Chapter nine

Far from the distance whispered words entered his consciousness. They sounded neither Welsh nor English and yet something within them made sense to Ianto. He didn't know why, but he felt compelled to listen to them as they echoed in his mind and begged him for attention. A warm feeling floated around him. It pushed away the dreaded cold he'd felt ever since the light scanned him. Not even Jack's greatcoat had kept him warm. How silly was that? It was made of thick wool after all. Ianto looked at the swirls of gold and found his scattered thoughts calm down at the beautiful sight of them.

Once more the words bounced around within his mind, as if they were spoken again. The voice though was still unfamiliar to him. It was a deep and determined male voice. There was a strength within it which Ianto found reassuring. With each pulse of his heart he realised there was a familiar sounding touch to it. As if it belonged to someone who left an impression on his mind and yet he couldn't quite grasp hold of an identity.

There was a pressure on his chest, as if hands pushed him down gently. To whom did the hands belong? Jack? Or was it someone else? He had fallen ill, hadn't he? The metallic taste in his mouth seemed to confirm his last thought. The cube! In a flash the memory of the bloody thing came back to him. It had threatened them all. Ianto realised with growing awareness that it wasn't the cube speaking now, nor was it anyone on his team. Maybe if he opened his eyes he could see the man who reached out to him out here in the dark.

Ianto let the voice guide him towards the light. Deep down he grinned to himself how cliché the moment seemed. He didn't care less though. If the man to whom the warm timbre of speech belonged could take him back to Jack then that was what he would do. A sudden loud screech came from nearby. The pterodactyl, was she hungry? If he was awake then he could feed her some dark chocolate. Myfanwy liked it when he gave her a treat…

Startled Ianto woke up to find himself staring into a couple of golden eyes of a raven haired man. "Merlin?!" Now it all made sense, or didn't it? Last he remembered he was searching for the mysterious sorcerer. Now out of the blue Merlin was right here by his side. It made Ianto wonder how many hours went by since he fainted. "What… where…" His dry throat made it difficult for him to ask the many questions on his mind.

"Ianto!" He heard Jack shout out. Ianto smiled at the joy in his lover's voice. He turned his head towards the thumping footsteps coming over. In a flash he found himself wrapped up in a careful and yet overpowering hug, which was typical for Jack. Ianto wasn't too surprised to see a few tears glistening in the bright blue eyes. "I missed you", Jack whispered in his ear before he pushed his emotions behind a wall again. A moment later he stepped away. "Rest now, Ianto. You've been through a lot. We will talk later when you have found your voice."

"Onslæp nu." Two new strange words came back to Ianto. Knowing the voice belonged to Merlin he embraced them without question. With one deep sigh he fell asleep.

Jack watched as Merlin stepped away from the bed on unsteady legs. Out of reflex Jack supported the other man when he stumbled. "Careful there." His warning was met with a tired half smile. Jack grinned boyishly before he shook the stunned amazement at what happened from his mind. Slowly he gathered his courage to thank Merlin properly, even though he still felt utterly confused by the man. "It seems I was wrong to think magic didn't exist. I can't even begin to grasp what you did, but quite clearly it worked. Thank you for helping us heal Ianto." To his amusement Merlin seemed a little flustered at the praise and then even more so after Gwen and Martha thanked him too.

It puzzled Jack when he saw Merlin look to Arthur from beneath his lashes, as if he was afraid of how his friend would react. A silent moment passed between them in which they came to an understanding. Jack looked at Gwaine for answers, but he found none. All the soft brown eyes reflected before he pulled Merlin in a one armed hug was an intense pride for someone he cared for. "You did it. I knew you would, but seeing it come to pass like that. Wow."

Together the friends walked off. They were lead up the stairs by Gwen, who promised to take them to the boardroom to have a rest and a drink. Rhys, Martha and Arthur followed them. "I'll be with you in a moment", Jack called out after Gwen, who nodded and walked on. In her eyes he saw that she understood why he needed another moment to catch his breath. More than anything else he wanted to ensure for himself that Ianto was going to be alright. He returned to Ianto's side and felt his pulse, even though the computer still registered a steady heartbeat…

"Magic. Even at the best of times it is a tough thing to wrap your head around."

Startled Jack turned around and he was surprised to find Arthur standing behind him. It seemed the former King stayed behind. The far off look in his otherwise alert eyes made Jack wonder, "Did you ever manage?"

Shaking his head Arthur seemed to answer his question in all honesty. "There are days when I think I understand it, but in the end there is only one person left in the world who truly knows what magic is."

"Merlin", Jack answered the unasked question.

Arthur nodded before he continued in a far off voice, as if he remembered something, "Ianto isn't the first man to live another day where the odds are against him to survive, and he won't be the last either. As long as Merlin lives there will always be another. In fact I have a feeling it was magic that brought Gwaine and me here for a second chance at living. What other reason could there be?"

Jack had nothing to offer but a shrug. None of the questions raised in Glastonbury were answered. Torchwood had searched for the usual signs of time travel and found none. There was no scientific reason to be found. It was the reason why Ianto's belief in the legends and Merlin's magic had grown as strong as it did.

"To think that I used to fear magic, even until recent times… well not, recent as in a linear sense, but you know. In the dark ages I was taught to think of it as evil or at least that it corrupted humanity. My father was so wrong, and so was I too. People just like Merlin, how many died because of ignorance? Captain, we may not understand magic and it may not be something people believe in today, but those of us who know it is there need to accept it for all the good it can do."

There was a self assuredness to Arthur's final words which Jack associated with his royal heritage. Arthur was probably used to talking to crowds or in front of important people, like other Kings and noblemen. Legends spoke of a round table; had there really been one? Jack was curious to know the answer, but he held back on the question. He would leave that one for Ianto.

With a wide smile he changed the subject. "Let's go and see what the others are up to. Then we need to find you guys a place to sleep. Will you and your friends be staying in Cardiff for the night?" As he began to speak he led Arthur up into the Hub to take him to the boardroom.

Merlin opened his eyes when the door of the boardroom opened. Too tired to lift his head he leant on one of Gwaine's broad shoulders. It was actually rather comfortable to do so. His friend didn't seem to care and Gwen had only smiled at their closeness. When she sat down in one of the chairs she yawned wide, a clear sign that she too was tired. Merlin realised then that she'd been driving all day just to get Ianto help. Her leap of faith was quite something to behold.

With a smile on his mind Merlin decided that the three of Torchwood were friends, who watched each other's backs and would not back off from their goals. It reminded him of the way he now lived together with Gwaine and Arthur. Sure they had their moments of frustration, but overall the old feeling of 'us against the world' had never left them.

The instant he spotted Jack and Arthur he saw the similarity in the way both men held themselves. Two leaders who evoked a deep loyalty and earned a strong trust of those they'd gathered around them. It wasn't that they forced it by blind obedience or by putting fear in their 'followers', never that. They were just accepted for what they stood for: the good side of humanity and the sacrifices they made to protect it. Both were proud of those who fought for these values at their side. Though Merlin knew that neither of the two liked to talk about their feelings he saw how they wore many of their emotions on their sleeves regardless. He further admired the fact that neither seemed to be afraid to admit it when they were in the wrong. It was no wonder to him that the two had come to some understanding without the rest if them around.

One look of conspiracy was shared between the two leaders before Jack spoke up, "The best thing I can do at this time of day is hand you the keys to Ianto's flat. He'd only be too happy knowing you lot stayed there for the night. All I ask in return is that you meet us tomorrow, let's say up on the Plass somewhere. We will be able to spot you when you are there. Ianto will never forgive me if you three do the whole disappearing thing again before he gets the chance to thank you, Merlin."

Merlin looked up to Gwaine with the quiet question of "what do you think?" He wasn't surprised when his friend gave a slight nod. Neither one of them wanted to drive back to Keswick at this late time of night. For one moment Merlin considered if it wasn't better to take them home with his magic, but then he rethought it. In truth he felt too tired to concentrate for long and deep enough to transport himself let alone the three of them so many miles across the lands. With a grin to himself he realised that one lapse could lead into them popping up at quite another ancient site. So no… not the best idea then.

Lifting his head off Gwaine's shoulder and pushing back his chair Merlin rose to his feet. "Thanks. That sounds like a good idea to me. We could do with the rest before we attempt any sort of journey back north. I'd be happy to see Ianto up and walking again before we leave too, make sure there is no relapse." Merlin found he meant every word, for it would indeed feel good to see the man he healed walk amongst the living again.

Several minutes later, after Martha and Rhys went to their respective homes, Jack led the three friends up to the surface. Along the way he picked up a street map of Cardiff in the mock tourist information. He placed a cross on it, which marked the location of Ianto's flat.

"We can find it", Merlin promised him with a polite smile.

"Even in the dark?" Jack winked to ensure Merlin that he was only kidding. All the same he decided to lead the three men over to the water tower, which for most tourists was an obvious landmark on the map. It would make it a little easier for them to find their way in the city. After a while though Merlin fell behind and he fell to a standstill. Jack too stopped walking in order to see what kept him from walking on.

By the side of the watertower he turned around to find Merlin looking upwards at the letters of the Wales Millennium Centre with intense concentration in his golden eyes of magic, which even glowed a little in the dark. What was the mysterious man doing now? At the same time Jack wondered about it Arthur asked Merlin the question. For one moment there came no reaction. Slow seconds ticked by until with an abrupt twirl of his body Merlin turned around to face them with an enigmatic smile on his moonlit face.

"In these stones horizons sing. These words are somehow spot on. The stones may be slate here instead, but that is just the Welsh thing to do. I sense a history here that is more than just Wales. The time of the druids sings within, so to speak." When Jack narrowed his eyes Merlin elaborated, "There is a slim trace of magic here that may just be strong enough to guide me back to Cardiff on a next time."

"Like the druid circles?" Jack was the last one to make the connection. When Merlin nodded he too smiled, realising at last that Merlin had used the promising words of "next time". With a far happier feeling on his heart he wished the friends a good night. For a while he watched as they walked off into the darkness and into the direction of Ianto's modern flat. Jack waited until they were out of sight before he stepped onto the stone within the pavement that hid the invisible lift. It was the quickest way down from here. He just couldn't wait to return to Ianto to wrap him up in a hug and never let go again.