Chapter 5: Travelling
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   Alcan awoke the next morning feeling well-rested and ready to travel.
He left his room and went down the stairs to the common room for a quick
bite to eat before he set out.  Following breakfast, he approached the
innkeeper.  "Excuse me, sir," he asked, "but how would I get to Jidoor
from here?  I haven't been in this area before."

   "You have to go by ship," the innkeeper replied.  "Didn't used to be
that way, before Kefka.  Now you have to go by ship to almost
everything."  More to himself than to Alcan, he added, "At least the
bastard's finally gone."

   "Thanks," Alcan said.  "And thanks for the room."  He headed out of
the inn, and then toward the port to the north.  Suddenly he remembered
Marad from the day before, and quickened his pace, hoping the captain
had not left port yet.

   When he got to the port, he scanned the coast, looking for Marad's
ship.  Moments later, he saw it, almost hidden behind the other ships
closer to Alcan.  The ship was bustling with activity, apparently
readying for departure; Alcan broke into a run in an attempt to reach
the ship before Marad left.

   "Captain Marad!" Alcan called as he approached the ship.  Two crewmen
were pulling the gangplank back onto the deck when he reached the side
of the ship.  "Captain Marad!" he called again.

   A moment later, Marad came to the edge of the deck.  "Who are you and
what do you want?  I'm leaving."

   "Prince Alcan, and I want to know where you're going," Alcan replied
quickly.  He was conscious of several stares on him at his use of the
title, but he ignored them.  "I need to get to Jidoor."

   Marad blinked in surprise, peering down more closely at Alcan, then
snapped an order to the crewmen handling the gangplank, who immediately
extended it again.  "You're in luck," Marad told Alcan as the latter
started up the gangplank.  "I'm just about to leave for there.  I'd be
honored to have you aboard."

   Alcan stepped onto the deck and shook the captain's hand.  "Thanks,"
he said.  He wondered whether Marad had actually been planning to go to
Jidoor before Alcan had arrived, but decided it would be inappropriate
to ask.  "How much will it cost?" he asked, reaching into his pocket.

   "Nothing, nothing at all," Marad said quickly.  "It's my pleasure.
Now, I have to get us going, so if you'll excuse me..."  He left Alcan
and began calling out more orders.

   Alcan remained where he was and watched the crew with interest; he
had always liked the sight of a large group of people working under a
leader to accomplish a task.  /I might be like him someday,/ Alcan
thought.  /Except I won't be leading men out to sea, I'll be leading
them into battle.  Father would have hated that./  He sighed; it wasn't
really relevant anymore, since his father was dead and his kingdom - his
now, not his father's - was on the road to total ruin.

   Before long, the ship left port, and Alcan then sat down to enjoy the
sea air.

                              *  -  *  -  *

   "You enjoy the sea, don't you?"  Marad said later that day, standing
next to Alcan by the railing on the edge of the deck.  "I can tell."

   "Yes, I do," Alcan responded.  "It's wonderful.  Fresh air, clear
skies.  So beautiful..."  His voice trailed off.  "So free..."

   "Well, I'll be happy if we don't get another drenching like we did
last time.  You'll see to that, right?"  Marad chuckled.

   Suddenly uncomfortable, Alcan managed a weak smile and replied, "I'll
do my best."  Countering that storm had taken everything he had been
able to muster.  Tentatively, he reached for magic, and felt it, like
something just out of sight that he could grasp.  It was not as strong
as he had become used to on his world, but it was no weaker than it had
been during his first few days here, and perhaps even a little stronger.
He breathed a mental sigh of relief.  /Perhaps that device, whatever it
was, had something to do with this,/ he thought.

   "You'd make a fine ship captain, I'd say," Marad was saying, and
Alcan returned his attention to the captain.

   "Thanks."  Alcan paused.  "So how long until we reach Jidoor?"

   "Four, five days.  Depends on the wind."

   Alcan nodded.  "I see."

   Suddenly one of the crew members called out, and Marad said, "Excuse
me," and went over to see what was happening.  Alcan sat down once more,
determined to enjoy the freedom of the sea while he could.