Plink. Hard at work at his bulky glass desk, Fortium reached out with his forefinger and thumb and picked up a small pebble of plaster, unexpectedly deposited in front of him. His eyes rose to the ceiling. There. He could make out a small fissure from which the chunk had dropped. Why had he never…

The sound of tentative footsteps, scuffling along the pebbly cavern path, woke the Watchdog. There was never much light in the cave, and he blinked his eyes as he tried to focus. Not that he really needed to see the intruder; he could feel the uneven steps like dull throbs against his skin. The cavern…

“M’Lord… the prisoners … have escaped.” Vice-Regent Skeek regarded the disheveled and breathless guardsmouse. The stout soldier looked as if he’d been overrun. Patches of fur were missing, and he was cradling his tail in obvious discomfort. “No doubt, corporal. How many got away?” The guard winced. “Three, m’lord. The… largest ones.” Skeek turned and…

The lid of the small box fell open – and the coin was still there. I couldn’t believe my luck! It had been – Lord, had it been twelve years? Certainly someone would have stumbled on it in all that time, the housekeeper perhaps, or Mera. I would’ve expected Mera to pick through my things…