Chương 106: [The Road To Stonehall]

The next day started early for the group of fourteen people, two of whom weren't quite used to being up so early. Mike didn't seem bothered about the 4. 30 meeting time but Diane and Carl looked a little worse for wear. The group stood outside the lads' flat, holding assorted weapons, a few gifts for people in Stonehall and one case of beer that nobody could get a straight answer about.

"Where did you even get those?" Phil asked, nodding at the case under Ronan's arm.

"Garrick's going to love this stuff," Ronan said.

"That's not what I asked." Ronan smiled at him. Leo shook his head and turned to the group.

"Okay. We've got storage if anyone wants to lighten their load before we set off. I'd keep weapons ready, everything else is fair game though." The offer went around. Torren handed over a cloth bag without ceremony. Rika passed across a wrapped parcel that clinked quietly. Shai handed over a leather satchel and thanked Leo with a smile. Nessa passed her bag over without looking up from checking her daggers. Kai looked at Leo for a moment, considered it, then unclipped a small pack from his belt and held it out.

Leo stored it. Ronan shoved the beer into Phil's hands.

"Thanks mate." Phil took it.

"Seriously, how did you—""You think Diane knows how to dance?"

"—even get... Wait, what?" Ronan grinned and fell into step as the group moved off toward the tree line.

The forest swallowed them a few minutes after leaving town. This path was second nature to Shai, which left her thinking about other things entirely. Leo was beside her. Not pressed close, just beside her, the way he'd been on the couch last night before they ended up cuddling. She was aware of the distance between them much more than before. She knew what couples did. She'd seen it her whole life, the easy way two people comfortable with each other would just reach for one another like it was nothing.

She just didn't know how you got there. Should she reach out and take his hand or does there need to be a conversation first? Did it just happen the way the tail thing did, without anyone deciding anything? She looked at his hand then back at the trees. Behind them she could hear Phil's voice rising above the noise of the group, something stupid no doubt, Ronan laughing at whatever it was. Further back Torren had already drifted toward the treeline, pointing something out at the base of an oak.

Luka walked beside him, paying attention. She looked at Leo.

"You alright?" Leo asked.

"Fine," she said.

"Just thinking."

"About the festival?"

"Something like that."

Sam had been watching Carl for a few minutes, mainly because the kid looked like he was happy to be there but didn't want to be anywhere near Diane if he didn't have to be.

"How long have you been her 'assistant'?" Sam asked, falling into step. Carl looked at him sideways, adjusting the strap of his bag.

"Since we got here, mostly. But I was in her Science class back at home. Couple of years ago." Sam stopped dead for a second, then hurried to catch up.

"Oh yeah. I forgot she used to be a teacher. Was she as annoying to deal with back then?"

"She was head of Department, if you can believe that," Carl said, his voice flat.

"She seemed... mostly normal then. A bit intense about the Bunsen burners, but normal." Sam barked out a laugh, shaking his head.

"Normal. Right. I played her in a tournament not long before we came here. She brought a Tau list that was so un-fun to play against I nearly ate my own Hive Tyrant just to end the game early. Normal people know everyone hates the tau. I get the feeling that's actually why she plays them." Carl stared at Sam.

"Please don't start talking about Warhammer. We'll be mid experiment and she'll suddenly say 'You know what this reminds me of?' And all of a sudden I'm getting a lecture on something called Agri-World protocols. I have no idea what that means, I stop listening when she starts with the 40k stuff." Sam laughed.

"Was this when you guys were trying to figure out why the crops are growing so fast?"

"Yeah." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Yeah I can see why you'd be sick of it. My bad, dude." The two continued their ranting while Diane, none the wiser, continued to talk at Ronan, who just smiled and nodded along.

Parmo was thinking about food. He was looking forward to trying out some fantasy dishes, maybe sampling any specialties they had if food stalls were a thing at this festival. Back home, he'd been to village markets and tried stuff he wouldn't normally eat, and it was usually good.

"—so after that, I think we should go see some of the—""Yeah," said Parmo.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yep." Rika looked at him.

"What did I just say?"

"Something about archery."

"Brandon."

"There's going to be food stalls, isn't there?" Rika stared at him.

"I'm trying to tell you about what we can do when we get there."

"You already told me that yesterday when we were making ourselves scarce," he said without looking up.

"What kind of food?" Rika sighed.

"Is it like market stuff, or is it different because it's a festival?"

"It's different," she said.

"There's a woman who does honeyed flatbreads that only comes out for the summer festival. Slow-roasted river fish, as well." Parmo nodded seriously.

"Right. Good."

"Can we get back to planning now?"

"What about drinks?"

"BRANDON."

Phil had drifted back through the group and fallen into step beside Nessa, who somehow managed to make no noise at all, even with roots and grass under foot.

"You think Sam's going to do well tomorrow?" Phil asked. Nessa considered it.

"I think so. But I wouldn't be surprised if any of you win it. The other villages always send good fighters as well though, so who knows."

"Good to know," Phil said.

"I'm still going to take it though." Nessa laughed. It was brief but genuine.

"You never stop, do you."

"Why would I? Nothing wrong with backing yourself."

"Confidence is good," she said.

"Overconfidence less so." She raised her voice slightly without turning her head.

"Sam. You think you can beat Phil if you two fight?" Sam didn't look up from where he was walking.

"If he fights like he did in the pit, I won't need the second knife." Nessa said nothing. She just smiled at the path ahead. Phil rolled his eyes.

"What was that about overconfidence again?" he said. Phil found Parmo a few seconds later.

"What are we talking about?"

"Food."

"Good man." Phil fell into step properly.

"I wonder if they have anything like those gigantic meat-on-a-bone things you see in cartoons." Rika rolled her eyes and looked at the canopy, saying something under her breath.

Leo was not thinking about food. She said she's fine. Why did it sound like what women sometimes say when it's the opposite of fine then? He glanced over and she seemed like her mind was elsewhere. Does she regret last night? Did I overstep? No, she definitely liked it, I know she would have put a stop to it straight away if that was the case. All signs are pointing to her feeling the same way as me, or close to it at least. I need to stop doing this. I know better, overthinking is only going to give me a headache.

He glanced over at her again. She was looking at the trees, or through them, he couldn't tell which. Right. Just say something.

"Hey," he said.

"You sure you're alright?" She looked at him.

"I told you, I'm fine."

"I know you did." She held his gaze for a second and then looked back at the path.

"I was just thinking about the festival."

"Anything specific?" She was quiet for a moment.

"The dancing." Leo kept his eyes forward.

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking about what happens after," she said, almost to herself.

"Whether you'd want to—" She stopped.

"Never mind."

"No, go on." She looked at him sideways.

"I was just thinking about what comes after the dancing. Whether you'd want to walk around together after. I can show you where I grew up." Leo looked at the path. She's not regretting anything. She was wondering how to ask me. God I was worrying for nothing. Idiot.

"Yeah," he said.

"I'd like that." The corner of her mouth moved. She looked back at the trees. Man, the fact I'm surprised she's actually being straight with me is so stupid. Shai isn't like Kim, I need to stop expecting her to be.

Kai kept his eyes on the treeline. The others from the village did the same out of habit, easy and unconscious, conversation never quite pulling their attention all the way in. The lads were different, capable enough now but not trained to read a forest, not yet. Mike, Diane and Carl less so. Good people, none of them fighters. He still remembered the last time someone hadn't paid enough attention while on watch. He glanced at Shai, then back to the trees. That day had changed him. He wouldn't let it happen again.

His eyes moved back to Shai without him meaning to, and that's when he noticed it. Something was different about the two of them today. He couldn't have said exactly what. They were walking and talking together the way they usually did. But there was something in Leo's bearing that hadn't been there before. Easier, somehow. He was a good man. Kai had taken his time coming to that conclusion, had put him through enough in training to be certain of it.

He didn't back down, didn't complain, didn't carry himself like someone who expected things handed to him. He trained like someone who understood what the work was for. One day that work might be the difference between him and Shai walking out of something alive. Kai needed to know he'd be ready for that. It was the way Shai was around him that had settled it. Kai had watched her carry the weight of her parents' sacrifice her whole life, and his own reputation alongside it whether he'd meant that or not.

People had treated her differently because of it, kept a certain distance, approached her with a kind of reverence that made real closeness difficult. He'd watched her grow into the person she was and never quite be able to let anyone in. That wasn't something he could have fixed. It still hurt. Then Leo arrived and he'd watched it fall away like it had never been there. He knew he shouldn't be thankful for the event that brought them here. They were missing family, missing people they loved. But even so.

He was thankful. His eyes moved to Leo. He'd surpass him eventually. Kai could already see it with the way Leo took to training, with his magic, with that drive to improve he had — it wasn't a case of if but when. If he was going to trust someone with Shai's safety, he wanted them to be better than him. He'd spent years making sure she could protect herself. It was time she had someone who could stand beside her. If Leo turned out to be that person, well, he was okay with that.

The trees began to thin as the path widened, the stone walls of Stonehall appearing gradually through the gaps in the canopy ahead. From inside came the sounds of the final preparations being made, voices carrying, something being hammered into place, the smell of food already starting. The group pulled together naturally as the path opened toward the gate. A stream of people from the other villages was coming in from the west road, laden with bags, a few children running ahead of the group.

Leo drifted slightly closer to Shai as the walls came into view. Shai stopped just inside the gate and turned to Leo.

"Welcome to Stonehall," she said. Leo grinned at the memory of him saying the same thing to her a few weeks ago. Behind them Parmo was already asking Rika where the food stalls were.