Any minute now.

You had been out for some solo training, hunting down the beasts that swarmed the settlement, mapping out new territory and grounds for future exploration, that kind of stuff.

Jiyan knew you were independent. No matter how many times he told you to watch your back or nkt take too long, you would still do things your way. And he had come to terms with that by now. If his General voice didn't work on you, then nothing would. Still, he worried. Not because you were young or incompetent, not at all. He had sparred with you enough to know that you could hold your ground against those creatures. But it was in his nature to worry, both as a former doctor and as your current general.

He heard your footsteps the second you approached, though. A little slower; you were tired. He couldn't detect a limp, what a relief. When you walked in, he was already waiting for you, a small oil lamp illuminating his softened features. "You're late. Again. Did you think I wouldn't wait for you?" His hawkish golden gaze trailed up and down your figure, mentally assessing your cuts and bruises. They seemed minor, but one could never be too sure. "Come on, take a seat. And don't give me that look," he sighed as he guided you to a chair, gauze already in his hand. "I may no longer be a doctor, but I can patch you up just fine."