The Return of Maeve 3
The next two days were long and tiring. Not that the daily maintenance of the Nomad was tiring, but the memories and inner struggle he was going through was more exhausting than fighting all day against evil.
He knew it had been a long time in coming, but it had surprised him in its intensity. He had known of his love for Maeve, but he hadn't been aware of the depth and total devotion that his heart seem to have for her. It had astonished even him when he actually sat down and thought about his past actions.
When Maeve had been lost during the storm, he hadn't truly thought that he had lost her.
Maeve, while she was the physical embodiment of fire, was well suited to survive on water. From the very beginning, she had proved to the men of the Nomad that she wasn't some wallflower who lost her lunch once stepping on board.
To him, Maeve was simply swimming through the stormy waves, waiting very impatiently, for him to find her.
Independent she may be, Maeve was still romantic at heart when it came to chivalry; at the right time of course. Maeve was also the first one to throw his chivalry in his face, if he was using it at the wrong time.
But, as the waves grew bigger and his arms grew heavier, panic began to set in. He couldn't find her anywhere!
Then it all went black.
The next thing he knew, he was seeing and angel; Maeve.
Then his angel vanished in the dancing sunlight; leaving only Bryn in her place.
Bryn was in trouble; Maeve could handle herself, so he went and helped Bryn.
In the end though, his heart, which had been sustained with hope at finding her on the island somewhere or with one of the others, was torn to pieces with a simple message from DimDim; Maeve was with him and he was to go on without her.
He hadn't meant to do it, honest, but to survive with his heart intact after this last and biggest blow, he had changed. He didn't have the courage to confront his pain, so he held it deep within him and tried to forget it had even happened.
Bryn had been a nice distraction, but even then he couldn't really use her as such. Instead, he had tried to help her regain her memories; specifically about how she got her bracelet.
He had tried to spark a memory by talking about all he remembered of his own experience and even some of what Tetsu had told him, but nothing had grown from their talks.
She simply didn't recall anything.
After a while, he had stopped trying, but that too had given way to another problem; Bryn had grown attached and attracted to him.
To not deal with that, he had acted without really thinking about it.
Maeve had always despised lothario-like men, so he turned himself into one to show Bryn how unsuited for her he was.
Maeve and Bryn, despite their many differences, seem to have the same core beliefs amazingly enough; especially since Bryn couldn't remember why she believed such things.
So, woman after woman had fallen for his charms; charms he had sworn to never use in such ways, but he had and after a while he couldn't stop.
Not that he was addicted to female flesh, no, half the time he hadn't even bedded the female he was attracting to him, but he had made it look like he had to drive Bryn away. It had become a habit, and one he couldn't break so long as Bryn's eyes still tracked him wherever he went.
Perhaps, it hadn't been the best way to get rid of her interest in him, but it was the only thing he could think of without bringing up his 'unaccepted-by-him', at the time, love for Maeve.
By the time it happened, he had been so sure he had succeeded in turning her away from him, and then he had to go and screw it up.
He had kissed her.
Why he did so, even to today he wasn't sure why, but he did and her interest in him had soared to new heights.
And so the women fell to him once more in droves.
He could tell that the others were worried about him. He also knew, that they knew, why he was doing what he was doing, and Sinbad knew they didn't approve of his method, but at the same time they didn't have any other ideas for him to use.
Well Firouz had one, but he hadn't wanted to use it then, and even now he was hesitant to bring it up….
"Sinbad, we need to talk."
Sinbad turned from his door, which he was about to enter for the night, and smiled at his childhood friend in curiosity.
"Sure Firouz, what is it?"
Firouz ran his hand through his curly brown hair nervously and began with a stutter, "Well…ah…Sin…Sinbad, I was wanting to…to talk to y…you about Bryn."
Sinbad's curiosity had dwindled with every stuttered word that fell from Firouz's mouth. He didn't need to be clairvoyant to know what was about to come out of his brilliant friend's lips. Firouz didn't approve of how he was handling Bryn's interest in him.
He wasn't proud of what he was doing to the unknowning sorceress, but he wasn't sure what else to do to make her understand that he wasn't interested in her that way.
He sighed and asked, "Yea, what is it Firouz?"
Firouz bit his lip, glanced to the right and then to the left to make sure that they were alone, and then said, "You have to stop using these women Sinbad. They don't deserve it, Bryn doesn't deserve, and…and…"
Sinbad frowned.
He had an inkling of what was about to come, and deep within his heart and soul, he cried out for his friend to stop, to not say her name, but Firouz didn't hear his wordless cry, and went on, "…and Maeve certainly doesn't deserve what you are doing to her memory Sinbad. You need to tell Bryn how you really feel for her and Maeve."
Sinbad's face froze.
His heart thumped erratically in his breast.
His breath became short and heavy.
Darkness blurred around his vision.
Her stern face frowning at him.
Maeve.
That was all it took to make him swim in despair; the mere mentioning of her name had sent waves of heartache and destruction through his floundering soul.
"Sinbad! Sinbad! SINBAD!!!!!!!!!" cried a voice, each time more and more panicked and guilty.
When his vision had returned, Sinbad found himself laying dazedly on the floor in the hallway with Firouz kneeling beside him anxiously calling his name and dabbing his forehead with a piece of torn cloth.
"Are you all right Sinbad?"
Sinbad gazed at his friend and saw the heartache and misery there. Sinbad knew Firouz hadn't meant to cause him any harm. Firouz was, in fact, one of the last people to cause anyone harm, and simply nodded his head.
No, he wasn't all right, but Firouz looked so horribly guilty that Sinbad didn't have the heart to be honest just then. Besides, Firouz was right. He should tell Bryn about Maeve and finally reveal his hidden feelings about the fiery woman, but he couldn't.
If simply hearing her name had caused this…
Talking about her would kill him.
So he hadn't.
Sinbad's thoughts quieted as he looked at the familiar port of Basra as it came into view.
Firouz hadn't mentioned Maeve's name again, and a part of Sinbad had thanked him for it.
But now, after the past few days, he had come to realize that by denying himself from feeling the pain, he had made it all the more easier for him to fall into those horrible habits that Maeve and he had so hated about other Lotharios. It had made it easier for him to embrace the darkness that resided in every human, and it took Scratch nearly getting his soul for him to finally admit it.
Pain was apart of every person's life. No one could escape it and everyone felt it. Some felt it more than others, true, but all people suffered at the hands of Mother Earth, Fate, Destiny, ect…it was just that simple.
By denying it, he had stilted his growth as a good person. He had hardened his heart and in turn denied who he really was. By not dealing with his pain, he had created a whole in his heart where all his pain could grow. Once there it festered like an infected wound, and slowly bit by bit it had been killing him.
And by denying it, he had let the darkness slowly kill his light, his soul.
Perhaps, he should thank that evil devil the next time he saw him, for Scratch, while not meaning to, had forced Sinbad to see the error of his mistakes; Mala had helped too. Sinbad now understood his heart more. He understood that moving past the pain made a person stronger and more able to deal with other evils, and in doing so was able to become a stronger champion of the Light.
Now he wasn't anywhere near finished absolving himself of his pain, but there was a new scar or two and his heart of well on the way to being fully mended.
"It's good to be home isn't Sinbad?"
Sinbad smiled.
As the sun rose and fell, Firouz was always on call it seemed, and like his thoughts from before, he turned to his friend curiously and said, "Yes, it is."
Firouz came up beside his friend and said sheepishly as he rubbed his hand through his hair, "I'll admit, I'm more anxious at meeting Caipra properly than simply befriending her through you and….er…."
Sinbad placed a hand on the inventor and said with a smile, "Maeve."
Firouz looked amazed at him.
Sinbad nodded at the look, returned his gaze to Basra, and said, "You were right along Firouz. I was being a jerk in the way I was acting, but I guess, back then, I didn't want to acknowledge what everyone else already knew. You were right, Bryn and Maeve deserved better from me."
Firouz shook his head and protested, "You obviously weren't ready. I shouldn't have pushed so…"
Sinbad turned back to him and allowed, "Perhaps not, but the truth is Firouz, I was being a stubborn bastard and I needed that shove even if I wasn't ready for it. I was getting to out of control with all those women, and once I…er….fainted I realized that you were right, and I did calm down a bit didn't I?"
Firouz nodded and said, "Yes, that's true, but all the same Sinbad, you weren't ready to be confronted with Maeve's memory, and I shouldn't have thrown her in your face. I imagine just thinking about her disapproval had done that to you."
Sinbad winced and said, "Actually, I hadn't even thought it through that far before I collapse. All I could see was her face and that frown, and that was it. I went down."
Firouz smiled impishly at him and said teasingly, "Well, she did have you wrapped around her little finger Sinbad."
Sinbad rolled his eyes but didn't refute it. He was tired of denying his feelings, and he had learned the hard way about how denial could harm him more than acceptance ever could.
So he didn't, and it was refreshing to feel the love and life flow through him again.
Firouz looked out at the port and said, "Are you going to guide us in, or will Doubar?"
Sinbad smiled and said, "I think Doubar can handle it."
Firouz tilted his head and pondered out loud, "Do you think she knows we're coming?"
Sinbad shrugged and said, "I don't know, but Caipra's power is of the knowing."
At Firouz's questioning look, Sinbad explained as Bryn came closer with Dermott resting on her gloved hand, "Caipra's powers are to know things. She knows about people and lands and magic. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew we were coming, but all the same, I don't think she'd mind a visit from us."
Bryn asked, "Do you think she'd be able to tall me anything about my past if her powers are in knowledge?"
Sinbad turned to her and answered with a shrug, "I don't know, possibly."
As Doubar yelled to drop anchor, Sinbad ended, "It couldn't hurt to ask, could it?"
Dermott screeched and fluttered his wings. He was ready to fly, but Bryn held him down by his leather strings.
Sinbad said, "You can let him go, he knows the way and he can take care of himself."
Bryn frowned but released the strings.
Something about this place, or perhaps it was Caipra herself, caused her to feel anxious and frightened. What would she find here? Who would she find here?
And the most important question of all…
Did she really want to know?