Chapter 7
Dermott braced himself against the cave wall and shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun. He turned to Bryn, who was right behind him. He saw that they were on an incline and he started to climb down, extending a helping hand to Bryn in order for her to follow.
She stared suspiciously at his outstretched fingers. Dermott rolled his eyes heavenward.
"Oh for crying out loud Bryn!" he exclaimed. "I'm not going to push you off!"
Bryn hid a smile at that and placed her hand in his. His fingers tightened over hers - almost imperceptibly - and he placed his other hand around her waist as he assisted her.
It took them about an hour to get to flat ground and when they did, they stared in wonder at the land around them. It was uncommonly beautiful - the grass was a brilliant blue-green, and to their left, ran a small river with strange, swirling, pink-purple waters. Every now and again, a fish would jump out of the water, scales glittering in the late afternoon sunlight.
Dermott and Bryn looked at each other in bewilderment. Bryn was the first to speak.
"What is this place?" she wondered aloud.
Dermott slanted a glance at her. "I wish I could tell you," he said softly.
She looked up into his deep, green eyes and for a second, her breath caught. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Dermott cleared his throat and turned away.
"I think we should start looking for the others," he told her.
Bryn nodded and started walking ahead of him, her mind in a turmoil.
*****************************
Dermott sighed and stooped next to the river. He was incredibly thirsty but they had decided that the water could be dangerous. Now, however, he was under the belief that he'd rather be poisoned than die of thirst.
He reached a hand down into the water, only to be startled by Bryn's voice behind him. "What are you doing?"
He twisted his head to face her. "I'm tired and thirsty. I need something to drink."
"But what if the water kills you, Dermott?"
"It's a chance I have to take Bryn," he stated firmly. "We will die if we don't drink anyway, so why not take a chance?" He looked up at her. "But I don't want you drinking any until we see if something happens to me first, okay?"
She nodded and he scooped up a handful of water and drank it. She watched, her heart in her throat as he did. As he drank, he closed his eyes in ecstasy. The water was unbelievable - cool and soothing and the most delicious thing that he had ever tasted.
He drank his fill and stood up to face Bryn. She had a worried look on her face and he couldn't help but smile. Even though he didn't always like her very much, he found her concern for him rather touching.
They waited for an hour and when they saw no adverse side effects, Bryn went ahead and drank from the river. She sighed in happiness as she tasted the water and splashed some on her face.
The water looked incredibly inviting and after their long walk, both Bryn and Dermott were dirty and sweaty. She longed for a bath but didn't want to take one in front of her companion. She deliberated for a while and cleanliness won out over modesty. She turned to Dermott.
"Would you mind terribly if I asked you for some privacy so that I could take a bath?" she asked.
He nodded. "Not at all. Go right ahead. But after you're done, I want one too."
He stood up. "I'll go take a look around," he said. "Hopefully there'll be some sign of Sinbad or my sister. I'll be back in thirty minutes."
As soon as he was out of eyesight, she stripped off the now filthy white gown and dived into the river. She laughed aloud with pleasure and proceeded to scrub herself thoroughly. She emerged fifteen minutes later and shivered slightly in the cool evening breeze. She wrung out her long hair and slipped the long dress over her still wet body. She was unaware that the fabric clung to her curves and that the water on her body made the dress almost transparent.
Dermott almost swallowed his tongue as he walked back into the encampment. She had just started a fire and sat in front of the flames, warming herself. She looked incredible, with her long, dark hair still damp from her bath, the firelight gilding her features and her dress.....he took a deep breath. The gauzy material was molded to her lovingly and he could see every indentation and line of her body.
She turned to him and smiled. "Are you ready?"
His brain was on lockdown. "For what?" he asked stupidly.
She looked askance at him. "Your bath? Didn't you say that you wanted one too?"
Dermott thought wryly that a cold pool was EXACTLY the thing that he needed at the moment. He nodded and took off the long robe that he wore, hanging it on a tree branch. He turned and grinned at Bryn. "Promise not to look?"
Bryn nodded faintly. This was the first time that she had seen Dermott even remotely unclothed and she was impressed. He was not overly muscular - rather - he was well defined, with sculpted arms, chest and torso. His skin was a rich caramel color and she had to clench her fists to keep from reaching out to touch him. She now understood why it was that the women in the ports and villages flocked to him like bees drawn to honey.
She turned quickly as his fingers went to the waistband of his pants and she heard him chuckle. Her cheeks flamed red and she tried to control her blushing. She heard the splash of the water as he dove in and his short yell as he realized how cold it was.
She smiled at that and put the pheasant that they had caught during their explorations on a spit to roast. She was starving and as the delicious scent from the cooking meat arose, her stomach growled in response.
"Isn't someone hungry?" Dermott's teasing voice came from behind her.
She spun around and looked up at him. His dark gold hair was wet and slicked back and his eyes, in the flickering firelight, were an even more intense shade of green. Like the forest at night, she thought.
He had left the shirt off and she could see the rivulets of water running down his chest. Bryn swallowed and turned away to check the bird.
Unfortunately, she was so distracted, that she ended up burning her fingers on the roasting meat.
"Oh! Ow!" she cried, pulling her hand back.
Dermott flew to her side and took her hand in his. "Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yeah. I burnt myself. Guess I wasn't paying attention. Stupid, really."
"You may be many things, Bryn - aggravating, hard-headed and stubborn - but stupid is NOT one of them." With that statement, Dermott released her hand and returned to his seat.
Bryn stared into the fire, pondering the words of her companion. A smile slowly curved over her lips. So she wasn't stupid, huh?
Next to her, Dermott was mentally hitting himself. What had possessed him to actually speak nicely to her? Actually, he thought, what's our reason for fighting in the first place? Ever since I was restored to my human form, we've been clashing and for no particular reason. He raised his head and studied the female next to him.
She was not the stunning beauty that his sister was - rather -she had more perky, elvish features. Her chocolate brown eyes hinted at a wealth of pain below the calm demeanor that she often portrayed. Sometimes, he wondered what had caused her such unhappiness in life and what had happened to her before she joined Sinbad and the crew.
Bryn was aware of Dermott's scrutiny but she refused to turn her head. Knowing that if she so much as looked at the man sitting next to her, she would most likely do something to embarrass herself, she studiously examined her fingernails.
Realizing that she hadn't practiced her magic in a while, she concentrated and followed Maeve's instructions, conjuring up a yellow ball of light in her hand.
Dermott jumped and turned to her. "Why are you creating a fireball? Do you see something?"
Bryn shook her head. "No. I'm practicing my magic. Now that we don't have Maeve at the moment, we need to keep on top of things."
He nodded in assent. "That makes sense." He stood and offered his hand to her. "Come. We'll practice together."
Bryn looked up at him, placed her fingers in his palm and stood.
*****************************
Dermott braced himself against the cave wall and shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun. He turned to Bryn, who was right behind him. He saw that they were on an incline and he started to climb down, extending a helping hand to Bryn in order for her to follow.
She stared suspiciously at his outstretched fingers. Dermott rolled his eyes heavenward.
"Oh for crying out loud Bryn!" he exclaimed. "I'm not going to push you off!"
Bryn hid a smile at that and placed her hand in his. His fingers tightened over hers - almost imperceptibly - and he placed his other hand around her waist as he assisted her.
It took them about an hour to get to flat ground and when they did, they stared in wonder at the land around them. It was uncommonly beautiful - the grass was a brilliant blue-green, and to their left, ran a small river with strange, swirling, pink-purple waters. Every now and again, a fish would jump out of the water, scales glittering in the late afternoon sunlight.
Dermott and Bryn looked at each other in bewilderment. Bryn was the first to speak.
"What is this place?" she wondered aloud.
Dermott slanted a glance at her. "I wish I could tell you," he said softly.
She looked up into his deep, green eyes and for a second, her breath caught. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Dermott cleared his throat and turned away.
"I think we should start looking for the others," he told her.
Bryn nodded and started walking ahead of him, her mind in a turmoil.
*****************************
Dermott sighed and stooped next to the river. He was incredibly thirsty but they had decided that the water could be dangerous. Now, however, he was under the belief that he'd rather be poisoned than die of thirst.
He reached a hand down into the water, only to be startled by Bryn's voice behind him. "What are you doing?"
He twisted his head to face her. "I'm tired and thirsty. I need something to drink."
"But what if the water kills you, Dermott?"
"It's a chance I have to take Bryn," he stated firmly. "We will die if we don't drink anyway, so why not take a chance?" He looked up at her. "But I don't want you drinking any until we see if something happens to me first, okay?"
She nodded and he scooped up a handful of water and drank it. She watched, her heart in her throat as he did. As he drank, he closed his eyes in ecstasy. The water was unbelievable - cool and soothing and the most delicious thing that he had ever tasted.
He drank his fill and stood up to face Bryn. She had a worried look on her face and he couldn't help but smile. Even though he didn't always like her very much, he found her concern for him rather touching.
They waited for an hour and when they saw no adverse side effects, Bryn went ahead and drank from the river. She sighed in happiness as she tasted the water and splashed some on her face.
The water looked incredibly inviting and after their long walk, both Bryn and Dermott were dirty and sweaty. She longed for a bath but didn't want to take one in front of her companion. She deliberated for a while and cleanliness won out over modesty. She turned to Dermott.
"Would you mind terribly if I asked you for some privacy so that I could take a bath?" she asked.
He nodded. "Not at all. Go right ahead. But after you're done, I want one too."
He stood up. "I'll go take a look around," he said. "Hopefully there'll be some sign of Sinbad or my sister. I'll be back in thirty minutes."
As soon as he was out of eyesight, she stripped off the now filthy white gown and dived into the river. She laughed aloud with pleasure and proceeded to scrub herself thoroughly. She emerged fifteen minutes later and shivered slightly in the cool evening breeze. She wrung out her long hair and slipped the long dress over her still wet body. She was unaware that the fabric clung to her curves and that the water on her body made the dress almost transparent.
Dermott almost swallowed his tongue as he walked back into the encampment. She had just started a fire and sat in front of the flames, warming herself. She looked incredible, with her long, dark hair still damp from her bath, the firelight gilding her features and her dress.....he took a deep breath. The gauzy material was molded to her lovingly and he could see every indentation and line of her body.
She turned to him and smiled. "Are you ready?"
His brain was on lockdown. "For what?" he asked stupidly.
She looked askance at him. "Your bath? Didn't you say that you wanted one too?"
Dermott thought wryly that a cold pool was EXACTLY the thing that he needed at the moment. He nodded and took off the long robe that he wore, hanging it on a tree branch. He turned and grinned at Bryn. "Promise not to look?"
Bryn nodded faintly. This was the first time that she had seen Dermott even remotely unclothed and she was impressed. He was not overly muscular - rather - he was well defined, with sculpted arms, chest and torso. His skin was a rich caramel color and she had to clench her fists to keep from reaching out to touch him. She now understood why it was that the women in the ports and villages flocked to him like bees drawn to honey.
She turned quickly as his fingers went to the waistband of his pants and she heard him chuckle. Her cheeks flamed red and she tried to control her blushing. She heard the splash of the water as he dove in and his short yell as he realized how cold it was.
She smiled at that and put the pheasant that they had caught during their explorations on a spit to roast. She was starving and as the delicious scent from the cooking meat arose, her stomach growled in response.
"Isn't someone hungry?" Dermott's teasing voice came from behind her.
She spun around and looked up at him. His dark gold hair was wet and slicked back and his eyes, in the flickering firelight, were an even more intense shade of green. Like the forest at night, she thought.
He had left the shirt off and she could see the rivulets of water running down his chest. Bryn swallowed and turned away to check the bird.
Unfortunately, she was so distracted, that she ended up burning her fingers on the roasting meat.
"Oh! Ow!" she cried, pulling her hand back.
Dermott flew to her side and took her hand in his. "Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yeah. I burnt myself. Guess I wasn't paying attention. Stupid, really."
"You may be many things, Bryn - aggravating, hard-headed and stubborn - but stupid is NOT one of them." With that statement, Dermott released her hand and returned to his seat.
Bryn stared into the fire, pondering the words of her companion. A smile slowly curved over her lips. So she wasn't stupid, huh?
Next to her, Dermott was mentally hitting himself. What had possessed him to actually speak nicely to her? Actually, he thought, what's our reason for fighting in the first place? Ever since I was restored to my human form, we've been clashing and for no particular reason. He raised his head and studied the female next to him.
She was not the stunning beauty that his sister was - rather -she had more perky, elvish features. Her chocolate brown eyes hinted at a wealth of pain below the calm demeanor that she often portrayed. Sometimes, he wondered what had caused her such unhappiness in life and what had happened to her before she joined Sinbad and the crew.
Bryn was aware of Dermott's scrutiny but she refused to turn her head. Knowing that if she so much as looked at the man sitting next to her, she would most likely do something to embarrass herself, she studiously examined her fingernails.
Realizing that she hadn't practiced her magic in a while, she concentrated and followed Maeve's instructions, conjuring up a yellow ball of light in her hand.
Dermott jumped and turned to her. "Why are you creating a fireball? Do you see something?"
Bryn shook her head. "No. I'm practicing my magic. Now that we don't have Maeve at the moment, we need to keep on top of things."
He nodded in assent. "That makes sense." He stood and offered his hand to her. "Come. We'll practice together."
Bryn looked up at him, placed her fingers in his palm and stood.
*****************************