Bryn's cabin

[Dermott]

At her answer Dermott was even more convinced that his suspicions were true. Bryn's heart was in turmoil. She was beginning to feel uneasy about her memory loss, and she chose to keep quiet and to suffer in silence. She was longing for a warm place, to be surrounded by love. No wonder she was unwilling to leave the ship. And the Nomad's crew was the only family she has ever known. At present at least.


"Sorry for this abrupt question" said the bird trying to find the rights words. "I was just... worried about you"

"During your chat with Sinbad you said that hope keeps you from going mad. I've never heard you talking about your.....your memories like that. So, I wonder if you are okay Bryn. If you really are okay."

[alex]

She kind-of blushed. "Oh, it's nothing, really. But thank you for worrying about me. I can't do anything about my memories, so why go crazy over it. That won't change anything. The best option is for me to sit and wait and maybe, just maybe, I will see some light at the end of the tunnel. Who knows, maybe I will get my memory back, or maybe I won't. But I can still build a wonderful future." She thinks for a while. "Anyway, it is kind-of exciting to wonder what my past holds."

[Dermott]

Dermott shivered at her last reply. Will the new Bryn of present days, the sweet and compassionate resident sorceress of the Nomad, be able to cope with her past self? He had the impression that she was somehow afraid of her past, because she skipped the subject and for over a year never tried to find a way to unlock her memories. Even now.

It was understandable. There’s a time for everything, and perhaps Bryn’s wasn’t still come. She was a sensitive girl, if her inner self was avoiding to remember, maybe she was unconsciously aware that the burden could be too hard to bear.


Dermott suddenly thought that Master Dim-Dim would have known what to do in such a situation.


“I’m sure you’ll still be yourself when you’ll recover your memories. Our identities are built day by day with the experiences we chose to live. However, I hope you won’t forget about us if you’ll turn out to be a princess. Or should I say an amazon princess considering your fighting skills.” Chuckled Dermott in a light tone.


Then he turned serious again. “Anyway, sorry if I’ve been a bit pushy. I’ve only thought that maybe, paying a visit to an expert magician could have helped somehow. But it’s up to you to decide when and if you are ready.”

[alex]

Bryn smiled. “No reason to apologize. You were just worried about me. I thank your thoughtfulness. Perhaps we may meet a powerful magician on our travels, and he could help me when we are at port. There is no way I will leave you, especially just to enhance my power and gain back my memories. You have been the best family I ever had. I would be so sad if I did. And me, a princess, please. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Maeve is a princess. After all, see does have the beauty. Gosh, she is even more beautiful than me.” She thought awhile. “I wonder what Maeve feels about being separated from the crew. I am sure she wouldn’t have wished to leave. Would she?”

[Dermott]

“Don’t be so hard on yourself” he answered promptly “You have your own charm”.


Dermott suddenly had a fit of tenderness towards Bryn. He had the impression that she was feeling a bit insecure because of Maeve, asking so many questions, first to Sinbad, now to him.

He agreed to tell her some general things to begin with, gradually, but there were certain aspects of his past tragedy that he wasn’t willing to share. Her sister never did it so far, and he wasn’t in the mood to open up completely either. This wasn’t only his secret. It was their secret. Their battle against the one who started everything. Rumina.

And then, there was Bryn’s involvement in the whole matter. What for was she in Erin at the time? Was she somehow connected to the other witch? Dermott couldn’t be sure, because they acted separately and in different times and places, but he was still doubtful about the Bryn from the past. As much as he was worried about the present Bryn right now. He was afraid she could end up being hurt because of what she did then, and considering the way she was acting lately, Dermott wasn’t confident if it could be better for her to be told about this story.


“And I know what you mean,” continued “The Nomad crew is like a family to me too. We always help and support each other.”

“Just like you I did for the captain before. I was worried too, seeing him changing so much little by little. But I didn’t imagine that this Devil had a part in all this. It’s a dangerous one. It shouldn’t be an easy thing to deal with our own dark side”

[alex]

Her smile started to fade. Yes, Sinbad was changing. Dermott admitted it. And for the first time she could see through Dermott's eyes. She could see how Dermott had watched the young captain change day by day. She looked into his eyes, his bird eyes. Or was he really a bird. Apparently he had compassion and thought, both human emotions. He sounded like he knew exactly what it was to be human and how it feels. "You have a dark side?"

[Dermott]

“This is not an easy question.” said Dermott “ I don’t think that in the animal world there are things like dark side and good side. There is just a sort of instinct which push my brothers and sisters to hunt and plunder, but we just do this for our own survival. We never took or steal nothing more than what we need, and above all, we never abuse Mother Nature and her gifts. Nor act against each other for fun or gaining more power”

“On the contrary, humans often forget about their connection with each other, and with mother earth too. And when they become greedy, wanting more than what they need, it is possible that they end up falling into the dark”.

Dermott suddenly remembered the moment of his shape-shifting. The shock, the physical pain for what his body was undergoing, and the emotional despair had almost made him get lost into his bird nature. If Master Dim-Dim hadn’t thought him how to control Rumina’s spell, maybe he couldn’t have been talking to Bryn like that now, because he probably would have already forgotten he had once been human.

“Perhaps, losing to one’s dark side is something like that. Forgetting everything without having any clue of the change.” He considered within himself following his own reasoning. But he didn’t think he had ever experienced a situation like the one Sinbad had to live during the past year. He could have hated Rumina, but the Master’s, and his sister’s presence helped him to stay in touch with himself.

Anyway, he wanted to share his little knowledge with Bryn, hoping she will find this useful when her time to face her battle will come.


“I don’t think I’ve ever met my dark side, so I can’t talk by my own experience. I can only tell you what master Dim-Dim was used to teach. A person who gives up to his dark side, may have somehow missed out his own inner balance. Nobody can restore it but ourselves. One has to accept everything about himself, the bright and good aspects, as well as weakness and wrong deeds. Human beings aren't perfect, but if they fall they can also easily raise up again, trying to find out the reason which has started the process.”


“Don’t worry about the captain, he is a strong guy, and his heart is in the right place. He had been one of Dim-Dim’s pupils, so he know this very well too, that love is the key.”

[alex]

Bryn smirked at Dermott's last words. Yeah, Sinbad is one hell-of-a strong man. And a stubborn one, too. Or, well, at least that's the Sinbad she knew. He was always so serious, but then again, he did not seem to care the least to kiss girls right in front of me. Ewww... Sometimes I feel like smacking him, but he is my captain. After all he saved my life. I owe him.

Greed? No, Sinbad is one of the least greedy people I know. So it is definitely not greed that is drawing him to the dark side.

Sinbad said this was not just about Maeve. Scratch had encouraged Sinbad to join him.

But it was Dermott's last words that made her really think: love is the key. Would Sinbad get better if Maeve was here. Yes, he loved her. But how? How can she bring back Maeve? “Hmmm, love is the key. You really think love would help him? I wish I could bring Maeve back somehow, for his sake. Is there anybody Maeve was really connected to? Maybe if we could have him or her talk to Sinbad, then he would feel better.”

[Dermott]

Bringing back Maeve…

Those words sounded strange to the hawk, considering that for over a year he didn’t think about nothing else. He knew his sister was still alive, somewhere out there. If she had died the day of the storm, he would have known instantly. It was just less than a feeling, a slight sort of intuition, and he could perceive it because of their blood ties, and the tiny bit of magic power running into his veins.


But right now, in his bird form, there was nothing he could really do to find her, unless looking in the sky and listening to his inner double-edged gift. Last year he hoped desperately that the captain had taken the initiative, turning the seven seas up and down to find every magician he had ever met in his journeys, and asking them to locate Dim-Dim and Maeve’s position.

But Sinbad seemed to live in a limbo. It was as if he had already given for granted that Maeve was safe with Master Dim Dim, pretending to go on with his life, but at the same time changing into a completely different person. Dermott would have suggested it to the captain long time ago, if he had trusted Bryn since the beginning, but even later he slowly came to the conclusion that Maeve’s name was taboo for him.

However, the happenings of those last days changed a lot of things, and he wondered if it wasn’t time to make a step forward and come into action.


“Bring back Maeve? Do you mean by magic? If they are still trapped in that alternate dimension the spell must be very well-built.”

“But perhaps you are right, it is possible that a person with a strong connection with them may establish a contact, but in my opinion he/she must also be a very powerful magician. Speaking of which, you made me think that Caipra lives in Basra. She is a witch. A strong one. And above all, she is Master Dim-Dim’s wife. Don’t you think that there isn’t a stronger connection than this one?”

[alex]

Bryn’s eyes widened. “Caipra? Dim-Dim’s wife.” She thought a bit. “We have to find this woman. She may hold the key. Thanks Dermott.”

She thought proudly that Caipra might be able to help them bring back Maeve. And this would help relieve Sinbad’s pains. That made her even happier. She thought about the last few days. Their visit with Scratch was not a pleasant one. Suddenly she remembered something and her smile faded.

“Dermott, who is that Rumina person Doubar mentioned?”

[Dermott]

"Rumina? "

"She is crazy witch, totally committed to the dark arts" said Dermott almost automatically.

"She was kind of obsessed with our charming captain last year, but he didn't show up since a very long time now. Trust me, you didn't miss nothing in not knowing her"


And Dermott truly believed this. Bryn hadn't still gained full control over her powers. It was better for her to not cross the path of a powerful sorceress like Rumina. It would have been an unequal battle, and Rumina had already caused enough damages.

[alex]

"Wo wo, slow down. I get that Rumina is a bad person. And sounds like she knows magic, too." Bryn thought about what she had just said. This could be bad, because she was in no condition to fight against another person who knew magic. And she, curently, was the only magicain Sinbad had. But maybe this Caipra person could help against Rumina. But after hearing Dermott's last comment, she had to chuckle. "Was obsessed with Sinbad. Now, I think I want to meet this dark witch." Bryn thought awhile. It was a stupid question but was worth a try. "Do you think Rumina would help Sinbad? After all, you said she was obsessed with him."

[Dermott]

Dermott was slowly realizing that there were a lot of things that Bryn still didn’t know about last year, and Rumina was one them.

The bird wondered why the dark sorceress didn’t bother the Nomad’s crew for such a long time. She couldn’t possibly be dead, otherwise he would have notice it, considering how the the spell she casted upon him hadn’t weakened a bit. But if she was still alive, why she didn’t attack them since the last time at the Isle of Tears? She should have been able to locate their position with her strong powers. And the idea that she could have give up on her purpose to kill Sinbad was out of question.


“Bryn, listen” said the hawk trying to find the right words “she is evil, and this is the very first reason why it’s better for the captain to not have nothing to do with her. She’ll never help him, and it’s very likely the opposite, because she’ll try in every possible way to hurt and harm him instead.

[alex]

Bryn looked at him. Bryn could not understand why someone would try to hurt the one he or she is obsessed with. She just nodded to Dermott. "Just a sugestion. So why does Rumina want to hurt Sinbad? Seems to me that she might have some heart."

[Dermott]

He look at her attentively, wondering how could she come to her latter conclusion. He understood Bryn’s longing to help the captain, but suggesting to ask Rumina for help sounded strange to Dermott. In some way, he was convinced that she had at least heard something about the dark witch from other crew members.


“I’m sure there are many ways to help the captain, and many magicians to consult and ask for advice. But I can assure you, that whenever Rumina appears, it means troubles. We cross her path very often last year, and each time she had always tried to destroy and ruin whoever and anything which stood in her way.”

“Can I ask you a thing? Why do you think she could have some heart? I thought you never met her before”.