She clenched her hands and took a steadying breath. She was the Paladin of The Sun Goddess! A soldier of Good, of Truth, of Justice. She was better than this! She would not lower herself to such levels.
Her body trembling, she **** herself to her feet, grinding her teeth. Her hands fumbled with the key she had purloined. After several unsuccessful attempts, she managed to get it into the right keyhole. She turned it, and with a ‘Snap!’ the lock fell open
Sighing with relief she stumbled towards the door, ignoring the bell. It took her several tries to find the right key, but eventually she fit it into the lock and felt it click open.
Taking a deep breath she carefully opened the door, just a crack. The corridor beyond seemed unguarded.
She stepped carefully out. Creeping down the dark corridor, she saw some light in the distance. The bell Marus gave her must have been magic, for surely only a magical bell could make sound travel so far. In the distance she saw firelight and, as she approached, she heard voices. Male voices, and flickering silhouettes of figures against the hard, cold stone walls.
Just around the corner were a group of men, more than five perhaps, talking and laughing and drinking. They were set back into an alcove, perhaps meant to watch the corridors in both ways but, in their revelry, and in the dark, she –might- be able to sneak past them. She thought she could see one of the guards from before amongst them. The thought of him made her womanhood tingle, and to her shame, some part of her wanted to step forward, into that throng, and just offer herself to them!
She brushed the thought aside with disgust. No. She was a Paladin. She was an enemy of evil. She would not fall. She would not. She would not!
No, there was but one path. To try and sneak past them. But would she succeed?
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