Naomi nodded thoughtfully as Daemion explained.  She very much liked the idea that someone of his stature was beholding to her and she had every intention of cashing in that chip when the time came.  She would see to the Bard’s safety and see she was brought back unharmed, even at great risk to her own life.  This was what a bodyguard did.  This is what she learned during her service on the border.  This is what her father and her grandfather had taught her from the time she could walk.<br/><br/><em>“To be effective, you must consider yourself already dead.  If you can do that, you can face death with a calm mind and act swiftly, without worry or fear.” </em><br/><br/>It was this mind set that allowed her to survive her time on the border and to kill quickly and effectively in any duel.  She was a deadly, efficient killer and, had it not been for the loneliness, she would never have gone into the darkness; into that place of nightmares and …<br/><br/>She let go of the tiny blue vial around her neck to accept the coin from Daemion.  Nodding her understanding of his instructions and his warning, she placed the coin in her belt pouch.  Later on she would acquire a tiny gem bag and keep it in a safer, more discreet location.<br/><br/>The conversation over, she stood and took his arm.  His final instructions were more musings of his own intentions than directed toward her.  Nevertheless, she nodded.  Whatever relationship Daemion had with the Duke was not her concern.  She now had a focus, a mission, and the promise of a handsome reward.  Whether or not the Shadow or Daemion would provide her with the fulfillment of her dreams didn’t matter at this moment in time.  The only thing that mattered, at this particular moment in time, was that she joined the Bard and helped her make the necessary preparations to begin their journey.<br/><br/><br/><br/>