Alice woke up later than usual, the Captain already gone. After getting dressed a brushing through her hair, which had grown an inch or two, she stepped out the door and looked for August, who was nowhere to be found. In fact, most of the crew had disappeared, probably already in town spending their money on, knowing them, women and beer.
After making a few rounds around the ship, she finally spotted Alex, who had returned with to sweet pastries and a bottle of fresh water. He broke into a grin. “Morning!” he said, jovial. “The capt’ told me to take care of you, but I wasn’t sure if I should wake you up or let you sleep.”
She glanced at the sweetbread. “Breakfast?” she asked.
“Sure, why not?” he said throwing her one. They both sat in the shade, munching on the pastries and taking sips of the water. It was surprising that something that she had enjoyed everyday back home was such a rare commodity here.
“So where is everybody?” she asked innocently. She was hoping that they would stop by the ship at least once, so she could say her farewells.
Alex chuckled. “Where do you think? They all went to Lucy’s, probably going to be there until next morning.”
“The Captain too?”
“Well what do you expect, he’s a man like the rest of them.”
“I suppose so,” said Alice, laughing at the stupid question. “You know if you want to go I wont blame you. I understand the Captain requested that you help me, but I’m sure I can figure it out if you tell me where to go.”
“That's real kind of you to say,” said Alex, “but the capt’ would have my head if I did that. Besides,” the young man added, a bit embarrassed, “I’m not really interested in that kind of company.”
It took Alice a minute to absorb the full meaning of his words. “Oh,” she replied, seriously, “me neither,” launching both of them into a laughing fit that lasted for what felt like a really long time.
Wiping tears out of the corner of his eyes, his face flushed from laughter, Alex asked, “Is there anything you need to pack up before you go?”
Alice hadn’t considered it, but a little while later she came back with a small stack of her favorite books and a dress draped over her arm. Handing them to Alex, she said, “I’m going to go change into this. I can’t imagine the people back home would be very receptive to my current state of dress.”
It took Alice a long time to change into the garment. She was surprised at the number of intricate ties and laces on the dress, and she felt tired after putting it on. It was a little tight in the arms, and felt heavy on her shoulders. Alice considered cutting off some of the excess decorative fabric, but decided against it. It was a fairly expensive dress, and she had only packed a few of them. She didn't want to run out of clean clothing before she got home.
Her hair had finally gotten long enough to braid, and she secured the ends with a nice pin. A few short strands fell out and framed her face. Observing herself in a small pocket mirror she found in her jewelry box, she looked almost the same as before she left. The only noticeable differences were that her hair had gotten lighter, bleached by the sun, and her skin had gotten tanner for the same reason.
Alice touched the pearls at her neck. They were worth a small fortune, and she was surprised that they had remained in the hold. Aside from a few chairs the men had grabbed for use on the deck, the majority of her things remained untouched.
She knew she couldn’t take all her belongings with her, so she packed only what she absolutely needed. Her trunk contained a few dresses, her beloved novels, a cutlass, and strings of gold and silver in case she needed to pay for something. With a heavy heart, she realized she was ready to leave. Her only regret was being unable to say goodbye to the crewmembers and, most of all, the Captain.
“You look very nice,” Alex commented, unable to suppress the surprise in his voice. Alice thanked him. They made their way off the ship and into the port. As they weaved their way through the streets, luggage trailing behind them, Alice was surprised at gentlemen respectably tipping their hats. She had grown accustomed to be treated equally to the men on the ship, and this sudden display of curtsey made her uncomfortable.
Walking through the quarter, Alex had grown strangely quiet. He answered her questions about the area with a simple yes or no, his usually easy banter absent. Finally, Alice stopped. “What’s wrong?” she asked, searching his face.
“Nothing,” he said nervously, continuing down the street. She roughly grabbed his arm, and he looked like he just got hit by lightning. “What’s wrong?” she demanded, upset that he wasn’t talking to her.
He looked like he was about the bolt, then relaxed, looking away. The crowd dissipated, the afternoon air a little chilly for their tastes. He leaned on a stone building, and sighed deeply. “With all these fancy cloths, you don't look like you.” He said sheepishly. “You look like an actual noble woman, and I don't know how to talk to you. I feel like is should be calling you lady or miss, and I’m afraid to say anything in case it might offend you.” He admitted. “This all feels very strange, to say the least.”
Alice stared at him hard for one long moment, and then snorted. She punched him in the shoulder, “That's the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! Clothing doesn't determine who you are. If I had known a dress could terrify you this much, I would have worn it during the battle with the Wolpertinger!”
“I guess you’re right,” he said, a little off balance. He tried punching her back in the shoulder, but it felt unnatural. She could see his discomfort.
“If you need me to, I could change back?” she offered.
It was his turn to laugh. “That is even dumber than what I said! We are only a short walk away from the ship, and you want to duck into some tavern and change, just so I feel more comfortable?” The atmosphere grew a bit easier, as they both chuckled at the idea.
“Hey, its like you said earlier: ‘That's what friends are for.’’ She said, smiling.
“I suppose,” they looked at each other, both blushing from the soppiness of the situation.
Finally, Alex grabbed the luggage and started down the street, “Lets get going. No sense in missing your ship home.”
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