The End
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Maeve pulled her blankets tighter around herself as she laid in her bed. Her pillow was soaked from her tears and her entire body felt numb.
Maeve clutched a picture to her chest. The picture was of Sinbad. In a recent trip to Basra, they had met a talented artist and Sinbad had gotten all of the crew's pictures drawn.
Maeve wiped her eyes as she sat up. She looked at the picture and noticed that he looked perfect in it. Maeve hoped he looked that way now, where ever he was.
"You tried so hard my love. Now your journey is complete."
Doubar knocked on Sinbad's cabin, half expecting him to answer. He quietly opened the door and walked in.
His eyes filled with tears as he saw his little brother's lifeless body lying on the bed. Doubar took Sinbad's limp hand in his own.
"I'm sorry Little Brother," he sobbed, "I should have protected you."
Doubar closed his eyes, remembering that tragic day. The religious disputes in the Middle East had turned into wars, and Baghdad was their first target.
The Caliph had sent for Sinbad and the crew to help. Sinbad had tried so hard. He had fought all through the night. Then that man, with the two swords...
Doubar shook his head, in attempt to erase all those bad memories. The funeral was that night. he hoped that he could at least get Maeve to come to it. Sinbad had died two nights ago, and he hadn't seen Maeve since.
Firouz was in his own cabin, working on his inventions. He tried to make it look like Sinbad's death didn't bother him, but Doubar knew he was hurting.
Rongar was in his cabin too, and Doubar was almost positive that he was crying.
As Doubar gently squeezed his little brother's hand, he realized how hard it was going to be to let go. Sinbad was his purpose for living, and now he had none.
"Little Brother, I can't believe you're gone. You weren't just my brother, you were my purpose in life, and my best friend."
Doubar turned away, not able to look at his dead brother.
"I can't be captain now, I can't take your place! But I swear to you, I will avenge your death and save Baghdad! I hope you are with Mother and Father now. I'll take care of Maeve."
Doubar started crying again.
"I only wish you had told her how much you cared."
Maeve was sitting on the floor of her cabin against the door. Her knees were clutched against her chest as she cried.
"Maeve?" Doubar asked as he quietly knocked on the door.
"Please come out. We're all going to the funeral. Sinbad would have wanted you to come."
Maeve stood up and furiously opened the door.
"Don't you tell me what Sinbad would have wanted!" she shouted through tears, "he wouldn't want to be dead!" And with that, she slammed her door in his face.
Rongar sadly shook his head at Doubar. Doubar nodded as he went updeck.
Firouz and Rongar followed him. Firouz was trying to hide his pain, but inside, he was dying. Death had always been a part of life. He knew that and accepted it. But Sinbad's death would not be an easy one to get over.
Firouz sighed as he walked down the dock into Baghdad, with Doubar and Rongar slowly trailing behind.
Maeve got up as soon as she heard them leave. Drying her tears, she grabbed her cloak and left her cabin.
"I wish you were here, Sinbad. I never got to tell you how much I cared about you." she whispered as she walked off the Nomad into town.
"I'm glad you made it." Prince Casib greeted as Doubar and his friends approached.
"I just wish that it was under happier circumstances." Adena added.
"Aye." Doubar agreed. "We're all taking this pretty hard.
Prince Casib sadly nodded as the Calif came up to the group.
"We're almost ready to begin." he said.
Doubar nodded. Everyone stood around the open casket. Doubar looked at his brother through the darkness of the night.
His little brother looked so young and innocent. It was hard to imagine that he would never again talk, smile, or laugh. He would never be there to tell him that everything would turn out all right. He would never hold the tiller, or flirt with another woman.
Up until now, Doubar hadn't fully believed that he was dead, but now he knew that it was true.
Maeve walked up and stood behind her friends and watched as they closed Sinbad's casket. As a guard brought a torch to his casket, the tears Firouz had been holding in burst out.
Rongar walked away as their brave captain's body was burned. Maeve pulled her cloak around herself tighter.
She had lost so many in her life, she now had no one. When she was little, Dermott and her used to sleep under the stars.
Once he became a hawk, and she went to Dim-Dim, she got lonely a lot. Whenever Maeve got lonely, she would look into, and find comfort in the stars.
Tonight, there were no stars in the sky.