Wandering Wolves

3. I'm Sorry

Worm and Alex lowered the row boats down into the water. Worm handed Stella the rope ladder and she climbed down into one.

I peered down over the edge, "We seriously can't sail any closer?"

Beda answered from behind me, "Too shallow here and this place looks like it's just an island. There might not be people here so you might be stuck with us a little longer."

He hopped over the edge and climbed down the ladder to where Stella was.

I felt a shove from behind and tumbled down into the water. It was cold but not iceberg cold. When I submerged Kate was looking down at me from the railing, "Nice one, how about you stick the landing next time?"

Worm high fived her as Alex and Donner then shoved Worm into the water.

"Thought you could use a bath, Worm!" Shouted Donner as he and Alex climbed into the next row boat. Instead of using the ladder, Kate swung down into Stella and Beda's boat.

"Show off!" Worm splashed water at her.

She laughed, "Whoever makes it on land first, gets first dibs on the food!"

 They took off in the rowboats leaving Worm and I behind. We swam after them the best we could. When we finally got to land I twisted the water from my shirt.

"That was not fair in the slightest, Kate."

"You're the one that fell in the water." She took off before I could push her in the water as payback.

"Find anything?" Kate asked when we joined the others who had walked a little inland.

"Just rocks and trees." Worm threw a rock.

"We should probably split up then. Best we check this place out more before making camp. Stella and Donner go west side. Worm, Alex and Beda go North. Matt, you and I will take east."

"Why am I going with you though? I should be fine on my own." Honest question. At least I thought it was till Kate picked up a stick.

"Then you can defend yourself?"

I smirked, "Of course I can, bring it on wolf girl."

"He signed is death warrant." Worm said.

Before I knew it she had the stick up against my throat and my arm behind my back.

"Ok" I tried to breath against the stick up against my throat "You've made your point. Now let go please."

Kate let go and I stumbled forward. What is with this girl?

Stella took the stick from Kate and handed it to me, "You'll probably need this."

"Thanks I guess."

Kate and the guys went in their separate directions.

"She's not trying to show off, ya know? She's protecting you. All of us here can defend ourselves, we just don't know what you can do yet." Stella said.

"You know I don't plan on staying on the crew right?"

"We'll see" she smiled. "Knowing her she'll be stubborn and probably walk into a trap. Keep an eye on a her."

With that she took off after Donner. I turned around and caught up to Kate. We walked in silence for a bit. Wasn't awkward silence just pleasant silence.

"I'm sorry."

That came out of no where. I tripped over my own feet in the process but managed to maintain my balance.

"For what?"

"Anne mostly." She paused. "I didn't...I didn't mean for her to die."

I brushed a tree branch out of the way, "Thought we were past that?"

She shrugged, "Are we though? You still look at me like I've killed everything you've ever cared about."

Walked a little bit more in silence.

"To be fair, I was hopelessly in love with that rock and you smashed it in Grim's face. I'll forever be heart broken."

She tripped as well trying to cover a laugh, "As rocks go I think you'll find another one eventually."

She halted and held up a hand for me to stop.

"What is it?"

She whispered, "I hear people talking."

"I don't hear anyone."

She turned to me and pointed to her ear, "Werewolf. Call it extra or sensitive hearing."

I rolled my eyes, "Right werewolf, forgot"

She grabbed my arm and pulled me right into a bush.

"You could have warned me ya know?" Wrangled a branch out of my hair.

"I did, shh they're headed this way."

"I meant...never mind." I sighed and crouched down with her. No one showed for maybe ten minutes. I was about to stand up when two men emerged on the path from our right.

"...discovers gold and decided to go all a-wall on us."

"As long as we get a share of it I don't care what Captain does."

"We're headed the right way right?"

"Should be just over here..."

Their voices faded as they passed by us and headed in the direction we were going.

 
Once they were gone, Kate and I crawled out of the weeds.

"Marines?"

"No marines would be in uniform and besides there's the gold law." Kate continued walking on the path they took at a slower, quieter pace.

"The gold law?" I followed.

"Right you probably wouldn't know. It's a stupid law. The Fuhrer proclaimed that any gold found by marines must be delivered to the capital."

"What kind of law is that? It's just sounds like we're giving gold to the Fuhrer."

"Which is why it's stupid, but if marines don't follow that law then their sentence is death."

"Why not hide it then?"

"You find a bunch of gold, you would have to trade it within the black market. Not many people see marines in the black market so it's suspicious and you're bound to get found out. Besides you would technically be considered a pirate if you steal gold."

"Yeah but..." I went flying in the air as a net with bells on it took both Kate and I up into the tree. The more we wrangled ourselves to get out of it the more the bells rang. Those two guys from earlier ran out of the brush.

"Hopin to catch some food but this is a surprise."