11
"Ianto please, you are hurt" Jack said again and Ianto glanced over at him, shrugging and motioning them forward.
"My feet hurt" Jasmine whimpered and Ianto turned to reach out his hand.
"Not much further, Myfanwy is at the clearing ahead with other dragons" he assured her, "We will make it."
They trudged for some time and as they reached the clearing he hesitated, Myfanwy was not there. She was whispering in the back if his mind that something was wrong, she had not landed but was on the rise.
Jack went to push past and Ianto barely had time to register as the arrow hit Jack in the shoulder and he was thrown back, barking with pain.
Ambush.
The men who had come downstream with them rushed to defend and Ianto called Myfanwy down, her roars shaking the trees as she slammed into the area where the shot had come from and men fell from it like rats escaping a sinking ship, terrified and not thinking clearly as they ran straight into the blades and beaks waiting for them but all Ianto could see was the life blood of his prince seeping into the ground.
"Gods, do something" Jasmine sobbed, "Please, do something."
Ianto's hands were slipping in the blood as he tried to seal the wound and others worked to secure the area, his gaze flicking around the scene then falling to those brilliantly blue ones he knew so well.
"Ianto"
"Hush now, don't speak" Ianto sobbed, "It will be alright Cariad, don't speak. Conserve energy, it will be OK."
"I'm sorry"
"No. Don't" Ianto hissed leaning in close so their noses almost touched, "Don't you dare."
"Ianto, I love you" Jack choked, blood appearing at the corner of his mouth as he looked at Ianto imploringly, "Forgive me. Sweetling …..I…..gods…..Yan….."
Ianto knew what he must do, a mere Unwanted whose life was already forfeit the moment hi mother had turned her face away, he knew this was why the gods had sent him here. This was what he must do and he sighed as he glanced at Rhys who was kneeling in the dirt staring at him.
"No" Rhys said flatly, "Don't do it."
"I must save him" Ianto sighed, "I know the cost, I must save him. I said the words, I promised. I must do this."
"It will mean the death of you!" Rhys pleaded, "Please, it is such an ancient art, you might not even manage it and kill both of you. If he dies he would take you with him, please, please you have two dragons counting on you…you can't…please…"
"My dragons will sustain me" Ianto said with confidence, "I will do what I must, you know I must. I am the only one with the power for this."
Rhys' shoulders dropped as Jasmine looked at him, "what are you talking about?"
"We bond to our dragons, we share life. This is how we exist here in this world. We cannot survive without our dragon due to the toxic nature of this place so different to our own. The Dragon is like…a filter. A power source and we are for them too. Ianto is…he is of high blood OK? He is a rare true-blood and he can push, he… he saved the little black dragon when we could not. Why he is now foolishly going to push some of his life into the prince knowing it will shorten his own immeasurably. And if it is too late….if the prince is dying Ianto and his dragons will too."
She looked on with horror as Ianto leaned forward to let his forehead touch Jack's and he whispered softly, "And I love you too Cariad. Forgive me my foolish heart."
There seemed to be a golden glow, the trumpeting of dragons filling the air as it shimmered and then Ianto reared back with a gasp of pain, clasping at his own shoulder in mirror to Jack.
Ianto fell back to lay and writhe as his lips peeled back then he was still, panting as he tried to recover himself and Jasmine approached to find Jack blinking with confusion as he looked around and focused on her, "Jazz? What? What….wow what was that?"
"Jack?" she said softly, as she knelt, "Are you….are you ok?"
"I feel….wow"
Ianto struggled to his feet, weaving slightly and he turned to watch Myfanwy landing, her concern clear as she clacked her beak and Ianto weaved over to her, collapsing against her as her wings folded around him.
"Ianto?" Jack sat up, his hand going to the wound with confusion, "What did you do? Ianto what did you do?"
"He saved your life" Rhys said flatly, "He just bounded to you. As loving as he lives, you do. When you die, he does."
Jack stared at Rhys aghast, "No. No …but…your lives are so long and….no. When I die…"
"Your death will take a rider and to dragons with you my prince….what a powerful king you will be with dragon strength" Rhys sighed, "Yeah. Come on, he needs to get home as the other dragon will be going spare right now."
"Oh gods" Jack sighed as he looked at Ianto with horror, "I was not worth this."
"Yes" Jasmine said firmly, "Yes you are!"
Ianto blearily looked out at him from his dragon's embrace and Jack saw the sorrow, the immense sorrow and then Ianto looked away.
They had bonded, he knew.
Ianto had touched Jack's heart and now he knew.
Jack did not love her. Jack was marrying her out of duty to the crown and for the pleasure of his mother, the same thing Ianto had railed against Jack now faced.
And the worst thing to know, the deepest hurt he must now carry.
Jack loved him back.