Gaius tilts his head for a moment; Estinien doens't realize that's half of why Gaius has not had much by the way of love across his years. Who wants to take a wolf to bed, when his enemies also have fangs?

"Estinien, I cannot claim to fathom your thought that anyone here has sense, when we hunt Ascians," the man called Shadowhunter says. "I doubt that prove an obstacle, should you invite someone to your tent for a night. But if you simply don't want to, you have no need to make excuses or posture. No one will make you, and you have all the tools you need to stop Valdeaulin from making light of you."

A third thought comes to him, and he speaks it before his brain catches up with his own weariness. "If you need knowledge of the subject, Maxima can give theoretical education, though I don't know if he'd aid you half so well with practical. The Populares don't come from soldiers. Either way, I hope this has at least given you the answer you seek in regards to Valdeaulin's comments."