Part Four
Maeve awoke the next morning curled against something warm and comfortable. The morning air chilled her so she snuggled close to it; she felt so calm and at peace. Sighing deeply she moved her arm to drape across the object, unmindful of its source. It was then that the object shifted, pinning her back into her blankets. She opened her eyes only an instant before Sinbad's warm mouth covered hers.
Gasping in surprise, Maeve stiffened for a moment, her mind crying out for her to pull away; but her heart and her body betrayed her. With a groan she wrapped her arms tightly around him, her heart beating so loud she was sure he could hear. His mouth moved off hers, moving slowly downwards. His teeth grated over her jaw down to the tiny hollow in her throat, where his lips and his tongue lingered for what seemed an eternity.
Purring sounds escaped from Maeve's throat, as Sinbad's hands moved to explore her eloquent body. Maeve's fingers weaved themselves into Sinbad's hair; her life was devoid of all sight and sound -- all that was left were Sinbad's mouth and hands roaming over her body, reaching into her soul. She wrapped one of her legs over his, and dragged his mouth back to hers. Working swiftly, Maeve removed his vest and shirt, pitching them indelicately across the tent. Sinbad scarcely moved far enough away for her fingers to work, as he fumbled with the brown suede vest she wore over her clothing. Growing desperation made his fingers slow, however, and that one moment was time enough to bring the world crashing down upon them.
"Firouz, man! Wake up!" Doubar's loud voice sounded from directly outside the tent, followed by his barking laugh. "It's morning!"
Maeve and Sinbad looked at each other in horror, still locked in their embrace. They heard a muffled response from the scientist, then Doubar's laugh once more. "That would explain why little brother is no where to be found!"
Sinbad groaned, and Maeve shushed him. "Quiet! We still have a chance to get out of this! Get dressed quickly!"
Sinbad looked at the woman in shock for a moment, then shrugged and picked up his hastily discarded clothing. He listened quietly for Doubar to move away, and gestured towards the front of the tent.
"Me?" she hissed.
"It's your tent! Now go look!" he whispered back.
"I'm not the one who crawled uninvited into someone elses blankets!"
"You didn't seem to be complaining a moment ago! As I recall these clothes didn't get all the way over here on their own!" he said, harshly.
"I should have hit you with that lightening bolt when I had the chance!" she grumbled, walking slowly to the front of her tent. She straightened her rumpled clothing, refastening her belt, then she peeked her head out into the sunlight.
"Maeve!" Doubar roared, "I was just coming to check and see if you had snuck off with Sinbad!"
Maeve had jumped so high at the sound of her name she had struck her head on the support branch overhead. She gently rubbed her forehead and stepped out of the tent.
Doubar looked at her. "Sorry, girl. I didn't mean to startle you."
Maeve shrugged, "I'm all right, just a little jumpy after last night I guess. What's going on out here?"
Doubar laughed and Maeve cringed in pain. "Firouz fell asleep on watch last night. I was just giving him a wake up call. Plus I can't seem to find Sinbad anywhere." He paused to look at Maeve's flushed cheeks, and noticed her not so steady breathing. "Have you seen him, Maeve?"
Maeve tried to hide her guilty expression. "No, I only just woke up myself. Perhaps he has gone to explore our path for the day."
"Mmmm, perhaps. If Sinbad returns tell him I'll be back in thirty minutes. I just want to make sure nothing has happened to him."
Maeve smiled with relief. "I'll keep an eye out here, Doubar." she glanced over her shoulder towards the watch tree. "While I help Firouz out of the tree. What's that thing he's lowering down anyway?"
Doubar groaned, "Do yourself a favor, girl, and don't get him started. We do want to leave sometime today." Maeve forced a laugh, as she turned back to her tent. "And Maeve?" she jumped again as she looked back at Doubar, "Do yourself another favor, and relax, okay?"
Maeve nodded, "Sure, Doubar."
Maeve waited until Doubar faded from sight before moving back into her tent. "Next time, you're doing the lying!"
Sinbad smiled wickedly, "Next time?"
Maeve slowly pointed a finger at him and with a glare and a flash of magic, singed the end of his sash.
"Maeve!" Sinbad cried, "What are you doing? You could of hit me!"
"Hmm," she muttered thoughtfully, "I missed." They heard a muffled yell and then a curse from outside. Maeve peeked back out of the tent. "Doubar has gone looking for you and Firouz is hanging upside down from the tree. I'll go help him. You had better get back to your tent before someone sees us."
Maeve left for the watch tree and Firouz while Sinbad slipped out of her tent. Neither of them noticed Doubar watching them from the treeline with a smile, or Xaldar watching them from his tent with a glare.
Maeve moved to stand beside the large object on the ground, and peered up at Firouz. "Firouz, what are you doing?"
Firouz twisted to look at Maeve's upside down form. "Oh, hello, Maeve. I'm glad to see you are feeling better. It's called a jumping spring."
Maeve looked at the odd object. It stood about two feet off the ground with a solid square frame and a strange cloth strung across the middle. She hesitated, but couldn't resist asking. "What does it do, exactly?"
Firouz's face was turning purple from the blood rushing to his face. "Well, the inside is made of a cloth I call elastic. It's very springy so anything that lands on it will bounce up high. The harder something hits it, the higher it will bounce." Maeve raised an eyebrow, and looked at him. Firouz shrugged awkwardly, "Just don't jump on it near any trees."
Maeve laughed and raised a hand, aiming it over Firouz's entangled leg. Firouz followed the direction of Maeve's hand and swallowed hard. "Um, Maeve, no offence, but are you sure you know where you're aiming that thing?"
Maeve sighed, "Of course I do, now relax for a minute." She rolled her eyes at Firouz's short prayer, and muttered a few words. A bolt of magic extended from Maeve's left hand, pointing at the tree and another extended from her right hand, directed to Firouz's landing point. The branch holding Firouz's foot captive snapped under the pressure of Maeve's magic, and Firouz went sailing into the air. Maeve caught him lightly with her magic, and set him softly on the ground. "Pretty good, eh?" Firouz just glared at Maeve who gave him her most innocent look. "Oh, did I forget to tell you I'd catch you?" At Firouz's exasperated look Maeve laughed and helped him to his feet.
Hefting Firouz's invention onto her shoulders, Maeve walked with Firouz back to camp.
"Oh, look," Firouz said, "Sinbad is back. Doubar was looking for him earlier this morning."
"So I heard." Maeve swallowed hard as her eyes tracked the movement of every muscle on Sinbad's body. She blushed deeply thinking about the moment they had shared that morning. Shaking off her train of thought, she moved to walk past Sinbad. "Good morning, Sinbad." she said as she walked right past her captain.
"Maeve." he murmered, watching her dissapear into Xaldar's tent.
Maeve put on her brightest smile. "Good morning, Xaldar! How are you feeling today?"
Xaldar sat up easily. "Quite well, actually." He opened his tunic, the wound was almost healed. "I suppose if they had killed me I would have stayed dead, but wounds appear to be quite temporary."
"Excellent news, your highness," Sinbad said as he entered the tent. "Would you rather we wait to move on until you are fully healed?"
Xaldar shook his head. "After last night's incident, it has become apparent that the sooner we reach Tayia the better. We must protect her from Mordred at all costs!"
"Aye," Sinbad looked over his shoulder. "Doubar returns, we should break down the camp."
"We'll leave you to prepare your things, Xaldar." Maeve said as she followed Sinbad over to Doubar.
Doubar appraised the duo. "There you are, little brother. Where did you dissaprea to this morning?"
Sinbad shrugged, "Oh, I was around."
Doubar grinned evilly. "Did you sleep well then?"
Maeve's head snapped up and Sinbad's jaw dropped as Doubar strode away roaring in laughter. "Great," Maeve muttered. "Just great." She left Sinbad standing there to go pack up her tent.
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That day's journey grew more tense as the sun rose higher. Sinbad scowled at Xaldar who scowled at Sinbad in return. Maeve wouldn't speak to Sinbad or Doubar so she remained in the rear, walking along side Firouz, growing tired of his endless chatter. By the time the crew broke for lunch, their spirits were low and their energy level even lower.
Continuing to avoid Sinbad, Maeve quickly built a lunch fire and moved to collect some nearby fruits and berries. Doubar watched her silently as he drew out the rabbit from the night before. Running a spit through the carcass, he set it to roast over the fire.
Not a word was exchanged while they ate and the silence grew too much for Firouz to bear. "What is wrong with you people?!" he burst out as everyone stood silently, ready to continue their journey. "Is there not enough animosity in this world all ready that you have to create it amongst yourselves?"
Sinbad looked at Maeve who instantly looked away, red tinting her cheeks. Doubar shook his head. "Firouz is right. Maeve, little brother, this is a fools game. Now stop acting like spoiled children!"
Maeve's jaw dropped in shock at the harshness of his comment, and she took a step closer to Sinbad. Sinbad glared at his brother. "You are forgetting, Doubar, it was you who started this."
"Aye, and I wish I had kept my mouth shut."
Maeve sighed. "Doubar, I should not be so quick to anger all the time. The last thing we need on this journey is a bad feeling between each other. Forgive me."
Doubar smiled. "Anytime, my dear. Little brother?"
Sinbad rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, brother."
Maeve smiled sweetly as she walked between the two brothers. Without breaking stride she stuck her tongue out at Sinbad. She laughed at the look on his face, and went to find Dermott.
Sinbad watched after her for a moment. "Sassy little witch," he muttered.
Doubar smiled, nodded his head, and turned to Firouz. "Back to normal, eh Firouz?"
"That's a good thing, right?" Firouz laughed.
Nobody noticed the scowl of pure hatred cross Xaldar's face.
Sinbad hurried to catch up with Maeve and Dermott, who flew into a nearby tree. "Maeve? Are we really all right again?" he asked slowly.
Maeve laughed sarcastically. "Have we ever really been all right, Sinbad? Have we?"
Sinbad laid his hands on her shoulders, turning her around, gazing into her eyes. "Yes, we have. What's here between us, Maeve, it feels right. It is right."
Maeve groaned in frustration. "How can you be so sure?!"
He moved his hands to her waist, and hauled her close. "Maeve, you can't argue with this." Lowering his mouth to hers, Sinbad kissed her deeply. Holding her tightly, Sinbad could feel the tension ebb from her body, and slowly she moved her amrs around him. She felt like the ground was sliding out from beneath her -- was she breathing? -- she couldn't tell. Her world was spinning off its axis, and she knew that she would allow herself to burn up in the sun if only it would prolong this kiss forever. Sinbad felt her knees begin to weaken, and she held him tightly to keep herself from falling to the ground. Keeping his hands firmly upon her waist, with her body pressed closely, intimately up against his, Sinbad slowly broke the kiss. Before he moved his head away, he moved in to kiss her once more, gently tracing her lips with his tongue. He moved to brush his lips across her eye lids and kissed her forehead. Smiling with satisfaction, yet burning with endless longing, Sinbad leaned back to watch the flurry of emotions cross her beautiful face.
Maeve could hardly drag her eyes open, and then only to meet Sinbad's burning gaze. She realized, then, as she stood there shaking, clinging to him, that she was in deep trouble. Jerking out of her reverie, Maeve realized that he had been saying something to her. "What?" she murmered, startled.
"I asked if you were okay to stand on your own."
Maeve scowled, pushing away from him. "Of course I am!" she snapped, but before she could say anything else, her legs gave away, and she sat down hard.
Sinbad laughed lowly, extending his hand to his pretty sorceress. Maeve shook her head and crossed her legs. Smoothing down her skirt she murmered, "Leave me here for a moment."
Sinbad sighed but smiled gently. "As you wish, Maeve." He turned around to see Doubar peering at him with raised eyebrows. Xaldar and Firouz were talking a few steps away. Obviously what had felt like an eternity to Maeve and Sinbad had actually only lasted a moment or two. Allah had been merciful, Sinbad thought, for only Doubar had seen their reckless release of emotion.
But he was mistaken. Xaldar had seen it all, plus which he had seen into Firouz's bag and what it carried; exploding sticks. Xaldar had seen them once before and knew how to work them. Now, if only he could distract that annoying little man long enough to set his plan in motion.
Firouz jumped, startled, as Xaldar burst into laughter for no apparant reason.
Continued in Shared Admissions: Part Five
