When Menig Leo Löfgren goes to the Tall Tree Bar, the last person he expects to run into is his commander.
With editing help from omhwth68ooo

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Leo Löfgren was checking his phone while standing at the door to the Tall Tree Bar. The black and white Jämthund usually wasn’t one for drinking, but after the stressful military training exercises of the past week, he decided he could use something to take the edge off. He sighed quietly, sliding his phone into his pocket and stepping through the door.

The bar was warmly lit and alive with cheerful conversation, the patrons inside glad for the chance to unwind after a long week. Leo was about to take a seat at the bar, hands in his pockets, when he noticed a familiar face.

Ulla Nyström, otherwise known as Overfurir Nyström, was laughing heartily and animatedly waving her hands while telling the human bartender some story. Leo wasn’t exactly happy to see her, considering that she was his commander, and the wolf hadn’t been easy on him in the past week. She’d taken him aside to talk more than once, and while she was fair, she was also strict and a bit demanding.

Leo was going to go find somewhere else to get his buzz, but just as he turned around to walk out, he heard something that made him freeze in his tracks.

“Löfgren, is that you? Get over here!” Ulla jovially called out. With no good way of getting out of this predicament, Leo slowly turned back around and approached her as casually as he could. She gestured for him to take a seat at the stool beside her, and he did so.

“What’s going on? I didn’t expect to see you here,” Ulla inquired.

Yeah, I didn’t exactly expect to see you either, but here we are, Leo thought to himself.

“Well, Overfu-“ was all he got out before she cut him off.

“No, none of that shit. We’re sitting at a bar, not in the field. Just call me Ulla,” she casually told him.

“Well, Ulla,” he started, thinking about how weird it felt referring to his boss by her first name, “Things have been tough, honestly. The army isn’t really what I expected it to be, and I’m just trying to keep my head above water.”

Ulla gave a little laugh, and Leo could smell the hint of beer on her breath. “It’s never what anyone expects. You just have to do what you can with what it gives you, ‘cause it definitely doesn’t care how you feel.”

“I guess, but I feel like I fuck up everything I do. Like last week, I just was so damned nervous about making a mistake it kept me from doing my best, and I feel like I held everyone back,” Leo said, head hanging slightly.

Ulla motioned for the bartender to get a pint for Leo, and to the young man’s shock, reached out, put her hand on his shoulder, and looked into his eyes. “You did fine. You’re new to this whole business, you’re gonna fuck up occasionally. The more you keep at it, the less it’ll happen.” She paused, taking back her hand before pondering about what to say next.

“That’s why I’m so hard on you when we’re out there. Not because I hate you, or that you’re incompetent or something, but because I’m pushing you to be your best. And you’re getting there, slowly but surely.”

“I was there once, y’know. Wide eyed and new, always a bit nervous about fucking up in front of my commander. I think everyone goes through that. It’s hard at first, very hard, but I think if you keep working at it, you’ll do just fine.”

The bartender slid Leo a mug, which he grabbed and sipped, thinking about what he was just told, while Ulla knocked back the last third of her second pint, sighing in delight afterwards. The next 20 minutes were spent talking about this and that, then Ulla decided she’d had enough and was ready to head on home. She stood up, gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder, and headed for the door.

Leo thought on what he was told for another few moments. Her words made him feel better about himself, in no small part due to the alcohol, and he felt little need to stick around much longer. He slipped the bartender a tip, and made for home.