Theo stood by the exit of Union City, looking around as the sun rose.

It was criminally early, but it would be best for him to hit the road early. It wouldn’t make too much of a difference in the end, what with the survival classes and magic, but it couldn’t hurt to start off the journey on the right foot.

It also meant he had more wiggle room and leeway to ease into leaving, the way you’d ease into a slightly-too-hot bath.

He took in the sights of Union City for probably the last time in weeks. He used Tome of Memories to engrave it in his mind if he felt homesick later.

The whole city was just waking up, and he could hear the peace of the night slowly giving way to industry and hustle and bustle.

Maybe it was the knowledge that he was going to part from the place he’d been all his life, but it was beautiful in a way he hadn’t really paid attention to. Even the outskirts had a charm to them at this distance.

Of course, he could have just been stalling for time.

“You bastard!” Theo turned around, as a bellowing cry, ear-ringing explosions, and the heaving shudders of someone trying not to cry all collectively broke the peace he was enjoying.

Jenny barrelled forth, making a beeline for his exact location. She was half-dressed, one armguard flapping loosely. She came to a stop right in front of his face, daring him to be confrontational as the dust was disturbed around them.

“I see Francis passed it on.” If it wasn’t obvious from the reaction alone, the crumpled up piece of paper in her hand sealed the deal.

Theo tried to hide his grimace. Memory aiding magic might be nice, but it didn’t really do much for his ability to write, so completing all the letters had been a pain (and taken the better part of a day). And one of them was ruined already. Great.

“Why? Why tell me in a letter? Why not face to face?” Her lip trembled, and Theo felt absolutely awful.

So he told her the truth.

Theo looked her in the eyes, faces close enough for him to feel her warm, laboured breath tickle his nose. “Because if you had asked me to stay one more time, I would have.” He blinked back tears, as she did the same.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“I need to do this.” Theo wasn’t sure if he was saying that for her benefit, or his.

The sound of a whip came before the crack of impact and the slowly radiating sting on his cheek. He didn’t react, choosing to instead close his eyes and bow his head.

What came next was not a backhand to his jaw, but his favourite pair of lips meeting his own. It wasn’t the kind of kiss he was used to from Jenny. There was no playfulness, no fight, just a desperate need to preserve a memory for as long as possible.

Theo was happy to oblige.

They only separated when a wolf-whistle echoed along the wall. Looking around, Theo noticed the crowd of guards that were watching them like a bad play. Someone slapped the one who presumably whistled over the back of their head, but they grinned like an idiot regardless.

Jenny wiped at her face with the back of her hand, using her lips as an excuse to abort any tears threatening to spill out (although a trail of silver did follow the contours of her face).

She let out a deep breath, straightening her back. Her eyes focused, and she looked ready to go into battle.

“Okay. I want to stop you, but I won’t. So I’m coming with you.” She started to walk forward…and slowed down once she realised he wasn’t following.

“No, you’re not.” He stood, head down, unwilling to meet her gaze.

“Why not?” She demanded, storming up to him.

“Because I can’t bear to lose you.” His voice cracked.

“But I’m supposed to be okay with losing you?!” Theo had no response to that.

Jenny punched him hard enough that a normal person would have broken something, but between the two of them they both knew it was a half-hearted swing. It turned into an arm raised to strike again…before wrapping around his shoulders as she wept into the crook of his neck.

He patted her back, doing what he could to console her (besides staying in Union City).

There was no pretence this time; Jenny just wiped the tears away. She looked at what he was carrying, the large pack on his back, and the lack of anyone accompanying him. “Is anyone coming with you?”

“Nobody has the speed and endurance to get there fast, the ability to blend in, and the ability to hit hard and survive hits. Nobody but me.” Absentmindedly, Theo wondered if that would be considered boasting.

Jenny just nodded, grimly.

“Well, you better come back alive, or I’m going to fight the gods themselves to yell at your spirit.” Theo felt oddly touched at that. He wondered if this was the kind of relationship that Maria had with Sparrow.

…and now he was wondering if they were in an actual relationship. There was also more than a passing resemblance to how Rowena and Finn acted.

His mind was doing anything it could to distract him, and by Gilth he needed it to get through this conversation without becoming an even bigger mess than he was already.

“I promise.”

“Words are cheap. Stay alive.” It felt more like a threat than anything else, but Theo wasn’t sure he’d have it any other way. She grabbed his shirt, and pulled him into a deep kiss, as if this was the only way to make sure he survived another day. A good luck charm to end all good luck charms.

She was right about words being cheap, because her lips communicated something she had never said aloud.

But Theo was a bard. Words were just as much a tool of his as magic and music.

“I love you too.”