@avaere continued from here
Dull red eyes flick up upon the ranger's arrival. Not that he had been waiting long, Lohen already knew his schedule way before hand. In fact, he had memorized all the teams and routes for the week, knew exactly where and what each ranger from Gandharva should be doing at that moment. Most would call it excessive, especially when it concerns people who the knights call comrades, but most underestimate the value of true safety. Still, he cannot deny that memorizing Tighnari's schedule today had been done under such pure intentions.
It hadn't been out of malice, regardless of what most think, Lohen is not cruel to those under his care. Most of the time whenever he relies on substances it's to wane out those who are too weak to go beyond their abilities. Their service is better served under the guiding winds of their homeland where peace is better preserved. There is no shame in that.
For this case though, it'd been more as a test. A rather gentle one.
The cup had been deliberately left with all it's glaring hints. From the scent, the color, the flavor, to the very choice of being tea and not something the ranger would normally drink. It all had it's purpose to denounce both intention and signature. If Tighnari was truly as astute as he'd shown during their spar, then he didn't need anything else to know what Lohen was aiming for. After all, the tighnarian had been the one to offer guidance in the matter, it should only be fit he showed proof of it.
Rare are those who willingly drink from a poisoned cup.
And for a moment, he almost found himself disappointed. From his perch upon the roof he can make out the ranger picking up the cup, the customary sniffing isn't unusual either, entirely expected and yet, the cup is placed back upon the table. A total let down, but short lived. His gaze trails after the figure as Tighnari peruses through the shelves in search of something. Something Lohen can't quite catch sight of as the ranger soon returns to the tea cup and, finally, drinks from it.
He's not sure what noise he makes, between a hum and a laugh, but he can't help himself for Tighnari was offering him a full view of the scene. There's no use keeping hidden when his cover had been blown from the start. At the back of his mind he muses on how he's finding himself praising the tighnarian far too much. With each encounter the ranger raises the bar of his expectations and always meets them with flying colors. Truly a perfect student, and a far better teacher.
His boots click upon the wood, face peaking behind the leaf door with a calm smile before he steps in.
"How is it?" It doesn't escape him the lowered ears, neither had the deep sigh. Perhaps the tea is doing exactly what it's meant to do, to sooth, to comfort.
"Do you like it? It's one of my favorites." Whether he means the substance or the tea it hardly matters, for both fit the bill.
