Wood, short for Woodchuck, is a thief whom Parn finds in a dungeon at Fortress Myce. Woodchuck is a rogue, and an opportunist, but he is also very loyal. He travels through Lodoss looking for his fortune, and at this time in Alan, he gets caught. Even the best thieves have a run of bad luck, after all.
Wood seems uncouth and aloof, but this is to be expected from thieves. It's a part of their defense mechanism because, often, they are not accepted by society and are prosecuted for their profession. Most thieves, after all, don't choose to become scoundrels -- they grow into it for lack of any other choice but to starve. However, when Parn saves Wood's life, the thief realizes that even thieves can have friends, and to Wood, a friend is worth more than a chest of gold.
Even after Parn saves his life, Wood could have easily gone his own way, seeking his fortune elsewhere. His loyalty to Parn, however, has been cemented, and he joins his party as a thief and as a friend. His skills, though dubious, are a welcome addition to the party, and thieves are reknowned to be excellent marksmen with respect to missile weapons, after all. Although Wood initially joins Parn for friendship (and, perhaps, for lack of anything better to do), he soon realizes that he's bitten off more than he can chew.
