A/N: Just a little side note to inform you that I do accept anonymous reviews, in case some of you were wondering.
Her eyes still filled with sleep, Maeve quietly made her way to the kitchen. The night had been fairly short. Just like it did during the winters of Kwarzax, the temperature would drop drastically over the night. Maeve had got up several times to relit the fire in order to prevent herself from freezing to death in her sleep.
She opened the shutters, casting pinkish rays of sunshine into the dark room. Outside, the neighborhood was still quiet. Soon enough, it would be filled with laughing children, travelers, and vendors calling out to the crowd passing by. Mothers would be working around their backyards, hanging clothes out to dry or harvesting from their gardens, while their husbands would be heading off to work or fixing their homes.
Maeve sighed. She wasn't sure if she would ever get used to her new lifestyle. After studying under Dim-Dim's wing, traveling the seas with Sinbad and the crew, and defeating Rumina's plans, her new life bored her. It had been for her daughter's sake that she had settled down after defeating Rumina. She could have easily found her way back to the Nomad, but Brianna had been barely three years old. She hadn't been able to force the life of a sailor on a toddler.
Grabbing a pot and a knife, she began peeling the potatoes for this morning's breakfast, her stare lost in past memories. It was the sound of hurried footsteps through the empty house that brought her back to reality. Moments later, a red-haired child was joining her in the kitchen.
Sitting down at the table, Brianna began forming fire balls within her hands.
"Brianna, could you wait for your lesson with Master Francis? You'll burn down our house," Maeve said, disapprovingly.
The fire ball reintegrated the young girl's hand.
"I won't burn anything, Mother," Brianna replied. "Besides, I need to practice. If I don't, Master Francis won't be happy with me."
The nine-year-old formed another fire ball in her hand.
"I'm sure Master Francis will understand that it's too dangerous to play with fire in a wooden house. Now stop what you're doing and help me set the table."
Brianna was about to reply when her mother momentarily froze, her knife hanging in mid-air. The young girl frowned.
"Are you alright, Mother?" she asked, concerned.
A jolt of electricity ran down Maeve's spine, making her shudder. Maeve turned to her daughter, who was still staring at her, her eyes filled with anxiety. Maeve forced a smile that she hoped looking reassuring.
"I'm okay, Bree."
Maeve turned back to their meal, her thoughts racing through her mind. She couldn't explain to her daughter the feeling she had just experienced: a familiar voice inside her head, calling her name, only to be replaced, mere seconds later, by a sense of dread. The voice had vaguely resembled her brother's. How could it possibly be? Dermott was miles away on the sea with Sinbad. Even their strong connection couldn't travel that many miles between them.
"Mother," Brianna risked to say, after minutes of silence, "do you think I'll ever meet my father?"
Maeve closed her eyes and sighed.
For the last couple of months, Brianna had been asking a lot of questions concerning the father she had never met. To this day, Maeve had brushed off her questions by simply changing the subject. She didn't feel ready yet. How could she explain to a nine-year-old girl that, in a moment of pure weakness, she had transformed herself into another woman to be able to share an intimate moment with the man she had secretly loved for many months?
"When you're older and you know how to use your magic, we'll go looking for him."
"You promise?" Brianna replied, looking up at her mother, hope filling her chocolate-brown eyes.
"Yes, I promise. But for now, I suggest you forget about him and concentrate on setting the table for breakfast, like I asked you to."
A soft knock reached their ears. In an instant, Brianna was on her feet and rushing to the door. She found her best friend on the other side.
"Mother, could I go play with Paula?"
Maeve shook her head, a smile twitching at her lips. Understanding that she wouldn't be able to get her daughter to set the table now that her friend was here, she acknowledged her request.
"Don't go too far," Maeve warned. "I'll call you when breakfast is ready."
But Brianna was already outside, shutting the door behind her before the end of her mother's sentence. The two friends set off to gather the rest of their playgroup.
Paula and Brianna had been neighbors and best friends since Maeve had settled down in Kwarzax. The two girls studied magic with Master Francis, who often brought them to Brey and other villages to meet with other magical children. But the sorceresses had other friends of their own.
Laura was the first one to join their group that morning. The nine-year-old brunette lived further down the small road. She was no sorceress, but she loved being entertained by her friends' magic. Her little brother, Samuel, sometimes tagged along. This morning, her preferred the quietness of his home.
On their way to their friend Corey's house, they crossed path with Leo, the youngest of the bunch. At 7 years old, he was a quiet child. Brianna suspected him of having supernatural powers far greater than those she had, but the young boy always denied it.
Finally, there was Corey. At ten years old, she was the oldest of the group and the self-proclaimed leader. Unlike her two friends who trained hard to develop their magic skills, Corey seemed to have them since birth. She could easily manipulate the four elements and, at times, Brianna thought her friend could predict the future. But, much like Leo, Corey denied such allegations.
Having gathered their crew, the friends set off for the village square where they would watch the vendors set up their carts for the day. Up ahead, they noticed a gathering of people. Curious, the friends headed straight for them. All were speaking rather excitedly. The kids made their way to the front of the pack where a man stood.
"He's just come from Brey," a woman said to a newcomer. "He said he has seen Sinbad the sailor and his crew."
The crowed murmured excitedly. Brianna looked over at Paula, who shrugged. Neither of them knew who Sinbad was.
"I swear, I saw him with my own eyes," the man said. "He is looking for a place to settle down. He says he has quit sailing."
Again, murmurs swept across the crowd. They had all heard of Sinbad's tales of adventures. Women knew his reputation and men spoke of his achievements.
"Maybe he will stop in Kwarzax," one woman said, hopeful.
The friends walked out of the crowd and slowly headed back towards their homes.
"Who's Sinbad?" Brianna asked when they were out of earshot.
Paula, Leo and Laura shrugged.
"Seriously, you don't know who Sinbad is?" Corey replied, disbelievingly. "He's the captain of The Nomad. Everyone knows his name. He has travelled the seven seas with his crew over the years. I heard my mother say he was looking for his long-lost love who fell overboard during a thunderstorm, but I think it's just a legend. No one knows her name."
"Whoever she is," Brianna said, "I guess he isn't looking for her anymore."
A door opened on their right.
"Brianna, breakfast is ready."
Brianna excused herself to her friends and rejoined her house.
