a calm morning

[Doubar]

Just what I thought. If he was being honest, Doubar had expected the young one to say something like that but now that she actually had done it, he felt rather uncomfortable with answering.
Although he finally had decided for himself now not to lock the Lass out of their current life anymore, he still found it hard to suddenly really talk about her again.
"Well", he eventually began cautiously, "don't know how much you might have already heard about her from the others, but Maeve's speciality had been fireballs. And she used to exercise herself in them here onboard ... causing quite some trouble with that sometimes. So, yes, you could say we all had our experiences with fire."
Taking another sip of water then, he half-shrugged at the brunette, making sure that she would miss the slight smirk that formed on his face while recalling those early days of their joint adventures.

[alex]

Bryn's eyes grew wide. She wanted to learn as much as she could about Maeve. "Really. Did she set the sails ablaze or burnt down the mast?"

[Doubar]

"No, not quite", the big man chuckled. He wasn't surprised about Bryn's curiosity. The crew had not spoken much about the Celt in the past year, and hadn't it been for Scratch then maybe they still wouldn't. But having seen Sinbad run for what he had believed to be the Lass had changed many things. One of them being that Bryn finally seemed to be interested in so many things and showing sides of herself that none of the crew had seen before.

"Well, in her early days onboard", the first mate began to explain, "she still had had only weak controll over her fireballs. So when once she formed one under the instructions of DimDim, she let go of it too early. The fireball flew backwards and would have nearly burnt us." Doubar put down his flask and met the brunettes gaze. "The burnt white spot is still to be seen on the mast above the rudder."

[alex]

Bryn's eyes were now as wide and round as the moon. And they shined like the moon, too. For her, this was getting better and better. She could see Maeve now, forming what Doubar called a fireball and accidentally throwing it at Sinbad, but just missing him. She chuckled. "Oh boy, I wished I could have seen Sinbad's face when that fireball almost hit him."

[Doubar]

"Yeah, well, I cannot tell you", the first mate grinned at her in response, "for I had been too occupied with ducking myself."

Although having been very sceptical back then, this particular memory now was one he treasured. And every single time when Doubar had his shift and looked at that mast, he felt a warm and honest smile spread on his face - a smile very similar to that one that by now had formed on his lips.

"But honestly", he soon after continued to make sure the brunette didn't get a false impression of the Celt's magic, "she got quite skilled in them and saved our lifes more than only once with those fiery little things."

[alex]

She smiled. "I am sure. Dermott told me she was strong, strong enough to battle Rumina." She paused then chuckled. "Fiery little things. Did you tell her that? I am sure she would be glad to roast you for that."

[Doubar]

At the sorceress' words, Doubar laughed out loud. "Aye, most likely she would. But then again", he added, still grinning, "she knows I value them so maybe I would be off the hook."

[alex]

She smiled and smirked. "Perhaps. Sounds like she had quite a temper."

[Doubar]

Doubar snorted playfully. "A temper. Aye, that she had." And it was true. The first mate felt his gaze blur as in his mind several memories started to form. How many times had the Celt stood up against the men onboard only to set their heads straight? How many times had she made sure that she was being heard? Doubar had to admit that he had never met a girl like her before and just like so many others onboard, he was missing her dearly. Her fiery temperament and her loving nature were traits that were only rarely to be found and having lost the one who carried them had cut the whole crew to the quick.
"One you can hardly compare to others", he eventually half-sighed before focusing on the young one again and smiling warmly at her. "She's been a special one and I am sure you would have liked her as well."

[alex]

Bryn smirked again and cocked her head to the side. "Again, perhaps. Or maybe I like being the only woman on board. How can I compete against her? She is far more beautiful than me. And who knows, she may not even like me. According to Dermott, she had a jealously toward females who got too close to Sinbad."

[Doubar]

At her words Doubar felt his eyebrows rise. "What makes you think so?", he immediately blurted out. "You're a beautiful girl and you will never need to compete against her. You're our friend and part of this crew. What makes you think you have to be better than her?" The first mate really couldn't understand what made the young one think like she did, but right before he could start wondering about that more, it was another fact that caught his attention. She was talking about the Lass as if she were to come back soon. And Allah only knew how much Doubar would wish for that. But there was no hint that this was ever going to happen. Not in the near future that was.
The older man was keenly aware how sadness was trying to get a hold of him as this thought entered his head, but concentrated hard on not letting it be shown. Instead he kept his warm smile and added: "And besides: indeed she did get jealous. But only when it came to women that...". Doubar needed a moment to think of the right words. "Women that obviously wanted more from him than just friendship", he finally decided to say, "Towards friends she's always been affectionate and kind."

[alex]

She blushed. Doubar called her beautiful. How sweet of him. I always have been a little fond of the gentle giant. So noble. So cheerful. So friendly. True, I do not need to compete with Maeve. But her thoughts were cut off by Doubar's next comment: "...indeed she did get jealous. But only when it came to women that obviously wanted more from him than just friendship." She chuckled. "Like Rumina."

[Doubar]

Doubar made a face. "Naah. Rumina was one of her own kind. That witch doesn't know how to love. She just wanted Sinbad as her personal attendant." Even after this whole year in which they had heard nothing about the dark sorceress, the first mate felt a shiver run down his spine when recalling how she had looked at his little brother and his aversion, he knew, was easily to be heard in his voice.
"Believe me, it wasn't only Maeve who despised her", the big man grunted. "Plus she had even more reason to hate that witch than just the interest she showed in Sinbad."

[alex]

Bryn smiled while she listened to what Doubar had too say. Regardless of what Doubar or Dermott said, she could not help picturing Rumina trying to woo Sinbad. She chuckled at that last image.

But Doubar’s last line, "Plus she had even more reason to hate that witch than just the interest she showed in Sinbad," caught Bryn curiosity. "You mean Maeve?"

[Doubar]

Doubar nodded. "Aye."