"Detour" pt 3/?
Sep. 19th, 2005 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akainagiTitle: Detour pt 3/?
Author: AkaiNagi
Fandom: AoS
Rating: PG so far
Classification: Adventure/Romance: MS, FOC. Romantic bits slow in coming.
Summary: The crew of the Nomad is forced to go ashore on a mysterious island. Evil wizards, kidnappings, mysterious strangers abound. Maybe they should have taken their chances at sea?
Standing on the shore of the unknown island, she had to admit it was an idyllic looking place. White sands, clear waters, and a lush forest stretching out as far as the eye could see.
Maeve hated it.
The place made her skin crawl the moment she set foot out of the long boat.
Dermott immediately took flight inland, searching for fresh water and signs of life. She had to stop herself from calling him back. It wouldn’t do any good, anyway. Her brother was the same in hawk form as he had been in human form; impetuous, loyal and helpful to a fault.
‘Take care, Dermott,’ she warned. ‘Something is foul here.’
The hawk was already disappearing over the forest. ‘All the more reason to be quick about it, sister,’ was his flippant reply.
‘Dermott doesn’t feel it either,’ she marveled. Was she the only one? She looked at her male companions. Sinbad with his guarded optimism, Firouz with his completely unguarded optimism, Doubar with easygoing smile and Rongar with his observant silence. They were completely oblivious to the vibrations this place was putting out. The place had her humming like a tuning fork. It was pushing her, pulling her, calling her, poking around in her guts and her brain. She shook her head, trying to clear it.
“Maeve? What ails you, girl?” Doubar sounded like he was a hundred miles away.
Gods, how could they not feel it? It was everywhere. She was starting to panic, her heartbeats and her breath coming faster. Closing her eyes, she tried erecting her magical barriers the way Dim Dim had taught her. She visualized the wall going up stone by stone. Another stone, another breath. Better. The panic started to recede.
“Maeve? Maeve!”
Another stone. Another. “Just … give me a minute,” she hissed from between clenched teeth. The wall went higher. There. The overwhelming roar of power was dulled to a manageable throb.
She opened her eyes to see her four crewmates staring at her like she had grown a second, evil head. “What?” she asked testily.
Sinbad was the one to answer. “You looked a little … shaky there for a minute.”
‘You have no idea,’ she thought wryly. “I’m fine,” she informed them. “I’ll be even better when we get what we came for and get the hell off this island.” She cocked her head. She mind picked up a familiar summons. “Dermott’s found water,” she reported.
Sinbad grinned. “That was fast.”
Maeve nodded. “It’s just inside the forest. A small stream.” She pointed ahead towards the thick grove of trees.
Sinbad called out to his crew crewmen. “Bring the water barrels! There’s a stream just inland.”
The men all took a couple of the small water casks out of the longboats and headed up the beach. At least the trees would provide them with some shade from the blistering sun. Maeve and Sinbad led the group into the dense wood. Out of deference to Maeve’s foreboding, Sinbad had kept the party small. Besides the two of them, there was only Doubar, Rongar and Firouz. It sounded like more, though. Firouz was behind her chattering loudly about some strange plants he kept seeing. She wished he’d pipe down. She was having a hard time keeping her barriers up and listening to Dermott’s directions at the same time, let alone concentrating on anything else.
“Maeve?” Sinbad asked quietly so the others wouldn’t hear. “What happened back there?”
This was hardly the time for a confessional on her part. “The same thing that’s going to happen again if you don’t shut up and stop distracting me!” she snapped, a little louder than she wanted to. Behind her, Doubar, Rongar and Firouz exchanged meaningful glances. Sinbad looked slightly hurt, but quickly hid it.
Maeve pushed aside a twinge of guilt. There’d be time enough for apologies after they finished their task and got back to the ship.
Dermott greeted them with a cheerful screech when they reached the fresh water stream. It was a beautiful spot. It reminded her of the woodland glens of her homeland. But Maeve would not let herself be fooled. The most sterling appearance could possess the ugliest core, especially where magic was concerned. She hung off to the side while her shipmates quenched their thirst, keeping her senses on guard. She would not be caught unaware like she had so often in the past. Not this time.
The men reveled in the cool water like it was a gift from Allah Himself. Doubar certainly wasted no time. He waded in and began drinking handfuls of water like he intended to drain the streambed dry. Rongar knelt at the edge and used his hands to pour water over his hairless head.
It was a beautiful island. It had an unspoiled beauty that appealed to Sinbad. It was the kind of island that he would have liked to spend a few days on, magical forebodings aside.
Sinbad watched as Maeve lurked on the edge of the clearing. Rarely had he ever seen her this agitated. He hoped her fears came to nothing. Perhaps her feelings were groundless. This could be just a harmless little island in the middle of nowhere.
There was a first time for everything, right?
Firouz bounded up to him, nearly bursting with excitement. He was holding a, unimpressive looking weed in his hand.
“Blumea balsamifera!” he exclaimed.
“What?” Sinbad was decidedly nonplussed.
“Blumea balsamifera! More commonly known as the Sambong plant. It’s renowned for its outstanding antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.”
Sinbad didn’t even pretend to understand a word of what the other man was saying. “Looks like a weed to me, Firouz, but I’ll take your word for it.”
“This island’s covered with it,” he persisted. “I simply must collect some to bring back to the Nomad.”
“I don’t like the idea of anyone going off on their own. This place gives Maeve the creeps,” he admonished.
But Firouz was already headed back into the woods, “It’ll only take a few moments. Funny, I didn’t think Sambong was indigenous to this area …”
“Just don’t go far!” the captain called out. Honestly, who would have thought that captaining a ship required so much babysitting?
“Just leave him be, brother,” Doubar called from knee-deep in the stream. “He can take care of himself. Besides, this island’s like a paradise. What are you worried about?”
Sinbad glanced at Maeve again. ‘It’s not me that’s worried,’ he thought. Maeve was acting stranger by the moment. Her eyes darted back and forth, like she was expecting something to leap out from the cover of the woods and devour them all whole. This was paranoid even for Maeve. Enough was enough.
He called out to the sorceress. “Maeve, why don’t you come enjoy the stream?”
Maeve acted like she hadn’t even heard him.
This was getting old fast. “Maeve! There’s nothing out there,” the Captain insisted, his frustration beginning to show.
Dermott screeched from the branches of a nearby tree. He bobbed his head nervously a few times and took off, crying loud enough to wake the dead as he went.
“We need to go,” Maeve proclaimed. “Now.” She looked as if she was about to take off just like her pet.
Sinbad barked at her, “Maeve, there’s nothing out there!”
“Yes there is!” Maeve yelled.
Sinbad felt it then. It felt like someone was trying to pull a rug out from under him. Except there was no rug. Someone was trying to pull the world out from under him. It rolled under his feet.
For Maeve it was like a shockwave. She fell to the ground in a fit, her body shaking. Sinbad ran to her side. Doubar and Rongar scrambled out of the water.
Sinbad watched in horror as Maeve started violently convulsing. He tried to hold the woman still, but it was like someone was feeding a bolt of lightning right through her. He started yelling for Firouz, hoping the physician could do something for her.
“What kind of deviltry is this?” Doubar cried.
The ground beneath them rebelled, letting out one mighty heave after another. Maeve and the soil beneath her jerked in unison. Sinbad was gripping her so hard, he was sure she would have bruises. He just hoped she was in good enough shape to rage at him about it after this was over. He cursed to himself. Where the devil was Firouz?
The earth and Maeve quaked one final time. Then, as abruptly as it had revolted, it stilled.
“Maeve!” Sinbad tried to rouse the insensate sorceress. She was pale, motionless, and her breath came in shallow gasps. “Doubar, find Firouz, now!”
The shell-shocked Doubar only hesitated for a moment before lumbering off into the woods, calling for the physician in his booming voice.
Sinbad continued trying to rouse Maeve, but she just lay there. All he could think, as he sat there on the bank of the stream, cradling his friend in his arms, was how sorry he was that he hadn’t listened to her in the first place, and gotten the hell out of there when they had the chance.
TBC
Back to pt 1
Back to pt 2
Author: AkaiNagi
Fandom: AoS
Rating: PG so far
Classification: Adventure/Romance: MS, FOC. Romantic bits slow in coming.
Summary: The crew of the Nomad is forced to go ashore on a mysterious island. Evil wizards, kidnappings, mysterious strangers abound. Maybe they should have taken their chances at sea?
Standing on the shore of the unknown island, she had to admit it was an idyllic looking place. White sands, clear waters, and a lush forest stretching out as far as the eye could see.
Maeve hated it.
The place made her skin crawl the moment she set foot out of the long boat.
Dermott immediately took flight inland, searching for fresh water and signs of life. She had to stop herself from calling him back. It wouldn’t do any good, anyway. Her brother was the same in hawk form as he had been in human form; impetuous, loyal and helpful to a fault.
‘Take care, Dermott,’ she warned. ‘Something is foul here.’
The hawk was already disappearing over the forest. ‘All the more reason to be quick about it, sister,’ was his flippant reply.
‘Dermott doesn’t feel it either,’ she marveled. Was she the only one? She looked at her male companions. Sinbad with his guarded optimism, Firouz with his completely unguarded optimism, Doubar with easygoing smile and Rongar with his observant silence. They were completely oblivious to the vibrations this place was putting out. The place had her humming like a tuning fork. It was pushing her, pulling her, calling her, poking around in her guts and her brain. She shook her head, trying to clear it.
“Maeve? What ails you, girl?” Doubar sounded like he was a hundred miles away.
Gods, how could they not feel it? It was everywhere. She was starting to panic, her heartbeats and her breath coming faster. Closing her eyes, she tried erecting her magical barriers the way Dim Dim had taught her. She visualized the wall going up stone by stone. Another stone, another breath. Better. The panic started to recede.
“Maeve? Maeve!”
Another stone. Another. “Just … give me a minute,” she hissed from between clenched teeth. The wall went higher. There. The overwhelming roar of power was dulled to a manageable throb.
She opened her eyes to see her four crewmates staring at her like she had grown a second, evil head. “What?” she asked testily.
Sinbad was the one to answer. “You looked a little … shaky there for a minute.”
‘You have no idea,’ she thought wryly. “I’m fine,” she informed them. “I’ll be even better when we get what we came for and get the hell off this island.” She cocked her head. She mind picked up a familiar summons. “Dermott’s found water,” she reported.
Sinbad grinned. “That was fast.”
Maeve nodded. “It’s just inside the forest. A small stream.” She pointed ahead towards the thick grove of trees.
Sinbad called out to his crew crewmen. “Bring the water barrels! There’s a stream just inland.”
The men all took a couple of the small water casks out of the longboats and headed up the beach. At least the trees would provide them with some shade from the blistering sun. Maeve and Sinbad led the group into the dense wood. Out of deference to Maeve’s foreboding, Sinbad had kept the party small. Besides the two of them, there was only Doubar, Rongar and Firouz. It sounded like more, though. Firouz was behind her chattering loudly about some strange plants he kept seeing. She wished he’d pipe down. She was having a hard time keeping her barriers up and listening to Dermott’s directions at the same time, let alone concentrating on anything else.
“Maeve?” Sinbad asked quietly so the others wouldn’t hear. “What happened back there?”
This was hardly the time for a confessional on her part. “The same thing that’s going to happen again if you don’t shut up and stop distracting me!” she snapped, a little louder than she wanted to. Behind her, Doubar, Rongar and Firouz exchanged meaningful glances. Sinbad looked slightly hurt, but quickly hid it.
Maeve pushed aside a twinge of guilt. There’d be time enough for apologies after they finished their task and got back to the ship.
Dermott greeted them with a cheerful screech when they reached the fresh water stream. It was a beautiful spot. It reminded her of the woodland glens of her homeland. But Maeve would not let herself be fooled. The most sterling appearance could possess the ugliest core, especially where magic was concerned. She hung off to the side while her shipmates quenched their thirst, keeping her senses on guard. She would not be caught unaware like she had so often in the past. Not this time.
The men reveled in the cool water like it was a gift from Allah Himself. Doubar certainly wasted no time. He waded in and began drinking handfuls of water like he intended to drain the streambed dry. Rongar knelt at the edge and used his hands to pour water over his hairless head.
It was a beautiful island. It had an unspoiled beauty that appealed to Sinbad. It was the kind of island that he would have liked to spend a few days on, magical forebodings aside.
Sinbad watched as Maeve lurked on the edge of the clearing. Rarely had he ever seen her this agitated. He hoped her fears came to nothing. Perhaps her feelings were groundless. This could be just a harmless little island in the middle of nowhere.
There was a first time for everything, right?
Firouz bounded up to him, nearly bursting with excitement. He was holding a, unimpressive looking weed in his hand.
“Blumea balsamifera!” he exclaimed.
“What?” Sinbad was decidedly nonplussed.
“Blumea balsamifera! More commonly known as the Sambong plant. It’s renowned for its outstanding antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.”
Sinbad didn’t even pretend to understand a word of what the other man was saying. “Looks like a weed to me, Firouz, but I’ll take your word for it.”
“This island’s covered with it,” he persisted. “I simply must collect some to bring back to the Nomad.”
“I don’t like the idea of anyone going off on their own. This place gives Maeve the creeps,” he admonished.
But Firouz was already headed back into the woods, “It’ll only take a few moments. Funny, I didn’t think Sambong was indigenous to this area …”
“Just don’t go far!” the captain called out. Honestly, who would have thought that captaining a ship required so much babysitting?
“Just leave him be, brother,” Doubar called from knee-deep in the stream. “He can take care of himself. Besides, this island’s like a paradise. What are you worried about?”
Sinbad glanced at Maeve again. ‘It’s not me that’s worried,’ he thought. Maeve was acting stranger by the moment. Her eyes darted back and forth, like she was expecting something to leap out from the cover of the woods and devour them all whole. This was paranoid even for Maeve. Enough was enough.
He called out to the sorceress. “Maeve, why don’t you come enjoy the stream?”
Maeve acted like she hadn’t even heard him.
This was getting old fast. “Maeve! There’s nothing out there,” the Captain insisted, his frustration beginning to show.
Dermott screeched from the branches of a nearby tree. He bobbed his head nervously a few times and took off, crying loud enough to wake the dead as he went.
“We need to go,” Maeve proclaimed. “Now.” She looked as if she was about to take off just like her pet.
Sinbad barked at her, “Maeve, there’s nothing out there!”
“Yes there is!” Maeve yelled.
Sinbad felt it then. It felt like someone was trying to pull a rug out from under him. Except there was no rug. Someone was trying to pull the world out from under him. It rolled under his feet.
For Maeve it was like a shockwave. She fell to the ground in a fit, her body shaking. Sinbad ran to her side. Doubar and Rongar scrambled out of the water.
Sinbad watched in horror as Maeve started violently convulsing. He tried to hold the woman still, but it was like someone was feeding a bolt of lightning right through her. He started yelling for Firouz, hoping the physician could do something for her.
“What kind of deviltry is this?” Doubar cried.
The ground beneath them rebelled, letting out one mighty heave after another. Maeve and the soil beneath her jerked in unison. Sinbad was gripping her so hard, he was sure she would have bruises. He just hoped she was in good enough shape to rage at him about it after this was over. He cursed to himself. Where the devil was Firouz?
The earth and Maeve quaked one final time. Then, as abruptly as it had revolted, it stilled.
“Maeve!” Sinbad tried to rouse the insensate sorceress. She was pale, motionless, and her breath came in shallow gasps. “Doubar, find Firouz, now!”
The shell-shocked Doubar only hesitated for a moment before lumbering off into the woods, calling for the physician in his booming voice.
Sinbad continued trying to rouse Maeve, but she just lay there. All he could think, as he sat there on the bank of the stream, cradling his friend in his arms, was how sorry he was that he hadn’t listened to her in the first place, and gotten the hell out of there when they had the chance.
TBC
Back to pt 1
Back to pt 2