Mimi frets a bit and reogranizes her own stuff, putting some away, frowning and looking like she's restraining herself from talking.

Eefina tries to look politely interested when she notices Mimi seemingly about to say something, but she isn't sure what to say, herself.

Finishing her packing, she writes a short letter explaining where she's gone and when she expects to return, and leaves it out on her desk. "If anyone comes here looking for me, show them this, okay?"

(Mimi asks where she's going and what she's planning for and what she should do to entertain herself around here and sorry she'll be quiet now.)

"Sure! Do you expect someone to? Do you mind if I try to read it?"

"No one specific, and feel free."

Eefina gives her new roommate a smile of goodbye, and heads out again. Maybe she can find Tret and tell him where's she's going too.

The city is a pretty big place, and if Tret is around, he's not in the first few places she checks.

She doesn't look all that hard. The letter will have to do.

She goes to find and/or buy a map, to figure out how exactly she's going to get down to the Kellan lands.

The Academy library has maps! The road south to the Kellans' lands is a bit meandering, cutting fairly far west to avoid most of the massive swampy river delta before turning back south-east. But they have a port town, so a ship could take her straight there, that seems like the best bet.

Eefina will investigate available ships. How much is passage?

The docks are busy and crowded. Cranes, loading bays, dry-docks, great stone jetties thrusting into the river, tall vessels like city blocks of stout wood floating on the water, and more crowd this area. All the ships explicitly offering passage are all going to far-off places - none of them are heading to the small little port town the Kellans have.

Opinionated dockhands suggest she look for a cutter carrying cargo, those being the smallish ones with triangular sails. They're fast and with luck one will be heading south-ish.

That makes sense. Eefina will explore the rest of the docks and look for captains to ask about that.

Heading east, heading north, doesn't take passengers at all, heading upriver, boat's in for repairs, heading north...

This one captain seems amused instead of dismissive, his ship made of some light, almost tan wood that sits high in the water.

"South is not really a popular destination, miss adventurer. There's not all that much there. So, what's the rush, how much are you paying, and do you need me to wait for a trip back?"

"I don't actually know what the rush is! I'm following an omen. I need to get to Port Kellan sometime in the next four days, apparently. I can pay... a standard cargo rate plus a bonus for not literally sticking me in your hold? And if you left me there I could walk back eventually, but I would not prefer that."

"An omen. How epicish*. It seems oddly appropriate that I am coming out of a refit and without any set destination so far, looking to get used to," smirk, "Some very interesting new features. I could return to pick you up after some set period of time... Or I might be stuck in a dock working out little kinks anyway."

*"This could be part of a heroic legend".

"Does that mean you're willing to take me?" Eefina asks hopefully.

"The fee is pretty non-negotiable." He gives a number, a few silver. "But yes - if you can fight and agree to do so in defense of my ship should it come under threat on your little jaunt."

He doesn't actually like passengers, but someone in obvious Adventurer Gear deters casual pirates, and also the odd sea monster.

Eefina can probably handle an even sea monster at this point.

"I can agree to that and to that fee." She pulls some silver out of a pouch. "When do we leave?"

"Right now!"

He takes the silver and power-walks over to the ropes tying his boat to the dock and starts to undo them.

"Well then. Permission to come aboard, Captain?"

"I did just agree to take you on as a passenger? So, yes, of course you have that. It's Captain Vaulter, if you were wondering."

Ropes, ropes, ropes undone. He steps over onto the boat and starts coiling them up.

"Sorry, I was just trying to be polite. It's nice to meet you, Captain Vaulter. I'm Eefina."

She hops aboard and looks around, watching him work and being sure to keep out of his way.

"I suppose maritime traditions as the layperson hears them can get a bit twisted. That sort of formality is the kind of thing you see on military craft. Me, I'm just a small cutter making a modest living as a fast courier. With a side business in magic item crafting."

He does various checks, bops the anchor rig so that it draws up his anchor by itself, and then walks over to the enclosed wheelhouse. It doesn't really have space for multiple people, but he opens the windows.

"If you're hoping to see me dramatically unfurl the sails, that comes later. In the tight confines of the marina, I use the navigational drifting enchantment. A clever bit of work that makes parking much easier."

He gives a gentle nudge to one of the strange controls, and the boat indeed starts purposefully drifting. Not very fast.

"Also, sailing lessons are extra and I'd be interested in hearing more about this omen of yours."

This is all interesting!

"I'm familiar with some kinds of ships! Mostly airships, though. I don't know anything about sailing on water, or crafting magic items, but I'm going to learn about the latter at the Academy. I was given the omen when I went to buy an Astral Sorcery spellbook."

"Ahh, airships. Would that I could own an airship. Maybe some day. The one with the lightning? Sorcery seems frighteningly unreliable, to me. I'll put my faith in solid timber, steel, and well-made magic items."

"That's the one. The lightning is nifty but not why I like it. I guess you're right about it being unreliable but I think it can be predictably unreliable."

"The Wind of Metal sounds more my speed, if I was going to learn it at all. I heard it'd take at least a solid year to get anywhere, though..."

The boat is now making its way towards the wider river. He speeds up a little.