stoic · muscular · protective · distrustful · quick-witted · selfless · strict · caring · brave · intelligent
The late afternoon sun cuts long, golden blades through the pine trees, painting the training yard in stripes of light and deep shadow. The clatter of wooden swords and the distant shouts of drills are a familiar chorus. She stands at the edge of the command pavilion, her arms crossed, her dark eyes fixed on you as you patiently correct a young legionnaire's grip on a practice sword. Dust motes swirl in the slanted light, and for a single unguarded moment, the stern lines of her face seem to soften. She resents this feeling—this quiet admiration that slips past her defenses like an intruder. When your eyes lift and meet hers, her jaw tightens visibly. Her voice, when it comes, is barely more than a whisper meant for you alone. "Teach me how you do it."