It was early morning when the cabin boys from Nomad started to carry the Bowes with things on to the ship. Sinbad had given Maeve his word that he would take her from Alkida as soon as it was possible, and he did not waste the time and drove the crew harder than normal to get all the work done.
Bryn, during all this, stayed far away from Maeve. Both women shunted each other. Doubar could see that something was wrong with the brunette, but she did not want to talk with anyone after her conversation with Master Dim-Dim. She needed the time to get her mind around everything that she had been told. She had just heard about her past and it hit her tender heart hard.
She blamed Dermott; he had not told her the truth, but on the other hand she felt guilty for everything. She did not know how she could look Maeve or Dermott in the eyes after this.
But the worst thing was, was that she was alone in this situation.
The longboat had finally finished its last run.
Firouz, Rongar and Bryn were already on Nomad.
Maeve grabbed the last of her stuff from the table and put them into her bag. Sinbad already had two bags strapped over his shoulders. In his arms, was Marina.
"Did you get everything?" he asked the redhead.
She looked around the room and empty shelves. She and Dim-Dim took only the essential things like their books and clothes; the furniture and stuff had to stay on island.
Maeve nodded at the captain.
"Yes, I think we can go" she said and let Dermott sit on her arm.
Sinbad smiled at her and they left the cottage moving towards the coast. The sorceress felt very happy leaving Alkida and talking her daughter on board the Nomad.
"You know what? We have to buy a special basket for Marina. It will much easier to travel with her in that." Sinbad shared his idea during their way.
"And I think we need a new crib for her as well…." He added.
"Why? She already has one." Maeve was surprised.
"You know, it didn't fit in doors. Firouz said he will take care of it." He pronounced and they both laughed.
"This day is getting better and better." She said to herself.
Doubar and Master Dim-Dim were waiting for them at the longboat.
"Will you miss this place?" the big man asked the wizard.
"I think, I will come back here soon. Since I already have its location, Alkida could be a really useful place." The old sage answered with a smile and got into the longboat.
Maeve, who had arrived, followed her Master. When she sat comfortably, Sinbad gave her their baby and the bags and turned Doubar.
"Let's go!" He ordered and both brothers pushed the longboat.
When it finally floated in the shallow water, the first mate and one cabin boy paddled while their captain sat next to his daughter kept by her mother and held them both in his arms.
"I've dreamed of this moment for such a long time. Now, its came true and Marina has made it even better." He said, kissed Maeve and gently leaned his head on hers.
Firouz who watched the longboat from the Nomad yelled,"They coming!"
"Oh, and Dermott is here too!" he added when the hawk sat next to him on the rail.
Bryn, once more, wanted to stay out of Maeve's way. She wasn't ready for any possible confrontations between the two of them.
"I will be in my cabin." She said to her mute friend and left.
Rongar helped Maeve get on the deck and then helped Sinbad with Marina.
He gave her back to her mother.
"Welcome board, girls!" Firouz yelled again and scared the baby who started crying.
"Firouz, you idiot! You scared her!" The captain rebuked him audibly.
Maeve rolled her eyes at the both men while she tried to calm down little girl, "Sinbad, you're not helping this way."
Rongar and Master Dim-Dim giggled.
"Sorry…" Both the scientist and sailor whispered and went to help with the other longboat.
When they secured it in its right place Sinbad gave the orders, "Haul up the anchor! Raise the sails!"
He turned to Maeve and smiled and added he put his arms around her shoulders, "I'm taking us from that island."
Together they went below deck.
Sinbad opened the door to his cabin and let Maeve enter first. She walked in and looked around the room filled with bags and boxes.
"I've missed this place…" she sighed.
The captain put his hand on her shoulder and said, "And this place has been really empty without you."
They smiled at each other when Marina cried to get her mother attention.
The sorceress declared and sat on the bed, "She is hungry and tired. I have to feed her."
"I would love to watch but I'm needed on deck." Sinbad kissed Maeve's forehead and Marina's nose and left the cabin.
The redhead rolled her eyes and said to her daughter, "You have a really crazy dad, you know. We will call him when we need him to change your nappy."
For the rest of the day, Maeve unpacked her things and arranged them inside the Captain's cabin.
Firouz with Rongar's help finally found a way to set the crib up inside the cabin, and to everyone's amazement he had not damaged anything.
Dim-Dim, Doubar, and Sinbad were searching the maps to establish their location and the direction to get back to more familiar waters.
Poor Bryn was sitting alone in her cabin thinking and crying.
She let no one enter.
She wanted to be alone to figure out what she needed to do now, and what she might just have to do in the future.
When Sinbad entered, he saw Maeve seated on bed with Marina cradled in her arms. She looked at him and put the finger on her lips to show him he'd have to be quietly.
He slowly came close and sat next to them. Then he looked around at the cabin's new look. It looked more cosy than ever before. The wooden ship's walls were partly hid by curtains which Maeve had taken from her bedroom on Alkida. The broad bed was fixed to the floor, which was the usual thing on board ships, was situated in the middle of the one wall on left of the doors. On the wall opposite to the bed, there was a crib in one corner and Sinbad's desk in the other. There were also two trunks with their clothes and stuff and a shelf where the captain had put all of Maeve's books after he had given her cabin to Bryn. Maeve left only one small candle glimmered so the whole room was shadowed in a nice dusk.
Surprised the sailor whispered and commended the room, "Wow, I don't recognize my cabin."
The sorceress looked at him and whispered as she stood up, put Marina in her crib, moved to Sinbad's desk, and pulled back the chair, "And I don't recognize my captain."
"Come and sit here." She pointed at the it.
Curious the captain followed her words. When he sat down, she took the watery towel and wet his hair.
"May I ask, what are you doing?" He asked when he saw how she was sharpening the knife.
"No." The redheaded beauty gave him a short answer and started cutting his hair. Successive wisps were falling on the floor as she continued to shorted his hair.
When she put the dagger back, his hands quickly went to his head to check what she had done. Maeve crouched so her head was at the same height as Sinbad's. His long, rusty hair vanished and his short locks were back.
She admired her work.
"Now, I have my captain back in the same way as I left him."
