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DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creator, Ed Naha.
Bryn picked up one of the stones and gently examined it. She was wary of how genuine it was. She has come across crooked vendors before and knew they only cared of how much they would profit off a sale and not necessarily the interest of the buyer. She noticed there were only three on the table.
"How did you come to acquire these?" Bryn asked the vendor.
" An able seaman" The vendor replied, "I will not give you specifics. Who I do business with is strictly confidential". He paused and studied her. "Would you like to make a purchase, Miss? Perhaps you know of a sea captain that would benefit from these remarkable stones?"
"Perhaps", Bryn replied. She looked at Anders.
The vendor followed her eyes, "Do you need to consult with your husband? Please do what you need to do", his hand gestured between them", I will wait patiently right here".
"We are not married", Anders told the vendor. He looked at Bryn, "Why does everyone keep saying that?"
Bryn sighed and looked to the vendor again, "What time will you close your tent tonight?"
The man looked at the sky, "Very soon. The sun is just setting. I am always packed up before dark".
"Will you be here tomorrow?" Bryn asked.
"Yes! Do come back if that is what you wish to do", the vendor replied. "I can not guarantee that they would be here when you return though. Why chance it? Make your purchase now".
"We will be back tomorrow", Bryn told the vendor. She nudged Anders to keep walking.
The vendor had a look of disappointment on his face, "Very well. I will be here tomorrow by morning", he put on a professional smile, "You have yourself a wonderful night!"
Bryn smiled, "Thank you". She continued walking.
"You want to bring Ruby here to look at the stones?" Anders leaned into her to not be overheard.
"Yes", Bryn answered, "She can let us know if those stones are real. Maybe this man has a connection to Captain Hawkins and his men".
xxxx
Bryn and Anders were just entering the tavern when they saw Firouz waving at them to join him. He was seated with Hans and Will. Bryn and Anders made their way through the crowd to their table.
"Hey you two", Firouz greeted them. He held up his mug of ale, "Have a drink!"
"I will go get us something", Anders volunteered. He nudged Bryn, "What do you want?"
"Whatever you're having is fine", Bryn answered. "Thank you".
Before she got a chance to sit down, Hans walked around the table to give her a hug, "Hi, darling", he whispered in her ear. "Are these guy treating you all right?"
"I wouldn't let them otherwise", Bryn smiled at the man.
"That's what I like to hear", Hans smiled and kissed her on the cheek before letting go. He looked at her up and down, "You get prettier every time I see you".
Bryn blushed at the compliment and waved it off as she sat down. "Your eye sight must be declining throughout the months". She smiled at Hans and turned her attention to Firouz, "How did your visit with the doctor go? Any medical marvels he was willing to share?"
Firouz's face brightened at the question, "Yes! The doctor spoke to me about some of the herbal medicines that he's been using with his current patients. For example, he has seen positive effects with ginger root".
"What does ginger root do?" Will asked before taking a gulp of his ale. He exchanged a smile with Bryn knowing he was just holding the door open for Firouz to continue.
"It eliminates toxins and raises body heat, which is great for the common cold. What I really found fascinating was that it helps with nausea as well. Anytime we have someone on board feeling seasick I should give them some ginger root and they will be feeling much better in no time".
"That's really remarkable", Hans replied. "You and my physician on board should chat. I do believe your knowledge is much more advanced, I must say".
"I would love to", Firouz replied with a smile at the compliment.
"Just don't tell him I said that", Hans laughed. He glanced behind Bryn and saw Doubar and Rongar at the entrance. "Ah! Here comes Doubar and Rongar". He stood up and waved them over.
Once they got to their table and greetings were exchanged. Rongar caught sight of Anders at the bar and went to join him.
"Rongar, get one for me and Sinbad as well. Also, a water for Ruby". Doubar hollered to his friend.
Will leaned into Bryn to whisper, "Can Rongar order drinks?"
She gave a small laugh and whispered back, "He communicates better than you think".
"Where is Sinbad and Ruby", Firouz asked Doubar.
Doubar appeared puzzled and looked back towards the entrance. "They were just behind us". He caught sight of Ruby finally entering, "Ah! Here's Ruby".
xxxx
Just outside the tavern Sinbad was following Doubar and Rongar when he felt someone grab a hold of his arm. He abruptly stopped in his tracks and saw who it was. "Marie!
He stopped so suddenly that Ruby almost collided with him. As Marie immediately pulled him into a hug, he saw Ruby walk around them. He gave her a look of apology. "I'm sorry. I will be right there". He said over Marie's shoulder. Marie finally let go and quickly looked over her shoulder at Ruby. She saw Ruby nod her head at Sinbad and continued walking. For a moment she was curious about who that woman was and who she was to Sinbad.
"Oh! Sinbad!", Marie exclaimed, she surprised him again when she places both hands on his faced and kissed him. Sinbad barely had time to react and than felt her trail kisses on his neck. "I've missed you so much!"
Sinbad gave a small laugh at the attention, and was able to lightly push her away with his hands. "Marie, give me a moment to look at you", he smiled at her.
She still kept a hold of his arm. "How long will you be in town?" she looked up at him excitedly.
"Only a few days", he replied. He tried to take a step back but she followed him to stand close.
He heard another woman call out her name from behind her and saw she had a group of friends waiting for her. "Looks like they are waiting for you", he said. Like my friends are waiting for me, he thought. "I'll will let you get back to them".
"Oh, they can wait", she replied. She saw him take another step back and felt that he was ready to go inside. "You're crew must be waiting for you. I'm sorry to interrupt. I couldn't believe it when I first saw you. I had to come and say hello. I will find you later, Sinbad". She finally let go of his arm and walked away with a wink. He nodded with a smile and turned to the tavern entrance.
xxxx
As Sinbad walked away from Marie, he shook his head at what just happened. In the back of his mind he knew he would run into her some time or another while they were in Kingsley. She's a lovely woman and he enjoyed her company during a couple occasions while they were in port. He told himself that was just in the past and he wanted to keep that way.
As he entered the tavern, he surveyed the room. It didn't take long for him to see Firouz waving him to their table. As he approached them, he saw that Rongar was already making his way with a handful of drinks. He quickened his pace to give him a hand.
"Everything okay, Sinbad?" Doubar asked his brother as he reached for his own ale.
"Yes, I just ran into someone I know", Sinbad explained. He didn't go into further detail. After he placed the drinks on the table, he walked around the table to shake Han's hand. "Hans! It's been probably over a year already".
"You're probably right. How's the cargo business going?," Hans replied. He gestured for Sinbad to have a seat next to him.
"Steady", Sinbad replied with a smile.
xxxx
As Sinbad and the crew conversed with Hans and Will, Bryn took the opportunity to speak with Ruby. She let her know of what they came across at the market.
"I doubt they are real", Ruby replied. "Although, I am a little curious. We will go tomorrow morning".
"I've never seen them sold in markets before at other ports. To tell you the truth, I wasn't even aware of them till most recently. It's an odd coincidence that they are selling them here", Bryn said, "Especially with what is going on".
"He wouldn't say where he got them from?" Ruby question.
"He said it was strictly confidential", Bryn said. She took a sip of her drink and placed it on the wooden table. Something caught her attention. She took a glance out the window and stood up.
"What is it, Bryn?" Doubar asked.
"It's Dermott," Bryn replied, "He is just outside. I will be right back".
"I will come with you", Ruby stood up as well. "I could use some air".
xxxx
"Dermott? What is it?" Bryn approached the hawk. He was perched at a nearby tree. Once she reached him, she caressed his feathers. "You were gone for awhile".
"I saw Captain Hawkins arrive in port. He's here", Dermott warned her with a blink. "I followed him and into the woods. There's a house. It's off the beaten path".
Bryn looked at Ruby and from the look of hope on her face, realized that she could hear him too.
"Did you get a look inside?" Bryn asked.
"Yes, I didn't see anyone from where I perched. Some windows were covered", Dermott answered. "The house was rather large and it looked aged. There were a lot of undergrowth. The property doesn't look very well maintained".
Ruby than spoke to the hawk herself, "Can you take us there?"
Dermott turned his head at her direction, "Yes, but he won't be there now. He is heading this way and will be here very soon".
"We should tell Sinbad and the others", Bryn said out loud to Ruby.
"I will take you tomorrow", Dermott stated, "Dark clouds are heading this way as well. With the heavy wind and rain conditions, it won't be safe tonight nor comfortable". As he spoke, he saw the wind push Bryn's hair in her face She moved it away with a hand, "It's picking up now as we speak".
"Where will you be?" Bryn asked.
"Don't worry about me", Dermott chirped, "I will be among the trees until you get to your room at the inn. Leave your window open for me. I will find you". He was well capable of sitting through a storm, but he knew she'd feel comfortable seeing that he was safe from the elements. As much as he hated it, he does feel like a pet sometimes. He knew she means well and he didn't want to worry her.
Bryn smiled at her friend, "I will". She turned to Ruby, "Let's get inside".
Ruby looked to the left of her. She immediately grabbed Bryn's arm in fear, "Bryn! He's already here!" She spotted Captain Hawkins and a few of his men walking in their direction.
"He's going to the tavern", Bryn stated, "Come on". The girls hurried inside back towards their table.