Chapter 2
Sinbad stared at himself in the mirror. He had felt the urge to rid himself of the beard that he had wore for the past couple of years so he picked up a razor and rid himself of the facial hair. After that, he had trimmed his hair, bringing it back to the same length that it was before he had lost Maeve.
He smiled, remembering how much she had hated his new look and how much she had complained about his beard. He had planned to get rid of it when he they had sailed into port, but then Maeve had been washed overboard and he just didn't bother.
He tied his now short hair back with a red bandana and made his way above deck. The first person to see him was Doubar who did a double take when he saw him.
"Sinbad?" he asked in disbelief. "What happened to your beard?"
Sinbad ran his hand over his now smooth cheeks and gave a wry grin. "Shaved it off. It was starting to bother me."
"And your hair!" his brother exclaimed. "You cut it off!"
Sinbad laughed - the full-bodied sound that his crew had not heard since the disappearance of Maeve.
All activity on deck ceased as the crew wondered what had happened to make their captain so happy. Their eyes widened at his new appearance and they began to smile. To them it seemed as if he had finally come to terms with Maeve's disappearance.
***********************************
The sorceress watched them in the ship - saw their elation at their captain's joy. A cruel smile curved over her full red lips.
Soon, she thought, soon, those smiles will turn to tears. I will bring you low Sinbad...and I know exactly the way to do it.
*********************************
She looked up at him, love in her large amber eyes. Slowly, she raised a hand to caress his cheek.
"You shaved it off," she murmured.
"I knew you hated it," he said. Then he gave her a wicked grin. "Besides, I wouldn't want to scratch that lovely skin."
She drew his head down for a kiss, a long deep one that said all that she couldn't put into words. She was never the fluent one - he knew that - except when she was angry.
They had just finished making love and they lay, sprawled on the sheets, the sweat drying on their bodies. Her head was pillowed on his chest and she idly traced his ribs as he absently played with her hair.
He placed a hand under her chin as he brought her eyes up to his. "What is going to happen to us Maeve?"
She lowered her gaze. "I don't know. I want to be with you Sinbad."
"Then be with me!" he stated fiercely. "Leave here and come back with me!"
Tears coursed down her cheeks. "I can't."
With that, his surroundings began to fade.
"No!" he cried. "Maeve!"
And the world went black.
************************************************
Sinbad lurched upright in bed, his heart pounding wildly. He rubbed his hands over his face and took a deep breath. Those damn dreams again!
He had been having them almost nightly and things were reaching boiling point. He felt as if he was going insane - being able to dream about the closeness that they'd never had when she was with him - and then waking up the next morning to the memory of her soft body pressed against his.
He couldn't take it anymore and he knew that the crew was beginning to worry. He had seen the worried looks in their eyes when he seemed to drift off in the middle of conversations and when they heard him sometimes shout out in the night, calling out Maeve's name, he knew it freaked them out.
Pulling on his leather pants and a loose white shirt, he made his way to the top deck where he breathed in the night air. He glanced to the side where Dermott the hawk was perched, watching him.
The bird's golden eyes reminded him of Maeve's and he turned away. Dermott chirped softly and Sinbad sighed.
"I'm not angry with you, featherbrain." He looked at the sea. "It's just that I miss her so much sometimes."
Dermott fluttered onto Sinbad's shoulders and the sailor looked at him in surprise. "I thought that you didn't like me."
Dermott made a sound that was suspiciously like a chuckle and rubbed his head affectionately across the sailor's hair. Then he took to the air, making a circle around the ship.
Sinbad watched in amazement. Had Dermott finally accepted him?
Pondering this new turn of events, he didn't notice the figure standing behind him until she spoke.
"Well, how sweet."
Sinbad spun around to face the beautiful, dark haired woman.
"Rumina!" he exclaimed.
"In the flesh darling," she purred.
********************************************************
Sinbad stared at himself in the mirror. He had felt the urge to rid himself of the beard that he had wore for the past couple of years so he picked up a razor and rid himself of the facial hair. After that, he had trimmed his hair, bringing it back to the same length that it was before he had lost Maeve.
He smiled, remembering how much she had hated his new look and how much she had complained about his beard. He had planned to get rid of it when he they had sailed into port, but then Maeve had been washed overboard and he just didn't bother.
He tied his now short hair back with a red bandana and made his way above deck. The first person to see him was Doubar who did a double take when he saw him.
"Sinbad?" he asked in disbelief. "What happened to your beard?"
Sinbad ran his hand over his now smooth cheeks and gave a wry grin. "Shaved it off. It was starting to bother me."
"And your hair!" his brother exclaimed. "You cut it off!"
Sinbad laughed - the full-bodied sound that his crew had not heard since the disappearance of Maeve.
All activity on deck ceased as the crew wondered what had happened to make their captain so happy. Their eyes widened at his new appearance and they began to smile. To them it seemed as if he had finally come to terms with Maeve's disappearance.
***********************************
The sorceress watched them in the ship - saw their elation at their captain's joy. A cruel smile curved over her full red lips.
Soon, she thought, soon, those smiles will turn to tears. I will bring you low Sinbad...and I know exactly the way to do it.
*********************************
She looked up at him, love in her large amber eyes. Slowly, she raised a hand to caress his cheek.
"You shaved it off," she murmured.
"I knew you hated it," he said. Then he gave her a wicked grin. "Besides, I wouldn't want to scratch that lovely skin."
She drew his head down for a kiss, a long deep one that said all that she couldn't put into words. She was never the fluent one - he knew that - except when she was angry.
They had just finished making love and they lay, sprawled on the sheets, the sweat drying on their bodies. Her head was pillowed on his chest and she idly traced his ribs as he absently played with her hair.
He placed a hand under her chin as he brought her eyes up to his. "What is going to happen to us Maeve?"
She lowered her gaze. "I don't know. I want to be with you Sinbad."
"Then be with me!" he stated fiercely. "Leave here and come back with me!"
Tears coursed down her cheeks. "I can't."
With that, his surroundings began to fade.
"No!" he cried. "Maeve!"
And the world went black.
************************************************
Sinbad lurched upright in bed, his heart pounding wildly. He rubbed his hands over his face and took a deep breath. Those damn dreams again!
He had been having them almost nightly and things were reaching boiling point. He felt as if he was going insane - being able to dream about the closeness that they'd never had when she was with him - and then waking up the next morning to the memory of her soft body pressed against his.
He couldn't take it anymore and he knew that the crew was beginning to worry. He had seen the worried looks in their eyes when he seemed to drift off in the middle of conversations and when they heard him sometimes shout out in the night, calling out Maeve's name, he knew it freaked them out.
Pulling on his leather pants and a loose white shirt, he made his way to the top deck where he breathed in the night air. He glanced to the side where Dermott the hawk was perched, watching him.
The bird's golden eyes reminded him of Maeve's and he turned away. Dermott chirped softly and Sinbad sighed.
"I'm not angry with you, featherbrain." He looked at the sea. "It's just that I miss her so much sometimes."
Dermott fluttered onto Sinbad's shoulders and the sailor looked at him in surprise. "I thought that you didn't like me."
Dermott made a sound that was suspiciously like a chuckle and rubbed his head affectionately across the sailor's hair. Then he took to the air, making a circle around the ship.
Sinbad watched in amazement. Had Dermott finally accepted him?
Pondering this new turn of events, he didn't notice the figure standing behind him until she spoke.
"Well, how sweet."
Sinbad spun around to face the beautiful, dark haired woman.
"Rumina!" he exclaimed.
"In the flesh darling," she purred.
********************************************************