She tries to escape

Eilwy's heart raced from her narrow escape. She tried to clear her mind and focus.

From next door came the sounds of muffled goblin laughter and a noise like a sharp hand clap.

Eilwy's hands were tightly manacled. There was no way she could snap them, or the chain that looped through the manacles to the ceiling. She yanked on it in frustration, but the links in the ceiling held firm.

From next door came another noise like a hand clap, and more laughter. She thought she heard a muffled female cry.

She shut her eyes and breathed deeply. The manacles were meant for big creatures, not human women - surely she could squeeze out of them? She pulled hard on them, trying desparately to squeeze her small hands through the bindings. It was agony - her hands were just too big. She slumped in defeat, held aloft only by the chains tying her to the ceiling, swinging slowly.

"To end like this!" She thought despairingly.

From the room next door came the sound of a rthymical pounding, starting slowly and picking up in pace. There was a distinct, but muffled, female wail.

Eilwy bit her lip. It was not going to happen to her - not again! With sudden determination, she yanked on the manacles, lifting her body from the ground and using her weight as additional leverage. Her thumb pressed into the palm of her hand and slipped slowly through the manacle. It was agony. She screamed into her gag, sweat glistening in her forehead. It was all she could do to keep conscious, her hands felt crushed. Finally, they slipped through completely and Eilwy collapsed in agony onto the floor, free at last.

She finally spat her gag out and lay there for several minutes, breathing heavily as the burning pain in her hands subsided. The pounding next door did not let up.

Eventually, she lurched to her feet and opened the main cell door. It opened onto a dark corridor, which was empty. She took a step into the corridor, heard the laughter and banging behind her...

... and paused.