Finding featherbrain (after porting)

[alex]

Bryn searched the skies, looking for Dermott. She was not very happy, wishing he would have stayed in her cabin and had a little sleep. But she could not blame him. After all, she did leave the window open. But also he was a bird and wanted to fly whenever he could. He was currious, and probably went to check out the city.

She let out a sign and closed her eyes, sending Dermott a message to get his butt over here.

[Dermott]

The cry of an hawk spread on the city enlightened by the sun, which had already left the horizon’s line and shone high, giving bright reflections to the houses built near the canals, as if they were surfacing directly from the waters.

Seen from above, Basra looked even more big and overshadowing than how it comes into view from the decks of the ships in its port. And Dermott noticed how this wonderful weather contrasted with the dusky visions of the previous day, because the city appeared perfectly fine.

Looking far at north, the bird of prey could easily see the point where the two great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, after having traversed the whole country met, an blended together, giving birth to a new waterway: the Shatt-Al Arab River. Basra’s own river, which directly poured into the Arabian Gulf.

The Shatt-Al Arab, fragmented in thousand of navigable canals, also connected the city with the inner territories, making it be the most important trade midpoint of the East Lands, and other than that, maybe the largest city in the south. Indeed, Basra was a natural distributing center for overseas supplies, as it could easily being seen in the market place where the hawk was flying. There where a colorful variety of people and races, coming from all over the known world, busy in selling, buying, and trading every sort of familiar and exotic goods.

Basra was a cosmopolitan city, visited every day by a great number of merchants and travelers coming from Africa, China, Nippon and even from the far away, northern, cold countries. Nevertheless, it was also a cultural meeting point, whose superb Mosques were not only swarmed with believers, but also with artists, poets and philosophers.

This wasn’t only due to the wealth and the richness brought by the many financial activities, but also by the influence and guidance of its illuminate Caliph: Omar Bin al-Khatab.

His palace raising from the top of a hill, was bordered by a surrounding wall and a ditch. But the whole housing estate was so large and populous, that it ranged far beyond the wall and Dermott’s sight. He had been flying for quite a while, and even if he hadn’t been able to explore such a huge, boundless city in its wholeness, he was aware that so far, there was no danger ahead . No fire. No war or battles. No black magic at work.

But he wanted to be sure, even if he hoped that his vision was wrong, or at least, that its true message could be different from the one of an incoming threat.

Then an idea came to his mind. Why, if instead of checking and scanning an unlimited bunch of streets and buildings, he didn’t ask about the city's happenings to somebody who lived there, and who surely knew better than anybody else how things were going on? One of the few people of his acquaintance he could communicate with?

He was already changing the direction of his flight towards the one of Caipra’s home, when he suddenly heard an echo on his mind. Bryn!

The bird turned his head glimpsing at the port. And even from a long distance he could notice that the Nomad had passed through the canal which connected Basra to the open sea, and had already dropped the anchor.

Dermott grew worried, wondering if something had happened to the crew, so with a wings’ beat he headed to where the Nomad was docked. Caipra’s visit could wait for a while.

[alex]

Bryn looked up at the sky and saw Dermott coming. She raised her arm for Dermott to perch on it.

[Dermott]

As the hawk was flying over the endless piers and docks of this immense port, he slowly began to focus the image of his mistress looking at the sky from a street near the ship, and waiting for him. The girl's figure grew bigger at every wing-beat, and as soon as she raised her arm he could easily perch on her gloven hand.

[alex]

As Dermott landed on her arm, Bryn felt relieved. She was a little worried about Dermott. She knew that she shouldn't be too worried about him, because he could take care of himself. But still.

She looked at Dermott, took a deep breathe, and virtually yelled at him in her thoughts. Where have you been?

[Dermott]

Dermott raised his head and stared at hers for a while, wondering about this abrupt reaction. Then he retorted mentally

"Don't be so tense. I was checking over the city. I though it could have been a good idea after yesterday's visions"

Then he stopped for a while before adding "Is everything all right on the Nomad?"

[alex]

Bryn pressed her lips together and let out a sigh. He was right. She shouldn't be so tense. After all, he was just making sure everything was okay. She let out another sigh before telling him that everything was fine on the Nomad. But she wanted to make it clear. "Don't go running off like that without telling me where you are going."

[Dermott]

Dermott made himself at home on Bryn’s glove, while he kept on holding their silent conversation: “I didn’t fly-away like that on purpose, it’s just that you left the room before I could reply. I didn’t meant to wrong you”.

Actually he was used to fly wherever and whenever he needed to, without telling the others beforehand. It was just an habit the crew get used to during those two years. Anyway, he must admit that he could also understand his mistress’ concern. After the gloomy visions of the previous day everybody on board was a little bit more cautious than usual. So he added gently:

“Bryn, don’t worry, nothing dangerous happened. The city was perfectly fine, for what I was able to see so far. Maybe the visions weren’t referred to Basra”

[alex]

“Or maybe they are but just haven’t happened yet.” She gave him a half-disappointed look then shook her head. “Forget it. The important thing is that you are okay. Lets get back to the ship.” She turned around to head back to the Nomad, with Dermott perched on her arm. “Show did you see anything interesting in Basra?”

[Dermott]

Dermott pretended he didn’t noticed the upset expression on his friend’s face. He didn’t want to argue with Bryn right now, and about a thing like his whereabouts.

“Well, you know, it’s such a big city that I’ve just started to scan it. Then I thought it could have been a good idea to pay a visit to Caipra. If something weird is happened or is going to happen here she’ll surely know. I was flying to her home when I’ve suddenly hear your call.

[alex]

She looked at Dermott surprised. “Caipra! Right, I forgot about her. We definitely need to pay her a visit.” She then looked to where the Nomad was already docked then returned to face the bird. “We’ll just ask Sinbad if we could pay her a visit. How far is her house from here?” she asked as she walked to the Nomad.

[Dermott]

"It's near the market place. Why don't you come along? It could be a good occasion to have a chat with her"

[alex]

She stops and looks at where the ship is docked, which is not that far. “Um…………….lets head back to the ship, tell Sinbad, and we can all go visit Caipra. What do you think?”

[Dermott]

He followed her gaze and looked at the Nomad too. "I think it's a wonderful idea. It's not far from here, and it won't take us long to get there"

After all this talking about the old magician, he was now really eager to see her again.

[alex]

She nodded at Dermott’s response and continued walking to the Nomad. She was really eager to meet Caipra.