Chapter 34
In the evening Gerda sat next to her brother, which was drawing on a sheet of paper, then glanced at the deck to see Alfida fencing against Rollan, which was walking backward as the girl was ruling the match.
„Is that all you got?" Questioned Alfida leading the raven-haired boy towards the wall of the ship, then Alfida smacked Rollan's sword against the wood of her boat. „When you said you were the best at the academy I thought you would fight well, but I only see you backing off,"
„It's not easy to fight someone who has been raised by pirates," Rollan commented. „You have years of experience. I have like two and only last month I could practice with different people,"
„But in the real world, you must be stronger, than our kind. Play to save your own butt or better…...to save our lady in distress," Alfida commented rolling her eyes at Gerda, which stuck out her tongue.
„I saved all you three in the past five years at least once or twice in my life," Gerda commented crossing her arms amused, making her best friend nod.
„I know, I'm trying to motivate Rollan in some ways," Alfida mentioned. „I'm not a motivational teacher,"
„Let's just keep fencing and see if I get anywhere with it," Rollan asked walking at the middle of the ship along with the raven-haired girl, then both began to battle each other.
„About the scene with Orm and the others. Will we need any weapons?" Questioned Kai looking at his sister, which shrugged her shoulders.
„Why would we need any weapon?"
„You know…..in case we are trapped by any of the bad guys,"
„I'm not sure if this is needed. We just have to free everyone there. We just have to know, when Ernesto says the right moment," Responded the blonde, then heard Rollan yelp and see Alfida fly beside him down at the ground.
„Now that's more I like it!" Alfida announced getting up from the ground to race towards the man to smack her saber on his, making him try to deflect his attacks quickly.
„Uh…...when we know the time we will go there we think about it. For now, the best thing for us is to keep them out of the game," Gerda explained. „Alfida may take her gun with her in case…..just in case we could need it,"
„The world is dangerous, lady. You gotta be armed" Alfida noticed earning a nod from Rollan, then she smacked down his sword as he was distracted by the siblings. „Alright, Rollan. We better go out of here to train. Gerda is distracting you unnecessarily,"
„No, she's not. I'm…..not used to fence you," Rollan defended watching Alfida cross her arms and smirk at his lie.
„You know what, let's do a break," Ordered the girl earning a nod from Rollan, which placed the sword down on the ground. „Are you feeling awkward around Gerda, cause she's seeing you fight?"
„I'm…. not used to fight people I know,"
„The others at the academy you know as well. You're not telling the right thing,"
„I'm feeling embarrassed at being terrible right now in front of her. I don't know why. I want to show her, what I'm capable of, but somehow this is going wrong,"
„Alright, just make a pause and we see later about that," Alfida said leaving Rollan, which leaned his back against the table blocking the sight of Kai.
„You're blocking the light pole," Kai complained watching Rollan step aside and sit down on the ground in front of Gerda's legs, then she placed his hands on his shoulder.
„You're alright?" Gerda asked making Rollan shrug his shoulders.
„I wanted to show you all, what I learned but I still failed at scoring at least one point for me,"
„Don't worry, you'll improve. Alfida grew her entire life with pirates and had to manage guns and swords from a young age. You're not bad for the time you have been practicing in the academy. Just be more focused during the fights and observe her footwork, " Gerda suggested Rollan. „You're good at it. You just need to focus,"
„Correct," Rollan puffed and Gerda got down on the ground to sit beside the boyfriend. „I've been just thinking in showing off, what I'm capable to do,"
„You don't need to do that. The most important part is if it takes part in a real fight. There you have to win or at least make it out alive,"
„Just more or less like Alfida said," Rollan said while Gerda shove her hand into his hair to frizzle it.
„You have more days in front of you to improve. You got that," Added Gerda placing her hand on Rollan's cheek.
„Good evening!" Greeted a voice coming from down the ladder and up at the ship climbed up Ernesto, then looked around the harbor and walked towards the trio by the table. „Can I come in?"
„Well….you're already in," Kai asserted earning a nod from the Spaniard.
„Yes well….I someway I would be in any way," Ernesto confessed. „But I need you to listen to me. Monday night will be the night Enrico's dad planned in moving the animals out to the harbor,"
„Monday night, that's…...tomorrow!" Rollan commented jumping up. „This means…..we need to pass by in the next 18 hours to before they're gone,"
„Exactly," Ernesto answered. „Issue number two. Around this time Enrico's dad is still around the hideout and is most likely to stay there until 11 or 12 pm. Up 1 am would be the best moment for us to get in and free everyone in there,"
„If no one's around there I think we won't need to fight, right?"Gerda asked looking at Rollan, which shrugged his shoulders.
„We don't know it," Alfida commented joining the four teens. „Have you got the keys to the cages or can you open them?"
„Only Enrico's father has the key. We would need to use a sword or something else to open them. Worse is it if it takes longer to do it one by one,"
„I only got three swords. One for me, one for Rollan and Gerda or Kai will have to decide, who picks the last one,"
„Kai does," Gerda commented. „I stay in watch, if necessary,"
„She can have the sword instead. I and Kai could follow the plan he made," Suggested Ernesto. „At least point out the ways, we could escape faster, when necessary,"
„Can you show us the plan you made for analysis?" Questioned Alfida watching Kai search his pockets for the sheet and took out three sheets and unfolded two and handed one out to the girlfriend, while Rollan glimpsed at the other sheet making Rollan furrow his eyebrows.
„Why did you draw Alfida as a mermaid?" Rollan asked making Kai blush and hide his sheet.
„Hey! I don't call you out, every time your pants get huge when you're around my sister!" Kai countered making Rollan frown.
„Guys, listen! Here's the main entrance. You go here to this corridor and you get into the hall, where you will find the cages, where the animals are locked in. The front here is a separate room with a table and up here is another one, which Enrico's dad usually uses for planning. On the end, there's a stairway, which leads to the roof, which has another room, but that will be irrelevant," Ernesto explained looking at the team. „Without anyone around there, we can simply enter through the front entrance,"
„Great and if no one's around one of us has to stay out and watch. I don't know, but you would be the best choice right now, Ernesto," Mentioned Alfida. „You know how the teammates look like and you can warn us in case they show up,"
„Sure," Ernesto commented. „I think about the best way to do it, without making it look suspicious,"
„I'm fast. I could fly into the room and warn you," Gerda mentioned.
„Is an idea," Kai added. „Oh and what about Pastor and Marina? Weren't they supposed to come with us?"
„Yes. I need to go look for them and call them up here. Or at least explain the plan," Rollan responded.
„Okay and this is it so far. We just need to get Pastor and Marina,"
„Then we just need to tell this the two and we can move out," Alfida added. „And Rollan, if possible ask them to bring something pointy like a sword, so they can help us open the cage,"
„I'll see, what they can get," Rollan responded walking to the ladder and looked back at the trio. „Can someone of you come along, so I don't need long to collect both in two different places?" Rollan asked, then Gerda moved further raising her hand.
„I'm going with you," Gerda announced watching Rollan go down the ladder and followed the boyfriend.