Scared

"Elyan tell me what's wrong. You've been distracted and half panicked all day. That's not like you. Even Arthur's noticed and you know how he is."

"It's nothing, I'm fine," the knight sputtered.

Merlin rolled his eyes and stepped closer. "Please, I want to help."

Elyan paled and his eyes fluttered about the armory as if expecting someone to leap from the shadows unexpectedly. Merlin did the same, then poked his head out the doorway to check the hall. He turned back and gave the knight an encouraging nod reassuring him they were well and truly alone.

Finally Elyan swallowed hard and met Merlin's gaze, a pleading look in his dark eyes.

"It's Gwen," he whispered.

"What about her, is she alright?"

Merlin's reaction relaxed the other man a bit and he continued hesitantly. "Ever since she left, I've.. I've kept in contact with her. I know I shouldn't have, and I know what will happen if Arthur finds out, but I can't help it. She's the only family I have left. And I'm not..but no I shouldn't say it."

"What Elyan?"

"No..I..I can't. I know what Arthur means to you."

Merlin moved closer and grasped his shoulder.

"Whatever Arthur means to me, Gwen means nearly as much. She was my first friend in Camelot and I will not abide those who try to brand her a traitor."

The conviction in his voice loosens the last of the tension in the other man and he continued with increasing steadiness. "I'm not convinced what happened with her and Lancelot wasn't her fault but I'm not convinced it was either. I offered to break ties with the kingdom and go with her but she wouldn't hear of it. She practically ordered me to remain in Camelot and said she better not hear of me speaking a word against the king. She said she couldn't bear it if I lost everything I'd worked for because of her. We argued all night but eventually she won. But told her I refused to break off all contact, and that if I hadn't heard from her within a month I was coming after her if I had to give up my knighthood to do it."

Merlin smiled slightly, relieved at this show of devotion on Elyan's part. In truth the servant had been a little concerned about the knight's seemingly mute acceptance of his sister's exile. He should have realized it was just Gwen's way of protecting those she loved. Merlin would have done the same.

"Obviously that hasn't happened, so she must have gotten word to you."

Elyan nodded. "She wrote to a childhood friend of ours in the Lower Town saying she'd reached a village just over the border."

"You mean Abigail, the cobbler's daughter?"

"How'd you know that?"

Merlin looked away slightly flustered. "It uh, it hasn't escaped people's notice that you uh, visit her every other week on your free afternoon. Some of the other knights have started a pool on when you're going to announce your courtship."

Elyan startled, then blushed, then sighed, "I should have known." He shook his head. "There's no interest of that kind between us. The visits are just the arrangement she and I worked out for me to get Gwen's letters. I read them at her house, write a letter back and then burn the ones she sent. Abigail writes her own letter to her cousin who lives in the same village and sends my letter wrapped in her own. It's been that way, every two weeks all through winter. But now..."

"Now?" Merlin prompted, worry beginning to pinch at his gut.

The dark skinned knight took a deep breath and began to gnaw on his lip. "Now I haven't heard from her in almost a month. I tried to tell myself it was nothing to worry about. That she just got too busy, or the road between us was washed out, or her letter got misdirected - anything. Then two days ago Abigail got a letter from her cousin saying some mercenaries raided the village and took Gwen away with them. She hasn't been heard from since." Elyan buried his face in his hands. "I have no idea what to do. Arthur's been...unpredictable ever since he broke things off with the Princess, I can't ask any of the other knights to help me look for her, and if I disappear without permission.."

"Gwen would never forgive you," Merlin finishes for him. Elyan nodded helplessly.

Now it's Merlin's turn to look around for shadows with ears. After a long moment he pastes a reassuring smile on his face. "She's alright Elyan, you don't have to worry anymore."

Elyan snorts. "Thank you for the optimism Merlin, but you have no way of knowing that."

Merlin's smile grows and he tilts his head to catch the knight's gaze. "I do so, seeing as I saw her with my own two eyes a week and a half ago."

With eyes just slightly smaller than dinner platters the knight grabs both his arms."What!?" He hissed. "Where was she? What happened? Is she safe?"

"She's fine, truly. It was during the hunt for the festival of Ostara."

Elyan nodded in remembrance. He had been on border patrol those few days but when he'd returned he'd heard some of the other knights complaining that the king had called a stop to the hunt barely an hour after it had begun. With no explanation.

"What did the hunt have to do with Gwen?"

"Nothing much," Merlin hedged. "I thought I caught sight of her during it, so later that night I went back to investigate and I found her. She'd been injured in the leg, and was cold and scared. She didn't give me details of what had happened or where she'd been, but I treated her wound and she'd recovered completely by the time we parted ways. I tried everything I could to get her to come back to the castle with me, I promised that I could protect her but…" He shook his head with a sigh. "She was finally convinced to head toward Ealdor so that in case we needed her she wasn't far. I wasn't sure she made it until yesterday when got a letter from my mother informing me that if I came to visit anytime soon I should expect a crowded house. She said an old friend had just arrived and would be staying with her until further notice."

Elyan's knees went weak at hearing this and he sat down heavily blinking back tears of relief. "You have no idea how I needed to hear that. I've been so frightened, it was like being eaten alive."

He shuddered and Merlin quickly moved to crouch by his side."I would have told you sooner but I had no idea you'd been keeping up with her. I'm sorry."

The other man smiled and clasped his shoulder. "It's alright Merlin, thank you. You've done a better job looking after her than I have. I can't thank you enough."

Merlin smiled back. "Well now you can reestablish contact. I write to my mother at least once a week, so you can give me one of your letters to send along at anytime. Or if you just want to say hello or tell her a joke I can include it in my letter so no one will notice. And I see you almost everyday so I'll be able to give you her replies without you having to make a special trip anywhere."

"If you're sure it won't put you in danger…" the knight was cut off by a snort.

"Contrary to what Arthur may think, I do know how to look out for myself and I am capable of keeping a secret. I'll be fine. And like I said, Gwen is my friend too. We'll bring her home soon I have no doubt. In the meantime I know she misses you as much as you miss her."

Elyan smile was warm and bright as the afternoon sun. "You're the best Merlin."

The servant blushed and looked away. "It's nothing really," he paused then gave an impish grin, "this way I get to help you and make a bunch of money at the same time.

The other man frowned. "What do you mean?"

Merlin arched an eyebrow."I told you about the wager remember?"

Elyan nodded.

"Well all along I've said there was never going to be a courtship announcement because you and Abigail were just friends. When the other's confirm you've stopped going to see her, I'll win."

The corridor rang with the laughter of the two men for several minutes following that gleeful confession.