Wei was grateful Li had called for a rest.  Her companions had accepted her silence without complaint, for which she was enternally grateful, and she had mounted her horse and moved on as they had but the mornings events had wearied her tremendously though she could scarcely recollect them.  Indeed she was not sure she had been herself in any meaningful way.<br/><br/><br/>The sound evoked by Madame Shu's voice, no that was not her name anymore though the truth of it was lost behind in her addled wits...the woman's voice had rung through Wei's ears like the tolling of death bells for honored fallen.  Deep and rumbling but with an overtone of keening, wailing cries produced through its resonance.  She had felt like flying, like falling and as a consequence had simply stood stock still, steeling herself not to fall through sheer willpower as the rest of the world had faded away...<br/><br/>Her hands flew up to her head to press at her temples, fingers instinctively on pressure points and seeking relief.  She knew not how long she stood so, seconds seemed to last an eternity until finally, with a gasp as the vice like pressure released its hold on her, she felt herself trembling like a leaf blown by furious winds and sank to her knees on the ground, cradling her head as the voices of her companions slowly, one by one, returned to her.  She had missed a great deal it seemed, they were ready to ride.  So she had risen, mounted her horse and pressed on like the rest.<br/><br/>And now here they were, somewhere...she needed a cup of tea desperately.