CHAPTER 1: THE BEE AND THE DAFFODIL
It was so dark…Hardly could he see anything. But wait a sec, there was a figure standing overthere. The figure looked like a woman. And suddenly, this one called out his name.
"Sinbad"
"Maeve. Is it you?"…Yes, Sinbad could tell it straight away that the voice is Maeve's.
"Sinbad. Help me ! ", the tall figure once again called for his help.
He ran as fast as he could to reach her while the voice inside him kept saying
"I found you. Finally, I found you…I found you, Maeve"
But just in the minute he thought he could take her hand, she disappeared, as if she had never been there.
"NNNOOOO !", Sinbad shouted and opened his eyes, sweat was all over him.
"It's just a nightmare", he thought. "Once again…", Sinbad sighed, he didn't even bother to try to remember how many times he had had that dream before. Night after night, the nightmare repeated over and over again, as if it were trying to torment him, to blame him for not being able to save the one he loved.
Sinbad was sitting on Maeve's bed, thinking about the nightmare and remembered all the happy time Maeve and he had shared together. He didn't come here very often for he was afraid of recalling the past. But today was different, it was an exception.
Flashback
Yesterday, the crew of the Nomad had had such a terrible day, they had to struggle against the heavy storm. Thanks Alah, they survised. But the ship was in a bad condition and Sinbad got to stay in the ship to give command and help other sailors repair the ship while Firouz, Doubar and Rongar went to the land to buy supplies. Bryn and Dermott' s duties were to stay on the ship and help Sinbad. After a while, Sinbad felt tired and went to the cabin. Just as he was passing by her cabin, he stop, and for no reasons, his foot led him to her cabin whidh were forbidden to open for almost 2 years. Sinbad laid there and slept until he was waken by the nightmare.
Flash back
"Maeve…" He called her name in vain knowing that she wouldn't be there to hear it.
"Where are you? Two years has passed and yet I failed to find you. Where are you? Don't you know that the love I had for you grew stronger every each passing days over the past 2 years.", he thought.
As he was being lost in his thoughts, a book fell over from Maeve's bookshelf. Sinbad picked it up and saw that the name of the book was "Diary". He hesitated for a moment, then he opened the book.
"Well, since she's gone, I guess there would be no harm to read her diary. No one's there to fry me. ", he chuckled but eyes were red.
Day…month…year…"So, master Dim Dim, the isle of Dawn, all the things I love have gone. I'm here, alone, with an annoying captain and the stupidest crew"
"What? Am I that annoying captain?", he raised his eye browns, wondered.
Day…month…year…"I kissed him, this was the first time I kissed a man. Oh! It was so sweet. Why didn't I ignore all those laughter and hold him longer?"
"What? Did the Maeve I used to know really write this? I can't believe it", he was so surprised for Maeve always acted so cold to him.
Day…month…year…"our relationship has changed to a new point after the battle with Rumina. I don't know if I can resisit his eyes for any longer, I'm so afraid that I would tell him someday that I…Oh! Maeve! Stop writing such thing."
"Why did she stop at the most important moment? Sucks!", a little dissappointed, Sinbad thought.
Day…month…year…"Sinbad has changed lately. He now looks like a pirate, not the boyish captain I used to know. What is the cause of his changes?"
"If you insist Maeve…it's you. You once tell me you like man to be manly, looks like an adult man, a hero, the one a woman can trust with all her heart…", Sinbad murmured and remembered every little word the celtic beauty had told him.
Day…month…year…"almost finish, just one more ingredient and I can open the portal to Dim Dim's place…Just one more."
"Dim Dim…What? She really found this?", his heart beaten faster cause he knew that Maeve was living with Dim Dim. If he could find Dim Dim, he would be able to see his Maeve again. He turned the page quickly hoping to find some clues. He found nothing unfortunately, for this was the last page in the diary. Maeve couldn't finish it because the day after, she fell over board. Sinbad almost went crazy, he stood up and started searching for…for anything…whatever could lead him to Maeve.
After a while, he found a small box hidden under Maeve's bed.
"Ah ha!" He shouted with a victorious smile. Quickly, Sinbad opened the box and he couldn't hide a dissappointed expression.
"What? A shirt". Yes, it was a shirt, looked like his old shirt. The shirt was wrapped carfully with a small note.
"Happy birthday Sinbad, my boyish captain, who makes every day worth living".
Somehow, Sinbad knew that Maeve had made the shirt herself. He smiled a gentle smile, found out how much Maeve cared about him made him so happy. He could even feel his warm tears were rolling on his cheek.
"Oh Maeve, you shouldn't have…"
Also, he found a small piece of paper, which was full of Maeve's hand writing but…
"Damn! What is this? What is this language she used. Never have I seen such a language…Wait, there are some English words at the end…let's see…"spell, important"… "
A thought passed his mind
"Could this be…no! it can't…but…maybe…No matter what! I must find out the meaning of those things. But before, there's something I gotta do first"
He went back to his cabin with Maeve's gift in his left hand and the paper in his right hand.
In the mean time, somewhere in the village…
"What? 500 dinar for these supplies ? Are you trying to kill me with the price?", The man yelled at the seller.
"Calm down , Doubar! Calm down!", the curly scientist said.
"What happened here?", a soft voice asked…stopped for a moment, she cried "Oh! Doubar! Firouz! And Rongar! What are you guys doing here? Where's Sinbad and his beautiful Celtic?"
"Once question at a time, Cassandra. By the way, glad to meet you again." Firouz said.
After greeting each others, Doubar started to answer her questions.
"Well, my li'l bro is in the ship, taking a rest after the heavy storm yesterday. Somehow, I'm glad that he didn't go with us. You know, this place has so much good memories of Sinbad and her…"
"You mean…Maeve? What happened to her?", Cassandra asked.
"…She…she fell overboard…and dissappeared 2 years ago.", Doubar tried to pronounce clearly as he too couldn't stand the thought of losing her.
"Oh! That's so terrible. I'm sorry…"
They were all silent as they were remembering the one whose smile could shine even the darkest night. Cassandra was the one who broke the gloomy atmosphere.
"Hey! I just remember an important thing. You guys! Follow me!"
"To where?", Firouz asked as they started walking.
"My house, a message is awaiting for you", the girl said.
At her house.
"Here it is!" She gave them a small box.
"who gave you this?" Doubar asked doubtfully.
"A woman. 2 days ago, she came to my house and said that I'd have guest for the next 2 days. And she asked me to give you this. The woman told me that her name is Caipra…"
"Caipra!", they both shouted for they didn't know what could made Dim Dim's wife came all the way to this small village.
"Yes, she also added that you would understand what this mean because…"the time has come" ". After that, she waved her hand in the air and dissappeared." Cassandra stopped and looked at her friends. They almost dropped their jaws. The news was a great shocked to them.
Back to the Nomad. Sinbad came out of his cabin and his eyes didn't leave the paper for just a second…Then what would be would be, he ran over Bryn.
Both fell on the floor.
"Ouch!", She said. "Watch where you are going, Sinbad"
"Oh! Bryn! I'm sorry". Said Sinbad as he tried to help her stand up. "Are you ok?"
"Not until you hit m…" She stopped and held her breath…"Sin..Sinbad. Is it you?"
"Yes, it's me! No! Don't stare at like this. I just…want to make some changes…In fact, I'm back to the outfit I used to wear, shave stubble and cut my long hair. Say! How am I? Look good? ", he asked in the most cheerful voice which Bryn had never heard since she came on board.
"Yeah! I guess so! But I prefer the hero Sinbad to the boyish Sinbad", she stated.
"Ah! No matter what, that's what she likes…", he told to himself
"She? Who?", Bryn asked but she didn't receive the answer for the young captain had come back to what he had been doing.
"Just a few more inches, and he can stick his nose to the paper. What makes him so interested in it then?", Bryn thought and after two second thinking, she surrendered her curiousity and asked him.
"What is it, Sinbad"
"Uh…I don't know. Some kind of language you may not know", replied Sinbad.
"Let me try". The girl said and took the paper out of her captain's hand.
"When the flower shines, the bee will guide, the time is right, for me to find, to bring back the light!"
Bryn read out loud as Sinbad rolled his eyes, surprised at what she had done.
"Bryn…Bryn…You really could understand this?", Still surprised he asked.
"Yes, some kind of rune. And don't ask me why I know. You know me, Sinbad, a girl with no memory", Bryn answered
'"I know, sometimes stuff likes this happen to you. But this time, it really, really helps…I think I should go back to her cabin and search for more clues of what kind of flower and bee the paper mentioned."
Bryn could swear that she had seen his eyes sparkled with joy. Suddenly, she heard the familiar voice in the board
"Sinbad! Sinbad!", Doubar called his brother.
"Yes! I'm coming!", Sinbad and Bryn quickly walked over board to the big man.
"What's up, men? You all looked strange?", Sinbad asked…then suddenly he realized the answer.
"All right! I know! Is it because of my appearance?"
"Kind of! But forget it Sinbad, we gotta talk", Firouz answered his friend.
"Same here! I just found…", the captain quickly replied.
"Save it for later, li'l bro. Now, you listen to me. We've got news from Caipra. And she sent you this box", Doubar gave the box to Sinbad
"A box? What does it contain? Are you sure this is not some traps?", doubtfully Sinbad asked.
"No! I don't think so. There is her symbol on the box. Say, open it, bro! I just can't wait to see what lies inside. Caipra said that the time had come and you would understand ", Doubar requested his bro to open the mysterious box.
"OK! Let's see…"…He opened the box whilst nearly 30 men's eyes on the ship watched his action. Then, they all burst into laugher while Sinbad picked out the flower inside.
"What the…A daffodil? Who does she think I am? A li'l girl?", Sinbad asked surprisingly?
"Wait! Sinbad…Is it the flower, Bryn asked.
"Yes, it sure is…", he replied, wonder why all the women in this world turned to be dumber all of a sudden.
"No! Of course I know this is a flower. What I mean is maybe this is the flower you are looking for", Bryn answered, a little bit angry.
Sinbad stopped laughing and looked at the flower. Suddenly, a thought struck him
Flash back
Maeve was holding Dinar, Dim Dim's friend, in her hand as he said the only way to find Dim Dim is something about the bees and the daffodils. He couldn't finish his last words, Dinar passed away a second later. He had left behind the mysterious bee and daffodil stuff.
Flash back
Sinbad rememberred all
"…I…I was such a fool for not realize it! Thanks Bryn! Thank you so much!", said Sinbad with joy all over his face.
"Guys! I've found a way to find Maeve. I did it!", Sinbad said, hardly breathe!
"Sinbad! Are you serious?" Rongar gestured.
"Yes! Of course! Come here and I'll explain the whole thing".
Once again, his face shines with joy. Once again the crew of the Nomad see their captain back, back to the one they used to know, the one they love most.
After hearing the explanation of Sinbad, Firouz asked
"Sinbad, according to what you've found and what Caipra gave you, the key to open the portal is the Daffodil and the bee. So, where is the bee?"
"I don't know. I guess we have to find it our own.", Sinbad replied. "Or maybe not! You know, wherever there are flower, there are bee…"
"So you mean, the bee will find it way to the daffofil.", Doubad added.
"Yeah! As long as the daffodil shines. Guys! I guess we should do the spell right now.", the captain's eyes shone brightly as he found a new way to bring back his lost love.
"But Sinbad! Who will do it? None of us here knows magic", Firouz raised the question.
"Uh-oh! I almost forgot…We've got no magician here. We're just sailor, scientist and a lost memory girl…wait."…As he said 3 last words, he laid his eyes on…not only him but also the whole crew. They are all looking at she…
"NO! Not me! You guys know every time it comes to magic, I mess up with every thing", Bryn said."Besides, I can't control it, it comes to me whenever it likes, remember?", she's trying to get herself or exactly the crew out of the trouble she might cause if she perform magic.
"C'mon! Give it a try, Bryn. You know how important she is to the crew. You know how I long to find her…Bryn!...I beg you. Just this time. "
Bryn thought "Sinbad's begging me. The mighty Sinbad, master of the seven seas is begging for my help just because of a girl. Who is this girl that can make Sinbad give up his pride? The crew hardly talked about her as if they afraid that Sinbad would hear it.", Bryn was so confused. Then, some images came to her mind. They were some parts of the happy moments Maeve and the crew had shared as she was on board. Bryn saw every body laughed as loudly as they could. Never had she seen such a joy liked this. "Is it what that Maeve bring to them?".
"You're right!", a voice comes inside her mind.
"What! Dermott! Is that you talking to me?", Bryn was so surprised, although she and Dermott were best friend, he had never talked to her. But this time…
"Bryn! Please, save Maeve!", Dermott pleaded.
Bryn got no choice but to agree for the 2 friends she loved most had begged for her help. All this was because of a girl. Also deep inside, she wanted to know this Maeve who had changed lives in the Nomad dramatiscally.
"All right! I'll try! But I won't promise that I'll succeed"
Later, they were all board, watching Bryn perform the spell. Bryn held the Daffofil in
her hand and spoke the spell out loud.
"When the flower shines, the bee will guide, the time is right, for me to find, to bring back the light!"
The Daffodil shines a little bit, but it stops as she stops chanting.
"You're doing well. Go on!", Sinbad said. "Don't stop"
She nodded her head and started again. This time she didn't stop. Thus, the daffodil shone brightly more and more until the light of its was too bright that no one could see anything, they heard a sound. The sound of thousand wing beats or more exactly, sound of the wing-beat of only one bee but the biggest one ever"
"Oh! My god! A giant bee", Firouz said.
The giant bee flew to Bryn, took the Daffodil in her hand and flew away. As soon as it flew, Sinbad gave command.
"Don't you guys see it. Quick! Follow it!"
So, the giant bee flew a head, behind was the brave Nomad with the young captain who was filled with thought of being able to see his love celtic again.
"Maeve! Wait for me! I'll come to you in no time"
Somewhere in the beach of a far far away island. A figure was sitting in the sand, being lost in her memory and suddenly, a teardrop fell out of her brown eyes. She said softly
"I miss you, my dear captain…Will our paths ever crossed each other's again."
