Wandering Wolves

10. Training

"Has the temperature increased since yesterday?"

I took Stella's idea and set up a hammock on deck. It was hotter below deck and the temperature wasn't decreasing. Seemed like there was never going to be a cloud in the sky for ages. We've been sailing none stop for days now and haven't found any land to dock at. We've been eating fish and distilling the salt water to drink from. Kate says on our next stop we are definitely getting a lot more supplies. I personally think she is just tired of eating fish.

"Think the heat is going to your head." Worm swung down and sat on a barrel in the shade.

"He's just refusing to clean the ship."

I tilted my head up to see Kate just as she tossed a stick in my direction.

I sat up after catching it "What's with the stick?"

"Some would call it a training stick but okay it's a stick."

"What am I supposed to do with it?"

"All of us on this ship have a weapon to fight with and can defend ourselves. I figure I might as well teach you something even if you decide not to stay."

I stood up and twirled the stick in my hand.

"Donner doesn't have a weapon?"

"He uses a special technique, it may not look like it but every hit with his hands strikes a nerve. It will either paralyze you or make one of your limbs unusable."

"Kind of like my arm is right now." Donner, Stella and Alex walked down the stairs from the upper deck. His arm had healed a bit but it was best to still keep it in a sling for now.

"So what am I supposed to do? Attack you?"

"You can try" she grinned.

I twirled the stick in my hand and charged at her.  She dodged and kicked the back of my leg causing me to fall flat on my face.

"Ouch! Try to hit her next time not tackle her!" Laughed Worm.

 I rolled over "Well it's not fair she doesn't have a weapon. I don't want to hit her."

That caused the four of them to laugh, I think Alex chuckled as well.

Alex tossed Kate a stick as well and she mocked me by twirling it in her hand as I did "Care to try again?"

I didn't hesitate and charged again. Again landing flat on my face.

Kate held out her hand with a smile on her face "How about not charging at me?"

I took her hand and stood up "Aren't you supposed to teach me something?"

"First off balance is key. Second, sometimes you won't know who your opponent is. Right now you do, you know my strengths and weaknesses. Use it against me."

"Yeah but you have a lot of strengths."

"One being that charging at me is not going to work. Try something else. What else do you know about me that you can use against me?"

I thought about it and charged again, this time not at Kate but at Worm. Took him by surprise as well. Worm fell off the barrel and I held the end of the stick against his chest.

"Drop your weapon or he dies."

"Huh" Kate grinned, dropped her stick and walked over to Worm and I "Using me crew as hostage to get me to surrender. Not bad, you learn quickly."

As I was pleased by myself, I shouldn't have eased up. She kicked the stick from hands, caught it and held the end up to my throat.

"Don't let your guard down even if you believe you have the upper hand."

"How am I supposed to have the upper hand against a werewolf?"

Kate stepped back and held out the stick to Stella "Start by gaining the upper hand against her. Once you can best everybody else then you can try to best me."

"Really? But it's Stella, all she ever does is make jewelry and sew. I mean she can throw knives at pin point accuracy but I can beat even her at this."

"Oh really?" Kate raised an eyebrow as Stella took the stick from her. They shard a look then Kate  walked over and sat down next to Donner.

"Kick his ass, Stella!" Donner shouted.

I sighed and took a swing at her but she blocked it. Not happy with the swing I tried a different direction. After she blocked that one I quickly swung at a different spot, again blocked. I twirled the stick on my hand and swung again, this time she blocked but hit my side with the other end. I went down on my knee. She struck the stick out of my hand and kicked my chest. Again I find myself flat on the deck.

"Another lesson, don't underestimate your opponent!" Yelled Kate.

Stella helped me stand up as Beda appeared from above deck.

"Land!"

Kate ran up the stairs to Beda and he handed her a scope.

"Doesn't look like an island either, might actually have a city on it." She handed the scope back to Beda. "Look alive people, Worm disguise our flag"

"On it!"

"Donner and Alex check our supplies. I want to know what we have and how much."

They both took off below deck.

"Stella, do you have disguises ready just in case?"

"I'll go make some final adjustments."

I made my way up towards Kate and Beda, "Why disguises?"

Beda answered "We all have a wanted poster out there. Chances are if there is a huge city then everyone will know who we are."

"You guys didn't use disguises when you came to my home."

"That was a different circumstance. I needed medical attention and well the best way to get what you want when you're a pirate is through force."

"Been meaning to ask you but why are you pirate? Why join Kate?"

Beda looked at Kate who shrugged "Might as well tell him, short version though as we are approaching land soon."

"Remind me to tell you the longer version later. Kate helped out my family when we were going through some tough times. I pretty much owe a life debt to miss Oliver here. Besides if I don't help Kate on her quest then my wife, Cassie, will probably beat my ass."

Kate looked like she shivered "That woman terrifies me sometimes."

"Stella mentioned that before, the quest part I mean. Something about you trying find something?"

"I can't tell you that. Unless you're a member of me crew. I don't want you trying to find something and put your life in danger."

"So it's dangerous?"

Kate ignored me and pulled out a map. Glancing at it I could tell that it wasn't finished. Poorly drawn as well.

"No one can draw on this ship." Kate set the map away. "Better to say none of us know a thing about maps."

"Wait...we've been traveling all this time without knowing where we are going?"

A nod from both of them.

I'm screwed.