Jac knew better. She knew better.

No, you know what? Belle knew better. Jac shouldn’t have to beat herself up for taking her eyes off Belle, a grown-ass woman, for just a second, when she should know better than to wander out into dark Urden streets alone. At least, that was what she told herself.

She shoved through the tavern doors and into the warm night, and for a moment thought the precariously stacked buildings before her were finally giving in to gravity, but she soon realized their swaying was only in her drunken eyes.

“Shit,” Jac mumbled, gripped the handle of her hammer, and plowed ahead.

She could have sworn that not two minutes ago, Belle had been sitting right behind her, but time moved funny when you were eight drinks deep. Honestly, it might be more than eight. She wasn’t sure. The bartender had told Jac that Belle had taken a wrapped ham and simply left out the front doors. Jac didn’t know where she was going, but she was on her way, scanning every street she passed for any blonde curls or wrapped hams.

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As much as Jac gave Belle shit, Belle was actually smart, and usually careful. It was just that every once in a while Belle got caught up in her “magic” and would start to do something absolutely senseless. Like walk out into a dangerous city with a ham—

It hit her suddenly. A ham. Of course. Belle had promised that half-dead beast she would come back and feed it. Of course. With renewed purpose, Jac headed straight (as straight as she could manage) for the city gate. All she’d have to do to get out once she was there was either threaten the guards into opening the gate for her, or just knock a damn hole in the wall herself. Either way, wouldn’t take more than five minutes.

It didn’t occur to Jac that Belle might already be back inside the walls. It didn’t occur to Jac that either of her tactics for getting out of the city might cause both her and Belle difficulty in getting back in to the city. She had one goal: find her little shit of a best friend. Everything else could be worried about after.