red silk robes with long, wide sleeves. Mrs. Mattigrue was just pulling on a shirt of her own when you entered.

"There's no way you made those in two minutes," you object, staring at the beautiful outfit.

"Oh no. I've had these prepared for years. I hadn't ever expected I would be given the chance to use them, but... well, thank you is all I can say."

"It was my pleasure," you answer with a grin. "Now let's go make sure Skoll is doing okay."

The three of you proceed out the door and down the hall. You find, at the front of the house, that your prisoner is kneeling and Skoll is sitting in her lap, head tilted back to look up at her as she asks questions.

Mrs. Mattigrue speaks first. "A promise is a promise. She is yours to do with as you will, so long as she cannot speak of me."

"Thank you. You can agree to that, right?" you ask, turning to the woman.

She nods enthusiastically. "Not a word, promise! I never would have, even if-!"

"I wonder. Well, you are her responsibility now. I hope I will never have to see you in my home again. I don't want any piece."

You quirk an eyebrow. "Any part...?"

"Piece," the dryder asserts pointedly. You give a short nod.

"We'll be on our way then. If you could undo those bindings, please."

"You wouldn't rather she keep them?"

"They are wonderful, and I quite enjoyed them myself; but we would stand out, and my eldest would be staunchly against this."

"Hm, I see. Tia, release her bindings, please."

The young girl nods and approaches the turtle shell seriously. Her eyes race over each of the cords and where they overlap. She loops around her target once, then puts her small hands to work. With brilliant dexterity, her fingers race over the thread, loosening and undoing until, only moments after she had begun, the webs fall away.

"Impressive," you can't help but say. "Is that a racial ability?"

"Of course. Any newborn able to walk who can't make and unmake basic snares like that isn't fit to be called a dryder. Granted, Tia has fewer legs; that may make some of the more advanced webs more difficult. But within a year she will be a greater bondage artist than a human could ever hope to be."

You make sure to sound appropriately awed. Evidently Mrs. Mattigrue is the type to brag about her daughter like she was herself, even from the first day. "Tia, you have a good sire. Make sure you listen to her well, okay?"

"Mm," she answers with a curt nod.

You kneel down to meet her eyes and smile softly. "I'll have to go now, but remember that Mama always loves you. I'll see you again, so grow up into a wonderful girl." With that, you wrap her up in a firm hug. She returns it with as much might as her small arms can produce--which is a surprising amount, actually; you briefly wonder what her Strength is, and what it will become.

Then the hug is over, and you help your prisoner to her feet and out the door. Tia sees you out, Mrs. Mattigrue staying clear of the doorway.

The door clicks shut behind you, and the woman collapses like a ragdoll, almost toppling you over in the process. You barely catch the both of you. "Are you okay?" you ask, trying to be understanding of the trauma she just went through.

"...oo dz..." you faintly hear her mumble.

"What?" you ask, perplexed.

"It's been... two days..." she forces out.

"Two days?" It felt like she was stuck there for two days? Or maybe she's only been a thief for two days, and feels helpless that she already failed.

Skoll speaks up to answer for her, as she looks in no condition to speak. "Mama, she's starved."

"Eh?"

"Two days. Since food."

"WHAT!? But you aren't a hero, right!? NHCs have to eat several times a day, or-! Or-!" You don't actually know what comes after the 'or,' but Mienna made it clear eating was supposed to happen.

"Or starve," Skoll finishes. Starve. That must be what this is. No physical strength, an inability to even stand on your own feet, and then...****? A respawn ****, or a final ****!? For all your expertise at bringing life into this world, you don't have a clue about anything involved with leaving it.

"Wait," Skoll says calmly. She pads softly down two doors, to the first house she had knocked on to ask for directions. You stay where you are, supporting the woman on your shoulder.

"Um, I probably should have asked sooner, but... What's your name? I'm Mama."

"...R...Raven."

"Raven. I'm sorry we almost killed you by stopping you. But we just delivered that package, and taking it away from Mrs. Mattigrue-" You stop when you realize she isn't listening. She's looking at the door--rather, at Skoll coming out the door with two loaves of warm bread in her arms. The wolf-girl ran up to the woman and held one of the loaves out.

She didn't ask questions. Raven grabbed the loaf and bit into it as though she were a wolf herself. She dove into the loaf with such gusto she almost choked on it, but she didn't let that discourage her; and within a minute it was gone. So Skoll held out the second one, and she devoured that one almost just as quickly.

"Wow. That was very kind of that woman," you remark.

Skoll nods in agreement. "Quest: reward," she says. You look at her a little confused. "Quest: listen to Mrs. Mattigrue. Reward: a baked treat."

"Had she given you a quest? I hadn't realized."

"Mm."

"Thank you!" Raven shouts as she swallows the last bite. "I promise, I'll go with you! Wherever you're going!"

"Well, that was the promise; but it's nice to hear you're eager about it. Really, though, how did you end up without food?"

"I... I didn't want to work, okay?" That doesn't sound like a good reason, and the look you give her tells her that. "Not like that! I mean... It's a small city, right? The grocer, the barber, the smiths, the chefs, the waitresses--everybody already has a job! And every job already has a somebody! I just turned eighteen and need to find my own job in town, but every time I asked if I could work somewhere, they all said the same thing!"

A moment of silence passes. "Which is?" you prompt.

Raven blushes fiercely. " 'We aren't hiring new staff; but Luci's brothel is looking for talented girls like you.' "

"Brothel...?" That isn't a word your creator left you knowledge of.

"You know," she said, hugging herself squeamishly. "A place where... where men pay to... to... your body..."

"Pay for sex," Skoll clarifies. You both look at the small girl in surprise. "Was back there," she explains, pointing back the way you had come.

"Hun, we're going to have to have a very careful talk later. Please level up fast, okay?"

"Mm."

"So this... brothel... is a place men pay for sex?" you ask, just to be sure. It sounds like a dream come true. Why hadn't Mienna told you this? You would be able to earn the money they needed for the clothes and give birth to babies at the same time! "Men **** for a baby come pay you to bear their children?"

"What!? No! All the girls are on the pill. Nobody should be getting pregnant. It's just sex."

All your fantasies are shattered in an instant. Sex without babies? That was like saying swimming without water, or masturbating without climax. "Oh. I can see why you wouldn't want to work in a place like that."

"See? So I tried everywhere else, but nobody would hire me! And after two days, I was just ****. I know stealing is wrong, but I thought I was gonna die; so when I saw you two carry that package into her house..."

"Mama," Skoll interrupts, tugging on your sleeve.

"Yes, hun?"

"Quest."

Quest? She just finished it, right? What else was... Oh, right! You had to do the other part of the other quest! Returning to the butcher with his package of lingerie for his daughter. "I almost forgot! Thank you, Skoll. Let's go turn your quest in!"