Kakoa conversed with his friend into the wee hours of the morning, telling the man all about Alice and why he suddenly needed to break the curse. The hermit was happy for the merman, happy to see the joy on the young man's face. When the hermit was starting to yawn and the sky hinting at sunrise, the two friends went their separate ways, the hermit to bed and Kakoa to find somewhere to catch a few hours sleep before looking for Alice.