So, as i said before in my profile, this is my very first fiction and if it's been posted here it'll be all thanks to my dear friend "Tiakisu" for approving and allowing its post, for suggesting and encouraging me to do so, and for helping me a lot and revising it.

Really big thanks to you my friend :)

And you guys -dear AoS fans- enjoy it ;)

Hope you like it.

~.~.~.~

N.B. "Reunions & Revelations" is considered as only a part (Part 1) form a multi-part fiction, which means there'd be kinda series of other successive parts of same or other adventure/s...

- One last thing, 'Italics are the characters' thoughts'.

~ Prologue ~

"Abu Ali, you come just in time. Hope you slept well. Now you'll take the night shift with Doubar."

"Aye, captain", replied the young sailor, "Do you want me to take the tiller until he comes?"

"No, just tie those ropes and get them out of the way. Oh, and send Said to call Doubar for his shift."

"No need, little brother, here I'm. You know I always come in time, never being late to my shifts."

At the sight of his brother a grin glimmered in Sinbad's eyes, enlightening his face.

"Aye big brother, you're right about this." Then he addressed the other crew man: "Ok Abu Ali, just tell Said to go have some rest."

"Aye, aye captain"

"I see the weather is good tonight if we ignore this heat", Doubar said as he relieved his brother from the tiller.

"Well, yeah, not bad. This way we may reach Basra in the morning, then we'll deliver our cargo just in time", Sinbad smiled in relief.

"And get our payments just in time", Doubar giggled, "that's good, in this case we may take some rest before sailing again, don't we."

"Yeah we may", Sinbad replied slowly as he leant on the rail, crossing his arms and draping his left leg slightly backwards. After a while he added quietly: "or... we may not." Watching his big brother's confused stare he added: "Abu Salim told me about a merchant of carpets in Basra, his friend. He said he may need a ship to get a cargo from Samarkand and…"

"From Samarkand! Sinbad, but this is a very long journey and we just come from Halab, why on Earth should we do that?"

The captain glared at his brother while replying: "Doubar!… It's for the payment of course. Abu Salim in Halab told me his friend will pay us 100 of golden pieces, may be even more. Fifty for going and the others for delivering the cargo." He smirked as he calmed down; shifting his gaze to the night sky that twinkled with so many pearly stars, "It seems that it's a very precious one, this cargo".

However the first mate continued not seeming to be even listening to his brother: "And in this case we will take a very long shot on land too. It's too far from the last harbor we can find in our way and there is no direct way by sea to reach it, I think."

"Aye, we can't reach it with the Nomad, but... don't you see,, the payment is worth it."

Doubar just groaned in disagreement which made Sinbad sigh. "Ok, I still didn't decide it yet. I know it's a very long travel and…"

"And we are all very exhausted!"

At this Sinbad rolled his eyes. "Well, take it easy big brother. I just said we may accept it, I didn't say we'll go for sure." Then he tried to change the subject: "And actually I was thinking to pay our old friends in Basra a visit."

"You mean Omar? Well, that's normal. We should do it anyway; he's the Imir of Basra."

"And Caipra. Last times we were in Basra we didn't ask about her. I have to admit it's kind of hard to pay her a visit after such long time of not showing up."

Doubar knew instantly what his brother meant exactly, so he replied quickly: "No, I don't think so." Then trying to comfort his brother he reasoned: "You know, Caipra is a very wise lady, she'll consider it. Not to mention that she is a sorceress which means she is very busy herself and has a lot to do instead of thinking of our late visit."

Sinbad kept silent this time, keeping his lost stare into the dark sky. Seeing this, Doubar searched for a distraction. Then he noticed something. He cleared his throat and remarked kindly: "But may I ask why this sudden visit? I mean, do I miss out on something?"

"Oh, no" Sinbad suddenly felt uncomfortable but tried to hide his tenseness as he gulped. "Of course not, it's just that I missed this old sorceress, you know." He shifted a little while his blue eyes scanned around in search for a rescue. Doubar stared at his brother in a way that told he didn't believe it.

The latter then added quickly: "And of course, I realized recently that Bryn didn't meet her before. As you said already Caipra is a very powerful sorceress, so I thought she may be able to help Bryn to regain some or any of her lost memory…. That's all." He looked at Doubar innocently.

"Oh, I see now. That's true indeed; she may be able to do it. How comes that we didn't think of that before?"

Sinbad shook his head, smiling inwardly in relief that his brother let it go this time.

"But do you think Bryn will accept it?", the first mate went again, "I mean you didn't tell her about Caipra, did you. She knows nothing about her and she may feel uneasy while dealing with her, or she may not trust her enough to let her search in her memories."

Sinbad grinned in confidence: "Don't worry about that big brother. It is true Bryn still doesn't know about Caipra but you shouldn't worry about her. She sees inside people and feels them more than any of us; she even sometimes can read their minds." He giggled as the memory of Bryn getting inside Shiana's mind to find the map invaded him; he remembered her teasing him afterward by declaring that he had no chance to keep a secret away from her.

"Sweet memories, aren't they. Those, one shares with his family" he thought.

"I'm sure she'll feel Caipra's aura and will know that she is a good sorceress. Actually I expect she'll like her at first sight."

"Now you are scaring me, Sinbad. You sound like Bryn!" "… and Maeve" he whispered the last words in his mind.

Sinbad raised his eyebrow, "Really?", then winked with his usual half smile. "That is the price of having a witch in the crew you captain."

Doubar just laughed out loud in approval.

Finally Sinbad said: "I should go now or you'll be forced to help me to my cabin, as I feel like I'll fall on the ground at any moment."

"Aye, you should go now and get some sleep. You look very tired. I'll tell Rongar to wake you up in the morning during his shift."

"Alright, if you need anything, Abu Ali is awake for your help."

"Great", Doubar smiled, "Some company will make the time pass quickly."

His little brother just smiled too. "Good night, big brother."

"Good night, Sinbad."

Sinbad moved towards the galley while his smile disappeared without his brother noticing it. He just hoped inside him that he could get some sleep this time. Could he?