Alex settled onto the edge of a crate by the training ground barrier, the scent of damp grass and sweat hanging in the crisp afternoon air. Players drifted across the pitch, the low rumble of their voices mixing with the occasional thud of a ball against boots. Dorgu stood across from him, a few feet away, posture tense, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his training pants, his gaze flickering down at the gravel, then back up at Alex.
The young fullback's shoulders were rounded forward in a posture that betrayed the uncertainty beneath his usual swagger. Alex let out a small breath and cleared his throat, eyes focusing on the dust kicked up by a sprinting player as he slowed to retrieve a stray pass.
