As soon as she popped her head out on deck Bryn heard her name called. They'd set sail on the morning tide and because she'd not gotten much sleep last night Bryn had opted to nap in her quarters rather than watch the shore of the isle fade in the distance. They'd made some very special memories on that isle she thought dreamily. She looked around for who'd called her and saw Maeve sitting on the steps of the deck waving her over.
"Come sit here," Maeve said, indicating a the spot on the lower step between her knees.
"What for?" Bryn asked, because with sorcerer's apprentices and inventors in your immediate circle of friends, you learned to ask that question.
Maeve held up a comb. "Sit and get the worst tangles out of your hair," she ordered.
"You're not going to set my hair on fire are you?" Bryn asked, while she dutifully combed her already smooth hair after removing her hairband.
"Of course not, I'm going to de-louse you," Maeve said, holding up another comb, this one with very fine prongs. "My mother did the whole family once a month, until… until I took over."
"I don't have lice," Bryn pointed out, but sat down where Maeve had indicated.
"I know," Maeve said, loosely running her hands through Bryn's hair before separating a lock and carefully combing it out.
Bryn felt her friend's hands dance over her scalp, gently tugging on the strands, and was surprised at how good it felt to have someone fiddling with your hair. Her breathing deepened and she felt her eyes fluttering to a close as her whole body relaxed under Maeve's caring ministrations.
"Did Doubar put you up to this too?" Bryn asked, because basically everything good that had happened in her life lately seemed to have been orchestrated by her beau.
Maeve's hands stilled momentarily. "We have been tricking you a lot lately haven't we?" She asked. "But no, this one is all me. I was thinking about things family does for each other and this… well I always loved it. I… when my mother… Well my hair isn't exactly easy to handle, it tangles when you just look at it funny, but when my mother took the comb to me she was always gentle even if that meant it took a lot longer. I always felt really loved and cared for… And when I did it to others, I always tried to give them the same feeling you know?"
Bryn's eyes filled with tears as she took it all in. Maeve never talked about her past, and now she did it voluntarily and she included Bryn in it and it just… It was overwhelming and beautiful.
"Thank you I can't even…. It means so much. You really cannot do a better job of making me feel loved and cared for right now," Bryn said, her voice thick with emotion.
"Well good," Maeve muttered, trying to get her own composure back, sort of relieved that she couldn't look Bryn in the eye right now, not with the ghosts of her past so close to the forefront.
Dermott flew down and perched on the overturned longboat just above the two sorceresses.
"Welcome to the family Bryn," he telepathically told her, sending a wave of his own warm feelings for her and for his sister along. "If Doubar ever hassles you, you come to me, you hear?" He added.
Very touched by his sentiment Bryn felt a fresh wave of tears assuage her eyes only to giggle at his last words. "Thank you my feathered friend, but I believe Doubar would sooner cut off his own hands than hurt me," she telepathically told him.
"Though I'd like to see how Dermott would take on Doubar," Maeve added in their minds.
"Don't challenge him," Bryn admonished, feeling very protective of Doubar for some reason.
"Oi, what are you two crying about?" Sinbad plonked himself down beside Maeve on the steps. "I can't have my crew be crying like a couple of girls! Even if you are girls," he said.
Maeve poked him with the comb, eliciting a yelp from the captain who quickly made some room between himself and his flamehaired secret girlfriend.
"These are happy tears you idiot! And you are ruining a very special moment!" Maeve protested his invasion.
"Doubar! Maeve made your girl cry, what shall I do with her?" Sinbad called across the deck, ignoring Maeve's words.
Doubar looked over at the scene and saw Bryn roll her eyes and shake her head, signal enough for him to stay out of it.
When he saw his brother was not about to join in on the fun Sinbad turned to Maeve again. "I think I might have to spank you," he said, just to get a reaction out of her.
"Do that and I'll hex the mast into spanking you every time you set foot on deck," Bryn threatened.
Sinbad's eyes widened, he had expected a threat along those lines but he had not expected it to come from Bryn!
"And I'll burn your butt so bad you'll be sitting on blisters for weeks," Maeve added, not to be outdone.
"Hey, I'm trying to protect my future sister-in-law here," Sinbad retorted.
"I'm protecting my sister-in-sorcery here," Bryn shot right back, sending a challenging look to Sinbad. She considered herself to be a serene and level-headed person, but no one touched her family.
Sinbad's thought quickly on how he might turn this situation to his advantage but could came up empty so he threw up his hands and flashed his most disarming smile. "Well I know better than to come between a pair of sisters. Have fun crying ladies," he said, before making himself scarce.
"Stupid boy," Maeve muttered, but when Bryn angled her head up to look at Maeve's face she saw the redhead's eyes following the Captain across the ship with a winsome smile on her lips.
"Sure he is," she patted Maeve's knee and flashed her a knowing smile.