Redsand Canyon where habits have teeth and the words carry knives

Aquene offered a mirthful grin in her direction, humor hinting in her eyes as she appreciated the woman’s down to earth nature. Everyone else just seemed so serious all the time it was sometimes hard to talk to them. Truthfully, the only one she’d had a meaningful and deep conversation with prior to now was Kallik, but she felt like she could also talk to the woman in front of her. She chuckled softly and nodded. “It’s not for everyone, that is for sure… though it is worth noting my den is over there by the oasis should you need my expertise. I have an apprentice as well, Malila. She’s trained to handle basic situations so far. Many of the soldiers see me for general soreness after long shifts or if they should be punished.” The boulder, as she had heard it, was quite a brutal way of instilling discipline but it was effective.
 
Her head tilted to the side and she hummed at the question, nodding. “Fairly, there are two whom I haven’t had the pleasure of interacting with much. Diesel… she’s not a wolf like the rest of us, but she tends to stick to herself from what I’ve seen… and Glaukos, effective at his job but not much of a talker… sometimes I think he’s irritated by my presence.” Perhaps she was reading too much into it, and perhaps that was just his general demeanor when he was on the job, he just seemed so cold whenever he had escorted her.
 
“Then there’s Kallik…” She hesitated for a moment. She knew much more, given to her in confidence, but in this moment she saw a chance to advocate for someone she found herself caring for. She just needed to be careful with her words because she did not want to betray his trust. The affection was hard to keep from her voice. “He’s young, and fast… knocked me on my ass more than once when I asked him for a spar. He didn’t get much guidance growing up… and so I think a calm and explanatory way of teaching is likely the best way to handle training.” It still saddened her that he didn’t think he deserved her kindness. “He’s a good man, and a good soldier… he just lacks the early childhood guidance that you and I might have had.” That was all of the auxilia. “My apprentice, Malila… the Matrona gave her the option of being a wife or a soldier… I do not know what she has picked or if she is still mulling her choices over… but either way, she has been sparring and training. It might be worth seeking her out as well despite the fact that she does not hold a rank you are responsible for.” A quid pro quo was something that Aquene was more than capable of, and more than happy to provide to the other woman.