Regan, stuck in her own head, hadn’t heard Zarha approach. So it wasn’t until she started talking that the Huntsman stopped and turned, blinking as a torrent of words came her way, one right after another. She blinked, trying to process what was coming at her. The girl was obviously distressed. Regan could understand that. She’d been there herself. But there was still a system of decorum to be maintained. Regan faced Zarha fully, face stern.

“As Lieutenant Woodwick said,” Regan started, uncomfortably donning a tone of authority, “Best not to use that kind of language with superior officers. That aside…” Regan sighed, shaking her head, “Walk with me.” Regan turned and started off, counting on Zarha to follow.

“Why did Stormcrest beat you?” Regan asked, a simple enough question.

Regan’s brow furrowed. She took every new little snippet of information and compared it against all that had come before, putting the pieces of this woman together. She continued on, trusting Zarha would follow her.

“A better soldier?” She asked, curious, “And what makes one a good solder?”

It was a familiar train of thought; Regan too used to spend endless hours on her days on and days off trying to prove herself in the training yard. It had served her well, but there was more to it that she’d not realized was important until later. Maybe this soldier was the same.

“Putting in the hours is admirable, yes,” Regan said, tone warming a little to the woman, “But it’s about more than that. You’ve got to study more than weaponry, you’ve got to study people too. Get to know how people think. Study them. It’s…” Regan shrugged, chuckling a little, “Easier said than done, I suppose.”

“Huh,” Regan said, tone neutral as she continued to meander toward her destination. Trust was essential to any soldier’s station. Regan had often had to trust those she didn’t like with her very life. It was Nevermere, ultimately, that she trusted; the common thread that bound her and her fellow service members together.

Regan shrugged. “I don’t know, you just kind of watch I guess. Talk less, listen more. Get out of your own way and out of your own head. Start looking at the world around you. I mean actually looking at it.”

She wasn’t a poet or philosopher, but she hoped her point got across anyway.

Regan thought for a moment, scanning the world around her as if looking for the answer among the passing soldiers. It was hard to analyze herself. She’d been soldiering for so long, that telling someone how she did it was like explaining how to breathe. But it was a valid question, so Regan did her best to answer it.

“As if I were the enemy,” Regan said with a sense of finality, “Because if you know what’s coming, you can protect against it.”

Regan thought for a moment. On the one hand, she was busy. Unbearably busy training with Othello, making sure that he was not another failure to add to her long list as of late. But on the other hand, having another sparring partner could be refreshing. She was also meant to be a leader, someone other soldiers could look to with respect, and there was value in working on that as well.

“Meet me in the training yard in two days at dusk. Be ready to work.” Surely Zarha would appreciate just what a unique offer this was. Regan wasn’t one to toot her own horn, but she supposed at this point, she was one of the highest-ranking witches in the military. She had exceptional skill, even if the application of that skill was often inaccurate and misguided.

Regan could hear the tiny hint of excitement in the woman’s voice. It made her smile just a hair. She remembered when she’d not been so different from this young witch; eager to learn, desperate for any chance to prove herself. It was strange being on the other side of it now, but she was happy to pay it forward. She did cough a little at the compliment, feeling the slightest bit uncomfortable. But Regan knew it was intended in good spirits.

“Uh, you’re welcome.” Regan reached her destination, the hall that led to her room with Othello. She wasn’t about to take the junior soldier down it; Othello was still a wildcard when it came to interactions with other soldiers. Plus the idea that she was sharing a room with a Coheedsman was a little scandalous, though mostly embarrassing.

“I’ll see you then, soldier,” Regan said, dismissing Zarha unless she had something else.