Matthew had been watching Silk since they left, her eyes shifting constantly back to the woods behind them and never in front. That meant two things generally she was helping someone following them, not likely in this case through she was full of surprises. Matthew figured it was option two, she was expecting to be followed and that could only be by that Isaac fellow. That was the only name she had feared when they spoke, well now it was time he earned his keep. He'd stay close to her and keep her safe, she reminded him in some ways of girl he'd known back home the main deference being she was incredible with a sword and Silk was an incredible with her mind.

His thoughts turned to comparing Serenity and Silk as his lazily watched the woods over his shoulder. They both could keep up with him in a way perhaps in some areas were even superior to him. Silk could defiantly talk her way out most anything or escape any trap you put her. Silk could read people just like he could and both of them could, perhaps not to the same level of skill but close enough. Serenity was different yet the same, much like Silk she could play the graceful maiden. Yet Serenity was more at home with a sword in hand than anything else, she had been his sparing partner for years. In all that time they were tied for wins and losses. Serenity could out match his physical skills sure but he beat her through being clever. Silk was smart so if he did ever get on her wrong side brute force was the best option, traps and tricks would not help there.

Matthew who had been mostly hanging at the back of the little group beside Zaku as to put himself between what ever followed and his employer sighed. "I have a story, though I must warn you it is about me and a girl from back home... Mostly how she kicked my ass." He smiled, Jiro might like this one Isabelle to come to think of it. He began to tell them a rather interesting story on him and his training. "As you know I'm a tactician, well I was trained by Grand Master, one who has master the art of war in all forms. Now my sword play and magic skills were good but I was told I lacked thought wanting to attack rely on instinct rather than planning. Thus my teacher gave me a sparing partner, Serenity Beaumont." He stopped speaking for moment remembering to explain something that was different in Rosanne. 

"In Rosanne noble women are generally and most nobility looks down upon them for it." He explained the culture clash and continued the story. "So I was told to beat her in fair duel, no magic just swords. I lost the first duel, second, and third... Badly. She was faster than I was, her attacks were on equal power and most importantly she'd had to fight every step of the way to learn. I had always been rather talented so I quickly found myself with no opponents wanting to spar thus I trained with those exceeding my skill by to much or alone. I spent weeks and weeks losing to her until finally I began to see things, her attack patterns, movements, her technique, and most importantly her weakness. When she went in for a final blow she would always lunge to far and leave the small of her back open. That's when I struck, I beat her for the first time that day, we became best friends after that. Though I haven't heard from her since I left Rosanne, my sister told me she hung the last man who tried to court her from a flag pole on her estate." He could almost picture the scene as he snickered at the very idea of it. "So that's how I started training as a Tactician."