Zeiken was the only child of Sinbad's good friend and mentor – Aiden. Named after father's best friend (the victim of tragic events before the memorable wedding). The boy was only a few months younger than Marina. About eleven years old when his mother had passed away. Kaitlan had not manage to overcome the fatal disease. As much as his father had been trying back then to fill the loss, he had not been able to replace both parents. Aiden had not been that young anymore. He had no one else but also been aware that there were no perspectives for his son while staying with him. It had not been an easy decision but the only reasonable one – to ask Sinbad to take him, to teach him to give him all this that Aiden was not able to anymore.

Zeiken had always wanted to follow father's steps. To become a known sailor, the adventurer. Sinbad was the one who could give him the opportunity to do so. Also moving to Baghdad was a great chance for a better education and wider perspectives.

That is how the boy had joined Nomad's crew as sort of Sinbad's apprentice. Besides the innate talent and love for the sea it was Aiden's son in each and every cal. During the past few months he quickly had learnt the sailing art and proved unimaginable skills in ship construction area. On the one hand smart and a gifted apprentice but on the other stubborn, hotheaded and impertinent one – hard to master. Recently even more than ever.

Sinbad was sitting in the galley. Even though they had set sail a few hours ago he welcomed the end of the day with quite a relief. He never appreciated his brother more than when he was not around. He would never had thought that the issue of the cabins' size could be so difficult to solve. Luckily finally Firouz managed to allocate himself somewhere and find space for his 'toys'. One thing was sure he needed a new first mate for this cruise.

In the warm light of the candle Sinbad was reading some parchment when one of the crew member came in. The captain looked up at the man.

"Everything's done, Captain" the obeyed sailor reportedly.

"Good. You will take the watch in the nest tonight. Please replace Zeiken and tell him to come here."

"Of course, sir"

Crewman nodded and left captain alone. Sinbad had a sip of wine. A sip of hope that it was going to help him sleeping better tonight. He sorted all the documents laying on the table and took out a sealed letter on the top of this stack. Organizing documents, he also was trying to organize his thoughts. Still Maeve's words were echoing in his minds. Now when he calmed down he was trying to think over everything.

The door to the galley got opened and Zeiken came in. Slowly going down the stairs the boy asked,

"You wanted to see me?"

"I did. Sit." Sinbad announced pointing at the place by the table in front of him.

The boy sat down frowning. But it was more like a sign of repentance than usual for him rebellion. When the pale light of candle illuminated his face, first thought of the captain was that it is not really him who needed a good sleep.

"Sinbad, for the cargo…" Zeiken started, nervously biting the nail of the right thumb.

But Sinbad did not let him finish.

"I am not sure if I wanna know all the details of what have happened here…" He sighed and a lopsided smile curved his lips.

Zeiken lowered his head a bit to hide the little smirk and his flushed cheeks, as he figured that Sinbad was referring to the company he had found boy with. "Nothing really happened… It was just a ship tour…"

The captain stiffened at his words. Quickly analyzing if he had heard really what he thought he had heard and if it could mean the same he thought it could mean, he blinked nervously. Inside the captain convinced himself that it couldn't mean what he thought it meant. He cleaned his throat quickly getting back to the point.

"You disappointed me and not for the first time recently…"

Zeiken's face changed a bit as his captain took mentor approach. The little smirk disappeared and the boy's right thumb again became a victim of his jitters.

"I know…" He hung his head in humility, waiting for sermons and reprimands.

But they did not come. For quite a moment Sinbad did not say anything. Only watching the boy who was now sitting in front of him like a child who just broke the window while playing the ball.

Maeve had been right. Zeiken was still just a child. Talented one but still a child who needed a good direction to be set. In one moment he saw into boy's face his own reflection. The reflection of the orphan boy sitting next to his stubborn captain.

After a long as it seemed for Zeiken silence, the captain finally spoke.

"As you probably noticed there are a few missing crew members. We decided that my brother will join Fallon. However our journey is also very significant. This is quite long cruise and I will not hide the fact that I really count on you."

Zeiken lifted his head a bit and made a confused face. That was not what he had expected. "Meaning…?" He asked, carefully checking on Sinbad's face. But the captain was extremely calm and composed.

"Even though your behavior often leaves much to be desired, especially recently. Still I can't deny on your talent and skills." Sinbad sighed.

Still a bit dazed Zeiken only raised his eyebrows.

"You're a new first mate from now on" The captain finally announced. Fully calm as it was something fully normal and expected.

But it was not. The boy got pale and started to nervously blinking like not being sure if their conversation was real. Going below he had been rather prepared for a big fuss and reprimands and once the tone of this small talk turned out to be totally different he got lost. Totally lost and dazed that he was not even able to speak.

Sinbad crossed arms on his chest and added with a smirk.

"So, unless you want to contest also this decision of mine, I would like to announce this tomorrow."

Zeiken still was not able to say anything. With open mount he was looking at his captain like waiting for him to say 'I am kidding'. But he did not say that. Sinbad was completely serious. The boy's mentor, usually very strict, now seemed to be somehow different.

"I take it as 'yes'. So, tomorrow I want to discuss the shifts schedule and I fully count on you in Basra. I want it to be really a short stop. We have a long course to tackle." Sinbad was continuing but he noticed that boy is not able to follow.

"Zeiken!" He got the boy you out of this slump.

"Yes?" Zeiken flinched. "I mean, yes, of course" he started to get up, almost knocking over the bench he was sitting at. The surprise almost paralyzed him.

Sinbad smiled to himself watching the dazed boy. He picked up a letter lying on a pile of papers next to him and handed it to the boy. "Here , bedside reading. Go take some sleep because you look like a ghost."

Zeiken took the letter carefully. Looking at Sinbad suspiciously. His gaze was like 'who are you and where is my captain'.

"It is a letter from your father. Be careful what you write as an answer. In my letter for him - your little visit in Basra's jail is not mentioned."

The boy again looked suspiciously at his captain but his astonishment did not let him for any other respond but simple "Thank you…"

Sinbad winked at him, in the same time giving him the permission to leave. Stunned by an excess of sensations Zeiken disappeared in the narrow corridor leading to the crew's cabins.

The captain sighed heavily and shook his head, rubbing his eyes. Watching how boy was leaving he hoped he will not regret that decision. It was too much for one day. Sinbad stretched himself and grabbing stack of papers from the table he also decided to take some sleep.

Quietly and carefully he opened the door to his private quarter. For his surprise, room was still lit. The frail flame danced with shadows of furniture on the walls. The captain quietly slipped inside and closed the door. He walked silently to the massive wooden desk placed right opposite the door and left his documents there. In that pretty moment he noticed that light was coming from candle on the ledge by the bed. In its glow he found his sleeping daughter. He sighed smiling to himself. 'Captain's cabin, of course. Which one would be more proper.' He thought. During the 'cabin conflict' today, Marina had been the one shouting most, demanding her rights as the captain's daughter. She had capitulated later on, saying she will find proper one. She had.

Half-sitting supported by pillows Marina was still holding an opened book in her hand. It seemed that she had fallen asleep while reading. The picture was nothing new for Sinbad. Rather very typical for both her and her mother. It was not possible to count how many books he had put back on the shelf taking them from the sleeping hands of daughter and wife. Still each time it was bringing the smile on his face.

He noiselessly came closer to his bed. It was not a random bed. As befits the captain, it was larger than usual beds on the ship but what was making it special was beam over it. This element had been taken from the original Nomad and was nothing else but fragment of the mast almost burned by Maeve during her first day on the board.

Bending down he took out a book from girl's hand as gently as it was possible. Having a look at the open pages, he quickly noticed that text was in Gaelic. He took a bookmarker which was laying on the pillow and put it between open pages before closing the book and putting it back. From his experience Sinbad exactly knew that she would be extremely dissatisfied in the morning if he had not done that. Then again as gently as he could the captain took the blanket and covered Marina's petit body.

For quite a while he was just looking at his sleeping daughter. On her pure beautiful face and brown curls. On his little girl. Finally, the captain brought his lips close to her forehead. And as gently as he only could not to wake her up he pressed a small kiss. A small one but full of his big love for her. Slowly straightening up Sinbad blow out the candle.