: Chapter 2: Return
from the Shadows :
Maeve had returned! Maeve,
Sinbad's best friend, his soul mate, the woman Bryn had heard about ever since
she had joined the crew. She really felt like running away, but that would be
too childish and unfair to Sinbad. She turned to Dermott to have someone to
look at, for she couldn't bear seeing Sinbad and Maeve in that close embrace.
But the bird too had joined the rest of the friends in their happy reunion.
"My God! I can't believe it's
you!" Sinbad said as he let her go. Now it was Doubar's, Firouz' and Rongar's
turn to welcome their long-lost friend. When they finally came to an end,
Sinbad turned to Bryn to introduce her to Maeve.
"And that's Bryn", he said.
She and Maeve shook hands and Bryn forced a smile. "I've heard so much about y-",
the brown haired sorceress was interrupted by her captain. "Where have you been
and why did you return so suddenly?", he asked, still overwhelmed by her
return. "Come on, you have to tell us everything!". He led her to the canteen
downstairs, followed by Firouz, Rongar and Dermott.
Bryn and Doubar were the last
ones to enter. Before they reached the others, Bryn said thoughtfully, "I just
wonder how she could survive in that storm…".
"What do you mean?" Doubar
asked, noticing that the expression on her face had changed since Maeve came on
board.
Bryn replied, "It was hard
enough for us to get the Nomad safe through the tempest. How can a single
swimmer stay through a storm like that without any help?"
Doubar looked at her face and
noticed something he had never seen in her gentle and friendly eyes before –
jealousy. And there was something else that he couldn't quite classify, but for
him it seemed to be anything but kind. The tall man was surprised – no wonder!
How could he know what was really troubling Bryn, when not even she herself
knew exactly what it was?
Doubar pushed those thoughts
aside – he knew Bryn. She wasn't an unfriendly person. So he said cheerfully,
"Don't worry, little one! Come on, let's listen to Maeve's story. You'll like
her, I know that." And with that they both joined their friends.
Angra looked up from his
crystal ball, an evil smile on his face. Everything worked just fine. He could
almost feel Bryn's jealousy, seeing the envy in her eyes. Soon she'd be his –
and her powers, too! Angra was very content with himself – and with his
creation. "I'm simply a genius!" he thought, laughing. But there was work to
do, for he didn't have the sorceress
where he wanted her yet. He sat down and let a cloud of red smoke coming from
his hands, forming it until a little creature could be seen. Angra smiled
again. "Watch out, Captain! There's more in the depths of the sea than just a
helpless woman!"
In the meantime, the crew was
sitting in the canteen. It was now nearly midnight, they all were tired from
the hard day's work, yet too cheerful to sleep. Maeve told them that Dim-Dim
had found it was now safe enough for her to return. She had planned to find
Sinbad with a ship of friendly and courageous seamen, but they had come into
that terrible storm and the ship had been wrecked. She seemed to become sad at
that thought. "I don't know what happened to them. I just wish I could be sure
they're safe…". Sinbad put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Bryn
watched them, not really participating in the conversation. She had heard so
much about Maeve – and about her magic. She had been Dim-Dim's student,
therefore she sure was able to control her powers better than Bryn. Then the
young woman suddenly had to laugh at herself. Maeve had returned, right. But
that meant nothing. She was still Bryn, she still was the crew's friend, still
had her part on the ship and … in Sinbad's life, she thought with a smile. They
had gone through so much together, nobody was going to change that. Not even
this beautiful, courageous, smart and strong woman that had returned from the
shadows… Bryn could feel her heart failing her again. How could she ever live
up to her example?
But she was tired and didn't
want to think of such troubling things right now. And she couldn't bear
Sinbad's glances at Maeve any longer, so she wished good night to everybody and
went in her cabin.