Chapter Twelve: Leisure Craft and Nalbina Town

As soon as they boarded the commercial airship at Rabanastre aerodrome to Nalbina Balthier made immediately for the outside observation deck, Vaan and Penelo at his heels. It would be the first time the orphans had ever flown on commercial airship.

Fran found herself in the company of the former Dalmascan Captain, the Princess having decided to sleep through the journey, her mood blackening from its usual determined sobriety to something close to depression since the death of Gran Kiltias Anastasis and the fight with Judge Bergen.

' I would thank you for your assistance on behalf of the Princess, our journey would be near impossible without your guidance.'

Basch began formally, yet he could not keep his true intent from his eyes. Fran had seen the way the paternally minded knight watched when the Princess and Balthier engaged in verbal sparring matches.

'Balthier has no designs upon the Princess, rest assured on that.'

Basch blinked, surprised by her bluntness perhaps, then he guffawed slightly in embarrassed acknowledgement. ' Tell me Fran are all Viera as perceptive as you?'

Fran merely shook her head, ' I can not speak for all Viera, but I know Balthier.'

Fran had oft thought it amusing that Balthier had such a reputation for womanising, as if he had time to carouse over much in-between the jailbreaks and smuggling runs that were the bread and butter of the life of two of Ivalice's most successful pirates.

Basch smiled, ' I thought it as much,' he replied honestly, 'though I will not claim I wasn't concerned. Ashe relies on Balthier, I needed to know how things stand.'

' Basch?'

Both Fran and Basch turned to the stairs leading from the main saloon to the outer observation deck. Vaan was watching them, windblown and eager.

'Hey, you should check out these views, you can see the whole of Dalmasca!'

Stepping out onto the outer deck Fran saw Penelo leaning on the railings, pigtails flapping in the breeze looking down and pointing out familiar landmarks far below to no one bar herself.

Vaan ran to join her and the two played a game of I-Spy as the airship made its leisurely way through an azure sky bound to Nalbina.

Fran walked over to the far side of the deck where Balthier leaned forearms against the railings looking directly ahead, not downwards.

' A good tailwind, we should make good time to Nalbina.'

Balthier said as way of greeting, head tipped back and eyes closed to enjoy the sun on his face and the caress of the huge open sky.

' You travel often by commercial airship, Balthier?'

Basch inquired mildly, his reaction to her partner markedly more cordial now Fran had assured him of Balthier's good intent.

' On occasion Captain, when the need arises.'

A blatant lie, that. Balthier was, much as Fran herself, in love with all forms of sky travel. They made regular commercial trips across Ivalice often times for no other purpose than to explore new models of airship and feel the wind on their faces as they sailed through the clouds.

' The crossing through the Highwaste to the Phon Coast will be difficult I think.' Basch ventured.

' It is always such.' Fran agreed, ' The season is against us. We will need to pack provisions against the sun and the rain as we make for Salikawood.'

' It will be hard on the children and the Princess, the depredations of the Empire weigh heavily over the Lady Ashe's head.'

Basch studied Balthier as he said such, Balthier blithely ignored him. Though Fran could not be certain if it was feint or if Balthier was too caught up in his communion with the sky to register Basch's words.

They were joined then by Vaan and Penelo, both grinning from ear to ear, their innocent joy was all the purer for the fact that both Hume's had known great hardship.

' This is great!'

Penelo looked around and her smile slipped, 'Ashe should be here. I'm worried about her, she's been very quiet since we left Mount Bur-Omisace.'

'It is best the Princess rest while she may. We have weeks of hard travel before us.' Basch warned.

Vaan was shaking his head an oddly stubborn look on his face, ' No, she needs to be here. Being on her own isn't going to help.'

Fran left the discussion of the Princess' emotional health to the other three and leaned against the railing beside her partner.

Balthier still had his face turned to the sun, catlike in his enjoyment of the simple sensation. Without a word Fran lifted her own face to the sky in silent worship, even as she flinched deep in her soul at the blasphemy.

' Well I'm going to see if she's okay. She can yell at me if she wants.'

Vaan's voice, filled with a confidence that had been creeping up on the youth since Jahara, turned on his heel and went back into the airship to awaken the Princess.

'Vaan!' Penelo took a few steps after him then turned back to Basch.

'I hope he doesn't make things worse.'

Basch chuckled slightly, ' No, I think perhaps young Vaan is right. It does no good to dwell on that which we cannot change, especially when there is so much good that remains to be enjoyed.'

Balthier had turned around so his back was to the open sky following the sun as the craft smoothly turned northward towards Nalbina. He had his arms stretched out across the rails and his smile was pure luxuriant indulgence.

Fran enjoyed these moments, times when Balthier forgot himself in simple joy of his life and freedom. It was these moments, either on the deck of a commercial craft or at the controls of the Strahl, no words between them, that Fran felt true and unbreakable kinship with this Hume, her partner for this leg of her life journey.

' Our pirate friends seem well versed in how to enjoy life, it appears.'

' Hmm? Did you say something Captain?' Balthier slowly opened his eyes dragging himself back to the here and now, Fran knew that his soul had been flying high with the clouds mere seconds previously.

Penelo was giggling and Basch allowed himself a faint smile, amused.

' The good knight and young Penelo were questioning our industry, Balthier.'

Fran murmured, oddly playful under the brilliant crystal sky, miles above the whispering silence of the wood and Green Way.

Balthier quirked an eyebrow, ' Is that so?'

Fran allowed herself a flicker of a smile, ' I fear they think you lazy.'

'Lazy?' Balthier's smile spread across his face as slow as afternoon sun through thin curtains. ' I would argue the point, but I find I lack the energy.'

Basch laughed and Penelo giggled then looked to Fran. 'You seem happy Fran.'

Fran cocked her head slightly and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Happy? Yes, she supposed she was happy. Here in the wide open sky.

' Sky Pirates desire nought else but open sky.' Fran said simply.

'Tis so?' Basch looked faux incredulous, ' I thought they desired Gil and treasure above all else?'

' Chance would be a fine thing on this trip.' Balthier quipped. ' All the loot goes towards out-fitting six people for war. It leaves little for us lowly pirates.' Balthier quirked an eyebrow raising his voice, ' Would you not agree Princess?'

' Agree to what?'

Ashe approached reluctantly, pale and wane and being led by the hand by a triumphant Vaan.

' See, told you I could get her up.' Vaan shot a smug look to Penelo.

'Princess are you well, you look..' Basch cut off the rest of his question when Ashe glared at him. Fran hid her amusement, Princess she may be but Ashe was as conscious of her appearance as any other Hume girl.

Which, Fran thought dryly, may explain why Ashe so enjoyed viewing herself in the mirror of Balthier's eyes, a man who knew flattery as well as he knew flight paths.

'What are you all doing?' Ashe questioned hugging her arms to herself. ' It is cold out here.'

'Nonsense Princess, it is as warm out here as it is down there.'

Balthier gestured down to the yellow, brown cord of Sandsea, dotted with dark spatters of refineries far below them.

Ashe walked over to the guard rail and looked furtively down over the edge to the ground below, then quickly moved away, her hair whipping about her in the wind picked up by the crafts momentum.

' I will be inside.'

'Oh-ho, me thinks our Princess is afraid of heights.' Balthier crowed as they watched her swiftly retreating back, Vaan and Penelo trailing after her.

' Leave her be, Balthier.' Fran warned.

Her partner turned to face her directly then, an oddly serious depth to his eyes. ' As you wish, Fran.'

Fran wondered at his response as conversation between herself, Balthier and Basch turned to the immediate concerns of long hard travel by foot. She wondered what undercurrent in her words Balthier had detected that she had not meant to escape the confines of her mind?

She wondered, vaguely, if he knew she was resentful of these Humes who would invade their lives and constrain their freedom.

Envious of the Princess who would turn Balthier into her personal guide and chauffeur; envious of the Humes who were so easy with their faults and their emotions, their dreams and their regrets and who made her feel so old and so cold.

One sideways glance from the Hume she has chosen to favour above all the others she has known these fifty years and she has her answer. She saw that, yes, Balthier knew and he loved her for it with all his heart.