Watching the waves (open for crew, others pm me)

[Sinbad]

It was a couple of days since the crew of the Nomad had left the island Scratch had taken residence on. Not even a week since Sinbad had seen the devil´s hope of possessing his soul shattered. It had been good days since then. A lot of sun, a friendly breeze, just as if the danger of their last adventure had cleared up finally showing even in the weather.

They had had no particular aim, but since they were slowly running out of food and water, they were headed for Basra. That, too, was a bit like in the old days, and the captain found himself liking this. No responsibilities for now, just seeing where the wind would take them and eventually, he was sure, this very wind would bring a new adventure.

It was near noon. Doubar was keeping his shift at the tiller and Sinbad had retreated to the futher part of the vessel, a hand in the nets, a foot slightly propped up on one of the lower bars of the railing, watching the sky. For now at least, he felt at peace, but this wasn´t always so these days. Their last adventure had given him a lot to think about and that he did, whether his crew noticed his thoughtfulness or not. Maybe they didn´t, because he had also become a bit more cheerful in the last days. A strange mix and whether anyone could tell, the captain did not know.

[alex]

Bryn noticed the captain standing alone looking out into the distance as if her was in deep thought. Bryn was worried about him. The last few days he had been acting strangely. She thought she could cheer up the captain. After all, talking about your problems usually ease the stress placed on the person. She walked to the captain. "Hey, what's up."

[Sinbad]

Sinbad could hear someone walk up to him only when that person was a few steps away. Turning his head, he found it was Bryn and he smiled slightly, his face not giving away his thoughtful state too much.
"Nothing much." he replied. "just thinking about how good it feels to be back on the open seas again." This wasn´t even a lie. But not the complete truth, either.

[alex]

Suspecting Sinbad was hiding something, she said "Liar. I know better than that. So tell me, what's on your mind."

[Sinbad]

He gave a slight chuckle at that, stepping down from the railing, but leaving his hand against the ropes. "What makes you think I´m lying?" he asked, a faint trace of near humorous reproach in his voice. Part of him that most people should have noticed him being pensieve, but he had mostly hidden it. Volunteered for shifts at the tiller to have some time to think and the like. Nothing too suspicious. And nothing he had not been through before.

[Dermott]

Dermott was flying in circles over the Nomad, which was peacefully sailing to Basra. Apparently, everything was going on as usual. Crew members were busy looking after their own duties, while Doubar stayed at the tiller and Sinbad and Bryn were chatting in a corner.

Apparently.

The bird perfectly knew that there was something different on the ship now. The black, heavy, thick halo which had been surrounding their captain for over a year, had suddenly disappeared. Until a couple of days ago, Dermott perceived a strange force around Sinbad. It was like a starving demon waiting eagerly to devour his light whenever he let his guard down and gave up to rage and violence.

He was aware that Bryn had been a precious support for him in this though battle. She had always been able to calm, comfort, and bring the sailor back to normal. People who share the same experience usually became close, even for a while, and Dermott suspected that there was still a battle against the dark forces in Bryn’s heart too. For this reason, she had this emphatic ability to understand Sinbad.

“Here they go again” thought Dermott observing them from the sky, and was thankful for what Bryn had done for the captain during this past year. He couldn’t have looked into his sister’s eyes again if something bad had happened to him.

Now he felt relieved, he guessed the captain only had to get used to his regained freedom. But, at the same time he was feeling uneasy. He wasn’t sure, but for a moment he had a flash of two icy, malevolent eyes staring at the Nomad. Powerful eyes imbued with magic. But he couldn’t sense nothing more.

“Why I’m never able to use properly this foreseeing power?” Thought the bird-boy miserably. So he kept on flying nervously, hoping to understand the cause of his growing uneasiness.

[alex]

Bryn looked up at Dermott in the sky, but quickly return her attention to Sinbad. "Because one you constantly wonder from one place to another as if in you are trying to solve something. And two you have that boyish grin on your face which is typical of a liar. Now as your friend, tell me what is bothering you. Or at least talk to me. You haven't talked much in the past few days."

She pressed her lips together in a firm line and crossed her arms. She stared at Sinbad with her brown eyes, waiting for a responce.

[Sinbad]

Sinbad followed her eyes, his gaze briefly lingering on the hawk circling above him. Did he miss her, too, he wondered? It was very well possible. Dermott had always seemed to be rather smart for a bird. He ended the thought before it settled in his mind, since this would have mean drifting off again, giving the brunette who was intently watching him right now all the more proof for her accusations.

For a moment he was tempted to twist her words once more, just for the fun of it, but then he decided against it. "It´s just that I´ve been thinking about this and that since our last meeting with my good old frind Scratch." he said. Now that again was the truth even though a rather general account thereof. This and that. The things this demon had said about him having become more reckless. The fact that he had begun to realise that change inside him, too now. His own self doubts about how he had let himself be changed like this. And Maeve. Of course her. Even though he now knew it had all been a trap, it felt as if she had just been snatched from him, a moment before he had found her. All this was on his mind, giving him a lot to think about, but he usually wasn´t the type of guy who would let it show. Sinbad was not the kind of man who would spill out his inner thoughts on a whim.

[alex]

"Hmmmm. Yes, Scratch was one mean devil. We all would have been dead if it weren't for you." She gave out a deep sign. "And you deserve all our thanks. But tell me, what is 'this and that." She was determined to get to the bottom of this. She could not stand one more day watching Sinbad like this. It was driving her crazy.

[Sinbad]

Indeed, Sinbad thought. They had seen how evil Scratch could be, but they had not gotten all of the conersation he had had with the monster. They had not seen what he had been about to become. That had not been him. Or yes, his feet had been set on just that path. Being confronted with your own dark side was not easy.

A faint smirk showed on his face when he glanced at he, tilting his head a little for a moment."We had a nice little chat, me and him." he said. Irony was something that still was easy. That had never changed. "Let´s just say it wasn´t nice. And that he didn´t play fair." It implied the fact that Scratch had used Maeve... had used something that had looked like Maeve, as a bait. Scratch had known all his weaknesses and played them against him.

[alex]

Frowning a little but managing a smile, Bryn closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened her eyes, she stared into those sad, sad, sea-blue eyes. Why is he hiding from me. Doesn't he know that I care dearly for him and that his continued sadness only hurts me more. I wish I could do something. Oow, he can be so stubborn sometimes. It is driving me crazy. I can't stand it anymore. "Sinbad, stop playing games with me." I was surprised that I virtually shouted at him. This was not like me. I have never raised my voice at Sinbad. I looked down and closed my eyes, hoping, praying that he would not get mad at me.

[Sinbad]

He did not flinch when she suddenly raised her voice, but raised his eyebrow at it slightly. Bryn usually didn´t do that. She was usually calmer than that, someone who did not get agitated so quickly. The fact that she did react like this probably meant she was rather wound up. A few days ago, this might have been the moment when he would have reacted with a stern face that clearly indicated who had a say on this ship. Now he didn´t. Instead, he turned around completly now, tearing his eyes from the sky he had been gazing at now and then, leant his back against the railing and crossed his arms.

"I´m not playing games with you, Bryn." he said. "I never would." Playing games sounded like tricksing, it was the sort of thing Scratch would do. Playing games. Fooling him. And he had run into that trap. She had thanked him for saving them all, but she had not seen what had been going on before. He would have run to the end of the world head over heels...
"I´m just trying to figure out who I am."

[alex]

Bryn raised her head, opened her eyes, and smiled at Sinbad, glad that he was not mad at her. But the smile soon faded when Bryn noticed the expression on Sinbad's face. It was as if he was a lost little boy. This was strange. She had never seen this boy in Sinbad. The last time she saw it in him was exactly one year ago, when this mysterious woman, the one they call Maeve, left. Bryn could not help smiling. "You miss her, don't you," Bryn said in a cheerful but thoughtful voice.

[Sinbad]

There was, of course, only one answer to that and he knew that. Probably everyone who knew him did. Of course he did miss her, had missed her every day. He had tried to get along with it and since he had never been one to openly display what he was feeling he had started to deny it to the outside world. Not with words, but with the way he lived and acted. Trying to dull he pain he had changed. And now was the point that he had finally realised that this change had not been for the best. Not at all. What would Maeve say if she had seen him like that he wondered. Nothing good that much was for sure. She would have known how to set his head straight again. But it was her leaving that had caused the change so there was not much sense in wondering what she would have done had she been there.

He kept silent for a moment, scowling slightly. "I thought she was there." he said. It was not a direct reply for her question but one could read between the lines clearly enough. "In Scratch´s dungeon." He had believed this, naively possibly but even a spark of hope had made him forget about reason. Sure, Dim Dim had let him know she was safe with him, but that had been a year ago. Much could happen in a year.

[alex]

"Mmmmm, I see. Scratch, played on your emotions, didn't he? She paused for a moment. "Tell me about her."