Chương 30: [Tea First, Milk After]

Luka set the tripod up over the fire and rested the pan on top. Poured in the water and they waited. The grassland was warm and quiet around them, the fire small and steady. When the water was boiling Luka dropped a teabag in each of the mugs.

"Right. That should do it." He started to pour the water into the mugs, passing them round. Rika grabbed her mug before he reached it, looked at it, then reached for the clay bottle of milk. She uncorked it and moved to pour.

"STOP." All five boys at once. Rika froze, bottle tilted, eyes wide.

"What?" she said.

"What did I do?"

"You never put the milk in first," Leo said.

"That's blasphemy," Parmo said.

"Jesus," Phil said, hand on his chest.

"Talk about a near miss."

"I nearly had a heart attack," Sam said. Rika looked at the bottle. Then at the mug.

"It's just milk."

"It's not just milk," Luka said, taking the bottle gently.

"You pour the hot water over the tea bag. Let it steep. Then you add a splash of milk. A splash." He demonstrated, tipping the bottle briefly over his own mug.

"Like that."

"And don't go mad with it either," Phil said.

"Some people—" he stopped, clearly gathering himself.

"Some people drown it. Barely any tea, just milk, you can't even taste it anymore. At that point why are you there? What are you doing? And don't even get me started on the people who put the milk in before the water." He shook his head then looked at Rika.

"Consider yourself lucky we got to you in time..." Rika nodded seriously.

"My mum does the drowning thing," Leo said.

"Five sugars as well. It's not tea. It's a cry for help."

"Those people exist in a different world to us," Sam said.

"I mean, yeah, literally now," Parmo said. His smile dropped slightly. He looked back at his tea. A brief silence. Rika looked at Torren. Torren had been listening and nodding with the gravity of someone receiving important instructions.

"Tea first," he said.

"Milk after. A splash."

"A splash," Luka confirmed.

"I have strong feelings about the order of things when brewing. This makes sense to me."

"Torren gets it," Phil said.

"Torren absolutely gets it." Luka added milk to each mug and passed the sugar round. Everyone settled. Parmo took a sip of his tea. Then another. He exhaled slowly through his nose and sat up a little straighter.

"Right," he said quietly, to nobody in particular. Torren looked at his mug for a moment. Brought it close and breathed it in. The smell was nothing like his blends. The scent was stronger, earthier. He took a sip. He was quiet for a second.

"Oh." He took another sip, slower this time.

"Oh, now that is marvellous." He turned the mug in his hands.

"On a cold morning, before the world has properly woken up." He paused.

"Yes. I think I understand why you five love this so much." Rika had already taken a sip and was working out how she felt about it. She took another. Then another.

"It's a lot," she said.

"It is," Luka agreed.

"I like it." She sounded mildly surprised by this. Shai had said nothing. She'd taken her mug, wrapped both hands around it, and taken a slow sip. She looked out at the grassland. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Oh," she said quietly.

"That's nice." The boys looked at each other and smiled. Shai had been quietly watching for a while, both hands wrapped around her mug, listening to the group with a small smile on her face.

"Can I ask you something?" she said.

"About your world." The boys looked at her.

"What kind of animals do you have? Small ones. The kind that aren't dangerous." Luka's face lit up slightly.

"What kind do you want to know about?"

"Something small," she said.

"Something that wouldn't survive here."

"Rabbits," Luka said immediately.

"Small, maybe this big," he held his hands apart "soft, covered in fur. Long ears. They just hop around eating grass. Completely harmless." Shai was quiet for a moment.

"Long ears."

"Yeah."

"And they just... hop."

"Yeah."

"Eating grass."

"Pretty much." Her tail had started swaying without her noticing. A slow, wide sway. She had a look on her face that she clearly wasn't aware she was making. Luka glanced at the others. They'd all noticed. Phil looked at Shai. Then at the tail. Then back at Shai.

"Aww," he said.

"Does the fierce guard captain like cute bunny wabbits?" Shai's tail stopped. She looked at Phil.

"Laugh." She said flatly.

"At least I didn't nearly throw up from trying to show off." Her hand flew to her mouth the second it came out. A pause. Then the other four lost it completely. Parmo had to look away. Leo had his hand over his face. Phil stared at her for a second. Then started laughing.

"Fucking hell, Shai. That was harsh." Shai looked around at all of them laughing, Phil included. She took a sigh of relief.

"I'm so sorry," she said, laughing now herself.

"I don't know where that came from." Rika and Torren had been watching from the side. Rika looked delighted. Torren was already shaking. The laughter settled slowly. Shai took a sip of her tea and composed herself. Then looked at Leo with what appeared to be genuine curiosity.

"You're very tall," she said.

"For a human." Leo blinked.

"Thanks?"

"Is that common where you're from?"

"Not really. I've always been tall. Tallest person I knew my own age from about ten."

"How tall were your parents?"

"Average. I was taller than both of them by the time I was thirteen." Shai considered this.

"That must have been strange for them."

"My mum still tries to pat me on the head," Leo grinned.

"She has to reach up to do it. She's never stopped." Shai smiled at that. Not the professional one but the real one. After the laughter had died down, Shai took a moment then set her mug down. The captain persona took over again, the ease of the last hour leaving as she got ready to say goodbye.

"Right, three days," she said.

"Bring whoever needs to be there. We'll be in the treeline if anything comes out of the Wilds before then. 11am same as today." The boys nodded at her, and started to gather up their supplies.

"Thank you," Leo said.

"For this. All of it." Shai looked at him for a moment and smiled.

"See you in three days." Rika had already started moving but stopped, turned back, and pointed at Parmo.

"I have more questions."

"I assumed," Parmo said.

"You need to tell me everything you know."

"I'll try." She beamed at the group, wings giving a small involuntary flutter, and then she was off toward the treeline. Torren watched her go with the patience of someone very used to this. He turned to the boys.

"It has been a genuine pleasure." He looked between them, warm and unhurried.

"All of you." His eyes settled on Luka and Phil for a moment. He gave them a small bow. Torren smiled, broad and easy, and followed Rika into the trees. Shai went last. At the treeline she paused, glanced back once, then was gone. The boys stood at the edge of the grassland and watched the trees until there was nothing left to watch. Then Phil said "right then" and they started walking. *"She absolutely rinsed you," Sam said to Phil, about thirty seconds in.

"I know," Phil said.

"I respect it."

"Nearly threw up trying to show off." Parmo shook his head.

"In front of everyone. Brutal."

"I said I respect it."

"She didn't even hesitate," Leo said.

"She hesitated slightly," Phil said.

"She covered her mouth."

"After," Leo said.

"Yeah, that's fair." Phil admitted. They walked for a bit.

"I like Rika," Luka said.

"She's fun."

"She's unhinged," Sam said.

"In the best way."

"Yeah definitely," Luka said.

"She was genuinely upset about the white shoes," Parmo said.

"Like personally offended by them."

"She had a point," Leo said.

"Why are you wearing white trainers?"

"I'll be changing them. I don't want another interrogation over how stupid the colour of my trainers are." More walking.

"Torren's class though," Phil said.

"Like genuinely. What a guy."

"He really is," Leo said.

"He reminds me of—" He stopped.

"Actually never mind."

"What?" Phil said.

"Nothing."

"No go on."

"You won't know who I mean."

"Try me."

"Armstrong," Leo said.

"From Fullmetal Alchemist." Phil and Parmo looked at each other.

"Full metal what?" Parmo said.

"Never mind," Leo said, rolling his eyes.

"Forget I said anything." Sam was nodding slowly beside him.

"No I get it," he said.

"That's exactly right actually." Leo pointed at him.

"Thank you."

"What?" Phil said.

"What does that mean? Who's Armstrong?"

"Anime character," Leo said.

"Oh, yeah ok weeb." Leo gave him the finger. They walked a bit further before Parmo said, almost to himself, "Did anyone else think Torren would suit an Australian accent?"

"No," Leo grinned.

"What the fuck? Why?" Parmo grinned at his four friends.

"Because fish are friends. Not food." The terrible Australian accent sealed it for them and they burst out laughing.

"You're a fucking idiot," Sam managed.

"I'm just saying man." Parmo spread his hands.

"That dude looks like he could rip me in half with his bare hands, new muscles and all. And then he comes out with that stuff about the flowers smelling wonderful. That shark was the first thing I thought of." He paused.

"I nearly lost it when it came to me." Their laughter carried across the grassland behind them as they walked.