Wandering Wolves

6. Too Hot For Ya

"Just how much did you have to drink last night?" I leaned over the railing of the ship as Worm was puking his guts out.

"A lot...plus the swaying of this ship is making it tens times worse...ah.." More puking by the time Donner got around to making him some special drink to help him out. We had left the villagers island and we're now back onto the Baltus. Baltus, I learned was the name of this ship, was actually stolen. Kate and Beda both claimed they bet on this ship and won but due to Kate's supposed werewolf powers the previous owner believes they cheated. However they managed to steal the ship remains a mystery to me.

"Why is it so damn hot?" Stella was sprawled out on a hammock she set up so she could lay out on the ship's deck. She was right though, the temperature was getting higher as we sailed on.

"You know you just want to tan." Beda pushed the hammock so it swung. "There is an island I can see close to us, if you can convince the captain maybe she'll let us stop and take a nice dip in the water."

"I thought Kate doesn't know how to swim?" I asked.

"I don't."

Her and Alex walked down from the upper deck. They have been training with their swords up there all morning.

Stella sat up, "Can we please stop at the next island? What I wouldn't give to be in the water right now."

Kate crossed her arms with a smile "We do have to stop there anyway."

Stella swung the hammock with joy.

"Thank god" Worm collapsed on the deck with a thumbs up.

Beda raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean we have to stop there anyway?"

"Full moon"

Donner howled, "The werewolf will get us otherwise. It will rip us limb from limb till there's nothing left."

He mimicked a werewolf as he ran around the ship till Alex hit him the stomach with his sheathed sword.

"We're seriously stopping so Kate can supposedly transform into a werewolf?" I shook my head at this waste of time.

Stella chimed in, "To also take a break from all this heat!"

"Even if you don't believe in the werewolf, you still got to admit, even you need a break from all this heat." Beda stated. He was right I've been dying from this heat all day.

I sighed, "Alright you win, let's go!"

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"Look out below!" Worm dove into the water. We did stop at the next place and lucky for us it was deserted. We split up in our teams again and found the island completely empty. This outlook of rocks provided the perfect place to take our break from the heat. Well, all of us except Kate who spent her time lying on a blanket in the shade.

"You seriously don't know how to swim?" I asked brushing off some sand off my leg.

She seemed to want to ignore my question but sighed and answered.

"I seriously don't know how to swim and no I don't want to learn how to swim."

"Why not? It's hot out and you want to spend it in the shade instead of the cool water."

"I have my reasons, now go do a cannonball or something" she rolled on to her side intent on not answering anymore of my questions. I walked, more like ran, through the hot sand and sat down next to Stella in the shallow water.

"You're never going to get her swim. I've been trying myself for years." She leaned back on her hands.

"How long have you known Kate?"

She thought about it "I was actually the first one to ever meet Kate. That was when we both were young kids."

"Before or after werewolf?" I smirked.

A little laugh from her, "Before. Her and I actually come from the same place, well near the same place. I lived in the city while she lived on the outskirts. When everything happened with her village she fled and I found her outside of my home."

"You've been friends for a while, huh?"

"Sorta." She peered down at the water "My father is a strict man and well he didn't approve of Kate as my friend. So one thing led to another and Kate ran away. I didn't see her again till eight years later."

"So you ran away from your home too? Too much of a strict father to stay?"

Her expression changed. Almost sad.

"You could say that."

"Hey guys!" Donner and Alex ran over to us. "Alex caught us some fish, looks like fish is on the menu for tonight!"

Stella smiled, "Don't we have fish almost every night?"

"Always a downer this one." Worm splashed water at Stella and I.

"Oh you are so dead!" Stella got up and chased Worm down along the shoreline till she finally tackled him.