The sun was setting low already when Doubar and Bryn met at the reeling near the tiller. Bryn had brought another piece of rope so that she and the first mate could pretend to practice making knots again while in reality their attention lay on the prow.

"What about the Lass?", Doubar asked the young sorceress quietly while he fumbled with the cord, twisting it expertly but slowly until it formed one of the more complicated ties. While he stood with his back to the bow, Bryn had positioned herself just in the right angle to observe the far end of the ship without any difficulty.

"She's not yet there. But Sinbad is still pacing up and down, humming to himself if his expression is anything to go by", she replied nonchalantly before she took the rope from Doubar's hands and inspected it carefully.

"He bought it then", the first mate concluded, fighting the urge to turn around and steal a glimpse at his younger brother himself. Admittedly, he felt just a tiny bit bad about fooling the younger one like that but on the other hand, he knew, if things worked out the way he and Bryn had planned then this would be quite a beneficial situation for all of them.

In response to his statement the brunette next to him nodded curtly before she frowned slightly.

"How did you make that one?", she asked while her gaze lay on the intricate knot. As much as the current lesson was more a disguise than anything else she still couldn't fight the urge to improve her skills. Doubar however didn't even have the chance to answer as suddenly she tensed, her brown orbs darting towards the stairs that led below deck.

Just a few feet away from the two conspirators Maeve emerged from the ship's hull, wearing a slightly puzzled expression on her face. In her right hand she still seemed to clutch the parchment that Bryn had made sure lay on top of the other woman's pillow. With even steps the Celt crossed the deck until finally she approached the captain who had instantly stopped pacing the moment he had spotted her. And by the time the redhead reached him he was leaning on the reeling, watching her expectantly.

"And so the show begins", Bryn whispered almost silently. It appeared that both their victims had decided to humour the letters they had found, not taking the possibility into account that their friends were plotting against them.
While the young sorceress shifted on her spot, allowing Doubar to do the same and thus gain a better view on the pair at the bow, she leaned closer for a second. There was one thing she had not yet asked him although it was a rather vital part of their plan.
"Firouz?"

She knew she didn't need to say more and indeed Doubar grinned at her instantly, a knowing look in his eyes.
"Don't you worry", he smiled broadly, "he will be here just in time."
Then he retrieved the rope from her hands and untangled the tie. He could work the cord without giving it much thought and could thus continue to pretend even when watching how his little brother fared.

All the while, at the other side of the ship Maeve looked questioningly at Sinbad. The sailor wore a strange mixture of a smug smile and a hopeful expression and either one unsettled her.

"So?", she finally broke the silence, frowning slightly at him. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Me?" His reply came as a question. The captain's eyebrows rose while he obviously pondered the meaning of her attitude. "It was you who wanted to see me. At the prow. At sundown." His voice held the faintest trace of doubt, but as quickly as it came he chased it away again, eventually relaxing under her gaze. A smirk played on his lips when at last he decided he knew the game she was playing.
"You said you had realized a few things and I came to tell you I agree", he went on casually, certain that she just wanted to find out whether he thought likewise. A shrug passed his shoulders while he paused a moment, watching her gaze and searching for any hint as to that he was right. But unlike he had expected, Maeve's frown just deepened in response to his words.

"And what is it do you think I have realized?", she asked incredulously although there also was a tiny bit of curiosity to her words.

"That it was time you didn't keep pulling back anymore. That you and I should finally…."
More he did not get to say.
By the time he had spoken the last bit her eyes were opened wide and her cheeks had paled dangerously, cutting off any further speech from his side. This was certainly not the reaction he had expected, and it had him become somewhat flustered.

"What in the name of all what is good and holy makes you think I would say something like that?"
The young Celt was clearly agitated, her gaze boring holes into his own. It wasn't so much the issue of their unresolved relationship that bothered her, but rather the fact that he automatically assumed she would be the one to back down and seek his attention like all those flimsy girls did who constantly came swarming about him once they reached a bigger port. No, if he wanted more than what they had till now he would have to try a little harder than make her admit to something she would never say or do.
Unconsciously she straightened up a little as she challenged him with her stare, letting him know that he was dreading dangerous ground right now.

Her change in posture had the desired effect for just a second later Sinbad seemed to shrink. His shoulders slumped a little while they moved with a forlorn shrug. The smug expression he had worn so shortly before was gone and replaced with a confused frown.

"But you… I mean the note …"
It rarely occurred that the famous Master of the Seven Seas was lost of words, and when it happened it was usually related to the very person who also caused his stuttering now. Helplessly he looked at her, truly clueless about what went on.

Maeve on the other hand felt her own mood sober as she watched the captain falter, and almost she could not have helped the smile that was daring to conquer her lips. But she bit back the smirk and leaned closer instead, feigning to be most annoyed with him.

"The note that you sent me, yeah I got it. And I thought you had to tell me anything important but if this weird game you try to play is all this is about then…"

"No", he almost cried at her, pushing away from the reeling at the same time. "I'm not playing any game and I didn't send you any note. It's you who sent me one and I really thought… I thought that things had changed."
Suddenly he exhaled sharply, his breath coming in a quiet sigh. It was easy to see he didn't understand a thing anymore and even Maeve felt her bewilderment return. His voice bore so much confusion, but worse than that it held disappointment and it was the latter that told her that maybe he indeed wasn't to blame.

"But who sent this then?", she inquired impatiently, raising her right arm and holding the note right in front of his face. By now captain and sorceress where mere inches apart from each other - something their two watchers had waited for.

"There", Doubar urged quietly, letting the rope sink that he had worked on. His pale blue gaze shifted to Bryn whose eyes lay on her friends, a strange insecurity written in their velvet depths. She didn't say a word but the first mate knew instantly just what troubled her.
"Hey", he nudged her softly, "you can do this. It's just a little wind spell."

His confidence was infectious and she cast him a grateful smile before she chased her doubts away. Leaning into him just a tiny bit she muttered ancient words, concentrating on what she sought to do. The wind spell was one of the charms that she had been practicing in private, meaning to surprise Maeve one day with the result of her studies. Often had she already summoned a gentle breeze but never before had she dared to control the air like she wanted to now. And although she herself had come up with this part of their plan, she could not help but feel nervous about it.

Drawing strength from Doubar's belief in her she tried to awake the magic that she knew was part of her soul. The words were uttered with care, her eyes half closed and finally she sensed this faint tingling run all through her veins that announced her powers were stirred. Carefully she then directed her thoughts to focus on Maeve's slender frame and just when the other one waved the note in front of Sinbad's eyes, Bryn released the breeze she had created.

The gust turned out to be perfectly right for it was neither too strong not too week. Out of the blue it passed the Celt by from behind, pushing her forward until she lost her balance, falling into Sinbad's arms. The captain had acted out of reflex when he had caught her, holding her tight as the sudden rush of wind died down. Perplexed he looked at her, their meeting gazes a match to each other in the amount of utter confusion that was written in their depths.

Behind them the sun was sending her last light to illuminate the sky and painted sea and heaven alike in a crimson shine. Like fire Maeve's hair shimmered in its glow and as she stood there all what had been there before was suddenly gone, leaving nothing but quietness in its wake.
As much as she wanted to be angry about what just had happened she couldn't find it within herself to feel anything but warmth. Sinbad's sea blue eyes lay on her, painted in a deep rich red, his gaze open like it rarely was. He held her securely still, not wanting to let go.
Whoever had brought them there, whoever was playing a game with them, it didn't matter anymore. Maeve knew that he would not admit to anything he felt, and neither would she. The walls that each of them had drawn around their hearts were strong and high, but in this one second in which her guard was down – destroyed by a stray gust of wind – she felt her own one crumble. She had seen the hope in the captain's gaze, hope that one day things would be easier between them and even though she might just regret this later she was willing to give him reason to not despair.

Already her breath tickled his skin, the magic of the moment letting their hearts race in their chests. They were so close – only a thin layer of air was still keeping them apart.

At the other end of the ship Doubar and Bryn were staring openly at the couple at the prow, both of them seeing no need to keep up their disguise any further.
Along with them Ahmed gaped at his captain and the Celt, the rudder in his hands almost forgotten. The rumours that had travelled the Nomad in the last couple of days had been entertaining for sure, but as soon as Bryn had kissed the first mate in front of the whole shift earlier this day the spell was somewhat broken. There was little fun in talking about a soon-to-be couple that did not hide their feelings for each other anymore (and everyone one deck knew that those two would end up together sooner or later).
Their captain and the Celt however were a totally different matter. All onboard knew or at least suspected that there was something going on, but never could they be seen share anything but glances. And if they did indeed find themselves in a situation that would suggest that there was more between them than just friendship they would get all embarrassed and deny it all. So seeing them like this, so close to each other and on the verge to kissing was definitely something to talk about. And maybe Ahmed had even cheered to himself had they indeed closed the little distance, but right before their lips could meet they suddenly broke apart, distracted by the feeling of a heavy gaze lying on them.

Their heads tilting to the centre of the deck they straightened up, letting go off each other as if they had been burnt.
There, next to them stood Firouz with his magnoscope. He had come up here to watch the evening star rise – something that was best done in a cloud-less night like the one that now began and Doubar had been kind enough to remind him of that fact. Now however the magnoscope almost fell from his grasp while he stared at his friends with his mouth opened wide.

"We, er… we, ahm…", Maeve started to stutter, her cheeks beginning to burn with heat. Inwardly she was starting to panic. Being caught almost kissing Sinbad had so not been on her to-do-list for today and it was all the worse for if Firouz had seen them all the ship would know in no time.

"Were just trying to", Sinbad instantly tried to come to her help but found himself have troubles finding a good excuse himself. "I thought the wind blew something into my eye", he then suddenly exclaimed, relieved he had found a reason for their behavior, though lame it was, "and Maeve just wanted to see whether there indeed was anything."

Supportive of his attempt at saving them both, Maeve nodded vigorously and affirmed a little too eagerly that this was indeed all what this had been about. Then she stepped away from him, hiding her blush behind her auburn hair.

"And all is fine. You must have, erm, erred", she then added hastily, "nothing to see that would be unsettling. But maybe Firouz wants to have a look as well. I will go and look after Dermott if you don't mind." And with this she retreated before her friends could even say a word. Behind her Sinbad was following her with his gaze but when, out of the corner of his eyes he noticed the inventor grin at him, he quickly turned his head.

"Am I safe to assume my skills are not needed here?", the curly haired man addressed his captain whose cheeks by now had developed a rosy hue.
For a second it appeared the latter would come up with a reply to the request, but knowing anything he said would just make it worse, Sinbad shook his head in confirmation before he squeezed himself past his friend and made his way towards the tiller. Knowing he could not go and follow Maeve below deck the only thing that was left for him to do right now was offer Ahmed to release him of his duty for a while. And maybe, so he hoped, he could even do this in exchange for a little secrecy.

As he made his way up to the rear end of his ship he tried to walk with dignity and not let it show off just how affected he still was by what had just taken place. And almost he would have thus missed the glances his brother and the brunette sorceress threw at him but just when he walked them by he caught an expression in Doubar's gaze that had him stop dead in his tracks.

If Maeve had not written his note, and he had not written hers…

A groan left his throat as finally he understood. One rumour was worth the other.

And sometimes living on a ship really sucked.