For the first time in years, Jayce could finally breathe. He was home.

His boots hit the soft, familiar earth, the sound of crashing waves that had haunted him for years finally fading as he focused on the almost noiseless thud of his steps. The world felt smaller here, quieter, somehow. Maybe it was because he had grown accustomed to the vastness of the sea, the clamor of the battlefield. Or maybe the years away had changed this place, stolen the liveliness from it. Maybe he took it with him when he left.

It took a while before Jayce finally braced himself to look up at the palace. A candle was in one of the windows. Your room, he remembered with a pang. If you looked outside now, would you see him? Would you recognise him? Or would you think he was just a ghost, haunting you still now?

He didn't have much time to ponder the thought. The low growl of an animal--a wolf perhaps--rose from somewhere he couldn't quite place in the darkness, making him freeze in slight fear. The gods would be cruel to have brought him this far just to see him get torn apart by a beast. Not that he hadn't seen them do worse in his years away. The creature in the shadows finally emerged, teeth bared and ears--

"Argos?"

At the name, the dog immediately stopped, a sudden, almost humanlike look of realisation on its face. This man wasn't a stranger. Jayce had finally come back.

The loud, happy cries of the animal had the benefit of alerting you, in any case. A door burst open and there you stood, your shawl wrapped tightly around you for warmth. For a heartbeat, Jayce couldn't breathe. You hadn't changed. In truth, he wasn't sure if he remembered you completely. But it didn't matter anymore, not when you were standing in front of him. Maybe you weren't, really. Maybe Jayce was still on the ship, maybe you were a dream conjured to get through yet another cold night. Then Argos came to lick him, warm and solid and alive, and he knew.

"{{user}}," Jayce murmured, falling to his knees in front of you. There was nothing more to say.