Arrival in Basra

[alex]

Bryn returned to the Nomad with Dermott. She saw that Doubar had returned from helping Kemal and was talking something to Rongar and Sinbad. She smiled and lightly shook her head before climbing the bridge connecting the Nomad to the dock. She hated to interrupt the discussion, but she wanted to tell Sinbad that she is back.

“I’m back. Thanks for waiting,” she said smiling and petting Dermott. “And I found Dermott.”

[Sinbad]

Things around the ship had taken a little longer than Sinbad had initially planned. It had taken a while to hire some of the boys to help them with the cargo and then he had had to check the ropes and one of the richer merchants of Basra had approached them, obviously interested in their cargo which was, of course, sold and settled already. All in all, these small delays had led to the captain indeed waiting for the brunette and not run off to find rooms in a tavern already as he had wanted to earlier.

He looked up when Bryn returned, the hawk perched on her gloven hand. "Good." he said with a nod. "So what does he say? Anything around here acting strange?" He had not forgotten about Dermott´s vision and was still a bit careful about it even though the city didn´t look like it was in trouble.

[alex]

“Nope. He said everything looks fine. Oh, and he mentioned that Caipra’s house is not too far from here. Do you think we should pay her a visit?” Actually, she really wanted to but didn’t want to sound too childish saying, “Can we visit Caipra? Please. Please. Please.”

[Sinbad]

She had mentioned Caipra once already today, the captain noticed and came to the conclusion that the brunette sorceress really wanted to go, but was possibly too polite to really nag him about it.
Caipra was a friend of the crew, they had visited her a few times, whenever they were in Basra, since they had first met her. It had been a while since then, more than a year. Remembering this made Sinbad realise how long they had not been here, how long they had been more or less aimlessly wandering the seven seas, a crew giving in to where their captain wanted to go, following adventure after adventure in a so far unfertile and partly forgotten search... It made his bad consciousness stirr a bit and at the same time he thought that they could hardly stay in Basra and not visit Caipra - not after having been away from Basra for this long. She would notice. It wouldn´t be right. Even though he could imagine her questions. And even though he knew these questions were most likely not going to be pleasant to hear nor answer. But he didn´t let these contemplations show.

Looking over to the others and then back at Bryn, he gave a slight shrug, then a nod. "We can certainly do that." he said with a small smile somewhat proud at himself for managing an unforced smile. "I´m sure she´d like to have a little chat."

[alex]

She smiled and nodded. “So, when should we leave?”

[Rongar]

Rongar placed his hand on Sinbad's shoulder and waved them forward.

The ship had been taken care of, the cargo was sold and given to the man who bought it. All that was left was getting rooms.

Giving the crew leave was the last thing Sinbad had to do for the ship.

They could get rooms after a visit to Caipra after all.

[Doubar]

Although at first being a little surprised why Bryn spoke so naturally about the wise sorceress, the first mate listened calmly to the little conversation between Sinbad and her. In reply to her last question then Doubar weighed his head slightly and wanted to speak when suddenly he noticed Rongar laying his hand on Sinbad's shoulder. His gestures were easy to be understood and it was clear that he had had about the same thoughts as Doubar.
"Rongar is right. The cargo is already being unlaoded", the big man finally voiced. He and Ahmed had made sure that the lads from the port did a good job and later he had left the supervising to the younger sailor. "Plus it's quite early so it wouldn't do any harm if we went to visit her before finding a place to stay at. The taverns will still have some vacancies later on." Doubar really liked the idea of paying Caipra a visit and from what it looked like the moor was feeling the same about this.
Slowly then he turned to Sinbad and calmly asked: "What do you think about that?"

[alex]

Bryn looked at Rongar, then Doubar, and finally Sinbad, eagerly waiting for his response.

[Sinbad]

"Well, since everything is taken care of and we can leave some of the younger crew with the ship, I see no reason why we shouldn´t set off right now." Sinbad gave back, his smile looking more and more natural by the minute. He wondered where Sean was. They had talked earlier in the morning and the captain had promised the other man to look to a personal matter somewhen during their stay, maybe somewhen later. He figured that Sean would want to join them, so he waved over to the sailor to give him a sign they were leaving, leaving it up to the other one to join them.

[alex]

“Great!” She blushed at having yelled out her excitement. “I mean, aye captain.” She quickly shut up so she wouldn’t embarrass herself any more.

[Doubar]

"Seems it's settled then. We're heading off for Caipra's", Doubar's own booming words followed the sorceress' ones. He really was looking forward to seeing the elder lady again - after all she was a very good friend to all of the crew and had helped them a great deal in the past. Although, well, he had to correct himself: she was a good friend to all but one. His eyes drifted to the brunette who all too obviously had tried to hide her excitement about the upcoming meeting and found himself not being able to hide that broad grin that formed on his lips.

[alex]

Bryn looked at Doubar surprised and wide eyed at first upon hearing his words but soon smiled. But then she noticed Doubar looking at her strangely. “What?”

[Doubar]

At that his grin only became wider. "Oh, nothing", Doubar replied with his best innocent voice before clearing his throat and taking on a more serious tone again. "Anyways. Who wants to get Firouz? I'm sure he doesn't want to miss this."

[Sinbad]

"He has to be somewhere around the ship." Sinbad said. He had seen him earlier, or had it been only at their last conversation? He didn´t remember, but he was certain that the inventor had not left the ship. He let his eyes drift over the deck. "Firouz?"

[Rongar]

Rongar patted Sinbad's upper arm and pointed to himself.

Then he nodded.

If Firouz didn't answer Sinbad's call, he'd go and find their scienist friend.

After all, while he was their eyes on land, and their silent watcher during battles, he also knew when to be protective and when to let his friends out of his sight.