The Courting of Bryn - Ch 27
Merry music filled the air, surrounding dancers as well as watchers while the hours faded and night grew old.
In the warm light of torches and candles women and men alike moved to the rhythms that the musicians played, following their lead with happiness and paying no thought to yesterday or tomorrow – living for the moment and their love and nothing else.
A bit further from the crowd the Nomad's first mate sat in the soft grass, pale blue gaze focused on his little brother and the Celtic Lass, one arm lazily draped about his left knee while his upper body leant against the sturdy trunk of an old but beautiful oak.
With a small smile grazing his lips, Doubar watched the pair how they danced – her and him joining the long line of couples who indulged in the variety of songs that travelled the golden dark.
Although Sinbad had never been too good a dancer, he did fairly well considering he knew none of steps that were needed this night, keeping up with the others and namely Maeve with a certain sense of determination that Doubar had often admired the younger one for.
When Sinbad wanted something he usually knew how to get it, and tonight it seemed that what he really wanted was to get a special dance with the one woman who managed to drive him mad in less than a second but who he could never quite be truly angry with.
"You think that if I tell them just how cute they are together, that they would keelhaul me?"
Bryn's voice suddenly came from beside him, her warmth invading his personal space as she lowered herself to sit right next to him, a couple of fresh grapes in her hand.
Her velvet eyes shifted to lie on Doubar for a moment, her gaze open and amused. All the scheming she and the first mate had lately done seemed to have worked out at last, even when their latest try had - much to their dismay - been blown. Not that Bryn did mind that though for somehow this failed set-up had made Maeve and her realize that they were not just friends anymore, but that in a way they were sisters. And the young brunette still felt the multitude of butterflies that flip-flopped around in her belly at that thought, because it reminded her of that while right now the term did rather describe a close friendship, it soon could also mean they were family in law. And it was that which had her features light up while, at the same time, a slight flush conquered her cheeks.
Doubar had not yet given any signs of asking her anytime soon but the whole ship almost burst with rumours about when he would finally propose to her, and while at first this prospect had made her be more than just nervous she now felt she knew the answer if ever he would ask.
Shaking her head slightly, freeing her mind of her musings, she lowered her gaze, offering Doubar some of the grapes while she hid her face in the shadows of the night.
"Maeve might", she eventually heard him reply, a mute chuckle accompanying his words, "You know what she's like when it's about her and my little brother. "
He turned slightly and took a fruit, his warm and rough skin brushing against her soft one, the small contact sending the loveliest kind of shiver to run down his spine.
For a second he halted in his move, his gaze shifting to lie on her alone.
In the gentle flicker of the flames her hair shimmered with a rich brown colour, her skin acquiring an almost ethereal glow. She didn't look at him, her features concealed by the dark, and yet he believed to see her blush, the rosy hue just adding to how incredibly beautiful she was in his eyes.
Briefly he wondered what might have been the reason for this sweetest reddening of her cheeks, but eventually he decided against asking her, opting for not letting on about it instead.
"But then again", he continued while tilting his head again so that he could watch the merry crowd, "She's got a soft spot for you. Before she'd do anything to you, she'd first turn Sinbad into a toad just because he got her into this."
A broad grin then lightened his features as he hinted at how the relationship between the two sorceresses had moved to a new level, something he was more grateful for than he could have ever imagined.
He knew just too well how Bryn yearned to have a family, how she longed to experience what was normal for almost everyone else but what she was not blessed to have.
When she had told him about Maeve playing dress-up with her earlier tonight, Bryn's eyes had sparkled in a way he had never seen before and it warmed him to the core to know that the woman he regarded to be a younger sister and the one he loved had found a confidant in each other – someone who they could trust with things that maybe he or Sinbad weren't the right ones to share them with.
"You really think so?"
Her voice reached him as a whisper, the question bearing no trace of uncertainty – just the wish to hear what deep inside she knew herself already.
"If it weren't for Maeve liking us, you and I, we would both be hopping around in the grass already, being green and slimy and generally all toad-y."
Doubar released a little snort as he spoke, earning a chuckle from Bryn.
"But actually I think you would make for a very adorable toad", she then quipped, clearly amused by the mental image.
"Why thank you, that's good to know", Doubar puffed, unsure of whether to take this as a compliment or an insult but rather opting for the first one.
Nevertheless, he didn't much favour picturing himself being turned into such a little creature and thus he quickly stirred their conversation back to their previous topic.
"So", he started, his tone a little more thoughtful now, "You think we can take any credit for the two of them daring to enjoy each other's company like that?"
With his head he vaguely nodded towards the Celt and their captain who were both wearing large smiles on their faces.
"Honestly?", Bryn replied, shrugging almost unnoticeably against him, "They'd probably made it just as far without us. But I like to imagine that our scheming helped. Plus…" And suddenly she looked up at him, leaning forwards slightly so that her eyes were illuminated by the surrounding torches and almost glowing with a deep sense of mirth that Doubar couldn't help but just adore about her.
"It was a lot more fun this way, so … in the end what does it matter? We all did get something out of this: Maeve and Sinbad got to dance, the crew got to gossip and I…" her eyes fluttered shut for a split second, a warm smile now settling on her lips, "got to spend more time with you."
When she looked up again, she noticed Doubar's gaze lie on her. There was an expression in it that she couldn't quite decipher but it made her feel all special and cherished.
"Scheming was fun, wasn't it?", the first mate's deep voice then travelled the little distance. If Bryn didn't know better he seemed a little melancholic, just as if in the wake of this night things would change, and just maybe he was right she mused.
Maybe they would change indeed.
"You know what I'd like to do now?", she suddenly spoke, sneaking her left hand around his knee to seek his right one.
At first sight, the question seemed to be completely unconnected to what they had just talked about, but Doubar instantly knew that there was a reason to why she asked.
He shook his head gently, waiting for her to go on. But instead she rose from her spot, tugging at his hand gently until he followed her lead and got up as well.
Questioning pale blue eyes looked at velvet brown ones before Bryn turned away from the merry dancing, motioning for him to leave the crowd together with her.
They walked a couple of steps, silence suddenly between them when the first mate cleared his throat quietly, slowing down his pace until the brunette tilted her head towards him, a serene expression on her face.
And then he knew.
The day before she had told him that she wanted to go to the fountain with him - that she wanted to drink from it with him. Now, in the secluded calm of a night that was spent dancing by the young and the old alike, she wanted to fulfill this and he couldn't be any happier to comply.
Nodding wordlessly at her he gave her hand a tender squeeze before he set himself into motion, walking now next to her instead of slightly behind.
Together they crossed the outer rim of the clearing and went down the green slopes until the music slowly faded and was replaced by the soft whispers of the wind… as well as the gentle lapping of the fountain waters…