APPROACH

The next day began with an ominously black sky. Layer upon layer of charcoal clouds lay between them and the island of Ismariad. Breakfast had been a hurried affair, with little of the usual banter. Everyone had a serious face. Sinbad and Maeve barely said a word to anyone. Sinbad repeatedly tried to read Maeve's face but she avoided meeting his eyes. He could see that her eyes were red and puffy, a sign that she had been crying. He wanted desperately to talk to her alone, but there was too much to do. As soon as the lookout reported the storm clouds over Ismariad, there was no time for anything but preparing for the coming squall. There were sails to trim, cargo to double lash, lines to check.

Everything loose on deck was brought down below. It took several hours before everything was done. Finally a moment came when Sinbad, Doubar, and Maeve stood on the deck staring at the maelstrom above the island. There was no doubt in any of their minds that Rumina was the cause. The clouds swirled around, lightning flashed almost continuously. It was a warning and a first line of defense. The Nomad sailed on toward the waiting storm. Sinbad said to Doubar, "I want you on the tiller when that gets here," he said, nodding his head toward the awaiting blackness. Then he turned to Maeve, "And I want you below decks. That's an order. Rumina may be up to something, even from this distance. Have everything ready you want to bring ashore."

Maeve just nodded. Normally, she would have protested vigorously that she should stay on deck to help man the sails and ropes, but after running away from Sinbad without an explanation, she wanted to do whatever he said to make up for her actions and subsequent silence. She turned and walked briskly across the deck to the hatch leading down. Once in her cabin, she opened her worn leather bound book of magic to look over her storm-calming spells.

Above her, Sinbad paced, waiting for the storm. Already, the sea was getting choppier and the Nomad was bobbing up and down in the increasingly larger swells. The shepherd had said that the best place to anchor was on the north side of the island, which unfortunately was on the backside of the island. Because of the current wind direction, they would have to sail around the island past the steep eastern headlands. This part of the island the shepherd had warned them about. There was no safe place to anchor. Many huge chunks of rock had fallen into the sea from the hundred and twenty foot cliffs, making navigation near the island very risky. They would have to give that side a big berth. Sinbad had already figured out that Rumina would try to drive the ship into this rock-strewn area to split the ship apart.

Sinbad ordered his sailors into the rigging to reduce sail to the minimum required to maintain steerage. Any more than that and he risked losing a mast in the winds that he knew would come. It would mean that it would take longer to get to the island, but that did not matter now.

Several hours later found them in the midst of a squall the likes of which the Nomad had never faced before. Huge waves crashed against her sturdy hull. The wind roared through the rigging with an ungodly shriek. Lightning was flashing all around them. A deluge of rain pelted down on them. Worse still, the wind was driving them toward the eastern headlands. They would have to angle into the wind to avoid the rocks. Clinging to the rail, Sinbad fought his way aft to join Doubar at the tiller. They locked arms around the tiller and struggled to yank the tiller to angle into the gale. But, having accomplished that, Sinbad noticed that they were still drifting sideways toward the island. He shouted at Doubar to make himself heard above the noise of the storm, "Haven't got enough headway. Need more sail. Can you hold 'er by yourself?"

Doubar nodded his answer. Sinbad hauled himself across the deck to the main mast. This was no easy task. One minute the ship was slanting steeply down and the next minute it was slanted in the opposite direction as the Nomad fought its way up and down the huge swells. Finally, he reached the mast and started climbing. He would have to risk losing the mast in order to get up enough speed to counter the sideways drift. Otherwise, they would lose the ship against the rocks. It was a desperate move. Climbing the mast and working the sails was risky even in a light wind. Doing it under these conditions was nearly suicidal. Still, Sinbad felt he had no choice. He felt personally responsible for everyone aboard ship. The rungs of the rigging were dripping wet and very slippery. The ropes twisted this way and that with the wind and the ship's motion, threatening to pitch Sinbad onto the deck or into the wild sea. He fought his way blindly upward, feeling for the next rung and then the next rung. Salt spray was driven into his eyes, stinging them and making it almost impossible to see anything.

Finally, he reached the small platform where the pulleys controlling the sails were located. He undid the knot holding the rope and pulled. The rope, swollen from the deluge of water, was jammed in the pulley. It took all his strength to pull it even a few inches through the blocks. The sail's weight had increased several fold. The canvas had soaked up the water like a sponge. After several minutes of struggle, Sinbad had to rest. His strength was nearly spent. He clung with both arms wrapped around the rigging. He thought of Maeve, below decks. 'I never told her I loved her,' he thought. He shouted into the gale, "Maeve, I love you."

Below him, in her bunk, Maeve was lying on her back, her arms wrapped tightly around the pillow she had clutched to her body. It was completely dark in her room. It was too dangerous in the wildly pitching ship to have any candles lit. Most storms did not frighten her, but she was terrified by this one. She had no way of knowing what was happening above her, whether everyone was safe, or if the ship was holding together. There was nothing she could do; no way she could be of use. She had already tried three different spells to calm the storm, all without the least effect. Suddenly, the words "I love you" flashed vividly into her consciousness. And she knew that Sinbad was still alive, knew with all certainty that he had sent that thought. She concentrated her thoughts on his, and she became aware of a feeling of weakness. She clenched her fists together and scrunched up her face and willed her strength to him. She could see a dim, bluish-green glow coming from her wristband. She could feel her own strength draining away. Then the ship lurched violently and Maeve was flung against the hard bulkhead wall, knocking her unconscious.

In the rigging, Sinbad was still clinging to his precarious perch but he was too weak to pull on the sails anymore. Then suddenly a surge of energy jolted into him and he revived. He pulled mightily on the rope and the sail jerked upward. He continued pulling and raised the sail to where he wanted it. Then he tied off the rope and worked his way carefully down. He inched his way back to Doubar at the tiller and added his strength to Doubar's. Together they pushed the tiller over further and this time the ship responded, sliding at an angle through the waves, away from the dangerous rocks.

After a few agonizing minutes they cleared the rocky area and slipped into the leeward side of the island. A few minutes after that, the storm ended. The winds diminished dramatically. Doubar swung the ship around and sailed closer to the island. When the leadsman indicated that the water was getting shallower, the crew hustled into the rigging and lowered the sails. Then they dropped anchor.

In her cabin, Maeve regained consciousness. Her head hurt terribly. She felt it and there was big bump on the back of her head. She noticed that the ship's motion had lessened, and when she felt the ship come about, she hurried out of her cabin and onto the deck. Her eyes immediately went to the island. "Funny," she thought, "it doesn't have an evil look."

The center of the island was dominated by a large U-shaped valley. The ridges on either side were dotted with large rocks. Beyond the valley at the far side of the island rose a forbidding mass of steep rock, pocked with natural caves, and large, roughly shaped boulders. "Just where you'd expect to find a spider living," Maeve muttered under her breath. She spotted Doubar, Firouz, and Rongar clustered together amidships, also staring at the island. Where was Sinbad? Fear clutched at her heart as she hurriedly came up behind them. She asked, "Is Sinbad okay? Where is he? He's not hurt, is he?" Rongar was the first to turn and look at her. In answer, he pointed up. Maeve looked up and spotted Sinbad on the topmost platform of the main mast. Using Firouz's magnifier, he was scanning the island, getting the lay of the land. And of course, trying to pick out Rumina's lair.

She watched him as he climbed carefully down. He strolled over to the waiting group and said, "You know, the strangest thing happened to me during the storm. I was up there trying to raise the sails and nothing was happening. I couldn't budge them; the ropes were jammed in the pulleys. I was just about to give up, when I felt this huge rush of energy, and I yanked those sails right up. Now how do you suppose that happened?"

Hearing that her spell had worked, Maeve smiled widely, then dropped her head and rubbed her forehead so Sinbad wouldn't see the expression on her face. Doubar and Rongar just shrugged their shoulders.

Sinbad had been looking at her the whole time though, and had caught the flash of smile and subsequent cover-up. He had suspected that she'd had something to do with it when it happened, and now he knew for certain.

Firouz spoke up, "It is a well known phenomenon that in times of great stress, men are capable of prodigious feats of strength."

"Or women," added Maeve.

"Yes, I suppose that would be true too. Although I personally have never observed that."

"Then you'd better keep a close eye on me," Maeve retorted.

"Point taken," said Firouz, more respectfully.

Then they all looked at the island again. Sinbad said, "Well, we'd better get going. Make everything ready and meet at the longboat."

In ten minutes everyone was back and ready to board. All told there were ten of them going ashore: Sinbad, Maeve, Rongar, Doubar, Firouz, and five sailors that had volunteered from among the crewmembers. By pre-arrangement, they did not discuss their plans. By bitter experience, they knew all about Rumina's Seeing Pool. She was able to look into the Seeing Pool and by magic see and hear what others were saying and doing. So they had made their plans long before they got close to the island. She would still be able to see what they were doing but at least she wouldn't know what their plan was.

Maeve was the first one into the boat. She sat in the bow. Everyone recognized that this was really her battle and accorded her the seat of honor, as it were. When everyone was aboard, Dermott floated down from the top of the mast onto the rim of boat right next to Maeve. But Maeve lifted him off and spoke to him: "You'd better stay here. It's too dangerous for you to get any closer. I want to know you're as safe as you can be." Reluctantly, Dermott faced into the wind and lifted off her arm. He circled over them twice and settled at the very topmost point on the mast, where he could follow their progress with his sharp eyes.

Another twenty minutes saw them standing on the rocky shore. Sinbad checked Maeve's face several times on the trip to see how she was doing. She looked serious but he couldn't detect any signs of worry. Once they landed, the sailors pulled the longboat up beyond the high tide line and they started the long trek toward the high rock tower where they knew they'd find Rumina. They clambered up a short incline and then they were in the mouth of the U-shaped valley that ran through the center of the island. On either side of them were the high, boulder-strewn ridges that made up the sides of the valley. It would be much easier walking in the valley, but it left them open to a surprise attack from whatever forces Rumina might send against them. So they immediately climbed onto the top of the left ridge and made their way slowly around and over the boulders on top of the ridge. The sailors complained about this decision but a sharp look from Sinbad silenced them. Sinbad sent Doubar and Rongar ahead to scout, as the larger boulders made it difficult to see more than ten feet ahead. The rest of them grouped themselves around Maeve, flanking her on both sides. Firouz positioned himself behind her and kept checking behind them to make sure nothing came up on them from behind. Sinbad made it a point to stay within a few feet of Maeve at all times. He remembered his dreams of being too far away to help her, and was determined not to let her out of his sight.