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Maleos could tell that Leto was not impressed with what she had witness, and he felt a little disappointed. He had thought her stronger willed than that, though he supposed if blood was not a daily sight, it might cause shock. Blood to him was a part of his life, he had bled it and he had spilt it upon the ground. It was as much a part of his life as breathing air was. Perhaps he had forgotten that the same could not be said for everyone.
He meant to answer her, mind brewing a way to make a bit of a light-hearted joke about it, perhaps soothe her nerves, but then her eyes cut once more to Silanos and he felt a pang of jealousy instead. Suddenly he felt even less like making jokes. She seemed to care more for the Lord’s well-being than she did for speaking with the Captain. He felt himself wishing he had done more damage to Silanos. The cut had been intentional, a minor one that would stop bleeding soon and would be no more than a slight throbbing pain by the end of the day. He had no doubts Silanos would try to milk that in some way, attempt to get sympathy for his injuries that were no more severe than if he had broken some pottery and been cut picking up the pieces. He was a coward.
“His injury was no one’s fault but his own.” He said, trying to keep his voice calm though he felt anything but underneath. His eyes had lost the small shine of happiness upon seeing her, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to retire to his office and be by himself.
Maleos nearly thought to refuse the parcel as she offered it, its meaning falling hollowly on Maleos as his mood had turned sour. But he took it, not wanting to be impolite, offering a small bow to her in thanks.
“Gratitude, but gifts are not necessary. My life has always been for Colchis, and the protection of her people.” He said simply, stepping back from where he had stood to motion for one of the barracks slaves. He handed the package to him with the demand for it to be brought directly to his office. He would open it later, when he was on his own.
Maleos bit his tongue as Silanos came over, cocky as usual, for no real reason. What did he have to brag about? Spending money that was not technically his? Lacking in any skills that made him a man? Getting drunk and whoring more often than not? Pitiful.
“I assure you, nothing that happens at the end of my sword is ever an accident.” He said simply, gaze turning on Silanos, dead serious about it.
“Perhaps if you had the skills of a child, you could have prevented your blood from being spilled.” He said simply, then he had an idea and he turned his attentions on Leto once more.
“My lady, perhaps you can show Silanos here how it’s done? Even with your lack of practice in recent years, you hold skill.” He suggested, giving Leto the smallest of smiles, a rare occurrence.
“I leave it up to your choice, we have wooden practice swords if you would rather, or I can allow you use of mine, crafted by your own father, it ought to feel familiar in your hands.” He said, his focus on her as he felt himself calming a little.
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Maleos could tell that Leto was not impressed with what she had witness, and he felt a little disappointed. He had thought her stronger willed than that, though he supposed if blood was not a daily sight, it might cause shock. Blood to him was a part of his life, he had bled it and he had spilt it upon the ground. It was as much a part of his life as breathing air was. Perhaps he had forgotten that the same could not be said for everyone.
He meant to answer her, mind brewing a way to make a bit of a light-hearted joke about it, perhaps soothe her nerves, but then her eyes cut once more to Silanos and he felt a pang of jealousy instead. Suddenly he felt even less like making jokes. She seemed to care more for the Lord’s well-being than she did for speaking with the Captain. He felt himself wishing he had done more damage to Silanos. The cut had been intentional, a minor one that would stop bleeding soon and would be no more than a slight throbbing pain by the end of the day. He had no doubts Silanos would try to milk that in some way, attempt to get sympathy for his injuries that were no more severe than if he had broken some pottery and been cut picking up the pieces. He was a coward.
“His injury was no one’s fault but his own.” He said, trying to keep his voice calm though he felt anything but underneath. His eyes had lost the small shine of happiness upon seeing her, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to retire to his office and be by himself.
Maleos nearly thought to refuse the parcel as she offered it, its meaning falling hollowly on Maleos as his mood had turned sour. But he took it, not wanting to be impolite, offering a small bow to her in thanks.
“Gratitude, but gifts are not necessary. My life has always been for Colchis, and the protection of her people.” He said simply, stepping back from where he had stood to motion for one of the barracks slaves. He handed the package to him with the demand for it to be brought directly to his office. He would open it later, when he was on his own.
Maleos bit his tongue as Silanos came over, cocky as usual, for no real reason. What did he have to brag about? Spending money that was not technically his? Lacking in any skills that made him a man? Getting drunk and whoring more often than not? Pitiful.
“I assure you, nothing that happens at the end of my sword is ever an accident.” He said simply, gaze turning on Silanos, dead serious about it.
“Perhaps if you had the skills of a child, you could have prevented your blood from being spilled.” He said simply, then he had an idea and he turned his attentions on Leto once more.
“My lady, perhaps you can show Silanos here how it’s done? Even with your lack of practice in recent years, you hold skill.” He suggested, giving Leto the smallest of smiles, a rare occurrence.
“I leave it up to your choice, we have wooden practice swords if you would rather, or I can allow you use of mine, crafted by your own father, it ought to feel familiar in your hands.” He said, his focus on her as he felt himself calming a little.
Maleos could tell that Leto was not impressed with what she had witness, and he felt a little disappointed. He had thought her stronger willed than that, though he supposed if blood was not a daily sight, it might cause shock. Blood to him was a part of his life, he had bled it and he had spilt it upon the ground. It was as much a part of his life as breathing air was. Perhaps he had forgotten that the same could not be said for everyone.
He meant to answer her, mind brewing a way to make a bit of a light-hearted joke about it, perhaps soothe her nerves, but then her eyes cut once more to Silanos and he felt a pang of jealousy instead. Suddenly he felt even less like making jokes. She seemed to care more for the Lord’s well-being than she did for speaking with the Captain. He felt himself wishing he had done more damage to Silanos. The cut had been intentional, a minor one that would stop bleeding soon and would be no more than a slight throbbing pain by the end of the day. He had no doubts Silanos would try to milk that in some way, attempt to get sympathy for his injuries that were no more severe than if he had broken some pottery and been cut picking up the pieces. He was a coward.
“His injury was no one’s fault but his own.” He said, trying to keep his voice calm though he felt anything but underneath. His eyes had lost the small shine of happiness upon seeing her, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to retire to his office and be by himself.
Maleos nearly thought to refuse the parcel as she offered it, its meaning falling hollowly on Maleos as his mood had turned sour. But he took it, not wanting to be impolite, offering a small bow to her in thanks.
“Gratitude, but gifts are not necessary. My life has always been for Colchis, and the protection of her people.” He said simply, stepping back from where he had stood to motion for one of the barracks slaves. He handed the package to him with the demand for it to be brought directly to his office. He would open it later, when he was on his own.
Maleos bit his tongue as Silanos came over, cocky as usual, for no real reason. What did he have to brag about? Spending money that was not technically his? Lacking in any skills that made him a man? Getting drunk and whoring more often than not? Pitiful.
“I assure you, nothing that happens at the end of my sword is ever an accident.” He said simply, gaze turning on Silanos, dead serious about it.
“Perhaps if you had the skills of a child, you could have prevented your blood from being spilled.” He said simply, then he had an idea and he turned his attentions on Leto once more.
“My lady, perhaps you can show Silanos here how it’s done? Even with your lack of practice in recent years, you hold skill.” He suggested, giving Leto the smallest of smiles, a rare occurrence.
“I leave it up to your choice, we have wooden practice swords if you would rather, or I can allow you use of mine, crafted by your own father, it ought to feel familiar in your hands.” He said, his focus on her as he felt himself calming a little.
Leto's eyes blinked a few times, not quite startled but taken slightly aback by the intensity in which Maleos addressed the Valaoritis lord, more by the tone than the words. Leto swallowed lightly, doing her best to avoid saying something ridiculous, but when Silanos came over, his confidence not seeming to have taken the same wound as his arm had.
Leto tried very hard not to smile at his almost-showboating compliments, eyes narrowing with a slightly amused warning and a slight flare of her nostril in a silent laugh. The man had just taken a cut to the arm, where the blood was trying to leak its way through the white wrappings placed there. Leto felt slightly less shocked seeing the length and widthe of the scar through the binding was not too horrid.
Once again, Leto's lips parted to make a comment, halfway between thanking him for the compliment and chiding him for goading the Captain, but that attempt was cut off at the stem when Maleos replied with a cutting remark.
Leto was even more so taken aback by the next offering - for her to combat the young lord.
"Me?" Leto started, blinking a moment, starting to fumble some sort of protest, but there was a certain curious flourish that cross Silanos face that gave her pause. Beyond that, she was further encouraged by by his offering of either the training swords or the same sword she sold to Maleos nearly a decade ago.
"If my lord pleases."
The look on Silanos' face alone gave the answer.
Looking up at Maleos, she offered him a smile, one that actually reached her eyes, and took a deep sigh before extending her hand for the hilt of his sword.
"It's been years," she murmured to him, still uncertain, before adding slight laugh to her words, "I would hate to embarrass my tutor."
Once the hilt was placed in her hand, she felt it warm against the palm of her hand, fitting there just as all of her father's hilts always had, she looked to Silanos. Her chiton was cut closer to the knees given the warmth of the day, and she took a moment to remove the hood from the crown of her head, reveling her hair already woven into an illustrious braid down her back, tamed as if by magic, barring a number of curl that tried to fly away on the breeze.
"Unlike our friend, the Captain," Leto started, as she stepped away from the railing of the training yard with Silanos, her voice loud enough for Maleos to hear, "I make no promises about accidents."
There was a slight laugh from her, more nerves than enjoyment as she took another glance around the training yard. Thanks be to the gods, there were not many milling about.
"Captain?"
Leto awaited any instruction from him, tenuously setting her feet in the stance she learned all those years ago.
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Leto's eyes blinked a few times, not quite startled but taken slightly aback by the intensity in which Maleos addressed the Valaoritis lord, more by the tone than the words. Leto swallowed lightly, doing her best to avoid saying something ridiculous, but when Silanos came over, his confidence not seeming to have taken the same wound as his arm had.
Leto tried very hard not to smile at his almost-showboating compliments, eyes narrowing with a slightly amused warning and a slight flare of her nostril in a silent laugh. The man had just taken a cut to the arm, where the blood was trying to leak its way through the white wrappings placed there. Leto felt slightly less shocked seeing the length and widthe of the scar through the binding was not too horrid.
Once again, Leto's lips parted to make a comment, halfway between thanking him for the compliment and chiding him for goading the Captain, but that attempt was cut off at the stem when Maleos replied with a cutting remark.
Leto was even more so taken aback by the next offering - for her to combat the young lord.
"Me?" Leto started, blinking a moment, starting to fumble some sort of protest, but there was a certain curious flourish that cross Silanos face that gave her pause. Beyond that, she was further encouraged by by his offering of either the training swords or the same sword she sold to Maleos nearly a decade ago.
"If my lord pleases."
The look on Silanos' face alone gave the answer.
Looking up at Maleos, she offered him a smile, one that actually reached her eyes, and took a deep sigh before extending her hand for the hilt of his sword.
"It's been years," she murmured to him, still uncertain, before adding slight laugh to her words, "I would hate to embarrass my tutor."
Once the hilt was placed in her hand, she felt it warm against the palm of her hand, fitting there just as all of her father's hilts always had, she looked to Silanos. Her chiton was cut closer to the knees given the warmth of the day, and she took a moment to remove the hood from the crown of her head, reveling her hair already woven into an illustrious braid down her back, tamed as if by magic, barring a number of curl that tried to fly away on the breeze.
"Unlike our friend, the Captain," Leto started, as she stepped away from the railing of the training yard with Silanos, her voice loud enough for Maleos to hear, "I make no promises about accidents."
There was a slight laugh from her, more nerves than enjoyment as she took another glance around the training yard. Thanks be to the gods, there were not many milling about.
"Captain?"
Leto awaited any instruction from him, tenuously setting her feet in the stance she learned all those years ago.
Leto's eyes blinked a few times, not quite startled but taken slightly aback by the intensity in which Maleos addressed the Valaoritis lord, more by the tone than the words. Leto swallowed lightly, doing her best to avoid saying something ridiculous, but when Silanos came over, his confidence not seeming to have taken the same wound as his arm had.
Leto tried very hard not to smile at his almost-showboating compliments, eyes narrowing with a slightly amused warning and a slight flare of her nostril in a silent laugh. The man had just taken a cut to the arm, where the blood was trying to leak its way through the white wrappings placed there. Leto felt slightly less shocked seeing the length and widthe of the scar through the binding was not too horrid.
Once again, Leto's lips parted to make a comment, halfway between thanking him for the compliment and chiding him for goading the Captain, but that attempt was cut off at the stem when Maleos replied with a cutting remark.
Leto was even more so taken aback by the next offering - for her to combat the young lord.
"Me?" Leto started, blinking a moment, starting to fumble some sort of protest, but there was a certain curious flourish that cross Silanos face that gave her pause. Beyond that, she was further encouraged by by his offering of either the training swords or the same sword she sold to Maleos nearly a decade ago.
"If my lord pleases."
The look on Silanos' face alone gave the answer.
Looking up at Maleos, she offered him a smile, one that actually reached her eyes, and took a deep sigh before extending her hand for the hilt of his sword.
"It's been years," she murmured to him, still uncertain, before adding slight laugh to her words, "I would hate to embarrass my tutor."
Once the hilt was placed in her hand, she felt it warm against the palm of her hand, fitting there just as all of her father's hilts always had, she looked to Silanos. Her chiton was cut closer to the knees given the warmth of the day, and she took a moment to remove the hood from the crown of her head, reveling her hair already woven into an illustrious braid down her back, tamed as if by magic, barring a number of curl that tried to fly away on the breeze.
"Unlike our friend, the Captain," Leto started, as she stepped away from the railing of the training yard with Silanos, her voice loud enough for Maleos to hear, "I make no promises about accidents."
There was a slight laugh from her, more nerves than enjoyment as she took another glance around the training yard. Thanks be to the gods, there were not many milling about.
"Captain?"
Leto awaited any instruction from him, tenuously setting her feet in the stance she learned all those years ago.
Leto was trying not to smile, and not quite succeeding, and that was almost enough to have Sil forget about the burning throb in his arm. At least until Maleos addressed him, and he met the man’s stare with a disdainful one of his own. The man was an idiot, if he wanted to make himself look like a petty brute in front of the woman Silanos was beginning to suspect he had a soft spot for, then he was doing a good job of it.
“Is that what it takes to defeat you then, Captain? The skills of a child? And I had heard such great things about you.”
His eyebrows dipped and raised quickly, an affected disappointment. And though Silanos was certain he’d be paying for each and every word that he levelled against the soldier, subtle or not, it was difficult to resist once he’d started. He might even have been spurred on by the presence of Leto, because if she were key to getting under Maleos’ skin then by the Gods Sil was going to make use of that.
What he wasn’t expecting was for the Captain to invite Leto herself to take up a blade against him, and for a moment he frowned, because that was kind of fucking insulting in itself. But then he considered it for a bit longer, and came to the conclusion that doing anything with Leto was going to be a lot more fun than doing it with Maleos the morose. And perhaps he could test out his little theory, given some weight by the fact the man had cracked an actual smile. So he shot Leto a look and a half shrug, as if to give her his blessing.
“When am I ever not pleased by you, Leto” he threw out, tipping her a wink before reaching forward with his uninjured arm to help her across the fence and into the practice ring. He waited just long enough that she had found her feet on the sand, before cutting a glance at Maleos and beginning to wander back over to the sand where they’d been fighting not moments ago.
Honestly, he wasn’t expecting much of a fight from Leto, and her comments about accidents did have him look at the blade she held with a little concern. He was rather fond of most parts of his body and didn’t want them seperated from his person at all. “Lets just… take it steady shall we?” he suggested with a meaningful look at the sharp edge of the sword. “Though at least if I’m going to die, I can do it happier than staring at the Captain’s miserable face.”
Having reclaimed the sword he was using before, Sil waited for Leto to make the first move, because he had the good manners to let the lady go first.
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Leto was trying not to smile, and not quite succeeding, and that was almost enough to have Sil forget about the burning throb in his arm. At least until Maleos addressed him, and he met the man’s stare with a disdainful one of his own. The man was an idiot, if he wanted to make himself look like a petty brute in front of the woman Silanos was beginning to suspect he had a soft spot for, then he was doing a good job of it.
“Is that what it takes to defeat you then, Captain? The skills of a child? And I had heard such great things about you.”
His eyebrows dipped and raised quickly, an affected disappointment. And though Silanos was certain he’d be paying for each and every word that he levelled against the soldier, subtle or not, it was difficult to resist once he’d started. He might even have been spurred on by the presence of Leto, because if she were key to getting under Maleos’ skin then by the Gods Sil was going to make use of that.
What he wasn’t expecting was for the Captain to invite Leto herself to take up a blade against him, and for a moment he frowned, because that was kind of fucking insulting in itself. But then he considered it for a bit longer, and came to the conclusion that doing anything with Leto was going to be a lot more fun than doing it with Maleos the morose. And perhaps he could test out his little theory, given some weight by the fact the man had cracked an actual smile. So he shot Leto a look and a half shrug, as if to give her his blessing.
“When am I ever not pleased by you, Leto” he threw out, tipping her a wink before reaching forward with his uninjured arm to help her across the fence and into the practice ring. He waited just long enough that she had found her feet on the sand, before cutting a glance at Maleos and beginning to wander back over to the sand where they’d been fighting not moments ago.
Honestly, he wasn’t expecting much of a fight from Leto, and her comments about accidents did have him look at the blade she held with a little concern. He was rather fond of most parts of his body and didn’t want them seperated from his person at all. “Lets just… take it steady shall we?” he suggested with a meaningful look at the sharp edge of the sword. “Though at least if I’m going to die, I can do it happier than staring at the Captain’s miserable face.”
Having reclaimed the sword he was using before, Sil waited for Leto to make the first move, because he had the good manners to let the lady go first.
Leto was trying not to smile, and not quite succeeding, and that was almost enough to have Sil forget about the burning throb in his arm. At least until Maleos addressed him, and he met the man’s stare with a disdainful one of his own. The man was an idiot, if he wanted to make himself look like a petty brute in front of the woman Silanos was beginning to suspect he had a soft spot for, then he was doing a good job of it.
“Is that what it takes to defeat you then, Captain? The skills of a child? And I had heard such great things about you.”
His eyebrows dipped and raised quickly, an affected disappointment. And though Silanos was certain he’d be paying for each and every word that he levelled against the soldier, subtle or not, it was difficult to resist once he’d started. He might even have been spurred on by the presence of Leto, because if she were key to getting under Maleos’ skin then by the Gods Sil was going to make use of that.
What he wasn’t expecting was for the Captain to invite Leto herself to take up a blade against him, and for a moment he frowned, because that was kind of fucking insulting in itself. But then he considered it for a bit longer, and came to the conclusion that doing anything with Leto was going to be a lot more fun than doing it with Maleos the morose. And perhaps he could test out his little theory, given some weight by the fact the man had cracked an actual smile. So he shot Leto a look and a half shrug, as if to give her his blessing.
“When am I ever not pleased by you, Leto” he threw out, tipping her a wink before reaching forward with his uninjured arm to help her across the fence and into the practice ring. He waited just long enough that she had found her feet on the sand, before cutting a glance at Maleos and beginning to wander back over to the sand where they’d been fighting not moments ago.
Honestly, he wasn’t expecting much of a fight from Leto, and her comments about accidents did have him look at the blade she held with a little concern. He was rather fond of most parts of his body and didn’t want them seperated from his person at all. “Lets just… take it steady shall we?” he suggested with a meaningful look at the sharp edge of the sword. “Though at least if I’m going to die, I can do it happier than staring at the Captain’s miserable face.”
Having reclaimed the sword he was using before, Sil waited for Leto to make the first move, because he had the good manners to let the lady go first.
Maleos watched Leto as surprise crossed her features, worried that his offer of having her spar with Silanos would be taken poorly by the woman, but any thoughts she had towards argument seemed to change when his sword was offered for her use. When her hand was held out for his sword, he quickly unsheathed it once more, excited to see her use it. She may not have had much practice over the years, but if his experience upon first meeting her was any indication, the woman held a natural talent for the ways of the sword.
He ignored further taunts by Silanos, knowing full well that the man spoke because he could not do anything else about his current situation. Any further goading would be ignored, to be punished later when Leto’s eyes were not a witness to such things. Silanos could keep going, but it would cost him later.
As she offered him a smile, he offered one in return, placing the sword gently in her hand.
“Rest assured, I place much merit in your natural skill with a blade.” He replied when she spoke of not wishing to embarrass him. He stepped away, noticing the touch that Silanos placed, and the comment, intended no doubt to get under Maleos’ skin. It worked, but he kept his calm. He had allowed his stone exterior to crack once, when Silanos had tripped him, he would not allow it to happen again, the man would pay dearly for his actions, surely the Lord knew that.
Maleos stepped forward, toward Leto, approaching her from the side she held the sword on, he reached forward and adjusted her grip just the slightest bit.
“Do you remember the advice I left you with in our childhood?” He asked her, stepping back, he examined her stance, which was correctly placed. She was already in a better position for combat than Silanos was. He stepped back over to her, leaning in to whisper so only she would be able to hear his words.
“This opponent shouldn’t be too difficult to outsmart.” He said, giving her a small smile and hoping the light tone in his voice would help soothe her nerves before stepping away again, out of reach of any swinging swords.
“Leto, attack first. Let's see if he has learned anything about defense, or if you will break him as easily as I did.” He commanded, his eyes watching both of them for flaws in technique, he knew that he would see a few in Silanos, that much was clear in how easily the man’s defense was broken, so he focused more on Leto, caring more about genuinely teaching her than Silanos. He had tried with the Lord, several times now to get him to learn any part of the lesson he was meant to learn while under Maleos’ watch.
Silanos was a lost cause, and so Maleos would bide his time, instilling harsh punishments upon him until Tim found another fate for his younger brother. He recalled how exhausted Tim had looked during their meeting in his office the first day Silanos was brought to him. Maleos couldn’t believe that Silanos could do that to his own brother and feel no remorse for his actions. He hoped Tim would cast him from their household, though he knew how much the man cared for his brother. Maleos cared for his baron too much to see him and his name dragged down with a brother who cared about no one but himself.
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Maleos watched Leto as surprise crossed her features, worried that his offer of having her spar with Silanos would be taken poorly by the woman, but any thoughts she had towards argument seemed to change when his sword was offered for her use. When her hand was held out for his sword, he quickly unsheathed it once more, excited to see her use it. She may not have had much practice over the years, but if his experience upon first meeting her was any indication, the woman held a natural talent for the ways of the sword.
He ignored further taunts by Silanos, knowing full well that the man spoke because he could not do anything else about his current situation. Any further goading would be ignored, to be punished later when Leto’s eyes were not a witness to such things. Silanos could keep going, but it would cost him later.
As she offered him a smile, he offered one in return, placing the sword gently in her hand.
“Rest assured, I place much merit in your natural skill with a blade.” He replied when she spoke of not wishing to embarrass him. He stepped away, noticing the touch that Silanos placed, and the comment, intended no doubt to get under Maleos’ skin. It worked, but he kept his calm. He had allowed his stone exterior to crack once, when Silanos had tripped him, he would not allow it to happen again, the man would pay dearly for his actions, surely the Lord knew that.
Maleos stepped forward, toward Leto, approaching her from the side she held the sword on, he reached forward and adjusted her grip just the slightest bit.
“Do you remember the advice I left you with in our childhood?” He asked her, stepping back, he examined her stance, which was correctly placed. She was already in a better position for combat than Silanos was. He stepped back over to her, leaning in to whisper so only she would be able to hear his words.
“This opponent shouldn’t be too difficult to outsmart.” He said, giving her a small smile and hoping the light tone in his voice would help soothe her nerves before stepping away again, out of reach of any swinging swords.
“Leto, attack first. Let's see if he has learned anything about defense, or if you will break him as easily as I did.” He commanded, his eyes watching both of them for flaws in technique, he knew that he would see a few in Silanos, that much was clear in how easily the man’s defense was broken, so he focused more on Leto, caring more about genuinely teaching her than Silanos. He had tried with the Lord, several times now to get him to learn any part of the lesson he was meant to learn while under Maleos’ watch.
Silanos was a lost cause, and so Maleos would bide his time, instilling harsh punishments upon him until Tim found another fate for his younger brother. He recalled how exhausted Tim had looked during their meeting in his office the first day Silanos was brought to him. Maleos couldn’t believe that Silanos could do that to his own brother and feel no remorse for his actions. He hoped Tim would cast him from their household, though he knew how much the man cared for his brother. Maleos cared for his baron too much to see him and his name dragged down with a brother who cared about no one but himself.
Maleos watched Leto as surprise crossed her features, worried that his offer of having her spar with Silanos would be taken poorly by the woman, but any thoughts she had towards argument seemed to change when his sword was offered for her use. When her hand was held out for his sword, he quickly unsheathed it once more, excited to see her use it. She may not have had much practice over the years, but if his experience upon first meeting her was any indication, the woman held a natural talent for the ways of the sword.
He ignored further taunts by Silanos, knowing full well that the man spoke because he could not do anything else about his current situation. Any further goading would be ignored, to be punished later when Leto’s eyes were not a witness to such things. Silanos could keep going, but it would cost him later.
As she offered him a smile, he offered one in return, placing the sword gently in her hand.
“Rest assured, I place much merit in your natural skill with a blade.” He replied when she spoke of not wishing to embarrass him. He stepped away, noticing the touch that Silanos placed, and the comment, intended no doubt to get under Maleos’ skin. It worked, but he kept his calm. He had allowed his stone exterior to crack once, when Silanos had tripped him, he would not allow it to happen again, the man would pay dearly for his actions, surely the Lord knew that.
Maleos stepped forward, toward Leto, approaching her from the side she held the sword on, he reached forward and adjusted her grip just the slightest bit.
“Do you remember the advice I left you with in our childhood?” He asked her, stepping back, he examined her stance, which was correctly placed. She was already in a better position for combat than Silanos was. He stepped back over to her, leaning in to whisper so only she would be able to hear his words.
“This opponent shouldn’t be too difficult to outsmart.” He said, giving her a small smile and hoping the light tone in his voice would help soothe her nerves before stepping away again, out of reach of any swinging swords.
“Leto, attack first. Let's see if he has learned anything about defense, or if you will break him as easily as I did.” He commanded, his eyes watching both of them for flaws in technique, he knew that he would see a few in Silanos, that much was clear in how easily the man’s defense was broken, so he focused more on Leto, caring more about genuinely teaching her than Silanos. He had tried with the Lord, several times now to get him to learn any part of the lesson he was meant to learn while under Maleos’ watch.
Silanos was a lost cause, and so Maleos would bide his time, instilling harsh punishments upon him until Tim found another fate for his younger brother. He recalled how exhausted Tim had looked during their meeting in his office the first day Silanos was brought to him. Maleos couldn’t believe that Silanos could do that to his own brother and feel no remorse for his actions. He hoped Tim would cast him from their household, though he knew how much the man cared for his brother. Maleos cared for his baron too much to see him and his name dragged down with a brother who cared about no one but himself.
As the men bickered a moment longer, Leto's focus shifted to feel hilt match the curve of her palm, as each of her father's swords had over the years. Her eyes lingered on it a moment, feeling how it felt like embracing an old friend. There were some of her family's old blades adorning the walls of their Midas home as decor, an homage to their humble beginnings in Chaossis. It had been years since they had been held in anyone's hand.
Yet, despite the years, her hand wrapped naturally around it, feeling the specific grooves that she had laid herself all those years ago. After all, while her parents were loathe to let her work at the forge itself, her intricate attention to detail was valued in the binding of hilts. Thinking on it took her back in time for a brief moment...
That was, until Silanos voice broke through - or more specifically, his tone.
A slight smirk quickly shifted to her lips pressing into a fine line and her eyes narrowing at the young lord. It was clear to see his antagonism towards Maleos was simply fueling the fire of whatever tension lay between them. Leto had no intention of being another log added to the flame, and her expression said as such in a brief moment before she accepted his assistance over the railing and into the arena, attempting to be as ladylike as possible in doing so - which was not very ladylike at all.
"If I manage to draw blood on you, by accident or on purpose, I suppose...then," Leto pointed out, her brows raising slightly. It would be a lovely joke to laugh at if the possibility of it coming true was not so very real before them.
When her opponent crossed towards the arena, Leto's footstep fell short as Maleos' hands on hers stopped her, curls bouncing slightly with how quickly she turned her head to face him, her expression softening as a result of their proximity and the care he took in fixing her grip. She could not help the small smile that reflected his own.
"I would like to think so," Leto mused, her mind flickering back through the specific motions, purposeful in aiding her size and skills, "Though, we shall soon see, won't we?"
Leto refocused for barely a breath as he stepped back, only for a ghost of a blush to race across her cheeks as his whisper in her ear sent a rush of blood to her head. A soft laugh and a wide smile broke through her concentration, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she gave him a soft glance out of the corner of her eye, amused by the lightness of his tone with her. Her chest fluttered a moment, leaving her distracted for only a breath longer before her glance shot back to Silanos, a renewed moment of confidence shining in her eyes and striking as the glint of sunlight off the blade in her hand.
At the Captain's order, Leto raised her brows to her opponent, as if to say 'here we go' before taking a deep breath and sending a silent prayer to Athena.
This may have been a minor spar, but she hoped that the goddess of wisdom and war would guide her through both honoring her tutor and sparing her friend any further bloodshed.
With her exhale, Leto kept the angle of her stance - being sidelong when facing her opponent made her a smaller target, harder to hit - but she made a quick lunging stride, the sword swinging into a downward strike. Instinct should have told her opponent to block against the predictable blow, which was precisely what she wanted as she stilled the blade in midair as if it had already been blocked.
As her opponent's sword rose to block, Leto took the momentum of her midair pause to let the blade drop low in a much smaller arc, aiming for her opponent's leg in a deceptive attack. Had it been any other sword in her hand, the weight of it could have been off just enough for the motion to keep following through, biting against the Lord's skin, but the gods willed it for her family's own blade to be in her hands, and she stopped it just shy of his leg.
Instead, she refused to keep her shoulder and neck open by such a movement and lifted the sword into a block, pausing for her opponent's reaction - which caused a broad smile to spread across her face as the confidence she held nearly a decade ago reemerged. Once again, she was 15 years old, beating the tar out of the training dummy next to her father's shop, pretending she had been raised in a different life - among the warrior women of Themyscira.
"Are you all right?" Leto asked, entirely too amused at taking her friend off guard. "Again?"
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As the men bickered a moment longer, Leto's focus shifted to feel hilt match the curve of her palm, as each of her father's swords had over the years. Her eyes lingered on it a moment, feeling how it felt like embracing an old friend. There were some of her family's old blades adorning the walls of their Midas home as decor, an homage to their humble beginnings in Chaossis. It had been years since they had been held in anyone's hand.
Yet, despite the years, her hand wrapped naturally around it, feeling the specific grooves that she had laid herself all those years ago. After all, while her parents were loathe to let her work at the forge itself, her intricate attention to detail was valued in the binding of hilts. Thinking on it took her back in time for a brief moment...
That was, until Silanos voice broke through - or more specifically, his tone.
A slight smirk quickly shifted to her lips pressing into a fine line and her eyes narrowing at the young lord. It was clear to see his antagonism towards Maleos was simply fueling the fire of whatever tension lay between them. Leto had no intention of being another log added to the flame, and her expression said as such in a brief moment before she accepted his assistance over the railing and into the arena, attempting to be as ladylike as possible in doing so - which was not very ladylike at all.
"If I manage to draw blood on you, by accident or on purpose, I suppose...then," Leto pointed out, her brows raising slightly. It would be a lovely joke to laugh at if the possibility of it coming true was not so very real before them.
When her opponent crossed towards the arena, Leto's footstep fell short as Maleos' hands on hers stopped her, curls bouncing slightly with how quickly she turned her head to face him, her expression softening as a result of their proximity and the care he took in fixing her grip. She could not help the small smile that reflected his own.
"I would like to think so," Leto mused, her mind flickering back through the specific motions, purposeful in aiding her size and skills, "Though, we shall soon see, won't we?"
Leto refocused for barely a breath as he stepped back, only for a ghost of a blush to race across her cheeks as his whisper in her ear sent a rush of blood to her head. A soft laugh and a wide smile broke through her concentration, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she gave him a soft glance out of the corner of her eye, amused by the lightness of his tone with her. Her chest fluttered a moment, leaving her distracted for only a breath longer before her glance shot back to Silanos, a renewed moment of confidence shining in her eyes and striking as the glint of sunlight off the blade in her hand.
At the Captain's order, Leto raised her brows to her opponent, as if to say 'here we go' before taking a deep breath and sending a silent prayer to Athena.
This may have been a minor spar, but she hoped that the goddess of wisdom and war would guide her through both honoring her tutor and sparing her friend any further bloodshed.
With her exhale, Leto kept the angle of her stance - being sidelong when facing her opponent made her a smaller target, harder to hit - but she made a quick lunging stride, the sword swinging into a downward strike. Instinct should have told her opponent to block against the predictable blow, which was precisely what she wanted as she stilled the blade in midair as if it had already been blocked.
As her opponent's sword rose to block, Leto took the momentum of her midair pause to let the blade drop low in a much smaller arc, aiming for her opponent's leg in a deceptive attack. Had it been any other sword in her hand, the weight of it could have been off just enough for the motion to keep following through, biting against the Lord's skin, but the gods willed it for her family's own blade to be in her hands, and she stopped it just shy of his leg.
Instead, she refused to keep her shoulder and neck open by such a movement and lifted the sword into a block, pausing for her opponent's reaction - which caused a broad smile to spread across her face as the confidence she held nearly a decade ago reemerged. Once again, she was 15 years old, beating the tar out of the training dummy next to her father's shop, pretending she had been raised in a different life - among the warrior women of Themyscira.
"Are you all right?" Leto asked, entirely too amused at taking her friend off guard. "Again?"
As the men bickered a moment longer, Leto's focus shifted to feel hilt match the curve of her palm, as each of her father's swords had over the years. Her eyes lingered on it a moment, feeling how it felt like embracing an old friend. There were some of her family's old blades adorning the walls of their Midas home as decor, an homage to their humble beginnings in Chaossis. It had been years since they had been held in anyone's hand.
Yet, despite the years, her hand wrapped naturally around it, feeling the specific grooves that she had laid herself all those years ago. After all, while her parents were loathe to let her work at the forge itself, her intricate attention to detail was valued in the binding of hilts. Thinking on it took her back in time for a brief moment...
That was, until Silanos voice broke through - or more specifically, his tone.
A slight smirk quickly shifted to her lips pressing into a fine line and her eyes narrowing at the young lord. It was clear to see his antagonism towards Maleos was simply fueling the fire of whatever tension lay between them. Leto had no intention of being another log added to the flame, and her expression said as such in a brief moment before she accepted his assistance over the railing and into the arena, attempting to be as ladylike as possible in doing so - which was not very ladylike at all.
"If I manage to draw blood on you, by accident or on purpose, I suppose...then," Leto pointed out, her brows raising slightly. It would be a lovely joke to laugh at if the possibility of it coming true was not so very real before them.
When her opponent crossed towards the arena, Leto's footstep fell short as Maleos' hands on hers stopped her, curls bouncing slightly with how quickly she turned her head to face him, her expression softening as a result of their proximity and the care he took in fixing her grip. She could not help the small smile that reflected his own.
"I would like to think so," Leto mused, her mind flickering back through the specific motions, purposeful in aiding her size and skills, "Though, we shall soon see, won't we?"
Leto refocused for barely a breath as he stepped back, only for a ghost of a blush to race across her cheeks as his whisper in her ear sent a rush of blood to her head. A soft laugh and a wide smile broke through her concentration, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she gave him a soft glance out of the corner of her eye, amused by the lightness of his tone with her. Her chest fluttered a moment, leaving her distracted for only a breath longer before her glance shot back to Silanos, a renewed moment of confidence shining in her eyes and striking as the glint of sunlight off the blade in her hand.
At the Captain's order, Leto raised her brows to her opponent, as if to say 'here we go' before taking a deep breath and sending a silent prayer to Athena.
This may have been a minor spar, but she hoped that the goddess of wisdom and war would guide her through both honoring her tutor and sparing her friend any further bloodshed.
With her exhale, Leto kept the angle of her stance - being sidelong when facing her opponent made her a smaller target, harder to hit - but she made a quick lunging stride, the sword swinging into a downward strike. Instinct should have told her opponent to block against the predictable blow, which was precisely what she wanted as she stilled the blade in midair as if it had already been blocked.
As her opponent's sword rose to block, Leto took the momentum of her midair pause to let the blade drop low in a much smaller arc, aiming for her opponent's leg in a deceptive attack. Had it been any other sword in her hand, the weight of it could have been off just enough for the motion to keep following through, biting against the Lord's skin, but the gods willed it for her family's own blade to be in her hands, and she stopped it just shy of his leg.
Instead, she refused to keep her shoulder and neck open by such a movement and lifted the sword into a block, pausing for her opponent's reaction - which caused a broad smile to spread across her face as the confidence she held nearly a decade ago reemerged. Once again, she was 15 years old, beating the tar out of the training dummy next to her father's shop, pretending she had been raised in a different life - among the warrior women of Themyscira.
"Are you all right?" Leto asked, entirely too amused at taking her friend off guard. "Again?"
Sil noticed the shift in Leto’s expression, could tell she wasn’t amused by his goading of her friend, but he’d gotten the bit between his teeth and it wasn’t so easy to rein back his attitude. Much to his annoyance, Maleos seemed more in control of his responses though, and it took the fun out of it, so once he had assisted Leto over the fence, he didn’t linger before wandering back over to the practice ring.
He paid enough attention to notice how the Captain stepped close to speak to her though, and stored that away for later consideration. Perhaps he had finally discovered where the soldier’s personality resided? In his sweet little affection for the spymaster’s sister. Silanos supposed they were both common born. They could probably relate to each other in that way. Though, unless they were sitting around bemoaning their lack of fine breeding, he could scarcely imagine what Leto found so likeable about the man.
When Leto joined him, the Lord had adopted a casual stance, flashing her a grin at her raised brow and choosing to ignore Maleos entirely. If the Captain wasn’t going to rise to Sil’s baiting, then he wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction either.
Honestly, Silanos wasn’t expecting much of a contest. He might not have been a soldier, but he could wield a sword better than a girl, even if Leto wasn’t your regular girl. So he couldn’t have been less prepared for the confident way she stepped into the attack, and he was so slow off the mark to respond to her initial strike that there was no hope of him identifying the feint for what it was. Had it not been for Leto pulling out of the move before the blade could meet his body then Silanos would likely have had another injury to show for his day’s endeavours.
“I’m fine” he said, a little snippily, as he let the sword fall back down to his side. His expression was caught somewhere between surprise and irritation as he looked at her.
Had Maleos not been there, the Valaoritis Lord might have been more willing to laugh at himself, to find some grudging appreciation for yet another surprising thing learnt about the girl from the beach. As it was, he still struggled to hold on to his annoyance in the face of her self-satisfied expression, the twitch at the corner of his mouth rather ruining the scowl that had descended. “ Again” Silanos said, readying himself properly this time, now he knew he’d so underestimated his opponent.
Out of some conditioned response which he hated himself for afterwards, his gaze flickered towards Maleos as if waiting for the man to give his go ahead. There was only so much being ordered about that one could ignore before it started to have a subliminal effect no matter how unwanted it was.
Either way, he twisted into a stance more suitable for swordplay, raised his own blade again. “Come on. I won’t be so keen to let you have the advantage this time, Leto, given you clearly don’t need it. Some little girl didn’t spend all her time in dance classes did she?”
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Sil noticed the shift in Leto’s expression, could tell she wasn’t amused by his goading of her friend, but he’d gotten the bit between his teeth and it wasn’t so easy to rein back his attitude. Much to his annoyance, Maleos seemed more in control of his responses though, and it took the fun out of it, so once he had assisted Leto over the fence, he didn’t linger before wandering back over to the practice ring.
He paid enough attention to notice how the Captain stepped close to speak to her though, and stored that away for later consideration. Perhaps he had finally discovered where the soldier’s personality resided? In his sweet little affection for the spymaster’s sister. Silanos supposed they were both common born. They could probably relate to each other in that way. Though, unless they were sitting around bemoaning their lack of fine breeding, he could scarcely imagine what Leto found so likeable about the man.
When Leto joined him, the Lord had adopted a casual stance, flashing her a grin at her raised brow and choosing to ignore Maleos entirely. If the Captain wasn’t going to rise to Sil’s baiting, then he wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction either.
Honestly, Silanos wasn’t expecting much of a contest. He might not have been a soldier, but he could wield a sword better than a girl, even if Leto wasn’t your regular girl. So he couldn’t have been less prepared for the confident way she stepped into the attack, and he was so slow off the mark to respond to her initial strike that there was no hope of him identifying the feint for what it was. Had it not been for Leto pulling out of the move before the blade could meet his body then Silanos would likely have had another injury to show for his day’s endeavours.
“I’m fine” he said, a little snippily, as he let the sword fall back down to his side. His expression was caught somewhere between surprise and irritation as he looked at her.
Had Maleos not been there, the Valaoritis Lord might have been more willing to laugh at himself, to find some grudging appreciation for yet another surprising thing learnt about the girl from the beach. As it was, he still struggled to hold on to his annoyance in the face of her self-satisfied expression, the twitch at the corner of his mouth rather ruining the scowl that had descended. “ Again” Silanos said, readying himself properly this time, now he knew he’d so underestimated his opponent.
Out of some conditioned response which he hated himself for afterwards, his gaze flickered towards Maleos as if waiting for the man to give his go ahead. There was only so much being ordered about that one could ignore before it started to have a subliminal effect no matter how unwanted it was.
Either way, he twisted into a stance more suitable for swordplay, raised his own blade again. “Come on. I won’t be so keen to let you have the advantage this time, Leto, given you clearly don’t need it. Some little girl didn’t spend all her time in dance classes did she?”
Sil noticed the shift in Leto’s expression, could tell she wasn’t amused by his goading of her friend, but he’d gotten the bit between his teeth and it wasn’t so easy to rein back his attitude. Much to his annoyance, Maleos seemed more in control of his responses though, and it took the fun out of it, so once he had assisted Leto over the fence, he didn’t linger before wandering back over to the practice ring.
He paid enough attention to notice how the Captain stepped close to speak to her though, and stored that away for later consideration. Perhaps he had finally discovered where the soldier’s personality resided? In his sweet little affection for the spymaster’s sister. Silanos supposed they were both common born. They could probably relate to each other in that way. Though, unless they were sitting around bemoaning their lack of fine breeding, he could scarcely imagine what Leto found so likeable about the man.
When Leto joined him, the Lord had adopted a casual stance, flashing her a grin at her raised brow and choosing to ignore Maleos entirely. If the Captain wasn’t going to rise to Sil’s baiting, then he wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction either.
Honestly, Silanos wasn’t expecting much of a contest. He might not have been a soldier, but he could wield a sword better than a girl, even if Leto wasn’t your regular girl. So he couldn’t have been less prepared for the confident way she stepped into the attack, and he was so slow off the mark to respond to her initial strike that there was no hope of him identifying the feint for what it was. Had it not been for Leto pulling out of the move before the blade could meet his body then Silanos would likely have had another injury to show for his day’s endeavours.
“I’m fine” he said, a little snippily, as he let the sword fall back down to his side. His expression was caught somewhere between surprise and irritation as he looked at her.
Had Maleos not been there, the Valaoritis Lord might have been more willing to laugh at himself, to find some grudging appreciation for yet another surprising thing learnt about the girl from the beach. As it was, he still struggled to hold on to his annoyance in the face of her self-satisfied expression, the twitch at the corner of his mouth rather ruining the scowl that had descended. “ Again” Silanos said, readying himself properly this time, now he knew he’d so underestimated his opponent.
Out of some conditioned response which he hated himself for afterwards, his gaze flickered towards Maleos as if waiting for the man to give his go ahead. There was only so much being ordered about that one could ignore before it started to have a subliminal effect no matter how unwanted it was.
Either way, he twisted into a stance more suitable for swordplay, raised his own blade again. “Come on. I won’t be so keen to let you have the advantage this time, Leto, given you clearly don’t need it. Some little girl didn’t spend all her time in dance classes did she?”
Maleos watched, with bated breath, hoping that Leto’s instincts were what he thought they were, and she would easily cut through Silanos’ weak defenses. He recalled her graceful movements the day they first met, and the simple deception he had taught her to outsmart a larger opponent. As a woman, she would need to know how to play to her advantages with her smaller size.
And she pulled it off beautifully, the speed and grace with which she moved was a mirror image of the memory Maleos had recalled so many times over the past few weeks. His heart sped up at the sight of the woman he held affection for, sword in her hand, and ferocity in her movements as she swung the blade. If he was a less disciplined man, he would have taken her in his arms right now and swept her off her feet into a kiss. But now was not the time nor place for such whimsical things.
He took even further joy in the look on Silanos’ face as he realized that a woman had just bested him with a sword. The pathetic excuse for a man truly held no skills, and Maleos couldn’t believe that he was even remotely related to Timaeus, a man who he had seen cut down many enemies in their time serving together. It seemed the only hope Silanos had for winning a sword fight was if he was paired against the new recruits, twelve-year-old boys who were strangers to the sword.
Maleos was surprised as Silanos seemed to look to him for direction, almost as if the surface was beginning to crack, and maybe, just maybe, the lord was learning something finally.
“Silanos.” He started, addressing the man specifically, hoping perhaps he would take some advice from a man who knew what he was talking about when it came to combat.
“Try to think of what your opponent will be looking to do. With your advantage in strength, she will be looking for weak spots, ways to trick you into leaving a weak spot which she can strike quickly. Watch her movements, think what you might do in her situation. Outsmart your opponent and you will win every fight, every time.” He said, genuinely trying to advise him, despite the animosity in the air. Whether Silanos would take the lesson to heart was a different matter.
He stepped forward once more, lowering his voice so only Leto would hear his next advice.
“Let your instincts guide you. You know exactly what you are doing, be confident in that and in yourself. You are smarter than him, you are quicker than him, do not second guess yourself, or your sword.” He said, then stepped back once more.
“Begin.” He called out once he was at a safe distance once more, excited to see if Leto would beat him once more, and if Silanos would at least attempt to heed his words. If he had any sort of intelligence, he would move past his ill will towards the Captain and at least listen to what he said. At the end of the day, it was Maleos’ job to attempt to help Silanos, not beat the hell out of him. Though the latter part had so far proved to be one of the more fun things he had done lately.
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Maleos watched, with bated breath, hoping that Leto’s instincts were what he thought they were, and she would easily cut through Silanos’ weak defenses. He recalled her graceful movements the day they first met, and the simple deception he had taught her to outsmart a larger opponent. As a woman, she would need to know how to play to her advantages with her smaller size.
And she pulled it off beautifully, the speed and grace with which she moved was a mirror image of the memory Maleos had recalled so many times over the past few weeks. His heart sped up at the sight of the woman he held affection for, sword in her hand, and ferocity in her movements as she swung the blade. If he was a less disciplined man, he would have taken her in his arms right now and swept her off her feet into a kiss. But now was not the time nor place for such whimsical things.
He took even further joy in the look on Silanos’ face as he realized that a woman had just bested him with a sword. The pathetic excuse for a man truly held no skills, and Maleos couldn’t believe that he was even remotely related to Timaeus, a man who he had seen cut down many enemies in their time serving together. It seemed the only hope Silanos had for winning a sword fight was if he was paired against the new recruits, twelve-year-old boys who were strangers to the sword.
Maleos was surprised as Silanos seemed to look to him for direction, almost as if the surface was beginning to crack, and maybe, just maybe, the lord was learning something finally.
“Silanos.” He started, addressing the man specifically, hoping perhaps he would take some advice from a man who knew what he was talking about when it came to combat.
“Try to think of what your opponent will be looking to do. With your advantage in strength, she will be looking for weak spots, ways to trick you into leaving a weak spot which she can strike quickly. Watch her movements, think what you might do in her situation. Outsmart your opponent and you will win every fight, every time.” He said, genuinely trying to advise him, despite the animosity in the air. Whether Silanos would take the lesson to heart was a different matter.
He stepped forward once more, lowering his voice so only Leto would hear his next advice.
“Let your instincts guide you. You know exactly what you are doing, be confident in that and in yourself. You are smarter than him, you are quicker than him, do not second guess yourself, or your sword.” He said, then stepped back once more.
“Begin.” He called out once he was at a safe distance once more, excited to see if Leto would beat him once more, and if Silanos would at least attempt to heed his words. If he had any sort of intelligence, he would move past his ill will towards the Captain and at least listen to what he said. At the end of the day, it was Maleos’ job to attempt to help Silanos, not beat the hell out of him. Though the latter part had so far proved to be one of the more fun things he had done lately.
Maleos watched, with bated breath, hoping that Leto’s instincts were what he thought they were, and she would easily cut through Silanos’ weak defenses. He recalled her graceful movements the day they first met, and the simple deception he had taught her to outsmart a larger opponent. As a woman, she would need to know how to play to her advantages with her smaller size.
And she pulled it off beautifully, the speed and grace with which she moved was a mirror image of the memory Maleos had recalled so many times over the past few weeks. His heart sped up at the sight of the woman he held affection for, sword in her hand, and ferocity in her movements as she swung the blade. If he was a less disciplined man, he would have taken her in his arms right now and swept her off her feet into a kiss. But now was not the time nor place for such whimsical things.
He took even further joy in the look on Silanos’ face as he realized that a woman had just bested him with a sword. The pathetic excuse for a man truly held no skills, and Maleos couldn’t believe that he was even remotely related to Timaeus, a man who he had seen cut down many enemies in their time serving together. It seemed the only hope Silanos had for winning a sword fight was if he was paired against the new recruits, twelve-year-old boys who were strangers to the sword.
Maleos was surprised as Silanos seemed to look to him for direction, almost as if the surface was beginning to crack, and maybe, just maybe, the lord was learning something finally.
“Silanos.” He started, addressing the man specifically, hoping perhaps he would take some advice from a man who knew what he was talking about when it came to combat.
“Try to think of what your opponent will be looking to do. With your advantage in strength, she will be looking for weak spots, ways to trick you into leaving a weak spot which she can strike quickly. Watch her movements, think what you might do in her situation. Outsmart your opponent and you will win every fight, every time.” He said, genuinely trying to advise him, despite the animosity in the air. Whether Silanos would take the lesson to heart was a different matter.
He stepped forward once more, lowering his voice so only Leto would hear his next advice.
“Let your instincts guide you. You know exactly what you are doing, be confident in that and in yourself. You are smarter than him, you are quicker than him, do not second guess yourself, or your sword.” He said, then stepped back once more.
“Begin.” He called out once he was at a safe distance once more, excited to see if Leto would beat him once more, and if Silanos would at least attempt to heed his words. If he had any sort of intelligence, he would move past his ill will towards the Captain and at least listen to what he said. At the end of the day, it was Maleos’ job to attempt to help Silanos, not beat the hell out of him. Though the latter part had so far proved to be one of the more fun things he had done lately.
Leto felt the pride of her mini-victory puff out her chest, a smirk that was very unbecoming of a woman rising through society was plastered on her face, particularly when she saw Silanos' response to her words. Her amusement rising, she glanced over to Maleos, who visually expressed his approval for a moment before offering advising words to Silanos. It made her think, too. Now, he would know what to look for so the feint attack once again would be a bit tricky to pull off.
Thinking of other quick striking motions, she rolled the hilt of the blade around in her hand, a familiar motion that she had done many times in her father's shop and around the side when she swung blades. As familiar as this may have seemed, Silanos was a moving target, not a wooden training dummy. He was also just as uneducated in these ways as her, and there was a good chance one if not both of them would leave this ring with fresh wounds if they were not careful.
That would be fun to explain to Magnus and her parents.
When Maleos stepped closer to offer his advice to her, her smile quelled just slightly, taking in his words. However, she could not stop the flush of pink to her cheeks incited specifically by the velvety low tones of his voice, a far cry from the orders he had just given a bit ago. Nodding, she tried to use his words to combat the little bits of doubt that were in her chest. At least one of them had confidence in her abilities.
Once the order was given to being, Leto brought the hilt of the sword between both hands, standing in a defensive maneuver for a moment. In a breath, she struck out straight forward with what would have been a piercing blow, one that was quickly deflected. Instead of fighting the impact that the clanging swords made, she allow the forced momentum of the flung blade to arc in a circle to come around in a slicing motion that would have come across Silanos' ribs if he had not dodged.
Taking that moment of movement, Leto began to take a few paces in a semi-circle around him, as if she were a lioness on the prowl, trying to get him to take unsteady steps backwards. Her smile was a result of something woken up inside her, a forge-fire that was fueled by jealousy of the opposite gender. Had she been born a man, this would have been her place, without a doubt.
As for now, though, taunting her friend with a broad smile and wild strands coming undone from her braid would have to do.
Leto made a quick motion, stamping a foot ahead of her as if she were to startle him but made no motion to strike until she almost lazily lifted her blade again, considering her options. In a breath again, she feigned an arched downward strike but then pulled back to draw the hilt nearly into her ribcage, pulled back like a sling and aiming another thrust to the Lord's left side, this time with a single hand.
Leto's eyes flung open as she watched in seemingly slow motion as Lord Silanos' hand wrapped around her wrist.
Shit.
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Leto felt the pride of her mini-victory puff out her chest, a smirk that was very unbecoming of a woman rising through society was plastered on her face, particularly when she saw Silanos' response to her words. Her amusement rising, she glanced over to Maleos, who visually expressed his approval for a moment before offering advising words to Silanos. It made her think, too. Now, he would know what to look for so the feint attack once again would be a bit tricky to pull off.
Thinking of other quick striking motions, she rolled the hilt of the blade around in her hand, a familiar motion that she had done many times in her father's shop and around the side when she swung blades. As familiar as this may have seemed, Silanos was a moving target, not a wooden training dummy. He was also just as uneducated in these ways as her, and there was a good chance one if not both of them would leave this ring with fresh wounds if they were not careful.
That would be fun to explain to Magnus and her parents.
When Maleos stepped closer to offer his advice to her, her smile quelled just slightly, taking in his words. However, she could not stop the flush of pink to her cheeks incited specifically by the velvety low tones of his voice, a far cry from the orders he had just given a bit ago. Nodding, she tried to use his words to combat the little bits of doubt that were in her chest. At least one of them had confidence in her abilities.
Once the order was given to being, Leto brought the hilt of the sword between both hands, standing in a defensive maneuver for a moment. In a breath, she struck out straight forward with what would have been a piercing blow, one that was quickly deflected. Instead of fighting the impact that the clanging swords made, she allow the forced momentum of the flung blade to arc in a circle to come around in a slicing motion that would have come across Silanos' ribs if he had not dodged.
Taking that moment of movement, Leto began to take a few paces in a semi-circle around him, as if she were a lioness on the prowl, trying to get him to take unsteady steps backwards. Her smile was a result of something woken up inside her, a forge-fire that was fueled by jealousy of the opposite gender. Had she been born a man, this would have been her place, without a doubt.
As for now, though, taunting her friend with a broad smile and wild strands coming undone from her braid would have to do.
Leto made a quick motion, stamping a foot ahead of her as if she were to startle him but made no motion to strike until she almost lazily lifted her blade again, considering her options. In a breath again, she feigned an arched downward strike but then pulled back to draw the hilt nearly into her ribcage, pulled back like a sling and aiming another thrust to the Lord's left side, this time with a single hand.
Leto's eyes flung open as she watched in seemingly slow motion as Lord Silanos' hand wrapped around her wrist.
Shit.
Leto felt the pride of her mini-victory puff out her chest, a smirk that was very unbecoming of a woman rising through society was plastered on her face, particularly when she saw Silanos' response to her words. Her amusement rising, she glanced over to Maleos, who visually expressed his approval for a moment before offering advising words to Silanos. It made her think, too. Now, he would know what to look for so the feint attack once again would be a bit tricky to pull off.
Thinking of other quick striking motions, she rolled the hilt of the blade around in her hand, a familiar motion that she had done many times in her father's shop and around the side when she swung blades. As familiar as this may have seemed, Silanos was a moving target, not a wooden training dummy. He was also just as uneducated in these ways as her, and there was a good chance one if not both of them would leave this ring with fresh wounds if they were not careful.
That would be fun to explain to Magnus and her parents.
When Maleos stepped closer to offer his advice to her, her smile quelled just slightly, taking in his words. However, she could not stop the flush of pink to her cheeks incited specifically by the velvety low tones of his voice, a far cry from the orders he had just given a bit ago. Nodding, she tried to use his words to combat the little bits of doubt that were in her chest. At least one of them had confidence in her abilities.
Once the order was given to being, Leto brought the hilt of the sword between both hands, standing in a defensive maneuver for a moment. In a breath, she struck out straight forward with what would have been a piercing blow, one that was quickly deflected. Instead of fighting the impact that the clanging swords made, she allow the forced momentum of the flung blade to arc in a circle to come around in a slicing motion that would have come across Silanos' ribs if he had not dodged.
Taking that moment of movement, Leto began to take a few paces in a semi-circle around him, as if she were a lioness on the prowl, trying to get him to take unsteady steps backwards. Her smile was a result of something woken up inside her, a forge-fire that was fueled by jealousy of the opposite gender. Had she been born a man, this would have been her place, without a doubt.
As for now, though, taunting her friend with a broad smile and wild strands coming undone from her braid would have to do.
Leto made a quick motion, stamping a foot ahead of her as if she were to startle him but made no motion to strike until she almost lazily lifted her blade again, considering her options. In a breath again, she feigned an arched downward strike but then pulled back to draw the hilt nearly into her ribcage, pulled back like a sling and aiming another thrust to the Lord's left side, this time with a single hand.
Leto's eyes flung open as she watched in seemingly slow motion as Lord Silanos' hand wrapped around her wrist.
Shit.
The Lord could hardly begrudge Leto her smugly triumphant look, though it did only motivate him to ensure she did not have such an easy victory again. He cocked an eyebrow at her, inviting the renewed challenge before she could get too used to her position as victor over him.
When Maleos addressed him, Sil glanced briefly at the Captain and gave a curt nod to show that he had heard. He did not think that the man would’ve forgotten his earlier annoyance, but even Sil could acknowledge Maleos’ skill with the sword and so he made himself listen, despite how it rubbed the wrong way after everything else that had transpired between the two.
Perhaps it might have been different if they were different characters. Maleos was said to be a good man, and it was unfortunate that he had been tasked to bend Silanos into a shape that the young lord was never going to be accepting of. And more unfortunate again that Timaeus had chosen to humble his brother in the way he had, because Sil on the defense was only ever going to buck up against those that tried to exert their will over him. It was a personality flaw that had seemed to do him particularly poorly over the past few weeks.
Either way, he paid heed to what the Captain had said, this time, adjusted his grip on the sword he held, and shifted into a sideways stance, his weight balanced and knees slightly bent. And he looked at Leto, really looked, because he’d practically been given permission to do so. How else was he to know what she was going to do next?
It was a level of attention that came to serve him well when she finished listening to whatever Maleos was murmuring to her and they began again. Silanos let her go first again, and she didn’t disappoint, this time with a lunging motion that he was able to deflect, and then a slice that he swore he felt brush past his ribs. With an indignant expression on his face, he made a clicking sound of disapproval with his tongue. *Careful, Leto. I will be most offended if you slice through this chiton. It’s a personal favourite”
She was circling him now, and he shifted with her, returning the grin. Sparring with her was a lot more fun than the rest of his day had been. Sky blue eyes followed her lazily, and though he might have feigned some nonchalance, Sil was paying a lot more attention now. He took a half a step back at her feint, shook his head at her and then was ready again. And this time, he read her correctly, and when she made a thrust forward, the Lord had stepped sideways and in towards her, one of his hands coming to encircle her wrist whilst the other held his own blade away from them.
With a jerk, the Lord pulled Leto in close, squeezed just hard enough for her fingers to open and release the sword she held. “Oh whoops Leto. That went wrong didn’t it?” He was smiling, not at all phased by the fact that for a moment, she was pressed flush against him. Indeed, his smile took on a wicked edge as he leant in close to speak in her ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll be a gentleman about it”.
And then he’d let her go and moved away, bending to retrieve the sword she’d dropped and to hand it back to her, hilt first.
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The Lord could hardly begrudge Leto her smugly triumphant look, though it did only motivate him to ensure she did not have such an easy victory again. He cocked an eyebrow at her, inviting the renewed challenge before she could get too used to her position as victor over him.
When Maleos addressed him, Sil glanced briefly at the Captain and gave a curt nod to show that he had heard. He did not think that the man would’ve forgotten his earlier annoyance, but even Sil could acknowledge Maleos’ skill with the sword and so he made himself listen, despite how it rubbed the wrong way after everything else that had transpired between the two.
Perhaps it might have been different if they were different characters. Maleos was said to be a good man, and it was unfortunate that he had been tasked to bend Silanos into a shape that the young lord was never going to be accepting of. And more unfortunate again that Timaeus had chosen to humble his brother in the way he had, because Sil on the defense was only ever going to buck up against those that tried to exert their will over him. It was a personality flaw that had seemed to do him particularly poorly over the past few weeks.
Either way, he paid heed to what the Captain had said, this time, adjusted his grip on the sword he held, and shifted into a sideways stance, his weight balanced and knees slightly bent. And he looked at Leto, really looked, because he’d practically been given permission to do so. How else was he to know what she was going to do next?
It was a level of attention that came to serve him well when she finished listening to whatever Maleos was murmuring to her and they began again. Silanos let her go first again, and she didn’t disappoint, this time with a lunging motion that he was able to deflect, and then a slice that he swore he felt brush past his ribs. With an indignant expression on his face, he made a clicking sound of disapproval with his tongue. *Careful, Leto. I will be most offended if you slice through this chiton. It’s a personal favourite”
She was circling him now, and he shifted with her, returning the grin. Sparring with her was a lot more fun than the rest of his day had been. Sky blue eyes followed her lazily, and though he might have feigned some nonchalance, Sil was paying a lot more attention now. He took a half a step back at her feint, shook his head at her and then was ready again. And this time, he read her correctly, and when she made a thrust forward, the Lord had stepped sideways and in towards her, one of his hands coming to encircle her wrist whilst the other held his own blade away from them.
With a jerk, the Lord pulled Leto in close, squeezed just hard enough for her fingers to open and release the sword she held. “Oh whoops Leto. That went wrong didn’t it?” He was smiling, not at all phased by the fact that for a moment, she was pressed flush against him. Indeed, his smile took on a wicked edge as he leant in close to speak in her ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll be a gentleman about it”.
And then he’d let her go and moved away, bending to retrieve the sword she’d dropped and to hand it back to her, hilt first.
The Lord could hardly begrudge Leto her smugly triumphant look, though it did only motivate him to ensure she did not have such an easy victory again. He cocked an eyebrow at her, inviting the renewed challenge before she could get too used to her position as victor over him.
When Maleos addressed him, Sil glanced briefly at the Captain and gave a curt nod to show that he had heard. He did not think that the man would’ve forgotten his earlier annoyance, but even Sil could acknowledge Maleos’ skill with the sword and so he made himself listen, despite how it rubbed the wrong way after everything else that had transpired between the two.
Perhaps it might have been different if they were different characters. Maleos was said to be a good man, and it was unfortunate that he had been tasked to bend Silanos into a shape that the young lord was never going to be accepting of. And more unfortunate again that Timaeus had chosen to humble his brother in the way he had, because Sil on the defense was only ever going to buck up against those that tried to exert their will over him. It was a personality flaw that had seemed to do him particularly poorly over the past few weeks.
Either way, he paid heed to what the Captain had said, this time, adjusted his grip on the sword he held, and shifted into a sideways stance, his weight balanced and knees slightly bent. And he looked at Leto, really looked, because he’d practically been given permission to do so. How else was he to know what she was going to do next?
It was a level of attention that came to serve him well when she finished listening to whatever Maleos was murmuring to her and they began again. Silanos let her go first again, and she didn’t disappoint, this time with a lunging motion that he was able to deflect, and then a slice that he swore he felt brush past his ribs. With an indignant expression on his face, he made a clicking sound of disapproval with his tongue. *Careful, Leto. I will be most offended if you slice through this chiton. It’s a personal favourite”
She was circling him now, and he shifted with her, returning the grin. Sparring with her was a lot more fun than the rest of his day had been. Sky blue eyes followed her lazily, and though he might have feigned some nonchalance, Sil was paying a lot more attention now. He took a half a step back at her feint, shook his head at her and then was ready again. And this time, he read her correctly, and when she made a thrust forward, the Lord had stepped sideways and in towards her, one of his hands coming to encircle her wrist whilst the other held his own blade away from them.
With a jerk, the Lord pulled Leto in close, squeezed just hard enough for her fingers to open and release the sword she held. “Oh whoops Leto. That went wrong didn’t it?” He was smiling, not at all phased by the fact that for a moment, she was pressed flush against him. Indeed, his smile took on a wicked edge as he leant in close to speak in her ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll be a gentleman about it”.
And then he’d let her go and moved away, bending to retrieve the sword she’d dropped and to hand it back to her, hilt first.
Maleos watched the fighting ensue, and he felt a tinge of anger and jealousy rise up as he watched Silanos pull the woman in close to him. He wished to snap at Silanos, for being so inappropriate, if any of his men had done such a thing, they would be punished accordingly. Though he supposed that none of his men would ever be in this position. He didn’t often pit his trained soldiers against women, he supposed that Silanos was a good opponent for a mostly untrained woman, their skill level was about the same. Though, with some practice, Maleos was sure that Leto could easily best Silanos. She had a level of discipline that the lord could only hope to achieve.
As the Lord handed his sword back to Leto, Maleos approached her once more, a soft smile on his face.
"Apologies, but unfortunately Silanos and I have perhaps been too long away from the rest of the unit." He said, looking up at the Lord for a brief moment before his gaze went back to Leto. He wanted to separate the two of them, lest there be more contact between them that Maleos did not like.
"I'm afraid that he must return to his training if he has any hopes of getting his evening meal." He said, which was a thread towards Silanos. He wasn't sure if the Lord would care, but the man would eventually need to eat, or he would find himself in much worse condition than he was now. So if he continued to piss Maleos off, he would find himself training instead of eating.
"Allow me to escort you to the front gates while Silanos cleans up this mess." He said, looking back over at the man as he mentioned him.
"See to it that the weapons are put away, and then find yourself to the rest of the unit. You best be among their ranks by the time I return." He said, then chose to ignore him again in favour of Leto.
He gently took his sword from her, replacing it in his sheath, his lips turned up in a slight smile.
"Shall we?" He asked, holding a hand out to indicate that she could proceed and he would be with her.
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Maleos watched the fighting ensue, and he felt a tinge of anger and jealousy rise up as he watched Silanos pull the woman in close to him. He wished to snap at Silanos, for being so inappropriate, if any of his men had done such a thing, they would be punished accordingly. Though he supposed that none of his men would ever be in this position. He didn’t often pit his trained soldiers against women, he supposed that Silanos was a good opponent for a mostly untrained woman, their skill level was about the same. Though, with some practice, Maleos was sure that Leto could easily best Silanos. She had a level of discipline that the lord could only hope to achieve.
As the Lord handed his sword back to Leto, Maleos approached her once more, a soft smile on his face.
"Apologies, but unfortunately Silanos and I have perhaps been too long away from the rest of the unit." He said, looking up at the Lord for a brief moment before his gaze went back to Leto. He wanted to separate the two of them, lest there be more contact between them that Maleos did not like.
"I'm afraid that he must return to his training if he has any hopes of getting his evening meal." He said, which was a thread towards Silanos. He wasn't sure if the Lord would care, but the man would eventually need to eat, or he would find himself in much worse condition than he was now. So if he continued to piss Maleos off, he would find himself training instead of eating.
"Allow me to escort you to the front gates while Silanos cleans up this mess." He said, looking back over at the man as he mentioned him.
"See to it that the weapons are put away, and then find yourself to the rest of the unit. You best be among their ranks by the time I return." He said, then chose to ignore him again in favour of Leto.
He gently took his sword from her, replacing it in his sheath, his lips turned up in a slight smile.
"Shall we?" He asked, holding a hand out to indicate that she could proceed and he would be with her.
Maleos watched the fighting ensue, and he felt a tinge of anger and jealousy rise up as he watched Silanos pull the woman in close to him. He wished to snap at Silanos, for being so inappropriate, if any of his men had done such a thing, they would be punished accordingly. Though he supposed that none of his men would ever be in this position. He didn’t often pit his trained soldiers against women, he supposed that Silanos was a good opponent for a mostly untrained woman, their skill level was about the same. Though, with some practice, Maleos was sure that Leto could easily best Silanos. She had a level of discipline that the lord could only hope to achieve.
As the Lord handed his sword back to Leto, Maleos approached her once more, a soft smile on his face.
"Apologies, but unfortunately Silanos and I have perhaps been too long away from the rest of the unit." He said, looking up at the Lord for a brief moment before his gaze went back to Leto. He wanted to separate the two of them, lest there be more contact between them that Maleos did not like.
"I'm afraid that he must return to his training if he has any hopes of getting his evening meal." He said, which was a thread towards Silanos. He wasn't sure if the Lord would care, but the man would eventually need to eat, or he would find himself in much worse condition than he was now. So if he continued to piss Maleos off, he would find himself training instead of eating.
"Allow me to escort you to the front gates while Silanos cleans up this mess." He said, looking back over at the man as he mentioned him.
"See to it that the weapons are put away, and then find yourself to the rest of the unit. You best be among their ranks by the time I return." He said, then chose to ignore him again in favour of Leto.
He gently took his sword from her, replacing it in his sheath, his lips turned up in a slight smile.
"Shall we?" He asked, holding a hand out to indicate that she could proceed and he would be with her.
Leto let out a slight startled sound, almost as if she was frustrated at her hand's natural reaction to release the sword as Silanos' fingers squeezed just so on the tendons of her wrist. Maleos' sword clattered onto the soft ground beneath their feet, a muffled 'thwang' resonating up the length of the blade.
As Silanos pulled their bodies together, Leto found herself relenting despite herself. Her eyes glanced down over her shoulder for a brief second at the sword on the ground, but they flashed back to him as he spoke. The competitive edge of her spirit did not like being bested, but as her eyes met her opponents, a slight curl of her upper lip toed the line between a smile and a snarl at the tease.
That moment passed in an instant as he began to lean forward towards her.
Though hardly a second had passed, her thoughts returned to the man she met on the beach, floating almost lifeless in the water. The man who she woke next to the following morning after curled up against his side. And now, once again their bodies touched and he leaned in close to her.
Her breath managed to catch, despite the exertion begging for more air to flow in and out of her lungs. Her eyes widened slightly and her expression fell slightly slack, a few blinks processing not only his words but the feel of the words so close to the skin of her cheek. A flurry of unintelligible thoughts flickered through her mind, from realistic next steps to the most asinine fantasies that would never be uttered to a living being.
Then, she came back to herself and to that moment, heart still fluttering from the bout and her thoughts as a nervous rumble of a laugh bubbled out of her, airy and breathless from the strangeness of the moment and the excess energy coursing through her from having a sword in her hand once more.
"We both know that does not suit you," she murmured, only heard in the space between them, "Nor should it."
Leto considered Silanos a good friend, mostly out of misunderstanding of what friendship actually contained. For both of the men in the ring, they filled certain characteristics that friendship should required: trust, common interests and experiences, the ability to make her smile. They were both people she looked forward to seeing whenever they were around. And yet, having been entirely too well read for a woman of her station, a fluttering in her stomach questioned too many things.
They were both soldiers, now. Both were attractive in their own way, and while that could not be denied on the basis of Grecian styles of ideal beauty, it was not something she had considered until this, particular, ill-timed moment.
Oh, shit.
Her eyes flickered back to Maleos, who marched over with a determination, declaring their fun for the moment to be done. Leto had hardly noticed that Silanos had placed the sword back in her hand, but after blinking and glancing between the two men, she swallowed and caught her breath again.
"Thank you, that is kind," Leto replied to Maleos' offer to escort her. Her eyes flung back towards Sil, a curious blend of her own confusion and the amusement of his expression at receiving orders from the once-young boy she met in Chaossis all those years ago.
"Until next time, my Lord," she replied, dipping into a curtsey that held the slightest shift of sarcasm in it's bounce as her eyes raised to him, "I will be certain to be on my guard and better prepared for when that day comes."
Leto turned towards Maleos, still somewhat breathless as a smile bloomed across her expression again, offering him the sword back. The way his smile reflected back at her sent something beneath her ribcage leaping.
What is going on? she thought to herself, feeling a blush creep across her face as her eyes glanced away lightly before placing her hand on his to be led away.
"That was fun, Captain," she offered, the sincerity in her voice still fighting over the shakey attempt to make her breathing normal once more, "Perhaps in time, I could try my hand facing off against you."
Their smiles persisted as they made their way to the gates, and Leto tried to figure out a decent excuse to give her parents as to her appearance by the time she arrived home.
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Leto let out a slight startled sound, almost as if she was frustrated at her hand's natural reaction to release the sword as Silanos' fingers squeezed just so on the tendons of her wrist. Maleos' sword clattered onto the soft ground beneath their feet, a muffled 'thwang' resonating up the length of the blade.
As Silanos pulled their bodies together, Leto found herself relenting despite herself. Her eyes glanced down over her shoulder for a brief second at the sword on the ground, but they flashed back to him as he spoke. The competitive edge of her spirit did not like being bested, but as her eyes met her opponents, a slight curl of her upper lip toed the line between a smile and a snarl at the tease.
That moment passed in an instant as he began to lean forward towards her.
Though hardly a second had passed, her thoughts returned to the man she met on the beach, floating almost lifeless in the water. The man who she woke next to the following morning after curled up against his side. And now, once again their bodies touched and he leaned in close to her.
Her breath managed to catch, despite the exertion begging for more air to flow in and out of her lungs. Her eyes widened slightly and her expression fell slightly slack, a few blinks processing not only his words but the feel of the words so close to the skin of her cheek. A flurry of unintelligible thoughts flickered through her mind, from realistic next steps to the most asinine fantasies that would never be uttered to a living being.
Then, she came back to herself and to that moment, heart still fluttering from the bout and her thoughts as a nervous rumble of a laugh bubbled out of her, airy and breathless from the strangeness of the moment and the excess energy coursing through her from having a sword in her hand once more.
"We both know that does not suit you," she murmured, only heard in the space between them, "Nor should it."
Leto considered Silanos a good friend, mostly out of misunderstanding of what friendship actually contained. For both of the men in the ring, they filled certain characteristics that friendship should required: trust, common interests and experiences, the ability to make her smile. They were both people she looked forward to seeing whenever they were around. And yet, having been entirely too well read for a woman of her station, a fluttering in her stomach questioned too many things.
They were both soldiers, now. Both were attractive in their own way, and while that could not be denied on the basis of Grecian styles of ideal beauty, it was not something she had considered until this, particular, ill-timed moment.
Oh, shit.
Her eyes flickered back to Maleos, who marched over with a determination, declaring their fun for the moment to be done. Leto had hardly noticed that Silanos had placed the sword back in her hand, but after blinking and glancing between the two men, she swallowed and caught her breath again.
"Thank you, that is kind," Leto replied to Maleos' offer to escort her. Her eyes flung back towards Sil, a curious blend of her own confusion and the amusement of his expression at receiving orders from the once-young boy she met in Chaossis all those years ago.
"Until next time, my Lord," she replied, dipping into a curtsey that held the slightest shift of sarcasm in it's bounce as her eyes raised to him, "I will be certain to be on my guard and better prepared for when that day comes."
Leto turned towards Maleos, still somewhat breathless as a smile bloomed across her expression again, offering him the sword back. The way his smile reflected back at her sent something beneath her ribcage leaping.
What is going on? she thought to herself, feeling a blush creep across her face as her eyes glanced away lightly before placing her hand on his to be led away.
"That was fun, Captain," she offered, the sincerity in her voice still fighting over the shakey attempt to make her breathing normal once more, "Perhaps in time, I could try my hand facing off against you."
Their smiles persisted as they made their way to the gates, and Leto tried to figure out a decent excuse to give her parents as to her appearance by the time she arrived home.
Leto let out a slight startled sound, almost as if she was frustrated at her hand's natural reaction to release the sword as Silanos' fingers squeezed just so on the tendons of her wrist. Maleos' sword clattered onto the soft ground beneath their feet, a muffled 'thwang' resonating up the length of the blade.
As Silanos pulled their bodies together, Leto found herself relenting despite herself. Her eyes glanced down over her shoulder for a brief second at the sword on the ground, but they flashed back to him as he spoke. The competitive edge of her spirit did not like being bested, but as her eyes met her opponents, a slight curl of her upper lip toed the line between a smile and a snarl at the tease.
That moment passed in an instant as he began to lean forward towards her.
Though hardly a second had passed, her thoughts returned to the man she met on the beach, floating almost lifeless in the water. The man who she woke next to the following morning after curled up against his side. And now, once again their bodies touched and he leaned in close to her.
Her breath managed to catch, despite the exertion begging for more air to flow in and out of her lungs. Her eyes widened slightly and her expression fell slightly slack, a few blinks processing not only his words but the feel of the words so close to the skin of her cheek. A flurry of unintelligible thoughts flickered through her mind, from realistic next steps to the most asinine fantasies that would never be uttered to a living being.
Then, she came back to herself and to that moment, heart still fluttering from the bout and her thoughts as a nervous rumble of a laugh bubbled out of her, airy and breathless from the strangeness of the moment and the excess energy coursing through her from having a sword in her hand once more.
"We both know that does not suit you," she murmured, only heard in the space between them, "Nor should it."
Leto considered Silanos a good friend, mostly out of misunderstanding of what friendship actually contained. For both of the men in the ring, they filled certain characteristics that friendship should required: trust, common interests and experiences, the ability to make her smile. They were both people she looked forward to seeing whenever they were around. And yet, having been entirely too well read for a woman of her station, a fluttering in her stomach questioned too many things.
They were both soldiers, now. Both were attractive in their own way, and while that could not be denied on the basis of Grecian styles of ideal beauty, it was not something she had considered until this, particular, ill-timed moment.
Oh, shit.
Her eyes flickered back to Maleos, who marched over with a determination, declaring their fun for the moment to be done. Leto had hardly noticed that Silanos had placed the sword back in her hand, but after blinking and glancing between the two men, she swallowed and caught her breath again.
"Thank you, that is kind," Leto replied to Maleos' offer to escort her. Her eyes flung back towards Sil, a curious blend of her own confusion and the amusement of his expression at receiving orders from the once-young boy she met in Chaossis all those years ago.
"Until next time, my Lord," she replied, dipping into a curtsey that held the slightest shift of sarcasm in it's bounce as her eyes raised to him, "I will be certain to be on my guard and better prepared for when that day comes."
Leto turned towards Maleos, still somewhat breathless as a smile bloomed across her expression again, offering him the sword back. The way his smile reflected back at her sent something beneath her ribcage leaping.
What is going on? she thought to herself, feeling a blush creep across her face as her eyes glanced away lightly before placing her hand on his to be led away.
"That was fun, Captain," she offered, the sincerity in her voice still fighting over the shakey attempt to make her breathing normal once more, "Perhaps in time, I could try my hand facing off against you."
Their smiles persisted as they made their way to the gates, and Leto tried to figure out a decent excuse to give her parents as to her appearance by the time she arrived home.