When the group returned from their mission, Parum went back to her lonely corner in the keep, playing her viol quietly. Her body still shivvered at the thought of that dragon and the sight of the carnage, but slowly she felt that her peace of mind was returning to her. Perhaps she went over board with the whole dragon thing; she's never seen one in person and it was just so overwhelming to her. As much as she hates to admit this, she was still very naive to the world. The only fight's she's ever seen were bar brawls, and she still hasn't quite gotten the taste for killing. She wanted to record epic tales and legendary battles, but how could she if she can't even stomach a real fight? Parum stopped playing when she noticed her hands were trembling, a sure sign that she still had doubts. Of course she was still scared for her life. She wanted excitement, but she wasn't suicidal either. Parum still wanted to live.

Standing alone in the keep wasn't making Parum feel any better, so she started to wander around. Everyone in the keep was busy, either on patrol or tending to the wounded. Parum thought maybe she should try to give a hand at healing, however just the stench of it dissuaded her. She gulped deeply and stayed out of everyone's way. Parum walked aimlessly, hearing people's hushed whispers and prayers. She wondered if there was anything they could do to break the siege. Perhaps kill their leader, or even slay that dragon. Most of the raiders appear to be kobolds anyways; if they defeated them, would this cause their army to route? As she wondered that, Parum's mind slowly shifted to thinking about what the others were up to. 

Parum remembered Brannor mentioning that he was near some water, so he was probably washing up. He likely finished by now too. She also vaguely remembered seeing Orchid somewhere eating in the keep. Probally taking a nap too. Parum was also positive that Kyra was probably in the infirmary dealing with all the wounded. Parum was honestly not sure how to feel about her. She felt a bit... Jealous. In the back of Parum's mind, she wanted Kyra's passion and heroism. Granted the two girls had different lifestyles and different motives for what they were doing. This was Kyra's home. Parum just wanted to be a hero. There was also Orchid. He seemed fairly typical of an orc barbarian; savage yet courageous. Or maybe he was just stupid. Could be both. And then there was Torag. He was honestly a mystery to Parum. Not only does she barely know the old man, but every time he speaks it's as if he's trying to tell them a riddle. Surely everyone else thought this as well. She wasn't sure how much she can trust the old man to continue helping them, but he hasn't failed them yet. So for now Parum will have faith in him.

As Parum walked aimlessly around the keep, her feet brought her back to the underground tunnel leading to outside the entrance. She wasn't sure why she was here. Perhaps she wanted to see if there was anything she could do. Maybe just play a soothing song, or maybe even share a tale or two. But when she arrived she noticed none other than Kyra and Orchid trying to leave. Parum didn't need to investigate very hard to figure out what they might be here for; Kyra obviously wanted to go out and help more villagers and Orchid was along for the ride. It also wouldn't be that much of a mystery to figure out what the doorman had said; those two couldn't leave. She did wonder for a bit why not, but then again if her memory served correctly, the door leading outside wasn't all too secured. No locks, not even a large rock to block it. If any of the raiders knew about it they'd surely come knocking, and the more people going in and out, the more likely they'd find it.

It was now that Parum was at a crossroads. On one hand, she understood the door guard's concerns about the constant movement around this secret entrance. They were already struggling to man the walls, they can't spare more men defending this tunnel. But she was sympathetic to Kyra's cause too. She could understand her desire to save her village and fight against evil, even if there is a considerable risk of doing more harm than good. So Parum had to ask herself. [color=7ea7d8][i]"What do I want to do? Protect myself and everyone in this keep? Or save as many people as I can outside these walls?"[/i][/color] It was a tough choice to make. However... Parum remembered her actions back on the walls. Or rather, her inaction. How she had spent much of the battle cowering near the tower, hiding behind Brannor and Torag. How all she could do was watch as her allies not only stood their ground, but even took the fight to the enemy. Some people may forgive Parum for her cowardice in such a frightening circumstance. But Parum would not forgive herself if she let her fear control her here.

[color=7ea7d8]"The mayor had given us two tasks when we came here. Save as many villagers as we can, and strike back against the raiders. Just because we've come back doesn't mean our job is done yet."[/color] Parum appeared behind Kyra and Orchid, standing at their side. Despite being only half their height, Parum stood tall. Well, as tall as she could. One hand held her precious viol close to her chest, while the other rested on her rapier. She still felt tinges of doubt and fear inside of her, but she had to step forward regardless. She would be no hero if she never fought against the odds. [color=7ea7d8]"You have your duties and we have ours. We need to work together, not against one another."[/color]

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Persuasion = [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/2329]24[/url]
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