Chapter 6
After a couple of hours, Rollan and Gerda were in the last cabin of the train, which had a small snack bar, where the passengers could get themselves a drink or something to eat. The two sat together around a small table eating a sandwich. Rollan noticed Luta sitting on the ground watching the two, then he had an idea and picked out from his sandwich a piece of cheese to hand it out to the weasel. Luta smiled, then took it from Rollan's hand, which watched her nibble on it. Rollan smiled and looked up at the blonde, which had noticed him feeding the weasel, and gave the Spaniard a sympathetic smile.
"With food, you'll earn her trust," Gerda spoke taking a bit of her bread to give it down to Luta as well.
"She seemed hungry," Stated Rollan making Gerda nod.
"I think it has been a while since Luta ate something. She can get a little bit more. So she good nourished for the next day," Spoke Gerda commented ripping off a salad leaf to hand it down to the weasel. Rollan smiled from seeing the blonde feeding her pet, then he handed the pet another chunk of his sandwich seeing her accept it as well, then held it with her paws while finishing the leaf she had received before.
"She's enjoying it," Commented Rollan making Gerda nod, and took a bite from her sandwich. Rollan took a sip from his grape juice, then after Gerda has swallowed down her meal she took her cup as well and had eye contact with the Spaniard.
"Have you been eating out with your friends or your mom somewhere besides your home?" Questioned Gerda making Rollan nod.
"Just with my mom," Responded Rollan. "Pastor and I have never gotten out to dinner together. We would do other things. Go swim, walk or train together for the parkours of the academy,"
"Where did you take your mom a few times?" Questioned the blonde.
"A simple restaurant. That was on my birthday, her birthday, and a few random days. To be together for a while without being in the kitchen together cooking for us two only,"
"You cook for your mom as well?" Questioned Gerda making Rollan shake his head.
"Mainly she the one cooking. She doesn't feel well leaving it to me. But she allows me to work with her there, so we're both not alone,"
"Sweet," Admitted Gerda making Rollan smile and take the next bite of his sandwich. "This is probably cheating, Kai and I were out for dinner and lunch every day. We were on vacation, so it's kind of different," Commented Gerda making Rollan chuckle. "A few months ago I was invited to dinner with Mars' family. This is the only moment I can remember, from when I have eaten with someone else besides Kai or my parents,"
"Didn't Mars invite you out for dinner once?" Questioned Rollan making Gerda nod.
"He did that time with his parents. Another day, we had a short break for lunch together out at a coffee shop. He had told me how his day was going, and I how mine. It was a simple conversation,"
"That's also good", Commented Rollan making Gerda grin.
"And here we have out first dinner together after a long while. After we somehow got unlucky with that one airship," Gerda said making Rollan nod. "I think we never had one, right?" Questioned the blonde making Rollan shake his head.
"Nope. Never," Responded Rollan. "I visited you once in a while before I left to see my mom again,"
"Yeah, that one time we ate together was at Orm's house before we left to look for the wishing stone,"
"We had a great time on that night," Admitted Rollan. "I know I have told you that before. I had always admired your adventures. They were outstanding compared to the experiences I made during my first visit,"
"Hey, the one we had with the wishing stone was a good one as well. We had this issue together by the end of the curse, but everything turned out well in the end….Not for all thought," Commented Gerda watching Rollan laugh sheepishly.
"Mosty, I don't remember anything about it," Commented Rollan making Gerda nod, then remember something about the Spaniard.
"That evening reminds me of something as well. Thanks to you, you gave me the first push to enjoy other aspects of my life. Things I could have done long time ago, even with being the only guardian for Kai,"
"What did I show you again?" Questioned Rollan making the blonde chuckle.
"Ice skating! You even had two pairs of shoes for both of us. As if you knew you were taking me on a ride," Commented Gerda making Rollan remember, how he helped Gerda put on her ice skates.
Gerda sat on the ground next to Rollan watching him adjust the skids on her boots, while the blonde observed him curious.
"So, they're tight," Said Rollan getting up on his skates and watched Gerda use her hands to get up, then slipped back landing on her butt making Rollan bite his lips at the occurrence. Gerda smiled abashedly at the Spaniard, which held his hand out at the girl. "I help you up," Offered Rollan helping the girl up carefully, then she stood on her feet and Rollan took his hand down watching her stand shaky on her legs making him chuckle.
"I think I need your help again," Commented Gerda, then Rollan held both his hands out for the girl to take, then looked down at the girl.
"Okay, first I will slide with you a round or two, so you know how to stay straight on the iron, Explained Rollan. "Just look into my eyes and let me lead you," Rollan instructed looking at the blonde wide her eyes at the Spaniard, which gave her confidence for her first skating lesson.
"Oh I remember that. You were sometimes losing your balance when using them. You did well for your first time though," Admitted Rollan making Gerda smile.
"Thanks," Responded Gerda. "And that sort of was the only time I have ever ice skated before. No one else in my family knows that. You're the only one,"
"Looks like we got something to repeat when we're back," Commented Rollan making Gerda smile.
"I would like that. You were so talented from what I remember," Commented Gerda, then felt Luta jump on top of her owner's lap, then pointed across the room at a brunette teenage girl following an adult couple to the bar, where a woman stood ordering a drink. "What is it Luta?" Asked Gerda observing the trio, then widened her eyes as she recognized the teenage girl. "That's Irma," Gerda commented looking at the weasel, which wagged with her tail and the blonde looked at the Spaniard, which had almost finished his sandwich. "Rollan, that's the girl, that was possessed by the Snow Queen's spirit," Whispered Gerda making Rollan look curioous at the trio.
"Her?" Questioned Rollan making Gerda nod. "She looks different from the books," Commented Rollan watching the weasel got down from Gerda's lap to race at the girl, then jumped up grabbing herself on Irma's hand shrieking her, which looked down to see the weasel land on the floor and look up at the girl, which gazed at Luta bewildered, then heard a whistle and saw Rollan wave at her and Gerda beside him put her hand up as well, making Irma smile as she recognized the blonde.
"Gerda, is that really you?" Asked Irma approaching the table, followed by Luta and the blonde got up to greet the teenage girl, by sharing a hug with her.
"What a surprise. What are you doing here?" Asked Gerda seeing the brunette smile.
"I'm traveling with my parents to see my aunt and her new baby," Explained Irma. "What about you? I haven't seen you since…..uh the day you saved me,"
"Oh girl I could tell you stories," Commented Gerda making Irma tilt her head. "The next year the same story had happened again, but with Orm instead. You know the troll friend, that helped us back home,"
"Okay. I had heard that you and the Snow Queen saved together all other magicians from being locked into the mirrorlands," Mentioned Irma making Gerda nod.
"Yeah, that's right," Commented Gerda. "Thank goodness, everything found a good ending. My magic powers even awakened in time to help me stop the king with his machine.
"You didn't have them before?" Questioned Irma surprised making Gerda nod.
"Yeah, but it almost took Rollan's death to have me get through it," Mentioned Gerda looking back at the Spaniard, which smiled at the blonde. "Luckily he has survived it," Commented Gerda making Irma nod.
"Is Rollan your boyfriend?" Asked Irma making Gerda chuckle and shake her head.
"No, he's my good friend. We've been sending each other mails since he returned to Spain to see his mom again," Explained Gerda. "We both by coincidence happened to ride on the same airship, but it was damaged and we had to take an alternative route,"
"Where were you two going? Your home place?" Questioned the brunette making Gerda nod.
"Yes," Answered Gerda, then looked at Rollan, which added his answer as well.
"I planned to leave earlier to be able to visit Gerda before her wedding. Funnily I ended up seeing her a little earlier, than expected," Commented Rollan making Irma nod.
Gerda took her eyes away from the Spaniard seeing Irma's parents by the counter waiting for their order, then a younger man passed by the duo looking from above the duo at the bar, then moved his hand slowly down at the back of Irma's father carefully picking out the wallet off the man's pocket making Gerda gasp.
"A thief!" Shouted Gerda shrieking the trickster, which immediately ran off pushing a random passenger, which had been carrying a plate down at the floor making Irma drop her mouth in shock along with her mother's. Gerda shrieked as she felt the table beside her shake, as Rollan had crashed against the table as he got up to run behind the criminal. "Rollan! What are you doing?" Asked the blonde watching the Spaniard disappear into the next cabin along with the thief. Gerda got up from her chair to move to the next wagon spotting Rollan following the criminal, that passed through the empty corridor and pushed a man aside, which was taking down a suitcase from the compartment, which after the hit fell on his back on top of a foreign couple playing cards together. Gerda passed by the said corridor, watching Rollan pack the thief by the shirt, which used his foot to kick Rollan on his leg, making him yelp and the thief opened the door of the train to jump out landing on the ground, then stuck his tongue out at Rollan and shrieked as Rollan really jumped out of the train as well to run after the man. The man observed Rollan follow him, then he ran beside the train near the platform, which connected two wagons and he jumped at the small ladder beside it and got up to watch Rollan still follow him.
"Get down!" Ordered Rollan making the thief chuckle and lifted one of his feet up, then with the other one he released the shoe off his feet hitting Rollan in the middle of the face, causing him to cover his face, then trip over the shoe to land on the ground. Rollan got up on his knees to watch the man wave back at Rollan with a smirk, then disappeared behind the grids leaving Rollan back annoyed. By the last wagon, Gerda stood by the open door looking at the friend on the ground, and jumped out landing on her feet behind him.
"Rollan, you're alright?" Asked Gerda getting up, followed by Rollan which turned around disappointed from having failed.
"I let him got away," Commented the Spaniard, making Gerda copy his facial expression, then caressed him on his shoulder. "Why are you out of the train?" Questioned Rollan watching Gerda look along with the Spaniard at the taxing locomotive.
"I couldn't leave you out here just like that," Responded Gerda. "Okay, I also wasn't expecting, that you would just jump out like that,"
"I'm sorry," Apologized Rollan, then looked at the railway, which went across the green fields forward and looked at Gerda. "We can just follow the rail and well, we will see, where we are headed to," Suggested Rollan making Gerda nod, then spotted Luta standing by the door of the train and widened her eyes curious to see the two young adults stay on the outside of the train, afterward hoped out to meet up with Gerda, which picked her up to carry her.