Swamped

"I imagine you've noticed an unusual number of muckbeasts in town," she says. "Some of them have run wild. The reason for that is a creature known as a night hunter. It's got black fur and is about the size of a wolf..."

"And can puff up to be a lot bigger, scaring people half to death?" you ask. "I think I found her already. Knocked her master unconscious, and I think I calmed her, but I couldn't really do more than that."

The woman looks more than a little surprised.

"It's not just the look. Night hunters release a barely detectable gas when they do that. Knocks people right out, but it also makes muckbeasts real aggressive. Your mask must have kept the dose down." She pauses. "Do you know where she is?"

"We left her and her master at the smith's mother's house. The master's unconscious and she seems focused on protecting him."

"And he'll be out for a while," Mortimer interjects.

"Are they under watch?"

"Well, no," you say. "They knocked out the smith's mother and we took her to her daughter. Is she likely to run off on her own without orders?"

"I don't know," the woman mutters. "But even if she's left, knowing that much would be a big help in tracking her down."

She looks lost in thought for a few moments before speaking again.

"All right. I think I can give you a chance. But I should tell you one important thing about the night hunter first."