He only looked at her as she explained that she was merely trying to be patient with them. It wasn't just that, though. She'd seemed hesitant in another way, and Warren was very familiar with it. But he only nodded for now. He didn't want to have this conversation in front of the three men they'd just taught a lesson to.

Once they were outside though, and had stepped far enough away from the three men sitting by the wall, he crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes somewhat. "I wasn't asking you to perform a miracle and make these men see the error of their ways, Ms. Sliva," he replied. "I knew very well that wouldn't work on them. In the future, the best course of action would be simply to convince them that they only have two options: listen to you, or be handled. He sensed your hesitation and your fear. Do you understand? Cowardly men like this will always hide from a woman with confidence." He turned to the side, glancing at them with a scowl. The words rang in his ears: Obedience. I like that in a woman. Any woman willing to obey any three of those men needed genuine aid, but then, that was probably why there were no women sitting here with them. Nevermeran women were much too strong for these types.

"Had you been your usual self, they probably would have walked themselves down here and asked for the wagon to jail." He let out the slightest huff. The attitude that she'd given him that day in the ballroom would have sufficed for today's situation. "You have to be confident in your abilities. The way you say it doesn't matter. I won't always be there behind you in these situations. Never let a man lay his hands on you. You should have knocked him out before he ever got the chance. That would have left you two men to convince, one way or another. Understand?"

Zahra was very confused about what she was feeling, like he was her Liutanent she shouldn't been feeling this way and yeah she possible was hasitant only because this was all knew to her. She looked at him, she was going to try and something but nothing was going to help explain with what going on, plus with these three here it was going to be a lot harder. Knowing that there was going to be a talk at some point she just trying to mentally prepare herself.

She looked at him feeling like she let him down she nodded. "Yes Lieutenant. I didn't expect to walk in and them to fall to their knees in a plea for forgiveness." she know that never is the case for these, there have been times when they were genuine sorry. She was scared though not that she wasn't protected but balancing between being patient and being ready to punch when needed.

"Usual self? but my normal self isn't the most patient of people. We both know that." She was a hint of cheeky in her voice, sense of oh you wanted bitchy? "If I was my normal self, I would of walked in there and punch one of them in the nose of the bat."

"No, you're right, you're not very patient," he said, the corners of his lips turning up just slightly. "But I was referring to your forcefulness. One can be patient and demanding at the same time. It's a delicate balance. Either way, Ms. Sliva, you tried your best. The men are out of the tavern, which was the goal." He said, though he still wasn't entirely happy with how it had gone. The hint of a grin disappeared quickly enough as he leaned in slightly, meeting her eyes. "But whatever it is that's distracting you, you need to resolve it. There's no room for distractions in what we do."

With that, he turned and walked over to the three men they'd captured, squatting down in front of them. "As for you gentleman, you'll be taking to jail and held there for a few days. If you return to this Inn and try this stunt again, it'll be a much longer duration. And I promise, it won't be as cozy as this place. I hope you understand." They all glared at him, but they were defeated enough that they said nothing. Standing back up, he watched as the wagon turned down the street. The man driving stopped in front of the Inn, and Warren helped him load the three men in.

"Follow them back to the jail, please," he said of the soldier who had returned with the wagon. "Use force if necessary, but I think they know better."

"Yes, Lieutenant," the man said, and hopped in the wagon to escort them. As they drove away, Warren held his hand out toward the street to indicate to Zarha that they would be returning to the palace. Once they began walking, his hands behind his back as always, he was quiet.

Zahra gives a small laugh but that quickly fades when mentioned that she was distracted and needs to be resolved she can't disagree with him on that one. She was embarrassed and annoyed at herself like she tried not let him get to her. She watched as Warren sort the man out, she watched them closely. hoping they got the message.

She then started to follow warren behind him, not sure what to say. "lieutenant? i was distracted because i didn't want to let you down,"

Her words drew his attention back, and he ushered her forward with a hand. "Walk next to me, please, not behind me. I don't intend to look back every time I speak," he said calmly. Once she was next time to him, he merely shook his head. "That's no excuse." But the words weren't said with anger or irritation, just a simple opinion.

"I appreciate that you're trying harder, Ms. Sliva, but you should not be trying harder for me. You should be trying harder for yourself. It's your life that will eventually hang in the balance. Yours and the lives of your fellow soldiers. In the end, we can only control our own actions and our own thoughts. You follow your instincts and do what you know based on experience and purpose, not based on how it might make me feel. Do you understand what I mean?" He glanced at her, then turned forward once more. "Besides, I don't recall you caring what I thought not long ago."

"Harder for myself?" She asked. but why her she have nowhere to go in this field, she possible will be a low ranking soldier to the day she dies. so it doesn't matter how hard she'll try it just will always be, yes lieutant or yes captain. She looked warn when he mentioned about she not caring not that long ago.

Zahra laughed "A lot of soldiers don't care what you thought, but i am trying to understand."

"Yes," he reiterated. "I won't be here for the entirety of your service. What good will my approval be when I'm gone? You should set goals for yourself and strive toward them. I'm only here to make sure you reach them. If you can do that, you'll be ready for whatever comes next." He sighed. The younger they were, the harder it was to make them see. They didn't understand why he was so hard on them because all they knew was the city patrols. But peace would not last forever. What he prepared them for was not higher positions in the military, patrols through the streets or beasts at the borders. It was war.

When she laughed, he eyed her and shook his head. "Yes, I'm well aware that most of them don't care for me. I know what they call me. None of it matters. All you need to know if that some day this all may not just be an exercise or training. It may be real. I want you to be ready for that, so that you come back home to the people who need you. If I have to be considered an ass to make sure of that, I'm happy to be."

She want to say that she doesn't want him to leave but kept her mouth close. "But what if i don't have any goals, what if just getting by, will be all i be capable of, cause lets face it, it not like i will get very far then just being a lone soldier?" She explained she never really set herself any goals like she a commoner it not like she was able to progress anywhere, she can't see herself doing more then being a soldier.

She has nobody to come back to nobody who needs her she was just a soldier. "Yes lieutenant."

Her words had him rolling his eyes. Irritation tugged his lips downward. "You have no goals? You think you cannot achieve something because you're a single person? What do you think I am, Ms. Sliva?" He wasn't ignorant enough to think that achieving ones goals wasn't made easier by wealth. "I'm a noble, yes, but I worked very hard to make lieutenant. You can, too. I find that self-defeat is the first thing that will stop you from achieving your goals. As a non-paired witch, you work often under Lieutenant Constance Towers, do you not?" He paused on the side of the road. They weren't far from the castle now.

"She's a commoner, but she didn't let that stop her. You are what you make of yourself. If you want to be better, make yourself better. If you want to move up, make it so that they cannot deny you the position when it opens up. Goals do not have to be made of high ranking positions. Your goal to become a better member of your troop is still a goal. When you feel you've achieved it, choose another and word toward that. Perhaps improving your incantations or summoning. As long as you continue to work on yourself, you will be an asset to this military. Is there nothing you wish to achieve while here? Nothing you want?"

Zahra rolled her eyes, here it comes. "Yes i am no goals because i am a single person. I think you amazing lieutenant but i don't think that is what you are asking me." She explained. She looked around as they stopped near the castle as warren went on. "Lieutenant Tower? I mainly just report to whoever.

"I don't know what i want.... maybe learn how to read and write. be able to see the router without just seeing random shapes."

"Learning to read and write is a difficult but achievable goal, and a good one to set. Ranking officers have paperwork to fill out, and you cannot do so without knowing how to read and write." He turned back to the castle, once more walking toward it.

"If you're dedicated to this endeavor, I will find someone to teach you and I will handle the costs as long as you show improvement. Once you've learned and can prove your knowledge, we will work toward another goal. Do you agree?"

"yes Liuetanent I am dedicated at working at it." A guniun smile appered on her face thinking how exciting it could be to learn to read and write and not just hope people tell her when she was needed in for training and patrol.

As they walked "Do you think, honestly that i could make it to a ranking officer? I never thought of being no more then a unpaired soldier before and never thought it could be a option because well you know how I am?"

"Then I will arrange it. But if you fall behind, I will retract it. I expect you to work hard, and you will have to do it alongside your duties as a soldier." What this all boiled down to, really, was Warren wanting what was best for his soldiers. The smarter they were, the better a soldier they could be. Knowing to read and write was imperative. But it wasn't just that. The military was the one place that commoners had the opportunity to equal the nobility, but even there it was made harder for them by their lack of education. A noble would exceed almost every time if for no other reason than they had been assured it was possible for their whole lives. Warren had trained and worked alongside many strong, capable, loyal, determined commoner soldiers who had everything it took to become a ranking officer, but they failed because in the end, they simply didn't think it was possible.

If she was going to reach out, make her aspirations known, he wanted to help break that cycle. He would have done it for any other soldier who had come to him and asked honestly. "Anyone can become a ranking officer if they work hard enough. Your status has nothing to do with it. As long as you have the skills, you can fulfill the position. But it is a big undertaking that comes with experience. You must make yourself into a leader. You need confidence in yourself and your abilities. You must learn to have patience," he looked at her intentionally. "Because the roles involve handling nobility and political situations in the most graceful manner possible. By the time you work it out, you may be old, like me. But nothing great is achieved quickly."