Feng paused in his movements, his gaze turning to Madame Shu, who after a few moments gave a small nod. Feng drew a deep breath, and came to end of a pattern of movement before straightening up and turning to face Li.<br/><br/>"I suppose with all that we have shared, you have proven yourselves trustworthy. I mean no insult by that, but trust has been scarce enough this last while. You are right, common soldiers are not frequently taught such things. But when a man is the chosen bodyguard of a noble lady, he is chosen for a reason, and what skills he has are trained and honed over many years. I was sworn to my Lady's service on the day of her birth, and many of the scars I bear were earned in her service."<br/><br/>He bestows a fond look on Madame Shu before turning back to Li. "My Lady's noble father stands near the right hand of he who rules the province of Jiaodong, Tian Wu, cousin of the King himself, Tian Jian. Unfortunately those who stand highest are often targets. My lady is one of the Scribes of Wen Cheng. She believes that something she recently found is of great importance. Unfortunately she does not know quite what this is."<br/><br/>"The omens were not particularly helpful in that regard." interjects Madame Shu.<br/><br/>Feng grunts an assent, but then continues. "We were returning from an investigation, and our camp was attacked by<em>bandits</em>." The tone he puts on that word shows the credence he puts in that. "Ourselves and two other soldiers were away from the camp, and survived. We thought we had lost our pursuers in Dailiang, but we did not. We were hiding in a dingy inn, and someone slipped poison into our food. My lady somehow kept me alive, though the poison has left its mark on me yet. The others were not as fortunate."<br/><br/>He falls silent for a moment, before drawing another deep breath and continuing. "Somehow the ladies got me out of there, and hidden, though my mind was burning with the poison. After it ran it's course, and my mind was clear again, we found another inn, though we had little remaining to us. The next night you encountered my lady on the streets. The rest you know."<br/><br/>"Aside from my real name." adds Madame Shu, with a small smile. She rises and gives a courtly bow. "I am Daiyu Lin, and it is my very great honor to meet you all."