Darren’s eyes lit up like candles as I opened the handkerchief with the sticky dried dates. As quickly as it came, he shrugged the longing smile from his face and stirred the nettle soup he was making.

“I-I also brought s-some cheese,” I said, pulling the thin paper of the slice. The tangy smell of goat captured Regan’s attention and he eyed it hungrily. He even put his map down for it and I knew how much he liked those.

I fished the last packet out of my jacket and handed it to my redhead. A curious smile curled up her lips and something close to joy danced in her eyes.

“For me?”

“Y-Yes.” I nodded at the package. “O-Open it.”

Tentatively, she pulled the paper open and gasped softly. “JP… They’re beautiful! Where did you even find these?”

“I was l-lucky. A-An old w-woman by the s-stream was selling these d-dried rosebuds and it reminded me of y-you.”

The frown softened a little as she pressed a kiss on my cheek. “I love it, thank you.”

“A-Anything for you,” I smiled back, loving how she fit me. Even if I wasn’t her soulmate, we were still a good match. I knew she really depended on me during the war and the hard times. But now things were different. The war was over and Chesca was no longer haunting her nightmares. If everything was different, maybe her feelings for me were too.

“You’re really sweet.” Danny tickled my nape and hid her face against my shoulder, in the same fashion as when we were teenagers. Maybe some things never changed after all.

“Where are you two going?” Darren asked curiously, stirring his soup. Only he could turn a handful of random nettles and plants into something that smelled utterly delicious. Having him with us had definitely upped some of our living standards. Alas, not the hard sleeping mats waiting for us in the tent.

“I-I thought we c-could maybe s-spend the n-night together after all,” I proposed, knowing that we could all use some distraction. I pulled the saddlebag down and revealed the rest of my bounty. “I g-got us s-some beer and a good l-loaf of bread too.”

Darren’s face lit up as he eyed the jug, but he held himself back. “Are you sure? We don’t mind you two spending some time alone?”

“I-If Danny doesn’t mind, I t-think it would be n-nice to do something t-together?” I turned to my love, wondering if I gauged things right. Danny’s eyes softened and she nodded.

“I’d love that, JP. That is so thoughtful.” With a spring in her step, Danny guided me into the camp and cuddled up next to me. The rough bark of our log chairs scuffed against my legs, but the softness of Danny made up for it.

“So… I get to eat the dates?” Darren inquired, sniffing the dried fruits.

I pushed the bag towards him and nodded. “I-I got them f-for you. And the g-goat cheese f-for Regan.”

“Nice,” Regan commented, patting me on the back as he pushed a tankard in my hands. I reached for the jug and poured myself a good glug. The malty scent of ale was a nice change and Danny perked up as I handed her the cup.

“D-Drink up,” I grinned, filling everyone’s mug. “Cheers, g-guys!”

As if planned, we all took a moment of silence as we toasted to the health of our friends and each other. The first swig of beer always tasted a little weird to me, but I welcomed it. The bread went wonderfully with Darren’s nettle soup and the crumbled cheese made it divine. The fire danced happily in our midst and the gentle heat of the flames and the food warmed our limbs and souls. For a moment, for the briefest of times, everything felt right. Like our friends never left, like the war never happened, like we were kings of the world.

Danny smiled and mopped up the last of her soup with the crusty bread, making sure not to waste a drop. It pained my heart to watch her ration food. It really was time to go home, wherever that was.

I watched Regan scrape the last of his plate and Darren emptied the last of the soup in Danny’s bowl. She smiled, fussing as she tried to get him to eat some of it. Darren protested a little, but he eagerly spooned up the last of it.

“That’s for you,” Danny smiled, holding out the last piece of bread. I shook my head and pushed the three pieces of potato around in my bowl.

“N-No thank you, I’m still working o-on mine.” I inspected the cubes again and rearranged the middle and small one. They were deceivingly similar in size, but this one was the smallest. So I had to eat it last. Although, now that I saw the two other pieces together, I wasn’t sure if the biggest piece was really the biggest.

Maybe I should split it up so I knew for sure that it was smaller than the others. But then, I would have to compare the new pieces again. So no, that wouldn’t solve anything, I would need to compare four cubes instead of three.

This piece, that was the bigger piece.

“This was lovely,” Darren sighed, rubbing his stomach and relaxing back into the wooden stump. “Thanks, JP.”

I waved his gratitude away. We’d been sharing for many months now. We shared tents and plates, money and food, friends and Danny’s time. It would’ve been wrong of me to use our coins on just Danny and I. They were as much as part of this relationship as she was. And their wolves tolerated me, even though I was sure they’d have loved to tear me apart in the beginning.

But now we were all companions. Friends. Family, even. And we looked out for each other, in the same way we guarded Danny’s safety. Not exactly the same, but very similar.

I stared at my friends and sighed. It wasn’t the same without Aspen, Ashleigh, or Akira. It was... Empty.

We travelled together for years, and now they were somewhere else, off on their own adventure. I couldn’t blame them for moving on, and yet, I was angry. At Akira and Ashleigh for going their own way when things got tough, angry at Aspen for leaving us, but mostly angry at myself that I couldn’t take the pain away from Danny. She was suffering the most and I had no idea how to cheer her up.

Even the nettle soup and bread only brought a faint smile to her lips. It wasn’t enough. It was not even close to how radiant and beaming she used to be, even in the toughest of times. Not even the war, or Chesca, or the crazy pasts of Darren and Regan broke her glow. Because she had us. All of us. Together we faced hell and we survived. Or at least, that was what I thought.

Maybe our group splitting up was the real hell and somehow, someway we would have to get through this. We would. In time. But that didn’t make this any less painful.

“What do you think they’re doing now?” Darren suddenly asked, breaking the noises of the night.

“Darren,” Regan hissed, nudging his head towards Danny. The look in his eyes was clear, he was just as concerned as I was.

“It’s okay,” Danny whispered, placing a hand on Regan’s arm to soothe him. The fire in his eyes extinguished in a moments notice, like snow in the sun. There surely was something magical about them.

“I think Ashleigh and Akira are settling down somewhere,” Darren added, folding his arms behind his head. He gazed up at the stars in the carefree way that he always had about him. He really was more at peace with himself after confronting his ex and casting off his title and responsibilities as the crown prince. Just watching him was enough to awaken a mellow kind of melancholy in my chest. I didn’t expect to ever be that relaxed, not with my past haunting me like it did.

But I was glad for my friend. He deserved it, just like Regan after he killed his mother and banished his father. If only the same was true for Danny. Even with the war over, she came out of it with too many losses. And I wasn’t sure how to heal her.

So I did the only thing I knew how to do. I hugged her.

She rested her head against my shoulder and I felt her relax into me. One day, the ghosts would stop haunting her and she’d come to rest. She’d settle down in a nice and quiet farm for the peaceful life she always deserved.

And on that day, I’d have to say goodbye to her. But I didn’t want to think about that now. Now I just wanted to enjoy her company and love her with everything I got.

I followed Darren’s example and gazed up at the stars. It really was a beautiful night. Maybe someday, I’d be able to enjoy the night sky without worrying.

Maybe.