Chapter 33
Orm opened up his eyes, then he sat up passing his hand over his head, and shrieked as he found himself inside a cage surrounded by other cages with various sorts of animals, he hadn't any knowledge about it.
„Where the heck am I?" Orm asked, then he heard crying from the troll cubs and he looked around to see at the cage next to them the triplets held their hands on the grid to look at their older cousin, which got closer to them to check them out. „What happened? How did we get here?"
The oldest cub moved his hand up in the air, then swung his hand against Igor's head and threw himself on the ground pretending to be dead. Igor nodded, then pointed at Orm and Ivan, then grabbed Ivan by his fur to pull him up and carry along the cage, then pointed at all trolls and at their cage.
„Someone kidnapped us and locked us up here?" Questioned Orm earning a nod from the cubs. „Who were those guys?" Questioned the adult making the cubs shrug their shoulders. Orm nodded, then leaned his head between the grids and tried to look around himself if he could see anyone else besides the animals inside the cage. „None of those animals here can talk right?" Orm asked making the triplets shrug their arms. Orm sighed and leaned his back on the grid next to the cubs, which also sighed and sat back against the adult. „Don't worry, when Gerda is back she will help us out of here. She always found a way to get us out of here, don't worry, „ Orm cheered the cubs up, which looked at the cage in front of them, which had a wild dog sleeping on the ground, which was a crossbred between an Asian wild dog and an African wild dog. Igor got curious and walked up towards the cage to observe the wild animal, then the animal looked at the troll, then began to growl at Igor startling the troll, which ran back to his siblings and the wild dog ran against the cage and hit his head on the grids, causing the trolls to laugh.
„Boys you better leave that dog in peace or it will hurt you badly," Orm warned, then the cubs looked back at the wild dog, which had the three in sight. „They won't get close to you as long as you're in this cage," Orm assured the cubs, which looked up a little worried at Orm.
A door got opened and was closed fast, calling the attention of Orm, which moved toward the cage door to stuck his nose out and look down at the corridor to see two men walk up the corridor chatting.
„They will arrive on Monday night. The best we can do is to go exactly on this night there to the port and load the ship with the cages, so they can move on," A man said and Orm took his nose away, then leaned his head on the cage to continue listening to the conversation.
„Sure, so tomorrow you will inform the boys to come with us to help us load the ship?" Questioned the second man.
„Yes Samuel. I'm going to inform Enrico tomorrow, so he can also tell it, Ernesto. Franco will also come to help us,"
„Okay. Shall we feed the animals tomorrow before they leave?" Questioned Samuel making the leader shake his head.
„No, you can do it on Monday or if you don't mind, just give a half ration and the rest you can give it on Monday," The leader explained, then he stopped in front of the cage from Orm and looked into the cage shrieking Orm, which crawled back glaring at the man. „Hehe, look at this creature's long nose. What do you think? How many boots could be made with the skin of it?" Questioned the leader, then Orm growled and ran towards the cage to threaten the man.
„Keep making jokes about my nose. You will see, when my friends first see we're gone they will look for us and kick your butt," Orm exclaimed shrieking Samuel, while the leader dropped his mouth surprised at the speaking troll.
„Trolls really do talk," The leader said, then got down on his knee. „Don't worry, there are a lot of animals you could become friends with. If I were you I would take this time you're in here to do that," The man said getting up, then walked along with Samuel leaving Orm back, which sighed and lied down on the ground, rolling his eyes up at the cubs. „Don't worry, boys. Gerda and the others will come for us. It's just a matter of time,"
The next morning Rollan lied in his bed with a plush bear in his arms still sleeping. At the window ledge lied Luta, which was also sleeping and she opened her eyes, then stretched herself while yawning. She moved her head at Rollan to see him sleeping, then she jumped at the commode to make her way to the bed, climbing on his legs to get closer to his head, then tickled him with her nose on his neck making him chuckle. Luta got in front of his face to tickle him with her tail, causing him to sneeze and the weasel jumped at the night table and watched Rollan lie back again to continue his nap, making Luta puff unpleased about Rollan. Luta moved one ear as she heard someone speak and looked back at the door, hearing footsteps on the wooden floor, then the door opened up and Luta saw Gerda glance into the bedroom and spot Luta at the night table and Rollan on the mattress. Luta got on the ground to meet up with her owner, which smiled and picked her up.
„Hey my girl," Gerda greeted the weasel patting her on the neck, then Luta pointed at Rollan, which was sleeping with the plush bear, which made Gerda smile enamored with the scene, then she sat down on the bed and pecked him on his cheek, then moved her face up to his ear to whisper.
„Good morning," Gerda spoke, then she moved her head up to look at her boyfriend, which opened his eyes and looked up at Gerda, which sat in front of him and he smiled glad at seeing her.
„You're already here?" Asked Rollan with a yawn and sat up on the bed noticing he had the bear plush on his hands, then panicked and threw it behind his bed grinning embarrassed at Gerda, which chuckled at his reaction.
„Don't worry about it. I found that adorable," Gerda commented making Rollan smile a little, then he got up and looked at the blonde.
„I will just get dressed, how was your night by the way?" Rollan asked picking up his folded clothes he had lied over his chair's back and took down his pajama shirt, so he could put his other one.
„I slept fine," Responded Gerda. „I'm just worried about the trolls,"
„I feel the same as you," Rollan admitted sitting down on the bed while trying to put on his pants. „I began to feel like I was their older brother when I played with them or tried to teach them anything,"
„You and your mother did a good job with the trolls. According to Orm, the trolls really enjoyed the days they were with you. They never had so much fun, since Orm became Arrog's second-in-command and had less time to play with them,"
„I'm glad they had a good time," Rollan said and got up from the bed, then held his hand out for the girl to get up. „You haven't got any news about the trolls, right?"
„No, but I had thought about flying above Alicante to look for any suspicious building or any else that looks abandoned," Gerda commented. „What do you think about it?"
„I think this would be a little dangerous for you. Ernesto mentioned they had on the day they kidnapped the trolls planned to take the dragon-you too, in case you showed up," Rollan warned. „You better don't go alone,"
„I thought you would say that. On the other hand, it would be a little odd to be carrying you or someone else the entire time above the sky while looking for something," Gerda commented earning a nod from her boyfriend.
„What if you went by night?" Rollan asked. „Spotting you in the night would be harder,"
„That's not such a bad idea. I don't think you already know that, but I'm also able to see in the darkness when I'm in my dragon form," Gerda mentioned.
„Really? That's awesome," Rollan admitted. „So you technically could see the other night, when Enrico broke into my room?"
„Not really, your window was open and the moonlight illuminated your room a little,"
„It's funny. If I had closed the shutters of my bedroom the other day, Enrico would have never gotten into my room in the first place and discover the triplets. They would be here if I had closed it,"
„That's silly Rollan, You had bad luck and who knows, they could as well just have entered into your room anyway from above or from the first floor,"
„You're right. I'm just exaggerating for no reason,"
„A little," Gerda commented. „Oh, and your mother told me to call you for breakfast. She was making toast and asked me to stay for breakfast with you two as well if you don't mind it,"
„I'd be happy to have breakfast with you. How long ago is it, that we had breakfast together?" Rollan asked getting up to walk to the corridor along with the blonde.
„Good question. I think it was a month ago. When Alfida came back from her treasure hunt and you from a job I think," Gerda mentioned. „A little while already,"
„It is," Agreed the boyfriend entering into the kitchen walking toward the stove, where his mother stood and Rollan stopped beside her to give her a peck on her forehead. „Let me continue this for you," Rollan asked making his mother shake her head.
„You don't need to. I'm almost done anyway," Leticia responded. „If you want you can pour in the coffee,"
„You want coffee?" Rollan asked Gerda which nodded, then Rollan picked up two cups and grabbed the small coffee jug his mother was cooking on the stove and filled the cups, and handed one of them to Gerda. Afterward, he sat down beside the girl, which raised her cup to clink it with the boyfriend's and both took a sip from the hot caffeine-containing liquid.
Ernesto was at a horse stable filling a pushcart with hay using a pitchfork, then he lied the fork aside on the few hay cubes that stood there on the field. Ernesto guided the pushcart along the field into the stable, then got into a cabin where a dark gray horse stood. Ernesto turned the cart up to empty it and took the cart back, then returned to the horse and placed his hand on the horse's face.
„Mira Eddie, I've brought you some hay," Ernesto warned the horse, then guided him to the pile he dropped on the ground, then watched the horse begin to eat from there. Ernesto took the cart and pulled it leaving the stable heading to the field to scoop up onto the pushcart more hay.
On the field appeared Enrico watching his friend load the cart with hay and stopped to observe him and got noticed by him.
„I was expecting you to come earlier," Ernesto commented earning a nod from Enrico, which used his hands to grab hay to help the brunette boy out.
„That was the plan, but I've encountered Samuel on my way here and I had to come to see dad, which already received Infos about the night we have to make the delivery," Enrico mentioned earning a curious look from the friend.
„Already? When is it if I may ask?"
„Monday night," Replied Enrico. „Around 11 pm we get together at the warehouse and load the carriage with the cages. Like last time, we cover the entire load with a towel to not attract any possible attention from minors on the road,"
„Okay and after we load the ship, they will leave immediately?" Questioned Ernesto making the friend nod.
„That's the plan so far. The soon we handle that the faster we can disappear from everyone's sight," The raven-haired said.
„I uh….. hope we will have a good night like the other time," Ernesto commented. „You know, that no one will catch us,"
„We cannot let us get caught. We're doomed if this happens to us or worse, if my dad ends up being caught as well it will be the end of our lives,"
„I know, I know…..Gees. I know you and your dad's relationship isn't quite the best, but it's not like he's going to kill you for doing a mistake,"
„Remember the night we lost that red raccoon?" Questioned Enrico lifting up his shirt to show a large, cicatrix on the side of his belly. „This is how angry my father got on that night."
„Yes I remember, but that was about five months ago. He wouldn't do that a second time. You're his son,"
„That's what you have been saying most of the times, but he treats me as if I was one of his work pals," Enrico complained making Ernesto nod and he remained silent, unsure about what he should comment. „Monday will be a good day for us…..I bet all of my allowance on it,"
„Pray for us, Ernesto. Pray for us," Enrico asked making the friend nod, which looked at the few houses that were far away from their plot.
„I….uhm will bring the hay to Nico," Ernesto mentioned grabbing the pushcart by the handle and moved along the field heading to the stable. Enrico sat down on the ground watching his friend with a neutral face bringing the nutrition to one of the horses in the building.