What do you hear?

“Breathing?” The girl frowns and closes her eyes. “Dripping.”

Good. Be present, be here, be conscious. Open the cage, and ask the half-elf when she was captured, and how much she knows about her captors. Do not remove the blindfold.

The girl struggles with the cage door for a second, fiddles with the lock. “Which of the cultists had  the key, so you think?” She tilts her head. 

"Um, the one who was watching me. The Speaker? He locked it last."

“I don’t see him,” the girl looks around again just to be sure. A smear of blood points towards the door. “I think we broke his brain by accident and then left him here? Do you think he ran off? I didn’t remember blood-bath-ing him outside, but I guess I don’t remember a lot of it?” The girl sighs. “Looking for his pockets will be gross.” 

"They have some tools in here somewhere. You might be able to knock the hingepins out with a hammer and nail. Or maybe pick the lock. If you know how to pick a lock with a nail. I don't know if that's difficult."

Her voice wavers, almost as though she's being rescued by a person whose only known characteristic is "pretty good at torture".

“I don’t know how to pick locks,” the girl replies. “I grew up in the castle… erm… in… not the castle? I don’t pick locks. If I need through a door, I get the voice to blow it up… oh.” She fishes out a scroll. “Knock knock?” 

Hit the lock with your sword first. Don't waste magic if muscle will do.

She strikes the lock, and her ancient nigh-indestructible blade glances off with a high ringing sound. It leaves behind a deep silver gouge in the rust-reddened metal. She strikes it again and the lock springs open. 

“The voice said to hit it, instead of magic-ing,” she explains in case the half-elf can’t hear the voice. 

"Oh! That makes sense. Does, uh, the voice have an opinion on you untying me?"

“Dunno.” The girl shrugs. “Probably wants me to kill you. People aren’t supposed to see my face. I’m supposed to ask you some questions first I think. Do you want to die? When I was trapped, I know I did, but I think I mostly don’t now?” 

"I'd rather not! But, uh, I'd like to know what the alternatives are. I can not look at your face, that's fine!"

“Look, I’m… trying,” the girls says. “I realize I’m… broken? I… if I was in your… when I was in your situation I wanted to die. If you don’t? I guess, maybe, it… gets better? Probably? So… yeah. I won’t kill you, and if I get in trouble I guess I get in trouble. Um… do you need healing? I stole potions!” 

"Well, uh, I'm not hurt right now, and..."

What possible sequence of words will not result in being chopped into several pieces when this person changes their mind?

"Do you need to, uh, talk about that?"

Probably not that one.

Hah! We've tried that one, foolish elf. Good luck.

“She’s not a foolish elf,” the girl insists. “She’s like me!” 

In that she is currently imprisoned? Her prison is finite, girl. Your bonds cannot be cut free with a steady hand.

"I'm at least mostly a foolish elf, I think. Feeling more foolish than elf right now."

“You can’t both talk. Then I get confused, and I can’t answer right, then you get confused too. She’s like me and I’m helping her!” 

The half-elf shuts up.

And how are you helping her, broken child?

“Broken child,” the girl agrees. “She doesn’t want to be killed, so we’re not killing her. That’s how I’m helping! Also, maybe sister would give her money, so she can not be a slave? Unless she still wants to be? I don’t really know I guess? Or unless sister has her killed for seeing us? I guess that probably wouldn’t be helping? Uhhhh… give her chestnuts maybe?”

Money is exchanged for goods and services. What service is she providing that your sister would value? Your sister doesn't need another free half-elf, even one who hasn't seen your face.

“Ummm?” The girl thinks for a bit. She rams her sword into a crate for safe keeping. “I don’t know what she does? Maybe she could kill cultists too? I bet she would enjoy that. It would be like us killing Arcanist Adrien.”