It is funny how one day you write something and the next day you just totally make use of the delete button! That is what my indecisiveness has done to me with this chapter! I hope you are happy with what I kept so far! - More to come very soon! Also, a HUGE thank you for those who have reviewed and sent me messages! I love hearing from you and appreciate your thoughts!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to The New Adventures of Sinbad - all this recognition goes to the Creater, Ed Naha.

After they finished the light breakfast that was prepared for them outside, with a point of his index finger, Jarvis instructed Bryn to stay put. He stood up and she watched him enter the stone house behind them. Bryn let out a shaky sigh, relieved to have a moment alone. She couldn't stop thinking about her past, of what could have been. The familiar wave of sadness washed over her. The questions of who and why came to mind. Who brought her here? Who sold her? Why her? She longed for Sinbad and the rest of the crew. Their company always soothed her during times like these, when she felt completely lost. A hint of a smile tugged on her lips. The thought of them at that moment, helped her remember where she belongs. Sinbad even said so last night, she mused. I belong with The Nomad.

She stood up and walked closer to the edge of the cliff. It was windy where they were. She was thankful for the red cloak that Val gave her. She looked down at the dress Jarvis said his father gave to her and for a moment, was thankful for it too. She was not accustomed to so much fabric, but grew a liking to the length of it keeping her legs warm. She turned to the sound of items being placed onto a wooden wagon. From where she stood, she saw Jarvis' servants were preparing to leave. One sat at the front with reigns in hand. He was waiting for them to climb on. She caught him glance at her and saw him quickly turn away. She wondered if he knew anything about her, if he knew of her powers like Jarvis did.

"Bryn." Jarvis got her attention, walking towards her from the house. He stopped beside her, facing the ocean. "I can see why this was my father's favorite place to go." He took in a deep breathe of sea air, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Are they leaving?" Bryn looked to the rest of his servants climbing onto the wagon behind them.

"Yes. They are needed at the main house." Jarvis explained. "We have no need for them now."

"We don't?" Bryn asked, growing curious. She felt like he was up to something, still not wanting to trust him.

He tilted his head towards the house. "Follow me. There is something I want you to see." He turned and started to walk towards the house. Bryn, curious, let herself follow him.

He brought her to his father's study. Bryn took in each corner of the room, realizing, if what Jarvis was saying is true, she most likely has been in that very same room before. She stood still at the center of the room as she watched him make his way behind a large wooden desk.

"My father got into the habit of journal entries." Jarvis explained while pulling out a small key from an inside seam of his jacket. He brought the key to a lock on one of the drawers and opened it. Bryn watched him curiously as he pulled out a leather bound book, a journal. "I've read his most recent entries." He tapped the leather cover of the journal as he spoke and met Bryn's eyes. "This one in particular, has your name scribbled in it a few times."

Bryn stepped forward, curiosity getting the better of her. "May I read it?"

Jarvis smiled. "I will bring it to the house later. Perhaps after the dinner party, once the evening settles? I will join you." He opened up the book and rifled through it quickly. "There is something I wanted to point out and discuss with you right now, though. It was rather interesting."

Bryn kept silent waiting for him to find what he was looking for. As she watched him loose himself into the journal, she suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if he was searching through her drawer of undergarments for a missing item. The journal in his hands may have the answers she desperately seeks about her own life.

"Ah! Here it is." Jarvis caught her eye before reciting it. "Bryn surprised me on this day. My cabin harbored unwelcomed intruders. They were no other than low-life men with hopes to steal my money. They beat me and held a dagger to my throat, threatening to kill me if I didn't give them what they wanted. Of course, I refused. At the moment, when I thought my life was at its very end, a gust of wind seemed to have flew open my door and in came Bryn. Anger was in her eyes and it happened so fast, I wasn't sure if I was seeing things clearly. Bryn waved a hand in front of her and one of the men looked to have been thrown against the wall. The other man, share the same fate. When I saw that, the second time, I knew that it was her doing. She saved me that night." Jarvis looked up from the page and raise a brow at Bryn. "You seem to have more abilities than what I witnessed years ago."

What he just read out loud was unknown to her. Bryn stared at the journal in Jarvis' hands and blinked. She was lost in her own thoughts. When her eyes finally met Jarvis', she knew there was something that he wanted.

xxxx

"Anders! You look like a young boy who's never seen a pair of breast before. Shut your mouth." Doubar ordered, leaning close to Anders' ear at their table. They were at The Serpent's Nest, one of Carthage's renowned bars. It was well-known mainly for its form of entertainment than their drinks. The bar was two stories. There was drinks and gambling on the first floor and women on the second floor.

Ander had his eyes on one of the women hovering over the rail, soon forgetting about anyone else around him. What pulled his attention away was a whack to his head from behind. It was from Rongar. He rubbed the back of his head at the blow. "Ow! What was that for?" He glared at Rongar.

"You're drooling." Firouz answered for his friend, with a smirk.

Anders smiled to the crew. "Why aren't all ports like this?"

His question was ignored. "It's a good thing Bryn isn't here. I don't think she would like it." Firouz scanned the room, trying not to make any eye contact with any of the women. He soon blushed, realizing, while not making eye contact with them, his eyes landed elsewhere. He did not remember the bar being like this last time they were there.

"Would she be even allowed in here? All I see are the ones that work here." Anders pointed out.

"It is the middle of the afternoon." Doubar replied. "They probably have better things to do."

Sinbad found their table. He pulled out an empty chair and sat down. "Anything?" He looked to his crew. He was referring to any information gathered about Bryn that they may have learned from the locals. The men shook their heads.

"They are not talking." Doubar explained. "Either they don't know, or they just refuse to share."

"Do you think they recognize her, but just don't know her name?" Firouz asked.

"How could that be?" Doubar argued.

"Maybe she wasn't here for that long." Anders pointed out. "Maybe she had a different name."

A commotion upstairs got their attention. Two men were arguing and throwing punches at each other. Eventually, they both stumbled down the staircase, both men wrestling each other in the process. Once they landed, the crew could hear them groan in pain at their injuries. The crew watched the men stand up and stumble away from each other, both obviously losing interest in their disagreement.

"What was that all about?" Anders questioned out loud.

"A woman. It always is."

The crew looked to a man standing over them, who answered Ander's question. Sinbad recognized him. He was one of Riley's soldiers, the same one who directed them to Jarvis Cavadini's house. The soldier dismissed the fight with a wave of his hand. "They always get into it. This happens weekly, it seems. Neither one understanding that she does not care for either of them."

"That's a little sad." Doubar replied.

The soldier got a better look at the crew and recognized who they were. "You are from the ship that arrived yesterday. The Nomad?"

"Yes, that is us." Sinbad confirmed "You're one of the Riley's men?"

"I have to admit that, don't I?" The man smiled with a nod of his head. He gestured toward an empty chair. "May I?"

"Of course." Sinbad reached and pulled the chair out next to him.

"My name is Sam." He introduced himself as he sat down. The crew told him their names in returned. "How do you guys like Carthage?"

"It is growing on me." Ander's was the first to answer. "I've never been to a city like it."

"How long have you lived here?" Sinbad asked. Not wanting to insult the man, he didn't want to express his true feelings of the city and wasn't sure if that would be a good idea.

"All my life." Sam answered. "I wasn't always a soldier though. I used to be a farmer." He glanced around the table, remembering there was someone else in their crew that he expected to be with them. "Aren't you missing someone? The woman who is a part of your crew? Pretty?"

"Bryn." Firouz nodded his head to answer. "She's…well we are not quite sure where she is at. She is with Jarvis Cavadini at the moment."

"I see." Sam understood. "You may not see her for a while then." He grinned.

"Did you recognize her" Sinbad chose to ignore his joke. "We noticed it seemed to be a common occurrence since we arrived here."

"She looked familiar. I will admit to that." Sam answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Sinbad answered with a shrug.

Sam shook his head in thought. "I could be wrong. It was a long time ago. If she is who I initially thought of, I know she used to live in the Cavadini House." He paused for a moment. "It wouldn't make sense for her to come back though."

"What do you mean by that?" Doubar asked.

"If this is your friend, she was a slave here; once owned by the Cavadini's." Sam explained. His forehead furrowed in deep thought at his own memory. "She was different though; treated differently." He smiled and lifted his hands in defeat. "That is all I remember."

The crew exchanged uneasy glances at what they just heard. "Bryn doesn't have a tattoo." Sinbad pointed out.

"There was a time when the slaves weren't required to be tattooed." Sam reminded him, indicating that it could very well be their friend.

"Do you think she knows?" Anders asked the table.

"If not, she will know soon enough." Sinbad replied. He shook his head in frustration, wishing again that they were with her and at the same time, if he has put her in danger by bring her here, he knew he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. His worry for her hasn't changed since he woke up alone that morning.

"It seems I have given you some bad news." Sam noticed the tension amongst the crew. "That was a long time ago. Jarvis Cavadini's father probably gave her the freedom she needed to leave Carthage when she left. At the time, he was the head of the house. He is gone now. There would be need for her to stay, if that is your worry."

"What if she escaped?" Doubar pointed out.

"Not having a tattoo would be to her advantage." Sam answered. "There would be no definite proof of who she is." He looked to the door, his eyes lit up with recognition. "Excuse me." He stood up and glanced at Sinbad before leaving their table. "I could be wrong. We may be talking about two very different women." He shrugged at turned to meet his friend by the entrance.

Anders was already convinced. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in front of him. "I think it was her."

"We know who she is. Bryn is no slave and no one's servant. Anyone who would wish that of her has got to be heartless!" Sinbad lowered his voice, realizing he raised it in frustration. Jarvis' name came immediately to his mind. He saw a few people turn their heads in their direction. "If luck is on our side, everything should be settled with Joey and his father tonight. We leave first thing tomorrow morning." Sinbad informed his crew with a hardened stare.

xxxx

Bryn returned to the stables feeling exhausted. She just spent the past couple hours trying to tap into her powers. After constant efforts, the results did not meet Jarvis' expectations. She tried explaining to him that it doesn't always happen on her command. Frustrated, they rode in silence on the way back to his house and he left her in the stables to herself, explaining he had other matters to see to. She was happy for the time alone and she wasn't ready to go into that house. She found a haystack against one of the empty stall and opted to sit there for a while longer, not just to collect her thoughts, but to distance herself from Jarvis for the time being. This afternoon she learned that underneath all that charm and manners, hidden was an impatient and greedy man.

Soon after she found comfortable seat in the stables, she heard the familiar sound of hooves pounding the earth. Riders were approaching. Not wanting to be seen, she stood up and quickly hid within the shadows of an empty stall towards the back of the stables. The hoof beats grew louder as they got closer. She soon heard boots hitting the dirt and familiar voices that followed it. She peeked from the side of the stall entrance and gave a small sigh of relief. It was the crew. She stepped forward and made herself known with a slight wave.

Firouz noticed Rongar's attention was elsewhere as he was speaking with him. He turned to see what he was looking at and immediately understood. "Bryn! You're back!"

The rest of the crew, who followed shortly into the stables, were surprised to see her there too. Sinbad did a double take once he dismounted his own horse. After Firouz finished securing his horse, he reached for the reigns in Sinbad's hand, letting him know he'd take care of it. Sinbad let go of the reigns and took two large steps towards Bryn to pull her into a hug.

He whispered into her hair. "I've been worried. Are you alright?" He pulled away to look at her, his hands still grasping her arms. He studied her appearance. She did not look well, like she barely got any sleep.

Bryn smiled up at him, happy to see him and the rest of the crew. She realized they all gathered around her and looked to them with her answer. "I am fine." She murmured. "Just a little tired." She gave them a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Sinbad nodded his head, he knew her enough to tell that something was wrong, not wanting to push, he thought to wait to ask about it while they were alone. He stood at her side and placed an arm over her shoulder. "Why don't you come and lay down in my room?" He didn't want her out of his sight.

"Okay." She replied softly. "That sounds like a good idea."

"You will have plenty of time before the dinner party to rest." Firouz pointed out as they all started to walk towards the house.

"Bryn, where did you get that dress? It looks good on you." Anders questioned, eyeing her. He knew everyone else noticed, but decided to be the one to say something.

"Oh, thank you." She glanced at Anders, thrown off by the compliment. "Jarvis gave it to me to wear." She didn't say anything else about it being something his father having given it to her before. She felt Sinbad's hand caress her shoulder as they walked and saw him look her over.

"You do look beautiful in it." He agreed.

She smiled back in return at his kind words. She looked to him and the crew. "Have you guys seen Dermott today?"

"No." Doubar recollected his afternoon. "Come to think of it, not once since we've arrived. When was the last you've seen him, lass?"

"I saw him this morning, just for a little while during our ride to the stone house." Bryn answered.

As the crew entered Jarvis' home, they were greeted by one of his servants. She looked to Sinbad and got his attention by calling his name.

"Yes?" Sinbad asked.

"Mr. Cavadini would like to a have a word with you. I am to take you to him right now." She informed him.

"You go on. I will make sure she's settled in your room." Doubar nodded towards Bryn. He understood Sinbad's hesitation. "See what he wants."

xxxx

The rest of the crew went their separate ways once they entered the guest level of the house. Firouz, joined by Rongar, decided to go explore the library that one of the servants spoke to them about during that morning's breakfast. Anders decided to see if he could find Joey. He was sure he would be back from fishing by now. He wondered how his day was carrying on and if his father has yet to arrive. Doubar decided to stay with Bryn in Sinbad's room.

Doubar gestured towards the perfectly made bed. "Do you want to lie down? I will sit here for a while until Sinbad returns." He pointed to a chair closest to the window.

Bryn cracked a smile as she watched him settle onto the cushioned chair. "You don't need to baby sit me, Doubar. I am not ill. I am just tired." She quickly added before Doubar could interject, "Although, I do enjoy your company." She sat herself onto the bed and propped a pillow behind her back. "Stay and talk with me. I don't think I could fall asleep right now."

Doubar lounged against his chair and placed his hands behind his head in a more relaxed position. He was happy to stay; he was going to do that in the first place. He looked at Bryn and wondered about her day. "You mentioned a stone house earlier. Is that where you and Jarvis were at all day?"

Bryn nodded her head and met Doubar's eyes. She decided to start at the beginning. "Jarvis came to my room last night. He told me I've been here before."

"Oh." Doubar kept quiet as she continued. She told him all she learned this afternoon. How she came to Carthage, Jarvis' father, about the dress that was given to her, the journal and her powers, a ability she has not yet discovered.

Doubar sat up and leaned forward, engrossed in what she was sharing with him. "Bryn! Did you do it? Were you able to move anything across the room?"

"No." She frowned. "I wasn't trying hard enough. Part of me didn't want to do it, not in front of him." She emphasized.

Doubar understood. "He makes you nervous?"

"What else would he have me do if he saw me do it?" She asked. "He was too desperate for it. It didn't feel right."

"Not trying hard enough was probably the best choice." Doubar assured her with a smile. "Although, I am sure you wanted to throw something at him for pushing you so hard, right?" He chuckled.

"You have no idea!" She laughed along with him.

xxxx

When Sinbad entered Jarvis' study, he didn't expect to see someone else in there with him. A man stood up from a chair and came forward with extended hand.

"Sinbad, I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Romaldi, Joey's father." Jarvis made introductions with a grin.

Sinbad exhaled a breathe and smiled, he was prepared to get into an argument with Jarvis about that very little chance of Bryn staying behind when they were to depart. Instead, this meeting was about business. He shook Mr. Romaldi's hand. "We meet at last."

"I want to thank you for taking such excellent care for my boy." Mr. Romaldi expressed his gratitude. "I am sorry I was not here to retrieve him when you first arrived."

Jarvis made his way around his desk towards the door during their exchange. "Excuse me. I will leave you two to talk while I make sure everything is in order with my people about tonight's events." Both men nodded in understanding. When he left, he kept the door open.

Sinbad turned back to Joey's father. "Your son is an able seaman. I can imagine a future sailor in your family. Not all my cargo is as helpful." He smiled.

"I can see why his mother spoke highly of you when choosing the captain to do the job." Mr. Romaldi laughed.

"Have you had a chance to see your son?"

"Yes. He certainly has grown since I last saw him! He praised you and your crew earlier. He talked about them with great enthusiasm that I would love to meet then. Will you and your crew be at dinner tonight? It will be a great party!" He asked hopefully.

"I think my crew will hate me if I refuse the invitation." Sinbad expressed with a hint of humor in his eyes. "Plus, I wouldn't want to be rude."

"Good! You are an honored guest!" Mr. Romaldi pulled a coin purse out of his pocket. "This is for your service. Thank you again for bringing him here. Right on schedule too."

"It was my pleasure." Sinbad was more than happy to complete this transaction. With it over with, he knew his responsibilities to Joey were over. Now, he and his crew can definitely be on their way tomorrow morning, as he planned.