Oof. Okay.

She's in the galley before ten minutes are up.

They cook and breakfast runs much the same as last night's dinner. And then Tetra asks if she'd like to spar.

"Yeah, sure."

"A new challenger! Sparring with the same guys gets old and fighting for real is too risky to do for fun. I don't wanna hurt you too much since you might have a shot at that bird - however slim that chance is - so no dirty tricks and the fight ends if anything other than either of our feet and hands touch the deck. Sound good?"

"Works for me. I could probably use the practice anyway."

"Mudge! Practice sticks!" Mudge provides.

Tetra settles into a low, one-handed pose quite unlike the fighting style Orca demonstrated to her. "First move is yours, be my guest."

Anna tests the balance of her stick, finds a comfortable grip, then rushes in, aiming her attack high.

Tetra is much faster than a goblin.

She backsteps at the last second, forcing Anna to either abandon the hit or overextend before lashing out, aiming at Anna's elbow.

Whoops okay finish the follow through without overextending then tuck the elbow- ouch. Not quick enough.

Anna backs up a few steps.

Tetra grins at her.

And then she rushes forward and feints like she's going for Anna's legs with the stick, before turning the movement into a sort of tackle-thing.

Anna sees it coming just in time to brace. She takes the impact then digs her feet into the deck, pushing forward and up.

She hooks Anna's leg with her foot and pulls, but relents and jumps back when it feels like might cause her to fall over instead. "You're not half bad!"

She shuts up, getting into the flow of the fight's strike and dodge and feint. Tetra likes grappling, she likes feinting, and she likes leaving deceptive openings for parries that are actually traps to get Anna in a bad position.

Anna has been using a sword for a day, she is not as tricksy as Tetra. She does manage to hold her own, for the most part, and starts learning how to tell traps from genuine openings.

This is fun!

It is fun!

It may become apparent that Tetra was going easy on her when she starts looking bored, and Anna suddenly finds herself on her back with her stick flying to the far end of the ship.

What.

She bounces back up. "Teach me how to do that!"

Smug. Smug smug smug. "Whatever we have time for before getting to your incredibly dangerous rescue mission. And when we both don't need to do other stuff. How about I show you the parachute first, grab a little time to think about how to pass on a fighting style?"

"Okay!"

Tetra demonstrates the operation of the parachute with both of them crowded into the cramped, swaying crow's nest.

It's barely controllable, and doesn't slow her fall down to a gentle landing, but at least to a safe enough one.

"I still find myself hoping you have good aim."

"Our aim is fine. You can choose whether to go in by boat or by air when we get there."

"Right."

Hey, she still has that telescope, right? Can she see the place through it?

There is a vague, indistinct outline barely visible above the waves, but in the correct direction, that could be it.

Guess she'll have to wait a bit longer, then.

Tetra tries to teach her fighting moves for about half an hour. She's not a teacher and mostly does so by doing them on Mudge slowly, step by step.

Eventually Niko prods her to do some more boring chores.

Bah. Fighting practice is much better than boring chores.