Chương 74: [I Can Taste the Neglect]

Leo's alarm clock went off at 3: 45 AM. He'd been getting up this early for a few days, but with how late the movie finished, he felt like there must have been some mistake. It took him a few seconds to realize it was the correct time. He'd just got less sleep than he wanted. Why did we think it was a good idea to put the extended version on so late? He sat on the edge of the bed. The air in the room was heavy and warm, that stagnant mid-summer heat that didn't move.

Even in the groggy haze, the memory of the movie was overshadowed by a few seconds on the couch. He could still remember the feeling of Shai's tail as it stroked his forearm. The slow movements it made before she'd realized what she was doing and pulled away. She'd blushed and looked back at the screen, and they hadn't spoken about it since. Now that he was awake in the dark, he was trying not to overthink it and failing. He stood up and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. The light was already on.

Sam was standing by the counter looking at a blue-and-white carton of UHT milk. There were beads of condensation dripping down the cardboard.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Sam whispered. He touched the carton.

"Yup, warm, I'm an idiot." Leo leaned against the doorframe.

"Tell me you didn't leave that out all night." Sam jumped, nearly knocking the milk over.

"Leo! Jesus man, you're like a ghost. Yeah, I think I did. I remember making a cup of tea after the movie finished, and then I must have just walked away." Leo looked at the carton.

"Phil's going to have a stroke. You know what he's like. He'll say the tea is ruined if the milk's gone off, even if it is long-life stuff." Sam looked toward the hallway, listening for the others. He grabbed the carton and shoved it into the fridge, sliding it behind a jar of pickles.

"I'll make you a deal. Don't say anything, and watch Phil blame Luka," Sam said, a grin forming.

"Luka was up first to use the shower, then me, then you. Phil's always last. If we stay quiet, we get to watch them argue over who left it out, I'll nudge the conversation in Luka's direction. It'll be funny." Leo looked at the fridge, then back at Sam. He wasn't that bothered, and a distraction was better than him going round in circles in his head over what that could have meant.

"Deal. I didn't see anything," Leo said.

"Good man." They moved around the kitchen quietly, getting their travel mugs ready. Ten minutes later, the kitchen was crowded. Luka was drinking black coffee, looking functional, but Phil was staring at his own mug with disgust.

"It's definitely off, Luka," Phil said. Luka didn't look up.

"It's UHT, Phil. It's fine."

"It's fucking warm, Luka. It doesn't tell right. Someone left it out. I can taste the neglect." Phil looked at Luka.

"You were up first."

"I had it black," Luka snapped.

"I haven't touched the milk. Don't go blaming me." Sam leaned against the counter, took a slow sip of his tea, and winked at Leo.

"Right," Parmo said, checking his watch.

"We need to move or we're going to be late. Take it with you." Phil poured his drink into a travel mug, still grumbling. They headed for the door. Outside, the 4: 30 AM air was still and humid, and Phil was still trying to find out who to blame for his inconvenient morning made worse. The walk to the training grounds was dark and humid. Monkhaven was mostly silent, the only sound the steady rhythm of eight sets of boots hitting the road.

Everyone held their travel mugs, though it was more for the caffeine than the warmth.

"It's definitely got a texture, Luka," Phil's voice hissed through the dark.

"Feels like I'm drinking coffee flavoured yoghurt."

"Okay, now you're taking the piss. You're only bitching cos you're tired. I told you already, I didn't touch it," Luka said. He was walking ten paces ahead, near Shai and Torren.

"I was in the shower. Ask Sam, he was up after me." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Sam adjusted his bag, his face a mask of faux-sympathy.

"Yeah, I was up. Milk was in the fridge when I made mine, though. Maybe you noticed it was out and put it away when you came in?" Luka slowed down and looked back, frowning.

"Nah, I didn't even go into the kitchen until I was out of the shower. I made mine after everyone was already up."

"No idea then," Sam said, shrugging.

"Maybe you're imagining it? You're clearly knackered." Phil looked from Luka to Sam, then back down at his mug. He looked annoyed. He obviously wanted someone to vent at, but the timeline wasn't adding up and he had no one to pin it on. He took a cautious sip and winced. Leo walked at the back of the group, watching the silhouettes ahead. Rika was buzzing around Parmo, her voice a low, relentless hum in the quiet morning.

"Just tell me! How are they supposed to make it to Mordor without people protecting them?"

"Rika, please," Parmo said, his shoulders slumped.

"It's not even five. My brain hasn't started yet. Ask me when the sun's up."

"I'll ask Sam then. He'll tell me," Rika said, sticking out her tongue and running off. Leo watched Rika get shut down again then looked over at Shai. She didn't look back or acknowledge the group behind her. She moved with a straight back, her ears occasionally swiveling toward the bickering. As they rounded the final bend toward the northern gate, the silence was replaced by the thud of mallets and the low calls of work crews.

"Bloody hell, why are they up at this hour? I get us being awake, we have demons for teachers, but this lot should still be asleep," Luka muttered, slowing down. The entrance to the town had been transformed overnight. People worked on either side of the gate under the white, steady glow of floodlights. A semi-circle of wooden stakes had started to appear on both sides. The spikes were angled lower than normal to account for the size of the goblins, with others angled higher for larger threats.

The crews weren't placing them randomly; they were creating a jagged, interlocking ring that circled the gate, leaving a single, intentional gap in the center.

"They're making a funnel," Leo said.

"Aye," Torren said, dropping back to join them. He looked at the defenses.

"It's a kill zone. Anything that wants to make it into town has to risk the spikes or get through that gap, which we won't allow to happen." The sight of the sharpened wood and the smell of fresh sawdust cut through the morning grogginess. The milk argument and the movie spoilers faded. It was 4: 45 AM. The rest of the trainees were starting to stream onto the field, and the other trainers were beginning to move toward their assigned groups.

Luka and Phil were still muttering to each other as they drifted toward the far side of the field. Rika had managed to corner Sam, who was now being grilled about the fate of the Fellowship. Parmo and Torren headed toward the weapon racks to grab their gear. Leo walked toward the smaller rack near the northern perimeter where Shai was standing. She had her back to him, checking the training swords. Her ears were still, but as he got closer, they gave a short, sharp flick in his direction.

She turned as he reached the rack. She didn't jump, but the wooden blade she was holding clattered against the frame before she caught it. She looked at him, her face resetting into her professional mask. Leo leaned against the rack and picked up a practice sword. He kept his voice low.

"You missed the drama in the flat this morning." Shai looked at him, her ears tilting.

"Drama?"

"Sam left the milk out all night, forgot to put it in the fridge," Leo said.

"He's currently convincing Phil that Luka did it. I've been told to keep my mouth shut. It's pretty funny to watch." Shai looked over at the group. She watched Phil gesticulating at his mug while Sam nodded with fake concern. A small huff of a laugh escaped her.

"Yeah, he is pretty convincing," she said, turning back to the rack.

"He's a good actor," Leo said. He shifted the sword in his hand, looking at the grain of the wood.

"I'm glad you liked the movie, anyway. It got a bit intense at the end, didn't it?" Shai didn't look back at him. She stared at the rack of wooden swords, her ears pressing slightly back against her head. The tips were a dull pink.

"It was," she said. Her voice was flat.

"I... I hope it didn't make you feel weird. I don't know why it did that." What does she... Oh god. She thinks I'm talking about her tail. She must think that it bothered me or something...

"Oh," Leo said, his own face heating up.

"No, I meant the movie. The ending with Boromir's death and the fellowship splitting up. It's a heavy way to finish." Shai looked at him then, her eyes wide.

"But," Leo added, before the situation got worse. He forced himself to maintain eye contact, trying to keep his expression steady.

"About the other thing. Honestly? I didn't mind. I know your tail seems to have a mind of its own sometimes." He held her gaze.

"If anything, I'm just glad you felt comfortable enough around me for that to happen. It wasn't weird, Shai. Really." Shai stared at him. Her ears did a strange, fluttering twitch. She looked confused, but the defensive stiffness in her shoulders wasn't there anymore.

"I... I see," she said. She looked down at the practice sword in her hand. Her tail gave a low wag, before the tip suddenly curled into a tight knot against her leg.

"Thank you. For saying that." Leo nodded. That should do it. I don't want her to be angry, or think I'm hitting on her, or that I'm uncomfortable. God, imagine if she thought I was just some pathetic simp... that could have gone so much worse. He tightened his grip on the wooden sword until the grain pressed into his palm. At least that's done. Okay, no more overthinking. Focus on surviving training with Kai.

"Is there a reason you two are over here, not talking at all and acting weird?" Ronan leaned against the end of the rack, a slow grin spreading across his face as he looked from Shai to Leo.