A few days later was the first time we would race our ships.

I couldn't wait.

The race had just begun, and of course we were in the lead.

"Seems like all is going well." Jesper grinned, standing beside me as I watched the other ships.

"So far so good." I smiled back, resting my hand on his.

Suddenly, I noticed something went wrong.

"Hal! The Wolves are sinking! They tried to follow us! Their mast broke and is dragging them under!" I exclaimed,  worried about my friends.

"Switch sails. We're going to help the Wolves. Time we payed them back for helping in that fight." Hal shouted.

When we got to their ship, most of us boarded to help clear the wreckage.

Rolland was angry.

"You know what Tursgud did when he saw us sinking? He laughed!" Rolland growled.

"Well, Bjorn wrenched his arm again, and two others are alive, but unconscious." Hal told him, once the wreckage was clear.

"Well, can I borrow three of your men so we can get back to sjore and begin repairs?"

"Sure. Ulf, Wulf! You're helping row this ship back to shore, stay here."

"Who's the third?"

"Cora, you should stay too."

"Ok Hal." I replied.

Once my fellow Herons left,  Ulf and Wulf were fighting about who would row on what side.

I rolled my eyes.

"Ulf left, Wulf right, and you best not try switching names on me! I'm not Hal, I won't tolerate it! I will kill you in your sleep." I shouted, causing all the Wolves to jump and Rolland and Bjorn to laugh.

When we got back to shore, the Wolves immediately began repairing their ship.

I went back to barracks, and Jesper was the only one there.

"Where is everyone?" I asked him, temporarily forgetting why I had been so nervous around him lately.

"I don't know," he replied, cupping my face in his hand. "But they said they wouldn't be back till later."

He was standing a little too close, and he was making me nervous.

"Jesper?" I asked softly.

He just stood there, with one hand on my cheek and one on my waist.

Suddenly, he moved his hand from my cheek to my waist.

"Jesper?" I repeated,  even softer.

He slipped his arms around my waist and kissed me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

We jumped apart when we heard the others outside. I went to the sectioned off part of the tent that was mine and Missy's. 

I fell asleep early that day, and evidentally,  Jesper came to check on me, just to find me fast asleep.

The next day was the night attack, and I couldn't wait.

Hopefully, I would get to punch Tursgud.

We were going to defend first, so Jesper was going to slip in the cabin unseen, and wait, so we could at least tie.

When the Sharks attacked, I tried to stop Tursgud, who had the token, and he tackled me. If Jesper had seen that, he'd kill him.

Tursgud still managed to get the token in the box.

When we were attacking, Hal sent me to distract the real Tursgud while Edvin fooled everyone.

So I walked up to him.

"Hey Cora."

"Hey Tursgud,  I thought this would be good time to talk without interruptions."

We sat down, and talked for a while, and he asked me out again.

"I will think about it."

When the whistle was blown, I stood up.

"Finally!"

"Wait, so all that was a plot to distract me so you guys could tie?"

"Kinda."

"Even how you said you would consider going out with me?"

I stopped dead in my tracks to think for a moment.

"No, that was the truth. Give me until tomorrow."

"I saw that last night after the race."

My heart rate quickened.

"Saw what?"

"You and Jesper kissing. Please tell me you aren't dating him."

"I'm not. YOU WERE WATCHING US?!?!"

"Then why did you kiss him back?"

"I don't know. It just... sort of... happened."

"Well I'm  hoping it happens now."

He slipped his arms around my waist and kissed me. I didn't know I was doing, but I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Suddenly,  a few twigs snapped near by and we jumped apart.

I blushed badly as he smirked at me, and I quickly left.

When I caught up to the others, Jesper interlocked his fingers with mine.

"Where were you?"

"Distracting Tursgud for Hal."

"He didn't try anything did he?"

"No."

"Good." he smiled, squeezing my hand.

We caught up with the rest, and we dropped hands.

When we headed back to camp, Ulf pulled me aside.

"Why did you kiss him?"

"What?"

"Why did you kiss Tursgud back?"

"I-I don't know. Why do you care?"

He kissed me too! Like what the heck? And the worst part is, for some reason,  I kissed him back too!

And Jesper saw it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Ulf? " he demanded.

He grabbed Ulf by the scruff of his neck and slammed him against the tree.

"Jesper, don't!" I exclaimed.

He punched Ulf in the face, and I caught his arm to keep him from doing it again, but he hit me in the face with his elbow.

There was a cut on my face where his elbow hit me on the bony ridge of my cheekbone.

Tursgud showed up, and flipped on the both of them when he saw I was injured.

I tried to break up the fight, but Bjorn came, and saw I was injured,  knew one of them did it, and joined the fight.

I tried again to pull them apart, and somehow, I got thrown back ten feet.

It knocked the breath out of me, and bruised a few spots.

Rolland and my father happened to walk by.

"Cora, are you ok?" Rolland asked.

"Yeah, I think." I said. There were tears rolling down my cheeks.

All the boys turned and saw my father. They immediately stood at attention.

Rolland helped me up, and all the boys who were formerly fighting look at me, looks of guilt appearing on all their faces.

"Rolland, I think I sprained my ankle." I whispered. "Can you help me back to barracks and get the others to not ask questions?"

"Of course Cora."

As we were walking away, we heard my father.

"What the hell do you think you four were doing? You could've injured her! What in the name of Gorlog's breath were you fighting over?"

Tears flowed more freely as we heard that.

"They were fighting over you, weren't they?"

I nodded silently.

He took me to the barracks, and everyone looked at us questioningly. Rolland shook his head, and they didn't ask.

He helped me to my spot, and left.

Jesper and Ulf came in talking, for they had forgotten that everyone else was there.

"Well at least Tursgud and Bjorn look just as-" Ulf started, then saw everyone and fell silent.

They both were pretty beat up.

"What happened to you two?" Hal asked.

"Umm..." Ulf said.

"Err...Uhh..." Jesper stuttered.

"Spit it out." Hal told them.

"Drop it please, Hal." I said dangerously.

"As skirl, I have a right to-"

"I SAID DROP IT!!!! YOU KNOW WHAT, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF PEOPLE!!!! GOOD-BYE!!!" I shouted, picking up my sleeping bag and pillow and a small one man tent I had laying near by.

I turned and began to limp out, but Jesper caught my arm.

"Cora, please, you're too hurt to-" he started, his eyes full of concern.

"You are the last person in th whole world I want to talk to right now." I growled.

Everyone recoiled in surprise. I always was willing to talk to Jesper, even when he was being an ass. Just not now.

He just looked at the ground shamefully.

I walked away to a spot a hundred meters away, and began to attempt to put up the tent.

Finally, I got frustrated and threw the poles against the ground.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"You ok sweetheart?" my father asked.

"I'm fine!" I exclaimed angrily.

"Let me put up the tent for you."

As he worked, I came up with a question.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Rolland told me he saw you head this way."

"Of course he watched me."

"He's a good kid."

"I don't care anymore."

Tears were forming in my eyes again.

He just pulled me in for a hug.

When he left,  I organized my stuff in the tent, and eventually fell asleep.

The next morning,  I limped to the mess hall, and was the first one there... again.

I sat in the back corner of the room, and hardly anybody noticed me.

Jesper, Ulf, Bjorn, and Tursgud started to head my way, but Rolland stopped them all with a simple statement.

"Haven't you four caused enough problems?"

They all had shameful looks on their faces as they sat back down.

Stig had come up behind me without me noticing.

"Cora, what's wrong? You have never yelled at Jesper like that, ever."

"Please don't ask about it."

I left shortly after, but what I didn't know was that Bjorn was waiting for me by my tent.

He kissed me too, and I don't know why I kept doing this, but I kissed him back! No matter how hard I tried, nothing worked!

I pulled back as soon as he let me, and limped into my tent. I was not bothered at all that day, until after lunch.