Jaskier sees Yennefer standing in the middle of the tavern smelling of shit, looking worse than he's ever seen her, and he can't think of anything for a moment.
For one startling moment, he can't think of the elves hiding in the back room he has promised to smuggle onto a waiting boat. He can't think of his coin pouch that doesn't get as full with every passing night. He absolutely cannot think of nearly 20 years of walking on the path with a man who threw him to the side. Then the moment ends.
He hugs Yennefer (and isn't that a new and interesting development) and tells her and her companion he will do his best to get them on the boat to Cintra. Jaskier walks away from the two with an offhand comment about a bath and locks himself in his room. He panics.
He panics because 20 years of friendship down the drain still hurts and no amount of singing about burning the memories managed to actually get rid of them. His breath catches in his throat because Yennefer is bound by a wish to Geralt of Fucking Rivia and wherever she is the chances are too high that they will meet. He squeezes his eyes shut against the haze of tears, hiding from nobody. The only people who wait for him now are broken elves searching for refuge.
But Yennefer needs passage and Jaskier was not lying, he would not wish what is happening to his worst enemy. He can spare tonight for a woman bound to a man he doesn't want to see. He can spare tonight for a woman who had no say on her bloodline or the subtle sway of her heart through destiny. He will spare one night.
(Sometimes Jaskier looks at the lines of his songs and wonders if he had any say in his heart either.)
Really, Jaskier should have known better. The gods are crueler than that. Destiny is trickier than that.
It's a bit poetic in the end though, he met Geralt in a rundown tavern in Posada where he saves Jaskier's neck from elves. Now he meets Yennefer in a rundown tavern as he saves elves himself. Of course, all roads lead back to Geralt. You can't outrun your part in destiny. He just wishes he had more time to learn how to burn the memories.
