Rowan was up early. She needed to be ready before the tide so that she could say goodbye to Alena and the others. Part of her was still sad that they couldn't stay together longer, but the embers of passion were a constant reminder that Alena would still be with her in spirit. There was also another strange comfort Resonating from within as she belted on Elan Fiir that she couldn't explain. She chose not to dwell on the feeling, instead choosing to just accept it as a plus to her morning.

When she was ready, she stepped out of her bedroom to a light breakfast of jam and rich, buttery pastries waiting to be eaten. She was halfway through her meal when Seres announced herself with a mighty yawn.

“Morning,” she said sleepily.

“Morning,” Rowan replied. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“Noo-oho-o,” Seres yawned again.

“There’s still time before we need to leave if you want to get a wee bit more sleep.”

“No point. I’m already too awake.”

Whilst the barely cognisant princess wasn’t particularly convincing as she yawned and stumbled herself to a chair for breakfast, Rowan knew exactly what she meant. That is to say, she knew the feeling of not being able to get back to sleep due to your mind waking up before your body. Either way, breakfast would help her truly wake up.

*****

The two of them were greeted to the crisp chill of winter and sea spray as they stepped out of their carriage and on to the docks. Even with her thick, fur-lined coat, Rowan found herself shivering from the shock. She adjusted quickly, but those first few minutes were rather unpleasant. It didn’t help that they had to walk a short distance to where The Wind Rose was docked.

Alena was already there, as were the others. Rowan rushed ahead to embrace her as Seres took the much safer approach of walking and waving to everyone.

“Easy there, Rowan,” Alena chided. “I’m happy to see you too, but I don’t fancy going for a dip right now.”

The thought sent a chill down Rowan’s spine.

“Sorry,” she said, making sure to balance the both of them and prevent any unwanted momentum.

“It’s fine.”

“Well good! How much longer?”

“Fifteen minutes?” Ædarik answered.

“Fifteen? Seriously?”

Rowan was outraged. She was sure they had more time.

“I knew you’d get here in time,” Alena told her.

“That’s not the point!” Rowan protested.

“Isn’t it? Let’s not waste the time we have left being annoyed that we don’t have more of it.”

“You’re right,” Rowan sighed.

“I know,” Alena teased.

“Don’t congratulate yourself just yet! I’m not letting anyone leave until I’ve said my goodbyes!”

“Likewise,” Seres interjected. “Though I’m sure Captain Dralik will understand if we’re delayed.”

“I can go ahead and ask him?” Ædarik offered.

“No, you don’t!” Rowan forbade.

“Huh?”

“You’re first!”

“I’m what?”

“I need to start somewhere, so I’m saying goodbye to you first. Before I do that, however, I need to thank you for trying to rescue us back at the caves. After years of being told we were being forged into weapons for The Good Lords, meeting a lord who was genuinely a good person meant a lot to us, even if you did a terrible job and we ended up being the ones saving you. Maybe next time, try doing a smidge more preparation.”

"I was rather out of my depth, wasn't I?" Ædarik laughed loudly.

"More than a little," Rowan giggled.

“Well, I guess next time I’ll do better. And even if there isn’t a next time, I hope we can be true friends when you arrive in Særis.”

“We’re already friends, idiot.” She meant it as well. Maybe not true friends as he put it, but the potential was there. To drive the point home, she gave him a big farewell hug and added, "Good luck with Ashlin."

She could tell he was blushing at her encouragement.

Once Rowan had let him go, Seres gave him her own farewell hug.

"We really do owe you," she said. "Without your help, I don't know how we would have found our way home."

"I'm sure you'd have managed."

After Ædarik was Ashlin which ended with good luck, much like the previous one had. From the look that she gave Ædarik, it was clear that she felt like she didn't need any. She then surprised Rowan by saying she was a little curious about her and Alena with a tone that was almost flirtatious. Rowan wasn’t sure what to make of that.

Rowan's goodbye with Deilin was short and polite. They hadn't spent much time getting to know each other or becoming friends, so there wasn't really that much for them to say. Deilin did, at the very least, thank Rowan for encouraging her to come out of her shell the day before at Tyris’. It wasn't much, but it gave Rowan hope that they could become friends in Særis. Alas, such hopes were for the future. As such, Rowan chose to focus on the present instead of dwelling on what could be.

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With that in mind, she rushed on to Davra. Like Deilin, she and Rowan hadn't interacted much, but Rowan felt they had a stronger connection on account of Davra's support and encouragement for Alena.

Davra smiled as Rowan approached. “You and Alena have been busy, haven't you?” she teased, her tone distinctly sultry.

“What’s that supposed to mean!” an abashed Rowan demanded, knowing full well what Davra was insinuating.

“I’m just saying you’re positively glowing, admittedly now with a rosy hue, and the improvements to your fitness and overall bearing can’t be fully ascribed to the training you’ve been doing with your brother, so it’s only logical to assume you’ve been enjoying certain carnal activities with your delightful girlfriend.”

Davra’s observation had Rowan’s rosy blush skipping a few shades to that of crushed rubies. “Th-tha-that’s…”

“You really are precious,” Davra laughed. “That blush of yours is adorable.”

The assertion only served to tie Rowan’s tongue further as she failed to offer any meaningful response. Fortunately, Davra wasn’t looking for a response just yet as she adopted a more sincere tone.

“Thank you for giving your heart to Alena. I was wary of you at first, but you have proven yourself to be much more than steel and thorns, and I’m sure that by the time we next meet, you will have grown into a vibrant rose.”

Davra’s sincerity helped to give Rowan the focus she needed to fend off her embarrassment and untie her tongue.

“I should be the one thanking you. Alena told me that you’re the one who encouraged her at the ball, and I know you’ve been supporting her this whole time.”

“What are friends for?”

“True. I hope we can be friends as well.”

“As far as I’m concerned, the seeds have already been planted. We just need to get to know each other better. When you get to Særis, Alena and I will show you and Seres around. For now, however, I won’t keep you. There are still people waiting to say goodbye.”

“Indeed.”

Rowan gave Davra a farewell hug, an act that seemingly caught Davra by surprise. A small win for Rowan after Davra’s earlier teasing. Fortunately, the win didn’t come at Davra’s expense as she returned the embrace and made it clear that her surprise wasn’t one of dismay.

When they parted, Rowan moved on to Maro. Their goodbye was a bittersweet ordeal, with very few words seemingly exchanged between them. Rather than talking, they spoke as Ardents, touching on the emotions of the other directly rather than relying on words. It was an intense experience for both of them, but it was the only way they could truly say what needed to be said with everything they had been through. They had both sacrificed much to escape, and language could only say so much.

Their farewell hug lingered as they finished their wordless exchange. When the time came for them to part, they promised to speak again when Rowan made her way to Særis or wherever Maro ended up.

“If I’m not in the city, I’ll make sure someone tells you where to find me,” Maro said tearfully.

“Just don’t go too far, or it might be a while before we see each other again,” Rowan replied through her own tears.

“I’ll try.”

Following Maro, Rowan landed on her penultimate farewell to Amran. Her exchange with Amran was surprisingly wordy.

"When we next see each other, you better be twice the Ardent you are now," he said.

"And you better have a fully articulated prosthetic foot," Rowan laughed.

"I think you're overestimating how quickly it will take to complete and calibrate a working foot."

"Right back at you."

"Point taken. Take care of yourself, Rowan. When you're done with everything you need to do here, I'll see you in Særis."

"Until then."

"Until then."

With that done, Rowan was left with one final goodbye. Before she could say anything, Alena wrapped her arms around Rowan as if she never wanted to let go.

"I'm going to miss you," she cried. "I know it’s only going to be a few months, and we’ve only been together a fraction of that time, but you’ve touched my heart in a way no one else has ever managed before. Your fire burns within me.”

Rowan hugged her back just as firmly.

"I'm already missing you, and you're not even gone."

"Well, we can stay like this a little while longer."

"There's so much I still want to do with you."

"At least we had a headstart with our big date."

"I can still feel your every touch from all the things we did that night."

“The embers still burn for me as well.”

“They will burn until we see each other again.”

“Where we will stoke the flames.”

“And make up for lost time.”

The two of them were in perfect sync, and they had transitioned from hugging to touching their foreheads gently together and holding each other’s hands. Their eyes were closed, and the world slipped away. They were the only people that mattered during this most serene of moments.

When the moment passed, they parted with a kiss, and Alena smiled. “Before we go,” she started, “I have something for you. A gift to help when you find yourself missing me.”

“You shouldn’t have…”

Alena held a finger to Rowan’s lips. “I wanted to. And don’t feel guilty for not getting anything for me. You can get me something from Næmyris.”

“I will.”

With Rowan’s promise, Alena went to collect the gift from Davra. When she returned with what appeared to be a fairly plain wooden box the size of a somewhat average shoebox, she was blushing.

“I know it doesn’t look particularly exciting from the outside, but it’s the inside that counts.”

“Can I open it?”

“Not here!” Alena responded, her blush deepening further. “No opening it until you get back to your room.”

Rowan nodded; she had no desire to make Alena overly embarrassed. Instead, she handed the box to Seres, who had already said all her goodbyes so that she could give Alena one last hug. “I’ll see you in Særis.”

“Not if I see you first,” Alena replied, hugging Rowan back.

When the time came, Rowan kissed Alena deeply with all her love. It was a promise that they would see each other again, that this wasn’t goodbye. Even so, her eyes were tear-filled, as were Alena’s.

“All aboard!”

Captain Dralik had given them their moment, but they could only delay so long. The couple lingered for a few more seconds before finally parting. Alena rushed up the gangplank. Her belongings had been loaded much earlier, and everyone else boarded when she was occupied with Rowan. The crew was also ready to leave.

All that remained was the Captain. Once he confirmed everyone else was ready, he turned to Rowan and Seres.

“The Wind Rose to leave port,” he announced loudly. “We’ll see you both in Tærin City a month from now for your voyage to the Azure City. Safe travels.”

“You too,” Rowan replied.

Seres nodded. “Favourable winds, Captain.”

Dralik half turned away before looking at Rowan. “Promise me you’ll keep the princess safe.”

“I will.”

“Thank you. I wish you the best in finding the rest of your family.”

With those final words, he left for his ship, and they were off.

The moment was over. There were no more goodbyes.

It was time to turn the page and take the next step.