Zarha, of course, was the first soldier to catch his eye when he stumbled upon what appeared to be an impromptu training session. For a moment, he simply watched, out of sight, as she pinned a boy beneath her, and his thoughts strayed sideways as he remembered with a prickling heat the feeling of her lithe body pinned under him. Before he could wander too far down that particular path - they were in public, after all - he forced himself into motion.

“Ah,” Leander said, strolling forward casually as he glanced around at the other soldiers. Dark eyes watched Zarha climb off the other soldier before flicking to the boy himself. Iwan was his name? “I heard fighting and came to investigate. Have I interrupted something?”

More neutral than hostile, Leander eyed Iwan for another moment when the younger man voiced his gratitude before nodding. His gaze shifted to Zarha as she extended the offer of training alongside them. One side of his mouth curved upward in a smile, even as he shook his head and raised his hands, palms forward, to decline. “Me? Oh, no, I don’t want to get in the way of your training,” Leander said, polite, slightly sheepish. “I’d much rather watch, if you don’t mind an audience.” He gestured between them, gracious now.
“Please, both of you. Carry on.”

As Zarha defended him, Leander looked over her shoulder toward Iwan, an eyebrow raised, but the other man only offered further evidence that the young Nevermerean witch was admirably dedicated to her work. “And as far as I can tell,” He told the soldier, shoulders rising and falling in a shrug. “She seems to be doing a good job of it.” A brief pause. “Unless you disagree?”

Zarha moved to his side then and issued her invitation. Still sheepish, he gave her a small smile. “I appreciate the offer, but truly, I enjoy watching. Please don’t stop on my account.” With that, he would take a step back and let them carry on with their training session. He and Zarha could always talk after.

As the training session commenced, Leander leaned against a nearby wall and let his gaze wander over the group of soldiers, assessing them and what they did. He might not have been much of a warrior himself, but he knew - in theory, anyway - what made strong fighters. Though, of course, his mind strayed toward other thoughts as well as he watched the young woman leading all of them. He could think of better, far more enjoyable ways that she could spend her time. He wondered if she ever thought of them, too.

He hoped so.

Still off to the side, he waited as she approached him, a question on her lips, and he resisted the urge to draw her into his arms, to publicly claim her as his own. “Very much,” Leander said, voice low and soft, and his eyes traveled the length of her body, noting the sheen of sweat on her skin that reminded him of the aftermath of other activities. “My little Nevermerean warrior. Have you finished for the day?”

“My little Nevermerean warrior,” He repeated, eyes on hers, though he hadn’t moved from where he leaned one shoulder casually against the wall, arms crossed in front of him. His voice dipped lower, into something of a purr. “Do you have anything else you would like to show me?”

Smiling, he looked down at her as she approached and stared up at him with desire in her eyes. For a moment, his imagination wandered through ideas of the many things she could show him, but her voice interrupted his thoughts. “I’m always impressed by what you can do,” Leander said smoothly. “I think I’d especially like to see some of your witch’s things.” Whether that was an invitation to demonstrate her magic or to show him other things - or perhaps even both - who was to say. Uncrossing his arms, he gestured for her to lead the way and would fall into step beside her.

After a moment’s consideration, Leander said thoughtfully, “Assume I know nothing.” It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption, he thought, given that he was a Coheedsman who had only spent the last few years familiarizing himself with Nevermereans in a context other than a battlefield.

When they reached the little clearing in the woods, he cast a cursory glance over the area and found it suitably private. He nodded his approval. “A good find,” The warrior praised, looking around once more before turning his attention to Zarha. “Not that I’d expect any less from you, of course.”