Shan arrived to relieve Jahree early, claiming he couldn’t sleep. Jahree wasn’t surprised—Shan always struggled with sleep, though for reasons different than Jahree's own. Shan was a notoriously light sleeper, and any noise seemed to stir him awake. His sensitivity made Jahree wonder if he was only part human. His dragon parents had amazing hearing. As he made his way to the mess hall, Jahree spotted Lanni sitting at her usual table. She was eating with Sifa and Lamin, looking more composed than he’d seen her since the incident with Tellic. He debated sitting elsewhere, but before he could make a decision, Lanni waved him over. “Jahree, join us,” she called out, her tone light. “I won’t run off again. Tellic can sit with us too.” Jahree sighed, bracing himself for the awkwardness, and took a seat. He still felt uneasy around her after the previous day’s encounter. Lanni had reacted so poorly to Tellic—so full of fear—and it had left a bad taste in his mouth. “I’m sorry for my behavior yesterday,” Lanni began, turning her gaze to him. “I was rather rude. Please forgive me.” “It’s not me you should be apologizing to,” Jahree said curtly, not ready to let her off the hook so easily. Lanni nodded. “I was rude to both you and Tellic. I already apologized to him last night. I didn’t see you then to apologize.” “It’s fine,” Jahree replied, though his tone suggested it wasn’t. He wasn’t ready to forgive her yet, not when Tellic had done nothing to deserve her fear. Lanni sighed. “You know what fine means, right? In Tey’s terms, it means ‘it’s not fine, but I don’t want to talk about it.’ But life’s too short to let things like this eat at us.” She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. “I had a bad experience with trolls once. I haven’t had much contact with them since then, and none of it was good. Seeing Tellic triggered a panic attack.” Jahree softened, beginning to understand. If her only experience with trolls had been negative, it would explain her fear. “You’re okay now, right?” Lamin asked, concern lacing his voice. Lanni nodded. “I’m good now.” Just then, Tellic entered the hall, smiling at everyone as he made his way over. “Good morning, everyone.” He hesitated as he approached his seat, glancing down at it. After a moment, he sat, his smile returning as he looked at Lanni. “Where did this come from?” he asked, indicating the heavy-duty bench beneath him. Lanni shrugged nonchalantly. “The barracks in New Trito. One should have been sent up already.” Jahree glanced at the bench. It was sturdy, clearly designed to accommodate someone of Tellic’s size. “What is it?” Jahree asked. “A proper chair,” Tellic grinned, looking genuinely pleased. Jahree peered under the table, noting how the bench’s lower height kept Tellic from towering over the table as much. It was a thoughtful gesture. “The prince general will be talking to Trema when he makes his report,” Lanni explained. “He should have made sure something like this was available from the start.” “You talked to the prince general?” Sifa asked, wide-eyed. “Only because he was in the barracks with the supply commander. The duty commander should notify the supply team when something’s needed. If they don’t, then it’s the squad captain’s responsibility,” Lanni said. “Your uncle told you that?” Lamin guessed. Lanni shook her head. “No, I learned it when I was a soldier. We were taught about the special needs of different races. Trolls need special furniture. Elves have dietary restrictions. Dragons need extra food and time off when they’re shedding.” “Shedding?” Sifa asked, her brow furrowing. Lanni nodded. “Yeah, one captain tried to schedule it.” “You’re joking,” Jahree said, incredulous. “I wish I were,” Lanni replied with a wry smile. “He wanted to schedule it about two months after the dragon actually needed to shed.” Jahree winced. “Shades, that could have killed him.” “It could have,” Lanni agreed. “Luckily, the dragon went over the captain’s head. One of the higher-ups was part-dragon himself and had a word with the captain.” Jahree relaxed slightly. His time with Tey and Sai had taught him how important it was for dragons to shed on time. Waiting too long could cause serious harm. “So, when were you a soldier?” Lamin asked. “You’ve been a cook here for seven years.” “Before that,” Lanni said with a casual shrug, avoiding a direct answer. Jahree picked up on the deflection. “Before or after you were muscle at an inn?” “After,” Lanni clarified. “I did that when I was a teenager. I liked the job.” Lamin chuckled. “Did they fire you when they realized how small you were?” Lanni shook her head, smiling at the memory. “No, that’s why they hired me. They wanted someone people wouldn’t notice. I had to quit when my parents found me and made me come home.” “What do you mean ‘found you’?” Tellic asked. “I was underage,” Lanni admitted. “You were a runaway?” Jahree guessed, surprised. Lanni nodded. “I was sixteen when I was found. I hoped to go back to the inn once I turned nineteen, but the owner sold the place, and the new one wouldn’t hire me.” “So you enlisted?” Lamin asked, his curiosity piqued. Lanni nodded again. “I did.” “And when were you a palace chef?” Sifa asked. “I wasn’t,” Lanni admitted. “I was trained by one when I lived in Sen-gan.” They finished their meal and went their separate ways, with Jahree and Tellic heading off to their shared quarters to sleep. “So she gets you a chair, and you forgive her just like that?” Jahree asked as they prepared for bed. Tellic shook his head. “We talked last night. She told me a group of trolls held her captive for years.” “Years?” Jahree raised an eyebrow. “She said from when she was ten to almost fourteen,” Tellic explained. “And you believe her after all the other stories she’s told?” Tellic shrugged. “She made me a wineskin of Lanish. No one I’ve met here knows how to make it properly, but she did. There’s only one place she could have learned that.” Jahree frowned, still skeptical. “Maybe. But she’s been all over the place with her stories. You really trust her?” Tellic sighed. “I don’t know. But if she was a runaway, worked as muscle, and enlisted later, she could’ve served for a couple of years and still ended up here. Her timeline isn’t impossible.” Jahree didn’t respond. He was too tired to argue further. He started to crawl into bed, his body aching for rest. But Tellic had other ideas. Without warning, Tellic grabbed the blankets and wrapped them tightly around Jahree, cocooning him like he had in their early days together. It had been a while since Jahree had needed the comfort of being swaddled, but he didn’t protest. “Thanks,” Jahree mumbled, already feeling more secure. “Just don’t wake me up,” Tellic grunted, settling into his own bed. #fantasy, #magic, #dragons, #hiddenlands