Ynys Roana - 2/9 + epilogue
Title: Ynys Roana
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Rhys Wlliams, Rhiannon Davies, Mica Davies, David Davies, Martha Jones-Smith/Mickey Smith, Others
Beta: milady_dragon
Art: xennie_b Check out her awesome work here!
Summary: When Martha brought Ianto's body back to the newly rebuilt Torchwood Three, she never expected a selkie, a mythical creature of the sea, to revive him and take him beneath the waves. Now seven years later, she has a chance to bring Ianto back, and it's up to the fragments of Torchwood and their allies to find Jack, and convince him to call Ianto home.
Chapter Two
"As soon as the seal was clear of the water, it reared up and its skin slipped down to the sand.
What had been a seal was a white-skinned boy"
Pictures in the Cave - George Mackay Brown
Ynys Roana - Pembrokeshire Coast
June 2017
Fifteen year old Mica Davies ran a lazy arm through the water as her brother set the lobster pots on the far side of Ynys Roana. Her Uncle Niall had his hands full with the fishing on the other side of the island, and had asked the two of them to place the pots so that they had enough food for their guests. Mica straightened up and shook her hand dry as David turned the boat towards the beach. She had only been here once or twice, and each time something about the place seemed to call to her, making it hard to leave. Maybe it was the influence of the stories Uncle Niall told of selkie maidens and sea storms, but to her the gull song and the lowing of the seals on the nearby skerry almost seemed like a soft serenade, welcoming her to a place where magic seemed real. Smiling to herself, she helped her brother land the boat gently on the beach, plucking her basket and a pail for clams from the bow of the boat as she prepared for her day on the island.
“I’ll be back before the tide changes,” David told her, getting ready to shove off and check on Uncle Niall. “Don’t wander too far Mi. Some of the cliff faces are pretty steep and I don’t want to explain to Mam when you drown.” Mica rolled her eyes.
“I’m not a baby David. I can take care of myself,” she huffed, arms crossed. David pushed the boat forward and hopped inside.
“Well you’re not grown either. At least that will keep the selkies from stealing you away for a seal bride,” he replied, flashing a grin, and turning on the motor, drowning out Mica’s irate response. “Remember, three o’clock!” he shouted over the motor and waved at her, ignoring the rude gesture she threw back at him.
Frustrated with her smart-aleck brother, Mica picked up the basket and the pail and made her way up the beach to the abandoned cottages that had once housed her family. The stone buildings were covered in old thatch and the whitewash on the walls had chipped and weathered to a dull grey-brown. Though they had been vacant for some time, with a little work, they could still be sound enough to live in. After circling the other buildings, her attention focused on the middle cottage, the one that had once been her mother’s home. The door creaked when she opened it, showing its age and lack of use, and a layer of dust and sand covered the walls. Light shown down through a hole in the corner of the roof where a large chunk of thatch had broken free into the main room of the house. A table too heavy to remove sat under the small window in the front wall, and a single battered chair stood beside it. A collection of shells and coral lay on the fireplace ledge, and a small pile of driftwood was propped against the chimney stone. Beside the wood lay a small flint box that while dented and worn, still worked when she tested it. Checking the hearth, she noticed that one of the pieces of wood still held a few embers. Blowing upon it, she found that they were still hot, as if a fire had been lit the night before. Knitting her brows in concern, she wandered through the two other rooms of the small house, stopping short when she saw the large box bed built into the far wall of the main bedroom. The last time she had been inside of the house it had been empty. Now it was full of fresh cut reeds, piled high and thick to make it as comfortable as feather-down. She hopped onto it experimentally, and lay down, relishing the smell of warm hay that permeated the air as she settled into it.
“Who did this?” she wondered aloud. Realization hit and she jumped up in fear. If someone was living there and squatting on the island, they might come back. Not sure what to do, Mica decided to take her picnic basket and make her way to the top of the island, hoping to signal David before he was too far away.
~~~~~~~~
He surfaced near a hidden cove on the west side of Ynys Roana, the gentle currents against the outcropping of rock bringing him closer to shore. Riding a well placed crest, he flopped up onto a kelp covered rock, relishing in the softness of the kelp fronds against his flank. Slipping his sealskin from his body, he stretched and unfolded his limbs as he became man once more. Sleek and powerful muscles relaxed, and the ocean spray tingled as it splashed up to sprinkle his bare skin. Folding the silvery fur beneath his head like a pillow, he lounged on his bed of kelp, keeping his eyes half open, watching for passing boats as he drank in the warmth of the midday sun.
Time no longer held any real meaning for Ianto. While he had struggled at first with his new life amongst the waves, it seemed now as if he had never known anything else. His hair had grown long and wild, and the stormy blue of his eyes vibrant with the selkie magic awake in his blood. He had only seen his Grandfather Liam once before that fatal day, but he had heard the stories of selkies and the Flynn’s from before he could walk. Even as a child the sea had been a magical place. The seals and sea birds who shared Ynys Roana had been his and Rhiannon’s playmates, and his mother Fiona had taught her children the tales and songs of the islands, relishing her island life and heritage. Her husband, a Broad Haven man, prided himself on having such a warm and loving woman as his bride. That had all changed when she had taken ill and died just after Ianto’s tenth birthday. Ewan Jones had packed up his family and left the island to return to Broad Haven, and never looked back. Moving them to the inland side of town, he had forbidden his children to go near the sea, and as soon as Rhiannon was married, had moved with his son to the outskirts of Cardiff; as far away from Pembrokeshire and the memories of his beloved as he could get. Ever since then, Ianto had felt a part of him was missing. Torchwood had meant a way to understand the tales of his youth, but had only served to push him farther from the magic of his mother’s stories and deeper into the abyss of sadness, hurt, and betrayal that seemed to grow stronger the farther away from the coast he went. Now that he was back in and near the sea, he felt like all was as it should be and he was finally home. After the initial shock of his transformation, it had been surprisingly easy for him to fall into the rhythm of life beneath the waves. Gliding through the tides, muscles loose and formless, he learned to ride the currents, hunting for fish, slipping in and out of the sacred selkie places with ease.
The caves beneath the Celtic Sea were a world all their own. Ianto had marveled at the great structures that grew out of the rocky ocean floor, hidden from prying eyes amongst craggy rocks and kelp forests. The great cave of Kalentiel, the gathering place of the selkie folk lay at the center of them. A grand cathedral of rock and crystal resided within the crystalline dome, built by selkie magic and filled with the bounty of the ocean floor. Shipwrecked treasures such as pearls and gems lay scattered about the cavern floor, and phosphorus globes of living seaweed floated through air to give it an unearthly glow. Large and secluded, it was big enough for the selkies who lived within her to go about in their human guise whenever they wished. Ianto had found his Grandfather to be Chief of the Southern Seas, and leader of noble line that watched over the caves. After proving himself worthy, he had welcomed the tattoo on the left side of his chest marking him as part of his line. There were so many things to see and so much to explore in his ocean home, that any despair from leaving the land behind quickly vanished in experiencing what it meant to be selkie. As the months and years passed, the names and faces of those he had left behind became a distant memory, echoes of another life that was no longer his own.
Midsummer was coming soon, and with it the moonlight revels of the selkie folk. Ianto wondered if this would be the year that he would feel the call and find his mate. Selkies mated for life, and when the time came, they were drawn to their other half, the pull of the other so irresistible and so strong that nothing would stand in the way of the two being together. Ianto had never felt this calling, but he longed for it. His Grandfather had told him to be patient, that some waited centuries before it came, but Ianto was restless. He ached for more than just the quick and uncomplicated coupling of his own kind, or the moonlit rapture of the human women who begged the sea for a lover’s embrace, only to find the selkie that shared their bed gone before the dawn. The need to find someone to share his heart and his bed had become a want, a need, a crescendo of waves crashing through his blood, convincing him that the craving for a mate’s touch would no longer be denied. He just had to find them.
~~~~~~~
Mica made her way across the crest of the island, passing the little cluster of graves that held her ancestors, and looking out to the fishing grounds for either David or Uncle Niall.
“Typical,” she groaned, realizing that neither one was within sight. Seeing that she was in no immediate danger, Mica sat down to watch the comings and goings of the tourist boats to and from nearby Skomer Island. It was June now, and the tourist season was in full swing. Opening her basket, she smiled at the sandwiches and soda that her Mam had packed. One of Auntie Bryn’s famous biscuits and an apple completed her meal and she sighed in contentment as the food calmed her nerves. A small group of seals made their way towards the small cove below, and Mica crept forward, hoping to get a glimpse of them before they saw her and left. Inching towards the edge of the cliff, her mouth dropped open in surprise when she saw the seals hop onto the beach, barking at a rather naked young man lounging on a kelp covered rock nearby.
“Ianto!” called one of the newly revealed maidens as she slipped out of her sealskin to play in the surf of the small beach. “Come and play with us!” Mica’s eyes narrowed and she stared harder at the man who was now sitting upright upon rock below her, shaking his head at their antics.
“Marwyn, you know we can’t draw attention,” he admonished her and Mica stilled. She knew that voice. Inching ever closer, she hoped the man would turn so that she could see his face. Heart pounding in anticipation, she watched and waited.
“Oh come on,” teased the girl who Mica assumed was Marwyn. “It’s just a couple of harmless tourists. They’ll just think it’s a nudist colony or something,” she pouted, skipping up the beach towards him.
“You’re incorrigible,” Ianto laughed in response. “Alright then, just let me get my skin somewhere safe and I’ll be right down. As Mica watched, Ianto grabbed his silver sealskin off the rock behind him, and dove into the water. Moments later, a silver seal emerged from the waves to join the ladies on the beach. The seal seemed to stand for a moment, before its skin fell back and Ianto emerged from beneath it, laughing and shaking the seaweed from his hair. Mica gasped and searched her memories for the face of the quiet man who had visited her and David; always treating her to an ice cream sundae after taking her to the Saturday matinee at the cinema downtown. “Uncle Ianto,” she whispered before she could stop herself. When his eyes looked up and held her own, she was sure it was him. Before she had time to react, the selkies had grabbed their skins and made for the water. Mica ran down the cliff side, calling Ianto’s name and asking him to stop.
“Uncle Ianto, its Mica, your niece!” she shouted. “Please wait! Uncle Ianto!” As she ran, she kept her eyes focused on the seals as they slipped under the waves, not wanting to lose sight of the silver seal that she now knew was her uncle. So intent was she on watching them, that she misjudged the edge of the cliff, and before she could stop herself, she was tumbling through mid-air, heading straight for the rocky shoreline below. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she said the little prayer her mother had taught her as a child in vain hope that it might save her from harm.
“Bless the virgin, bless the sea, bless my little one, and the bonny selkie,” she whispered, closing her eyes bracing for impact, knowing that her chances of landing between the rocks were slim to none.
But the impact never came.
Just as she was about crash into the rocks, she felt something warm and soft jump up and catch her. Mica didn’t question, she simply leaned into it, hoping that somehow she had survived the fall. Water suddenly splashed around her, and Mica felt the sea rise to meet her, closing swiftly over her head. Panic set in as she clawed her way to the surface, the icy cold fingers of the Celtic Sea curling around her body with every stroke; chilling her to the bone. Shivering, she broke the surface gasping for air, taking in her surroundings and wondering how she was going to make it back to shore when all that stood before her were the chimney like stacks of craggy rock that surrounded the aft side of the island. Warm fur caressed her leg, startling Mica and causing her to slip beneath the waves in panic, before she felt herself being lifted out of the water onto the back of a seal. The seal barked once and Mica grabbed onto its neck, holding on tight as it glided through the waves and back towards the cove on the other side of the island. By the time they reached the beach, Mica was shivering badly, her teeth chattering so hard, she could barely speak. The seal helped her up onto the beach and watched her sadly as she sat shivering on the sand.
“Th-Th-Thank you,” Mica said as she tried to stand. The seal nodded in response, still watching her in concern. Another seal barked at the edge of the cove, and Mica looked up to see the tip of David’s boat making its way around the skerry to pick her up. She looked back down to see the silver seal glance at the boat, the other seal, and then back to Mica.
“I-It’s you that’s been in the cottage isn’t it,” she asked. The seal nodded, before turning back to check on David’s progress. “I’m Mica, Mica Flynn Davies,” she said, hoping that she wasn’t crazy and this seal really was her uncle. “I-I don’t know if you remember me. We live in Broad Haven now.” The seal blinked and as Mica watched a tear rolled down its face. Mica reached forward and put her arms around its neck, barely holding her own tears in check as the seal leaned into her shoulder and sighed.
“Oi! Mica!” David called. He had made it into the cove and was headed towards the beach.
“You better go,” Mica said, kissing the top of the seal’s head. “Stay safe Ianto,” she whispered as she released him. “I’ll come again as soon as I can.” Stormy blue eyes, far too intelligent for a regular seal, held her gaze a moment longer, before he barked once in farewell and hopped back into the surf.
“What’s all this then?” asked David as he hopped out of the boat and took in Mica’s disheveled appearance. “Been swimming in your clothes Mi?”
Mica hugged herself and looked past David to where Ianto had surfaced at the end of the cove. A smaller brown seal that she guessed was Marwyn joined him, slapping the water near his head as if to chastise him for helping Mica. David looked out at the noise shaking his head.
“Bloody seals,” he grumbled, before grabbing a blanket from the boat and wrapping Mica in it. “This’ll keep you warm until we make it home,” he said, rubbing her arms and lifting her up into the boat. “How the hell did you get soaked anyway? It hasn’t even been raining.”
“Fell in on accident,” she muttered. David rolled his eyes.
“Chasing seals again were we?” he asked. Ever since the two of them had overheard Martha telling their Mam about their uncle’s disappearance, Mica had thought of little else. She had decided that she would be the one to find him. When she didn’t answer, he looked at her to make sure that she hadn’t gone into shock. The smug smile gracing her features made him pause in confusion.
“Mica?” he asked, not sure what she was thinking. His sister stared past him out to the sea where the pair of seals had moved past the cove and were steadily swimming away.
“I found him David,” she said, barely containing her excitement. “He saved me when I fell.”
David scratched the back of his neck, wondering how badly Mica had hit her head. “Are you sure you don’t have a concussion Mi?” he asked, watching for signs that she might be delirious.
Mica turned bright eyes full of wonder his direction. “I’m not sick David. It was Ianto; I swear it was really him. I saw him and everything.”
David stared at her, skepticism apparent on his face. “Riiiiight. Sure it was Mi,” he replied, wading into the surf to launch the boat.
“I’m telling the truth,” Mica insisted, angry that he didn’t believe her. David looked up. He knew the Flynn temper when he saw it and Mica was gearing up for a fight.
“Say I believe you,” he asked casually, shoving the boat forward and jumping in alongside her. “Do you really think Mam could handle it if she knew he had been seen and she hadn’t been there?” Mica blinked. He had a point. Ever since Martha’s visit she had been haunted, staring at the waves each morning, searching for her brother. If she came home alone, knowing Mica had found him, it would break her Mam’s heart.
“So we keep it quiet for now,” she sighed. “But I swear to you David, it’s the truth. I’m coming out with you every day until I find him again.” David rolled his eyes.
“Whatever you say Mi. Drink some of my tea, it will keep you warm until we get home,” he said, handing her his thermos and hoping that she wasn’t serious. It was bad enough that he had to bring her with him today. Having to share his solitude with his chatterbox sister every day would drive him insane. Maybe she was right and it really was Ianto. He could only hope. Then maybe his Mam would lose some of the melancholy that hung over her and Mica would leave him alone.
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Rhys Wlliams, Rhiannon Davies, Mica Davies, David Davies, Martha Jones-Smith/Mickey Smith, Others
Beta: milady_dragon
Art: xennie_b Check out her awesome work here!
Summary: When Martha brought Ianto's body back to the newly rebuilt Torchwood Three, she never expected a selkie, a mythical creature of the sea, to revive him and take him beneath the waves. Now seven years later, she has a chance to bring Ianto back, and it's up to the fragments of Torchwood and their allies to find Jack, and convince him to call Ianto home.
Chapter Two
"As soon as the seal was clear of the water, it reared up and its skin slipped down to the sand.
What had been a seal was a white-skinned boy"
Pictures in the Cave - George Mackay Brown
Ynys Roana - Pembrokeshire Coast
June 2017
Fifteen year old Mica Davies ran a lazy arm through the water as her brother set the lobster pots on the far side of Ynys Roana. Her Uncle Niall had his hands full with the fishing on the other side of the island, and had asked the two of them to place the pots so that they had enough food for their guests. Mica straightened up and shook her hand dry as David turned the boat towards the beach. She had only been here once or twice, and each time something about the place seemed to call to her, making it hard to leave. Maybe it was the influence of the stories Uncle Niall told of selkie maidens and sea storms, but to her the gull song and the lowing of the seals on the nearby skerry almost seemed like a soft serenade, welcoming her to a place where magic seemed real. Smiling to herself, she helped her brother land the boat gently on the beach, plucking her basket and a pail for clams from the bow of the boat as she prepared for her day on the island.
“I’ll be back before the tide changes,” David told her, getting ready to shove off and check on Uncle Niall. “Don’t wander too far Mi. Some of the cliff faces are pretty steep and I don’t want to explain to Mam when you drown.” Mica rolled her eyes.
“I’m not a baby David. I can take care of myself,” she huffed, arms crossed. David pushed the boat forward and hopped inside.
“Well you’re not grown either. At least that will keep the selkies from stealing you away for a seal bride,” he replied, flashing a grin, and turning on the motor, drowning out Mica’s irate response. “Remember, three o’clock!” he shouted over the motor and waved at her, ignoring the rude gesture she threw back at him.
Frustrated with her smart-aleck brother, Mica picked up the basket and the pail and made her way up the beach to the abandoned cottages that had once housed her family. The stone buildings were covered in old thatch and the whitewash on the walls had chipped and weathered to a dull grey-brown. Though they had been vacant for some time, with a little work, they could still be sound enough to live in. After circling the other buildings, her attention focused on the middle cottage, the one that had once been her mother’s home. The door creaked when she opened it, showing its age and lack of use, and a layer of dust and sand covered the walls. Light shown down through a hole in the corner of the roof where a large chunk of thatch had broken free into the main room of the house. A table too heavy to remove sat under the small window in the front wall, and a single battered chair stood beside it. A collection of shells and coral lay on the fireplace ledge, and a small pile of driftwood was propped against the chimney stone. Beside the wood lay a small flint box that while dented and worn, still worked when she tested it. Checking the hearth, she noticed that one of the pieces of wood still held a few embers. Blowing upon it, she found that they were still hot, as if a fire had been lit the night before. Knitting her brows in concern, she wandered through the two other rooms of the small house, stopping short when she saw the large box bed built into the far wall of the main bedroom. The last time she had been inside of the house it had been empty. Now it was full of fresh cut reeds, piled high and thick to make it as comfortable as feather-down. She hopped onto it experimentally, and lay down, relishing the smell of warm hay that permeated the air as she settled into it.
“Who did this?” she wondered aloud. Realization hit and she jumped up in fear. If someone was living there and squatting on the island, they might come back. Not sure what to do, Mica decided to take her picnic basket and make her way to the top of the island, hoping to signal David before he was too far away.
~~~~~~~~
He surfaced near a hidden cove on the west side of Ynys Roana, the gentle currents against the outcropping of rock bringing him closer to shore. Riding a well placed crest, he flopped up onto a kelp covered rock, relishing in the softness of the kelp fronds against his flank. Slipping his sealskin from his body, he stretched and unfolded his limbs as he became man once more. Sleek and powerful muscles relaxed, and the ocean spray tingled as it splashed up to sprinkle his bare skin. Folding the silvery fur beneath his head like a pillow, he lounged on his bed of kelp, keeping his eyes half open, watching for passing boats as he drank in the warmth of the midday sun.
Time no longer held any real meaning for Ianto. While he had struggled at first with his new life amongst the waves, it seemed now as if he had never known anything else. His hair had grown long and wild, and the stormy blue of his eyes vibrant with the selkie magic awake in his blood. He had only seen his Grandfather Liam once before that fatal day, but he had heard the stories of selkies and the Flynn’s from before he could walk. Even as a child the sea had been a magical place. The seals and sea birds who shared Ynys Roana had been his and Rhiannon’s playmates, and his mother Fiona had taught her children the tales and songs of the islands, relishing her island life and heritage. Her husband, a Broad Haven man, prided himself on having such a warm and loving woman as his bride. That had all changed when she had taken ill and died just after Ianto’s tenth birthday. Ewan Jones had packed up his family and left the island to return to Broad Haven, and never looked back. Moving them to the inland side of town, he had forbidden his children to go near the sea, and as soon as Rhiannon was married, had moved with his son to the outskirts of Cardiff; as far away from Pembrokeshire and the memories of his beloved as he could get. Ever since then, Ianto had felt a part of him was missing. Torchwood had meant a way to understand the tales of his youth, but had only served to push him farther from the magic of his mother’s stories and deeper into the abyss of sadness, hurt, and betrayal that seemed to grow stronger the farther away from the coast he went. Now that he was back in and near the sea, he felt like all was as it should be and he was finally home. After the initial shock of his transformation, it had been surprisingly easy for him to fall into the rhythm of life beneath the waves. Gliding through the tides, muscles loose and formless, he learned to ride the currents, hunting for fish, slipping in and out of the sacred selkie places with ease.
The caves beneath the Celtic Sea were a world all their own. Ianto had marveled at the great structures that grew out of the rocky ocean floor, hidden from prying eyes amongst craggy rocks and kelp forests. The great cave of Kalentiel, the gathering place of the selkie folk lay at the center of them. A grand cathedral of rock and crystal resided within the crystalline dome, built by selkie magic and filled with the bounty of the ocean floor. Shipwrecked treasures such as pearls and gems lay scattered about the cavern floor, and phosphorus globes of living seaweed floated through air to give it an unearthly glow. Large and secluded, it was big enough for the selkies who lived within her to go about in their human guise whenever they wished. Ianto had found his Grandfather to be Chief of the Southern Seas, and leader of noble line that watched over the caves. After proving himself worthy, he had welcomed the tattoo on the left side of his chest marking him as part of his line. There were so many things to see and so much to explore in his ocean home, that any despair from leaving the land behind quickly vanished in experiencing what it meant to be selkie. As the months and years passed, the names and faces of those he had left behind became a distant memory, echoes of another life that was no longer his own.
Midsummer was coming soon, and with it the moonlight revels of the selkie folk. Ianto wondered if this would be the year that he would feel the call and find his mate. Selkies mated for life, and when the time came, they were drawn to their other half, the pull of the other so irresistible and so strong that nothing would stand in the way of the two being together. Ianto had never felt this calling, but he longed for it. His Grandfather had told him to be patient, that some waited centuries before it came, but Ianto was restless. He ached for more than just the quick and uncomplicated coupling of his own kind, or the moonlit rapture of the human women who begged the sea for a lover’s embrace, only to find the selkie that shared their bed gone before the dawn. The need to find someone to share his heart and his bed had become a want, a need, a crescendo of waves crashing through his blood, convincing him that the craving for a mate’s touch would no longer be denied. He just had to find them.
~~~~~~~
Mica made her way across the crest of the island, passing the little cluster of graves that held her ancestors, and looking out to the fishing grounds for either David or Uncle Niall.
“Typical,” she groaned, realizing that neither one was within sight. Seeing that she was in no immediate danger, Mica sat down to watch the comings and goings of the tourist boats to and from nearby Skomer Island. It was June now, and the tourist season was in full swing. Opening her basket, she smiled at the sandwiches and soda that her Mam had packed. One of Auntie Bryn’s famous biscuits and an apple completed her meal and she sighed in contentment as the food calmed her nerves. A small group of seals made their way towards the small cove below, and Mica crept forward, hoping to get a glimpse of them before they saw her and left. Inching towards the edge of the cliff, her mouth dropped open in surprise when she saw the seals hop onto the beach, barking at a rather naked young man lounging on a kelp covered rock nearby.
“Ianto!” called one of the newly revealed maidens as she slipped out of her sealskin to play in the surf of the small beach. “Come and play with us!” Mica’s eyes narrowed and she stared harder at the man who was now sitting upright upon rock below her, shaking his head at their antics.
“Marwyn, you know we can’t draw attention,” he admonished her and Mica stilled. She knew that voice. Inching ever closer, she hoped the man would turn so that she could see his face. Heart pounding in anticipation, she watched and waited.
“Oh come on,” teased the girl who Mica assumed was Marwyn. “It’s just a couple of harmless tourists. They’ll just think it’s a nudist colony or something,” she pouted, skipping up the beach towards him.
“You’re incorrigible,” Ianto laughed in response. “Alright then, just let me get my skin somewhere safe and I’ll be right down. As Mica watched, Ianto grabbed his silver sealskin off the rock behind him, and dove into the water. Moments later, a silver seal emerged from the waves to join the ladies on the beach. The seal seemed to stand for a moment, before its skin fell back and Ianto emerged from beneath it, laughing and shaking the seaweed from his hair. Mica gasped and searched her memories for the face of the quiet man who had visited her and David; always treating her to an ice cream sundae after taking her to the Saturday matinee at the cinema downtown. “Uncle Ianto,” she whispered before she could stop herself. When his eyes looked up and held her own, she was sure it was him. Before she had time to react, the selkies had grabbed their skins and made for the water. Mica ran down the cliff side, calling Ianto’s name and asking him to stop.
“Uncle Ianto, its Mica, your niece!” she shouted. “Please wait! Uncle Ianto!” As she ran, she kept her eyes focused on the seals as they slipped under the waves, not wanting to lose sight of the silver seal that she now knew was her uncle. So intent was she on watching them, that she misjudged the edge of the cliff, and before she could stop herself, she was tumbling through mid-air, heading straight for the rocky shoreline below. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she said the little prayer her mother had taught her as a child in vain hope that it might save her from harm.
“Bless the virgin, bless the sea, bless my little one, and the bonny selkie,” she whispered, closing her eyes bracing for impact, knowing that her chances of landing between the rocks were slim to none.
But the impact never came.
Just as she was about crash into the rocks, she felt something warm and soft jump up and catch her. Mica didn’t question, she simply leaned into it, hoping that somehow she had survived the fall. Water suddenly splashed around her, and Mica felt the sea rise to meet her, closing swiftly over her head. Panic set in as she clawed her way to the surface, the icy cold fingers of the Celtic Sea curling around her body with every stroke; chilling her to the bone. Shivering, she broke the surface gasping for air, taking in her surroundings and wondering how she was going to make it back to shore when all that stood before her were the chimney like stacks of craggy rock that surrounded the aft side of the island. Warm fur caressed her leg, startling Mica and causing her to slip beneath the waves in panic, before she felt herself being lifted out of the water onto the back of a seal. The seal barked once and Mica grabbed onto its neck, holding on tight as it glided through the waves and back towards the cove on the other side of the island. By the time they reached the beach, Mica was shivering badly, her teeth chattering so hard, she could barely speak. The seal helped her up onto the beach and watched her sadly as she sat shivering on the sand.
“Th-Th-Thank you,” Mica said as she tried to stand. The seal nodded in response, still watching her in concern. Another seal barked at the edge of the cove, and Mica looked up to see the tip of David’s boat making its way around the skerry to pick her up. She looked back down to see the silver seal glance at the boat, the other seal, and then back to Mica.
“I-It’s you that’s been in the cottage isn’t it,” she asked. The seal nodded, before turning back to check on David’s progress. “I’m Mica, Mica Flynn Davies,” she said, hoping that she wasn’t crazy and this seal really was her uncle. “I-I don’t know if you remember me. We live in Broad Haven now.” The seal blinked and as Mica watched a tear rolled down its face. Mica reached forward and put her arms around its neck, barely holding her own tears in check as the seal leaned into her shoulder and sighed.
“Oi! Mica!” David called. He had made it into the cove and was headed towards the beach.
“You better go,” Mica said, kissing the top of the seal’s head. “Stay safe Ianto,” she whispered as she released him. “I’ll come again as soon as I can.” Stormy blue eyes, far too intelligent for a regular seal, held her gaze a moment longer, before he barked once in farewell and hopped back into the surf.
“What’s all this then?” asked David as he hopped out of the boat and took in Mica’s disheveled appearance. “Been swimming in your clothes Mi?”
Mica hugged herself and looked past David to where Ianto had surfaced at the end of the cove. A smaller brown seal that she guessed was Marwyn joined him, slapping the water near his head as if to chastise him for helping Mica. David looked out at the noise shaking his head.
“Bloody seals,” he grumbled, before grabbing a blanket from the boat and wrapping Mica in it. “This’ll keep you warm until we make it home,” he said, rubbing her arms and lifting her up into the boat. “How the hell did you get soaked anyway? It hasn’t even been raining.”
“Fell in on accident,” she muttered. David rolled his eyes.
“Chasing seals again were we?” he asked. Ever since the two of them had overheard Martha telling their Mam about their uncle’s disappearance, Mica had thought of little else. She had decided that she would be the one to find him. When she didn’t answer, he looked at her to make sure that she hadn’t gone into shock. The smug smile gracing her features made him pause in confusion.
“Mica?” he asked, not sure what she was thinking. His sister stared past him out to the sea where the pair of seals had moved past the cove and were steadily swimming away.
“I found him David,” she said, barely containing her excitement. “He saved me when I fell.”
David scratched the back of his neck, wondering how badly Mica had hit her head. “Are you sure you don’t have a concussion Mi?” he asked, watching for signs that she might be delirious.
Mica turned bright eyes full of wonder his direction. “I’m not sick David. It was Ianto; I swear it was really him. I saw him and everything.”
David stared at her, skepticism apparent on his face. “Riiiiight. Sure it was Mi,” he replied, wading into the surf to launch the boat.
“I’m telling the truth,” Mica insisted, angry that he didn’t believe her. David looked up. He knew the Flynn temper when he saw it and Mica was gearing up for a fight.
“Say I believe you,” he asked casually, shoving the boat forward and jumping in alongside her. “Do you really think Mam could handle it if she knew he had been seen and she hadn’t been there?” Mica blinked. He had a point. Ever since Martha’s visit she had been haunted, staring at the waves each morning, searching for her brother. If she came home alone, knowing Mica had found him, it would break her Mam’s heart.
“So we keep it quiet for now,” she sighed. “But I swear to you David, it’s the truth. I’m coming out with you every day until I find him again.” David rolled his eyes.
“Whatever you say Mi. Drink some of my tea, it will keep you warm until we get home,” he said, handing her his thermos and hoping that she wasn’t serious. It was bad enough that he had to bring her with him today. Having to share his solitude with his chatterbox sister every day would drive him insane. Maybe she was right and it really was Ianto. He could only hope. Then maybe his Mam would lose some of the melancholy that hung over her and Mica would leave him alone.