The sea was calm, not a wave as far as the eye could see. A
gentle breeze filled the sails on the masts of the Nomad, softly
propelling her forward. Firouz stood peering over the Nomad's stern with
his magnascope, Rongar standing behind him to his left. Doubar stood at
the helm of the ship, laughing loudly over something his brother had just
said.
Without warning, a bolt of lightening flashed out of the clear
blue sky, zapping the water mere inches away from the Nomad's bow, where
her captain, Sinbad, was standing. A wave of water rose up and over
Sinbad's head, falling to drench him to the skin. The crew paused in a
moment of shock before bursting into laughter. A low growl rose from
Sinbad's throat.
"Maeve!!!" he yelled, "What in the name of Allah are you doing?!!"
A beautiful red head peered slowly out from the lower cabin. Her
body was racked with low laughter as she was met with the sight of her
captain and friend. She grimaced. "I do believe my spell needs some
refinement."
Sinbad grunted in fascious agreement. "I don't mind getting wet,
Maeve, but usually only when I'm taking a bath." He gestured around
him. "Somehow a bolt of magical lightening conjured by one of my own
crew does not fit that image!"
Maeve's enchanting body moved onto the deck, followed by her
hawk, Dermott. She smiled mischeviously as she ran her eyes over the
soaked man. "And what an image."
Sinbad choked as Doubar roared in laughter. "She's got you
there, little brother!" he said, slapping Sinbad on the back.
Maeve pulled a face, "Hopefully not."
Sinbad growled, "Have you no shame woman?"
"No." Maeve shrugged lightly and went back to the lower deck.
Sinbad grimaced, "Firouz, keep an eye out for any more lightening
bolts; I really have no wish to drown on the deck of my own ship."
"I heard that!" Maeve's disembodied voice floated over to the
two men.
Doubar laughed again. "Careful, Sinbad, you don't want to get
the girl angry."
Sinbad smiled and said loudly, "Why is that, Doubar? Perhaps if
she were to take aim at me, I would have a chance at getting off this
boat alive."
A clap of thunder suddenly roared overhead, a small cloud
beginning to form directly over the Nomad's bow.
"All the same," Doubar smiled as he edged towards the stern, "I
believe I'll join Firouz and Rongar in the stern. Sinbad, you should
stay in the bow."
Sinbad sighed. "Very funny, Doubar."
Firouz suddenly cried out, "Land ho! We're coming up on
Thalderon, Sinbad! We're about an hour off shore!"
"Doubar, take the tiller!" Sinbad began barking out orders and
the ship became a flurry of activity as they prepared to land.
Eventually the Nomad slowed, and the crew prepared the long boat for
their excursion to the Isle of Thalderon.
Maeve came above deck, and moved to stand close behind Sinbad.
"What exactly is it that we are expecting to find on Thalderon?" Maeve
breathed quietly into his ear.
Sinbad shrugged as he looked into her eyes. "Supplies, a hot
meal," he paused, and smiled lowly at her, "A warm bed for the night."
Maeve sniffed, so Sinbad added hastily, "And a few friendly faces other
than our own."
Maeve smiled at him. "Small favors are indeed a blessing." She
pushed away from Sinbad and lowered herself into the long boat. Sinbad
shook his head and followed her overboard.
The closer the long boat drew to shore, the more quiet the sea
and the air became. The crew began to become nervous, shifting
uncomfortably on thier benches. Sinbad looked to the only female member
of his crew, the hair rising on the back of his neck. "Maeve, tell me
that you are doing this in retalliation for my earlier comments."
Maeve shrugged and slowly shook her head; Dermott shifted on her
arm. "I'm sorry, Sinbad, but it's not me."
"This isn't good is it?" Sinbad didn't expect a reply, nor did
he receive one.
The crew paddled hard, anxious to get away from the unnatural
waters. Once they reached the shore, Maeve and Firouz walked down the
beach with Dermott scouting over head. Sinbad, Doubar and Rongar pulled
the long boat up onto the beach before following the sorceress and the
inventor.
Just before the others had caught up with Maeve and Firouz,
Dermott's piercing cry reached thier ears. Sinbad shaded his eyes and
looked for the hawk. "Maeve, what is it?" he called out.
Maeve shook her head. "I'm not sure, but he's found something
that is upsetting him. Head north, we'll find him in the woods."
Without hesitation the crew turned northward and began to follow
Maeve; they reached Dermott quickly.
Surrounding the group were the bodies of hundreds of dead
soldiers; recent kills judging by the amount of fresh blood. "No man, or
men, could have done this," Maeve muttered lowly, comforting the agitated
bird who had perched on her arm. "It must have been some sort of
enchantment."
Firouz held up a hand. "Now hold on, Maeve. Judging by the
tears in the bodies, their being mangled rather than run through,
couldn't some wild animal have done this?"
Maeve looked closely at the bodies. "Firouz, what kind of animal
would first take the risk of attacking a large band of men, and then not
eat the meat from the kill?"
Before Firouz could respond, a groan reached the ears of the
crew. Suddenly a pile of bodies shifted.
Sinbad gestured for silence, as they drew their swords and
quickly surrounded the moving dead. With a gesture for Doubar to follow,
Sinbad moved in. Reaching down, with Rongar and his dirks to cover them,
Sinbad and Doubar uncovered the man lying beneath the mangled soldiers.
The muscular looking man squinted in the sudden light and peered
up at the group of sailors. "In the name of my father, King Andrais of
Thalderon, I beseech you, do not kill me!"
Maeve started at the man's voice and peered around Sinbad's
body. "Xaldar?"
The man looked at her. "Maeve!" he cried, his shock followed by
a brilliant smile.
"What happened here?" she asked, helping him climb to his feet,
returning his strong hug.
"We were on our way to the city of Morani to return my sister to
Thalderon's capital. She is to be crowned queen in less than a fortnight."
"Why is Tayia in Morani? She is well, is she not?"
Xaldar nodded. "Yes, quite all right as far as I know. We, my
father and I, sent her to Morani to keep her safe until her coronation."
"I was sorry to hear about your mother's passing, Xaldar, but
that doesn't explain what happened to your soldiers." She and Xaldar
began moving away from the rest of the crew.
Xaldar's head hung low. "My mother was in competition with a
witch named Mordred. My father and I believe Mordred poisoned mother in
an attempt to gain control over our Queendom. Father believed that Tayia
could also be in danger should Mordred see her up-coming coronation as
another threat to her desired rule."
Sinbad moved to walk beside Maeve. "So you moved the princess
heir to protect her. That is excellent reasoning, your highness. Did
the witch Mordred do this to your men?"
"Aye," Maeve chimed in, "I have been sensing black magic ever
since we landed on shore."
Xaldar looked up sharply at her. "You know magic that well?"
Maeve shrugged. "I was still apprenticing with Master Dim-Dim
when I joined Sinbad's crew. My training is incomplete, but I learn day
by day."
A smile lit up Xaldar's face. "Would you help me return my
sister to the capital? I can hardly do it on my own."
Maeve looked to Sinbad. "Do you mind deterring from that warm
bed for a few days?"
Sinbad shrugged. "Crew? What say you?"
Each member nodded, and Doubar spoke, "We're always up for an
adventure, little brother. But the question is, are we strong enough to
survive an attack by the witch Mordred."
Sinbad shrugged, "We can't do any worse than we have with Rumina
in the past." Maeve grimaced at Rumina's name.
Xaldar nodded firmly. "If Maeve is able to sense Mordred casting
a spell, we should have enough warning to evade a direct attack. Perhaps
Maeve could also conjure up an enchantment or two to further our cause."
Maeve looked aprehensive, and swallowed hard. "Oh, well, I don't
know about all that..."
Sinbad nodded in strong agreement. "Just this morning she almost
killed me with a stray lightening bolt. So don't base this whole thing
on Maeve's ability as a sorceress."
Maeve looked at her friend in shock, "Excuse me..."
Xaldar broke in excitedly. "You can conjur lightening bolts?!
Excellent! We're set then! Follow me! We're heading north. Morani is
on the other side of the mountain range. The whole journey should take
about a week. If we're lucky we'll have been and gone before Mordred
realizes I'm still alive."
Sinbad looked thoughtful. "Perhaps if we are to be gone as long
as a week, Rongar should stay behind to guard the Nomad. He can
accumulate the necessary supplies for the continuation of our journeys,
and make sure no harm befalls the ship while we're away."
Rongar nodded brisquely and turned back towards the longboat. He
would not question his captain's orders. Sinbad followed Rongar back to
the beach under the guise of helping Rongar push off from shore.
"Rongar, I do not trust this fellow, Xaldar. He's not telling us
something." Sinbad paused as Rongar gestured towards Maeve. "Yes, I
realize Maeve trusts him, and under normal circumstances, I would trust
her judgement, however perhaps she is too caught up in her personal
feelings to judge fairly Xaldar's honesty." Rongar nodded in thoughful
agreement. "If we are not back in ten days from now, go to the king and
inform him of our plight." Rongar again nodded and he shook Sinbad's
hand. "Good man." Sinbad said fondly. "Allow the rest of the crew the
week for rest and relaxation."
Sinbad waited until Rongar was well on his way back to the Nomad
before heading back to join the remainder of his crew.
As they walked, Doubar dropped back to join Sinbad. "You have
your doubts about this story, don't you, little brother?"
"Aye, Doubar, that I do. For some reason I'm just not buying
into the idea of Maeve being able to detect this witch. Yes she knows
magic, but not well enough to warn us of anything."
"But only we know this, Sinbad. Xaldar couldn't be expected to
realize Maeve knows very little true magic."
Sinbad grimaced. "But he's not willing to hear that fact, and
that is what is bothering me the most."
Doubar looked at his brother slowly. "Now, little brother, do
not get me wrong for I too have misgivings about Xaldar's story."
"But?"
"But are you sure your judgement is not being clouded by some
feeling of jealousy?"
Sinbad paused and looked at Doubar incredously. "Jealousy of
what? Maeve and Xaldar?" he forced a laugh. "Brother, Maeve is a big
girl, should she choose to spend time with the prince then that is her
decision. I have no feelings either way."
"Come now, Sinbad. I know you care for the girl. Watching her
with another man cannot be easy for you. Contrary to what you may
believe, I too have been in love at moments in my life."
Sinbad shook his head. "Doubar, I appreciate your concern, but
you are way off base. I am not jealous of Xaldar, no matter how close he
may be to Maeve." With that Sinbad quickened his step to walk along side
the sorceress.
Doubar moved to walk with Firouz. "By all that is holy, Firouz,
we are in for a long week."
