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Elyan couldn't bare to stay home. When he wasn't working with father, he was out, too restless with frantic energy.
He thought his father never understood, could never understand that burning need to move.
Gwen understood some. He'd spoken to her about it often enough.
Another spot of trouble later, he again explained to his father how he needed to leave and explore.
"Then go."
The words were gentle, knowing. They sounded like a final farewell.
He left behind some flowers besides a sleeping Gwen, not willing to stay till morning and say goodbye.
He'd return when the time was right. They didn't need him right now. He was free.
Elyan did all sorts of odd jobs to survive.
With few precious coins to his name, he traded favours and physical labour. He send some token or another back to Gwen whenever he could, but he never knew if they were received. Gwen would surly be displeased with his prolonged absence.
He made friends as easily as he let them go, never stayed in one place too long. The urge to move was never quite quenched. It was a constant companion for years.
The day arrived when he couldn't continue anymore. Because everything looked the same, it didn't matter where he went.
Still, he never regretted leaving. He wasn't ready to go back.
He was hacking at a tree in frustration when bandits found him, inadvertently helping a nearby village.
He sustained an injury, unable to care for himself. The village took him, sharing their scarce resources the bandits had aimed for. At first, he'd stayed to repay their generosity. Their life slowly crept up to him and he stayed. He wondered how his family was faring in Camelot.
It had been a while since he'd sent anything to Gwen when he heard word of his father's death two seasons past. In a daze, Elyan heard of alchemy, sorcerers, and dungeons. A painful tale exchanged for some coins.
He resolved to build his own forge in honour of his father.
Elyan had barely set foot in Camelot, making his way through the busy market when he spotted Gwen. She was smiling in amusement as a man with long hair tried and failed to flirt with her. She took the flowers off her hair and returned them to him.
She was a woman now. He noticed her smile with nostalgia, the same as before. He left before she could see him
"It's been four years since you left and not so much as a word! You could've been dead for all I knew!"
"I meant to get in touch. It just never seemed like the right moment."
The words felt inadequate. Right now, all he cared about was that they were both alive. Gwen had every right to be angry.
But she came back for him, like she always did.
There in the dirty dungeon cell, moments before their door burst open, Elyan decided it was time to come back home.