Daniel pushed his glasses out of the way, rubbing his eyes tiredly, and tried again to focus on the notes he was recording in his journal. All he really wanted to do was chase after the locals that had taken Jack, but he knew he'd end up getting himself caught and then Sam and Teal'c would really have no clue as to what had happened. He would just have to wait until they came back from checking out that naquadah signature.
They'd known the radio contact on this world would be sketchy, but since the MALP hadn't shown any sign of intelligent life, let alone hostiles, it hadn't seemed a big issue. Jack hadn't been pleased, but then again, Jack wasn't pleased anytime anything went wrong, no matter how minor it seemed to Daniel.
The thought of Jack forced the image of him, as Daniel had last seen him, head streaming blood from a cut above his temple being dragged off by the natives of P7J 244, dangling limply from the hard grasp of his captors. From what Daniel could make out, hidden in the dense foliage where Jack had shoved him seconds before the attack, the inhabitants didn't appear to be very technologically advanced, probably comparable to Earth's Bronze Age if their weapons were any clue. It had all happened so fast.
They'd been scouting around, half-heartedly looking for some caves the MALP had shown as possible archaeological digs, mostly just killing time waiting for Sam and Teal'c to come back. It was supposed to be a quiet world. They couldn't tell if was even inhabited.
Daniel hadn't heard anything, but Jack's dark eyes had narrowed, and he'd shoved Daniel into some heavy ground cover, giving him the look that said, "Be quiet and don't do anything stupid." He'd followed that with the hand gesture for radio silence, or at least that was what Daniel thought that one meant. The Colonel hadn't waited for Daniel's acknowledgement; he just moved away quickly and silently through the dense undergrowth.
Seconds later he was slumping against a tree, sliding to the ground, a bright blossom of blood trickling down through the grey brown hair and along his jaw line. Daniel had started to leap to his feet, scrabbling for the Beretta securely strapped into its holster on his leg when several shapes had materialized out of the forest. They had ignored Jack's gun, but the razor edged survival knife he wore had nearly started a fight between two of the men. Fighting back the instinct to race towards his friend, he cursed the mineral readings that had split the team and sent Sam and Teal'c away and left Jack with him.
He knew the SOP on this one, and hard as it had been to watch them drag Jack away, the best thing to do was to wait for Sam and Teal'c and hope Teal'c could follow the trail. His radio spoke scratchily.
"Colonel?" Grabbing for it he spoke, stuttering in his anxiety, trying not to shout. Who knew if Jack's radio was still broadcasting? "S-s-s-sam, I've been waiting for you to check in. - he, he, he's been taken by the locals. They didn't see me but they dragged Jack off." There was an almost imperceptible pause and then the captain responded. "We're about one klick off, Daniel, double-timing to your location."
Moments later, Daniel peered cautiously out from the shrubs to see Teal'c and Sam jog into the small clearing. Must have done more than double-time, thought Daniel, impressed despite his anxiety for Jack. As he extracted himself from the middle of the large plant where he'd been hiding, he could see Sam was barely containing her impatience.
"What happened," she asked in a low voice.
"We were just looking around, Jack heard something I guess, because he pushed me into that bush and the next thing I saw, he was falling. He was unconscious and bleeding pretty heavily from the head."
"Was it the inhabitants of P7J 244 who attacked you, DanielJackson?" questioned Teal'c.
Daniel nodded.
"Without warning?" Teal'c asked.
"Yes, but we might be trespassing on burial ground or holy grounds. They didn't kill Jack; just knocked him out." Sam knew he was trying to reassure himself that they had just stumbled into some misunderstanding and that if just got the chance to explain, to apologize, then everything would be fine. Sam didn't bother to answer, just turned to Teal'c.
"Can you track the colonel?"
"Easily," he rumbled.
"Then let's go," she said.
"Umm, slight problem with that idea," Daniel said, pushing up his glasses self-consciously. Turning back to Daniel, Sam looked concerned.
"Are you injured, Daniel? I thought they didn't see you."
"Well, they didn't see me, but, um." He could feel Teal'c's eyebrow rising without even looking at him. "I twisted my ankle and I'm not moving really fast. I'm pretty sure it's sprained. Otherwise I would have tried to follow them."
Sam started to speak, closed her mouth, and then changed her mind.
"Just as well. If they got the colonel I'm pretty sure they'd have heard you following them. How bad is your ankle? Can you get yourself back to the gate?"
He nodded vigorously. The last thing he was going to do was use up Teal'c or Sam's valuable time babysitting him back to the Stargate. Sam looked relieved
"Ok, you get back to the 'gate, tell Hammond what happened, and send backup. We'll go after Colonel O'Neill."
"Now," he said, trying to act casual, "the 'gate is that direction, right?" and taking his best guess he pointed back the direction the two had come. Sam and Teal'c exchanged glances and Teal'c pushed his arm until it pointed roughly 90 degrees from his original guess. "Right," he said, forcing cheerfulness into his voice. "Now you guys go after Jack and I'll have Hammond send out the cavalry."
When they still hesitated, Daniel frowned.
"Listen, he was bleeding pretty badly and I don't need you to hold my hand on the way back to the 'gate while he's being dragged through the forest by the local villagers!" he finished scowling.
"We also don't need you getting lost in the woods with a sprained ankle and locals who appear to be hostile," Sam snapped back.
"If O'Neill was badly injured, there is no time to lose," Teal'c said gravely to Sam. She sighed, biting her lip and looking at Daniel.
"You're sure you can make it back on your own, Daniel?" Sam asked, still looking doubtful.
"Yes, Captain Carter, sir, ma'am," said Daniel in an acerbic voice. The captain's blue eyes narrowed.
"We'll be in radio range if you need us," she said briefly, and with scarcely a leaf quivering to show their passing, she and Teal'c disappeared into the forest. Daniel sighed. He was going to pay for that last smart-ass remark, he knew, but at least they were going after Jack now instead of dithering about him.
It was starting on towards dusk; if he was going to get back to the gate before full dark he'd better get a move on. Shoving his hair back out of his face and yanking the boonie down, he started limping as quickly as he could toward the gate, wishing again he had noticed that tree root. He was the first to admit he was the least athletic of the team, but spraining an ankle by tripping in the forest? Without even being chased by bad guys? Jack had already been having quite a lot of fun at his expense before the natives had happened along.
Focus on your ankle, Daniel, he told himself as sharp pains shot up his shin. Don't think about Jack. Don't think about the way his head had lolled on his shoulders bonelessly. The way his boots had scuffed twin tracks in the pine needles, boot toes digging in as he dangled between the two native's impassive grips. His mind went on without a pause. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to shake off the worry. Why am I worried? Jack has a head like a steel post, he told himself grimacing.
Quite a nice world, he thought, even if it doesn't have any ruins. He was moving at as brisk a gait as his ankle would allow, inhaling deep gulps of the cool fresh air, when the skin on the back of his neck prickled. Ducking under the huge overhanging fronds of what looked like a giant fern, Daniel held himself as still as he could. He hoped his heart was only pounding loudly in his own ears and wasn't audible to whomever it was following him. One of the natives? He didn't think so. Jack would scoff, or then again, maybe he wouldn't, but this felt different. It wasn't something he'd heard, as much as an itching down his spine. Feeling only slightly ridiculous, he reached down and flipped the snap of the Beretta's holster.
Daniel strained his ears and eyes, but if something had been out there, it was gone now. He waited until the prickling had gone from his scalp and noticed his ankle was really starting to hurt. With a sigh, he sat down and started rummaging through his pack. With a grunt of relief he yanked the ace bandage out of the basic first aid kit Janet had insisted they all start carrying. Carefully he unlaced his boot and eased it off his foot, hissing at the sharp jabbing pains. Gently he pulled the sock down and off his foot. The flesh above where the sock had been bulged around the marks the elastic band had left and was already starting to discolor. Wrapping the bandage deftly around his ankle, he pulled the sock carefully back over his foot and with the boot unlaced, gingerly slipped his foot back in. Once he was upright again, he slowly applied weight to his foot, and satisfied it would bear his weight, if not very comfortably, stepped as quietly as he could back out onto the faint path, moving once again towards the Stargate. But he left the holster unsnapped.
Finally he started recognizing he was getting close to the Stargate. He could even see the top of it flashing in and out between the trees. Somehow though, he had followed a different trail back and he found himself standing at the top of the small defile that lay between him and the gate. Going around it would mean fighting his way through a dense growth of small trees and something that behaved remarkably like wild blackberry vines, thorns and all. He decided he could make it down and back up the other side if he took it slowly. As if I have a choice, he said sarcastically to himself. Though it was small, both sides were very steep, and as Daniel started cautiously down the hillside, his boots sank into the soft, heavy forest detritus. Deciding to forget dignity, he took of his pack and had just started lowering himself onto his bottom to scoot down when something made him look around.
Nothing.
Hastily digging in his pack for the mag-light, Daniel shone it around through the deepening gloom of the forest. He thought he saw what looked like movement.
"Hello?" he called out uncertainly. "Someone there?" No one answered. There was no sound. His blood was roaring in his ears. "Just great," he muttered under his breath. Jerkily he shoved the flashlight back into the pack. As nice as it would be to have, he would need both hands to get safely down the ravine and up again the other side. His hands shook a little and he cursed in ancient Babylonian under his breath. If that is Sam getting even for that snide remark..., he thought to himself a trifle grimly. But he knew it wasn't. Sam was klicks away by now, saving Jack's butt, or he hoped to God she was. Carefully sliding on his butt, pushing his pack in front of him, Daniel made his way down to the bottom of the ravine, straining his ears over the sound of his own exertions and heard a soft squish as his feet found the small streamlet that ran through the gully.
"Ok, now for the hard part," he told himself aloud, and tossing his pack halfway up the steep hillside he started to climb, digging his good foot deeply into the soft forest debris. Slipping, sliding and cursing in an almost continuous monotone, he reached his pack, giving his bad ankle a few sharp twists on the way. He stood for a moment, brushing the dirt and twigs from his hands and butt. It was almost completely dark now, and though his eyes had adjusted, it was getting difficult to see.
He had to hurry. Daniel knew Sam and Teal'c would do their best, but right now he'd be grateful to see even the jarheads of SG3!
Grabbing the pack, he heaved it up the slope. It landed just at the lip of the ravine, teetered there for a moment, and then slowly at first but gaining speed, started tumbling back towards him. Without thinking, Daniel lunged for it. His ankle held just long enough for the heavy field pack to reach him but under the momentum of the pack it gave way with an ominous grinding sensation. He felt himself cart wheeling gracelessly down the ravine, bushes and branches ripping through his hands as he tried desperately to stop, but nothing slowed his progress until his head met an old blow down at the bottom of the defile and his glasses, which amazingly had remained on his face through the first part of the fall were launched like a rocket.
Fighting against the black, he lay there. And when the face appeared though, floating blurrily above his own, it was too much, and with a groan, he closed his eyes and surrendered.
Rough hands, white blinding pain, so cold, fleeting impressions intruded into Jack's barely conscious mind. Band wrapped around his chest, sharp jerk, and he was dangling. Breathe, hard to breathe, band too tight...ah, better. Dragged over and laid down, head pounding. Going to be sick, hate throwing up, damnitall, stomach roiling, lurching over to spew. The violence of the motion sent him plunging back gratefully into the dark.
Teal'c studied the ground carefully. To Sam, there was absolutely nothing different about that particular piece of forest dirt, but Teal'c had positively glowed. Well, for Teal'c anyway, Sam amended silently.
"We are not far behind them," he said in a low voice. "But I would recommend that we find shelter for the night. It will soon grow too dark for me to follow their trail." The captain groaned inwardly. She had desperately hoped they would be able to recover the Colonel and get back through the gate tonight. She hadn't been comfortable leaving Daniel to make his own way back, and never would have if he hadn't needled her into it. For all the progress the civilian had made since they first started traveling through the wormholes, he was still an expert at finding trouble. Besides, Sam was pretty sure his ankle was hurt more badly than he was letting on. She never should have allowed him to get to her like that! Come to think of it, Sam pondered, why had she? Probably because she knew he was just as anxious to get the Colonel back as she was. She looked up to see Teal'c watching her.
"I do not believe DanielJackson will have a problem returning. He has become more capable than I would have initially believed," the big Jaffa rumbled, his face impassive. Sam hated it when he read her mind like that.
"Yeah, well," she sighed, "it's not like I had a lot of choices anyway. Besides, Daniel is probably already back swilling down coffee." Sam looked around. "Any place in particular look good to you for bivouac?"
"There is a large predator that hunts these woods nocturnally. It appears there is a shelter placed high in one of the trees that would be suitable," he responded.
"A predator? How big?" she asked, a little nervously.
"It is not always the size that dictates the level of danger. We should retire to the shelter immediately." Though it didn't show on her face, Teal'c words were unnerving to Sam. Coming from the perpetually stoic Jaffa, the concern sounded almost anxious. He pointed out small hand and footholds that had been etched into the wood and boosted her up to reach the first one. Climbing up a tree with a full pack wasn't easy, especially after the long day they'd already had and her muscles were beginning to shake when she finally pulled herself up onto the small platform. She scooted as far over as she could to give Teal'c room to climb up. It looked like they were in for a cozy night. There was just enough room for their sleeping rolls with the packs tied and dangling over the edge.
Sam was sitting cross-legged eating a protein bar when some movement out in the darkness below them caught her eye. She touched Teal'c's arm and he nodded, already aware of the motion. Reaching into her pack, Sam pulled out her mag-lite but after thinking, put it back. Teal'c nodded his agreement. Better to not let whomever, or whatever was down there know they were aware of it.
A faint smell drifted up and Sam wrinkled her nose at the pungent aroma. This must be whatever it was that had made Teal'c so uneasy. She tried to imagine what could be dangerous enough to unsettle the big warrior and she took a deep breath, grateful to whoever had taken the time to build this bolt hole.
"We are safe here," Teal'c said. "Obviously the creatures are unable to climb, thus this society has become arboreal dwelling."
"Probably another reason the Goa'uld aren't too interested in this place."
"Agreed. Without substantial mineral deposits or technology to justify the expense, there would be little reason for the system lords to invest resources in this world, given how dangerous these predators appear."
Sam mulled that over for a moment. "Well, it'll be up to General Hammond. I'm sure we can handle the wildlife, but whether there's anything here worth the trouble remains to be seen."
"I suggest you sleep, CaptainCarter," Teal'c said in his abrupt way. "I will take the first watch. I would also suggest you tie yourself to the platform in case you roll off while sleeping." The idea, while practical, did nothing to help Sam relax.
She spent the entire time until her watch drowsing and then awakening with a start from a dream of falling. When Teal'c touched her arm she was already awake. Pulling out a bottle of water while Teal'c composed himself to perform Kel No Reem, she allowed herself to worry about the Colonel for the first time since Daniel had told them what happened. While following the trail of bloodspots and scuffmarks, she had focused exclusively on making plans to retrieve him, but Daniel had said he was unconscious, and though he didn't say, the urgency in Daniel's voice and the frown etched into his forehead told her how concerned he was.
This should be a fairly straightforward operation. After all, these guys weren't even using iron yet. She wrapped the blanket more tightly around her shoulders and squirmed to lean unobtrusively against Teal'c's broad, heat-radiating back. God, what she'd give for some coffee right now.
There was a strange thwick' sound, and Teal'c slumped lifelessly against her, his heavy body nearly knocking her over. Before she had time to react she felt the dart strike her own shoulder, and then she too, was lost in the darkness.
Sam! Teal'c! Daniel! Where the hell are you guys! Was he making any noise? Jack couldn't even hear his own voice. There was an incredible pain in his head; he hoped he'd had fun getting this headache! He realized he was laying down. It was so dark; was he blind? Jack blinked, trying to clear his vision.
Footsteps approached and he forced himself to sit up. Oh shit, big mistake. The nausea rose up and broke over him like a wave, and retching seized him again. He felt cool fingers on his forehead and the back of his neck, holding him the way his mother had when he'd been sick as a little boy. A soft rag wiped the bitterness from his lips and raised a cup to his mouth while a voice gently urged him to drink. Unthinkingly he swallowed a mouthful before lashing out with a wild arm, spilling the liquid all over himself and the body belonging to the voice. The voice tsked with amused exasperation, and mopped him up, then pushed him without effort back down onto his back. He could see just the faintest outline and caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair in braids and wide unseeing white eyes, then whatever was in the mouthful he'd swallowed drew him gently down into sleep again.
Daniel frantically tried to think anything that might help him survive an encounter with the most alien and frightening predator he'd seen on any of the worlds they'd visited. To begin with, there was the size. The male, or so he assumed, currently inspecting him was roughly the size of a pony, but that was probably the only thing that made it even remotely comparable to an earth creature. It circled around him, padding softly on strange, soft feet, rather like the mastedges from Abydos, the strange vaguely humanoid face turned toward him, four short bi-jointed arms ending in claws dangled from the short torso.
Catching only snatches of images from the quick glances he dared take, there was one thing Daniel couldn't help but notice. The thing, being, whatever it was, had no visible mouth. It made the slightly human cast of the face seem almost unbearably disturbing. It was nearly full dark now, though no moon or stars were out yet. He became aware of a low whine, so soft and steady it was almost inaudible, slowly growing in intensity, but somehow, not volume.
He closed his eyes.
OK, this definitely ranked as one of the less favorable situations he'd gotten into lately. Jack's voice berated him for his carelessness and he irritably told it to shut up and let him think.
It was coming closer. He could feel its footfalls near his shoulder, though he still hadn't heard anything. I would probably be a lot more frightened if my ankle didn't hurt so much, he thought dizzily. There was a tug and then a hard yank on his shoulder.
Daniel let out a startled yelp and struggled wildly, trying frantically to pull himself loose. The whine grew in intensity, buzzing in his ears and shaking his skull. Daniel forced himself to go limp, and once he stopped fighting he realized the hold the creature had on his shoulder was uncomfortable because the fabric was being drawn so tightly, not because its claws were buried in Daniel's flesh. Daniel found himself referring to the creature as BB (for Big Bad...) While being pulled out of the small streamlet he'd been half lying in, Daniel tried to hold his ankle up as he was awkwardly dragged along but it still received several hard knocks that made him curse, and the jerking motion as he was yanked along made his head swim. The size of the creature kept his entire upper body lifted off the ground, but his lower half was battered, scratched and bruised even more than it had been during his tumble down the ravine.
It was so dark now Daniel couldn't really see anything. He fought back an overwhelming urge to try and get free when the claws slipped on the fabric of his heavy military issue jacket, tearing long grazes in his shoulder and dropping him back down onto the forest mast. The strange whining noise rose in intensity. Daniel took the warning for what it was and stayed still. BB took a firmer grip on the collar of his fatigues, continuing to drag him on. Even through his instinctive terror, Daniel couldn't help but notice with the very small still calm portion of his scientist's brain that so far, it had actually only helped him. He could still be lying in the middle of the stream at the bottom of the slope. The voice of Jack drawled in his ear, All the better to eat you with, my dear!" Yeah, well, with no mouth it wouldn't be eating me, Jack, he snapped back to his inner tormenter, but Daniel couldn't help but wonder where was it going with him, anyway? Was he destined to be some kind of Alien Chow for this thing's spawn? He tried to ignore images of being absorbed through this thing's skin, shuddering.
After a few more tugs, Daniel found himself at rest against a huge fallen tree that was partially decomposed, the interior hollowed out but part of the tree wall remaining, forming a small den. When BB released him and backed away, Daniel scrambled quickly crab-fashion until he felt the tree trunk hard and solid at his back, still keeping his eyes down. When there was no further activity, he risked a quick glance up. BB was regarding him closely, and Daniel got the distinct impression he should stay where he was. It stayed still for another moment before moving off, a vague outline in the darkness.
When Daniel next glanced up, it was gone. With the adrenaline producing source gone too, Daniel felt the onset of what he knew to be shock setting in. His ankle throbbed in time to his heartbeat, with his head setting up an unwelcome accompanying backbeat. He reached up to feel the goose egg on the side of his head where he had struck the tree at the end of his plunge down the ravine. At least he wasn't bleeding, if you didn't count the myriad of small cuts, grazes and scratches he'd acquired both before and after meeting his Tsoh'eht. He knew he should be trying to get away, trying to get help for Jack, but the cold and the pain from his head and ankle were making rational thought a struggle at best.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he woke with a jerk as something jostled him. He cowered back against the tree as it dropped a large object and then backed up. Hesitantly, Daniel reached for what he discovered was his pack. With equal amounts of relief and disbelief, he pulled the pack to him and reaching in, pulled out a bottle of water and the first aid kit.
"Uh...thanks," he said a little nervously as he popped open the Tylenol bottle and quickly downed two with a long draft from the water bottle. After a cautious look at his keeper, he dug a little deeper down into the pack and found one of the chocolate bars he'd stashed in there. Hands shaking, he tore off the wrapper and crammed most of it into his mouth. Chocolate was always good, but this was beyond words. He considered offering some to the being, but chocolate and equines? Is that even close to what these were? Not horses, that eerie humanoid face staring at him with blank white eyes made that clear. Giving it up, he stuffed the rest in, and found a clean dry pair of socks.
It seemed surreal to be calmly changing into dry socks with his own personal monster a few feet away watching him, but he couldn't honestly think what else to do. By the time he'd managed to work his wet boots and socks off and pull the dry ones on, he looked up to see the alien being still watching him. Despite the cold and the pain, he found that somehow he wasn't as frightened as he had been. There was a definite intelligence at work in the being, though exactly how intelligent he wasn't sure. He knew he needed to try and find some way to communicate, but the meds were starting to take the razor edge off his ankle and head, allowing him to feel just how tired he was.
It had been a long, strange frightening day.
He reached one more time into the pack and this time pulled out the survival blanket. Leaning his head back against the tree trunk, he pulled it up over his shoulders and closed his eyes. He wondered where Jack was at that moment; if Sam and Teal'c had found him yet. Daniel knew he was safe here though, that Gnaeus would protect him from the others. As Daniel slid into sleep, distantly he wondered where that thought had come from and how he knew BB's real name.
Sam swam upwards toward consciousness, the spinning of her head making her groan.
"CaptainCarter, are you well?"
It was Teal'c. Sam swallowed, opened her eyes, and with an effort focused on his face. He was looming over her, looking as worried as she'd ever seen him look. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.
Coughing, Sam tried again.
"We were drugged? Something on the darts?" Her voice was croaky but at her obviously rational response, Teal'c's face resumed its usual impassivity.
"Indeed. The fact that my symbiote struggled to neutralize the drug explains why the Goa'uld do not frequent this world."
"Not worth the hassle," she agreed, sitting up with some difficulty. Teal'c reached out to steady her. "How long have we been out?"
"I have been awake approximately two hours," he replied. "I am uncertain how long I was unconscious prior to that."
Sam looked around. They were sitting on another platform similar to the one they had been camped on. This one, though, was part of a huge network that stretched through several massive trees and had multiple levels connected with simple rope walkways. They were alone on their platform, and the walkway connecting it to the others had been swung away and tied off out of reach. They were effectively marooned on a small island aerie.
"Do you think these are the same people that took the Colonel?"
"It seems likely, but I have not seen Colonel O'Neill."
She could see their packs and other equipment piled on the same platform their rope pathway was moored to. No help there, she thought, trying to consider what other options they had.
"Looks like we're stuck until someone decides they want to talk to us." It occurred to Sam that although it was very late, or very early depending on which day you were referring to, she could see her surroundings fairly clearly in the light from the two moons high overhead. Must make the tides interesting, she thought absently, rubbing the lump on her shoulder where the dart had struck her.
"Does your shoulder trouble you, CaptainCarter?" Teal'c asked, noticing.
"I'm fine, Teal'c. Nothing Janet will need to worry about. What about you? Any problems?"
"My symbiote has already flushed the toxin from me; I am fully recovered." Sam always thought he looked smug whenever he referred to Junior's healing capabilities, though she knew she must be imagining it.
When she saw him looking past her, his eyes fixed on something behind her, Sam whirled around, instinctively reaching for the sidearm that was no longer there.
A tall woman, her long wild hair like a halo around her head stood on the platform by their gear. Even from the ten meters that separated them Sam could see the scars that wound across her across her face. Hazel eyes watched them thoughtfully. As they waited, a dark man with silver hoop earrings came up behind her and began releasing the rope that held the bridge. When it was free, he stepped back and picked up a short bow, training an arrow on them with casual but unmistakable meaning. The woman easily swung the bridge over to them, looked at them and then nodded at the man with the bow, her message clear. Come across, but don't try anything stupid.
Sam held up her hands and nodded to show she understood, then stepped lightly onto the tightly woven bridge, moving quickly across to the other side. Teal'c waited until she had stepped off, then followed, his greater weight causing the bridge to sway and dip with every step. When they both were standing before her, the woman spoke.
"My name is Mairken. I am of the Davaan Tribe. Ordinarily we would have simply killed you, but I had some questions and I think you have the answers I need. You are not from one of the other tribes, are you?"
"Ah, no. I'm Captain Samantha Carter, this is Teal'c. We're looking for a friend who was taken. I don't know what we did to offend your people, but that was not our intention. As soon as we get our friend back we'll leave your land."
"The Tribes hold no lands," Mairken said dismissively. "We leave that for the Tsoh'eht." Sam glanced at Teal'c to see if this was a term he recognized. He shook his head slightly.
"The Tsoh'eht?" questioned Sam. Mairken raised an eyebrow and turned to the man beside her.
"Another who hasn't heard of the Tsoh'eht, Byrne." He was average height with cropped dark hair and dark brown eyes. On his forearms he wore heavy leather cuffs, nicked and battered from hard use. His mouth quirked a little at Mairken's words, and with a considering look on his face, lowered the bow.
"Where are you from?" he asked in a gravelly but pleasant voice.
"We came through the stone circle in the big meadow," explained Sam. Byrne and Mairken's eyes widened.
"The chapa'ai?" asked Mairken, looking shocked. "When?"
"At daybreak," answered Sam, growing frustrated with the cross-examination. "Look, we really need to find our friend. He was injured and if you don't know where he is, you need to let us go so we can find him," she ended urgently.
"You are luckier than you know," Mairken said, exasperated with their navet. "To dare the grassland is foolhardy indeed."
"Because of the Tsoh'eht,?'" Teal'c enunciated the word carefully.
"If they came through the Eye, they may not know of the Tsoh'eht, Mairken," the man Byrne said, his dark eyes evaluating Teal'c's easy stance but alert eyes, Sam's sharp intelligence, the obvious bond between the big dark man and the blonde woman. "They do not appear to be foolish to me."
"They are a terrible plague upon my people. They feed upon our minds like we feed upon beasts. Be that as it may," Mairken went on, "you are lucky in another respect as well. The friend you seek is here. A group of my hunters mistook him for another tribe that has been raiding our hunting grounds. We have brought him here, but I fear he will not long survive."
It was the noise that finally roused him, though once he began to wake from the strangely vivid dreams, the pain in his ankle was like cold water down his back. It was the whine again, that low furious thrum like angry bees that set his tender skull vibrating. Somehow this felt differently than it had before. The first time had been a warning, threatening, but not promising immediate attack as this did. While Daniel had slept, two moons had risen high, one crescent and the other full, flooding the night with moonlight. In the light that poured down, Daniel saw a being pacing back and forth, about twenty feet away. This one though, shimmered silver grey in the moonlight, not dark grey black like the one that had dragged him out of the stream and to a sort of shelter.
And the sound was growing steadily louder.
He wanted to move but was paralyzed, a flood of fear welling through him. He couldn't remember ever feeling this afraid; even breathing seemed to threaten drawing dangerous amounts of attention to him. So helplessly he watched as the being sprang, only to be slammed into mid-leap by Gnaeus. The fear, the inability to think or move was gone as if someone had snapped a cord around his chest and he remembered his gun for the first time.
Wrestling it out of the holster, he pointed it at the two writhing forms merging and splitting, rearing and striking, those bizarre faces incongruously calm during such a furious battle. He could hear Jack hollering, Damn it, Daniel, stop thinking and just fire the gun! He couldn't though, and watched helplessly as the two, silver and grey, kicked and slammed each other soundlessly, the gun dropping to rest on the ground at his side.
Finally the silver one broke away, and with a last emotionless glance aimed at Daniel disappeared into the woods. Gnaeus stood there a moment longer, head down, flanks heaving for breath. Then he looked at Daniel, who drew a long shaky breath.
"Thank you," he said, his voice trembling a little despite his best efforts and dropped his eyes. Immediately he found himself thinking of the Stargate. Startled he looked up again at Gnaeus. And again he saw the Stargate. Daniel's blue eyes widened, his jaw sagging a little as he stared at the alien being in disbelief. Deliberately he pictured the Stargate activating and he was instantly overwhelmed with a driving need to go there and open the gate. He could see Gnaeus leaping into the blue vortex as it formed.
"No!" In his agitation he tried to scramble to his feet. Gnaeus backed up and Daniel felt the waves of terror flooding over him again. Hastily he dropped back down and looked away, biting back a cry of pain as he landed awkwardly on his injured ankle, but he thought urgently at the being, It will mean death, cold, endings, nothingness. This time in return he received no image, just a feeling of weariness and for the first time when Daniel looked at the great being, he saw the silver hairs among the dark grey on the hide, smooth except where ragged scars, old and new wound through. A sense then, of great dignity seeped through Daniel from Gnaeus, washing his mind in tones of pearl and silver and grey.
Tears sprang to Daniel's eyes as regret, sorrow, and finally understanding all passed through him, but he nodded his willingness. Maybe he'd think of something else before they got back to the gate. Besides, he had to get back and alert Hammond that Jack needed help. This might be the only way he could get there.
He reached for his boots, but before putting them on, took off the sock on his injured ankle and unwrapped the now grimy and battered bandage. It was limp and damp, and underneath it his ankle was black and blue, puffy with swelling, and extremely painful. Hissing through his teeth at the pain, Daniel re-wrapped it as tightly as he could stand, hoping to give it a little support. He had to sit for a moment afterward, his head swimming. It seemed to take forever to shove his swollen ankle back into a sock and then convince his boot it would fit over the unwieldy mess.
Finally stuffing everything back into his pack, he started trying to lever himself up. But the pain in his head was nearly blinding and once on his feet, he found himself swaying, arms wind milling for balance. Under one outstretched arm a narrow back insinuated itself steadying him. Without thinking Daniel locked his fingers into its suede-like pelt and leaned heavily against the being, thankful for the help.
The first streaks of ruddy dawn were gilding the tips of the trees high overhead as they made their halting way towards the meadow where the Stargate was. With Gnaeus' guidance, the trail Daniel followed zigzagged up the ravine and up finally onto the large grassy plateau.
Readjusting his pack, Daniel took a fresh grip on Gnaeus' coat, the pungent, almost metallic smell rising up and tickling his nose. The pain from his head when he sneezed nearly made him blackout, and his hold on the alien was the only thing that kept him on his feet. Gnaeus held still, waiting until Daniel signaled he was ready to go on. The knock on his head had made his vision worse than it normally was and he didn't have the strength anymore to force his eyes to focus. He just followed where the alien led, concentrating on keeping moving, no longer paying attention to where they were going.
When Gnaeus finally stopped, Daniel dropped to the ground. It was several minutes before he was able to dig water out of his pack and down it along with a couple more Tylenol. Gnaeus circled him uneasily on those curious soft but tough feet, padding back and forth, its discomfort at being abroad in the half-dawn light discordant in the back of Daniel's mind. Daniel looked around and realized they had stopped by the DHD. He tried to pull himself up onto it to dial, but the long, cold night, the pain from his head and ankle and the exhaustion had all taken its toll and he couldn't quite lift himself up.
"You're going to have to help," he said to the alien, and whether it understood the words or recognized the problem, Gnaeus carefully knelt at Daniel's side, waited until Daniel had a good hold, and then pulled the exhausted man to his feet, bearing his weight until Daniel leaned onto the DHD and began to dial.
Then there were shouts, and the staccato of gunfire as arrows whistled past and buried themselves in the ground between the DHD and the Stargate. Daniel instinctively ducked and snapped around to see Teal'c charging towards him, staff weapon fully charged and aimed directly at Gnaeus.
Sam dropped to her knees beside the Colonel. His head had been bound with a rough cloth and there was an ointment that had been smeared on the cloth and applied liberally to the cut. His eyes were open, but unseeing and he spoke unrecognizable snatches of phrases and babble.
"Colonel O'Neill? Colonel, can you hear me?" There was no sign from him and Sam looked up at Mairken and Byrne. "What happened to him?"
"He was struck with a rock from a sling." Mairken spoke simply with no apologies, but it was obvious she was not pleased. "I have had our healer tending him, and it seemed initially to be a fairly simple injury, but he has not woken up completely."
Sam was worried. Colonel O'Neill's color was not good, and the fact that he was semi-conscious after nearly twelve hours was a very bad sign.
"We need to get him back to our healer. She'll be able to give him medicine that will help him, but we need to go now, Sam said firmly. "If we don't, you're right, he won't survive."
Mairken glanced at Byrne.
"That may be difficult to arrange," Byrne said, looking frustrated. "Krane will be reluctant to allow you to leave without an opportunity to question you."
"Krane?" asked Sam distractedly. It was all she could do not order Teal'c to scoop the Colonel up and head back to the gate and screw the natives! Mairken looked disgusted.
"He is the new leader of the Davaan, and he is intent on making certain all recognize his authority." At her words Sam glanced up.
"I thought you were the leader?" she said, puzzled.
Mairken's lips thinned. "It is not so at this time."
Sam could feel herself beginning to despair. Their freedom wasn't in Mairken's hands as she had thought.
They had to get Colonel O'Neill back to SGC.
"But that does not mean I am not without power," said Mairken with a smug look on her face and Byrne glanced up with a grin.
One of Teal'c's eyebrows shot up.
"Does that mean you will assist us?" he asked seriously. Mairken and Byrne assumed sober expressions.
"Since helping you will mean ridding the Tribe of ones contaminated by the Tsoh'eht, yes, that is what we mean," said Byrne after a nod from Mairken.
"Contaminated by the Tsoh'eht?" repeated Sam dubiously.
"You have crossed the grasslands and are unknown by another tribe. This means you could have been influenced by the Tsoh'eht. They can change those they come in contact with. I have had to prove myself through a special trial to be not possessed by the Tsoh'eht. Believe me, it is not a pleasant experience." His face twisted with remembered pain.
"What's the alternative?" Sam asked with some apprehension.
"You will be turned out and left for the Tsoh'eht," Mairken said promptly.
"Wait a minute," Sam interrupted. "This sounds like a lose lose to me!" But Byrne was shaking his head.
"Mairken and I will take you to the clearing where the chapa'ai is and you can return to your home."
"Why would you endanger yourselves this way for us?" Teal'c asked, his brown eyes suspicious.
"It has been long and long since anyone has come through the chapa'ai. There is a legend that those who come through the stone eye are gods, but I do not believe this. Still," and Mairken shrugged, spreading her hands wide, "we have little reason to help Krane. He is a cruel man, small-minded and petty who enjoys inflicting pain."
It was becoming very clear to Sam, that this Krane was not Mairken's choice for a leader; still she wasn't ready defy him openly just yet. This way, she could claim she was both protecting her tribe, covering her bets with the divine, and still please herself. Sam found herself grinning. This was a woman after her own heart. Mairken grinned back, several of her front teeth missing.
"I'll send word to Krane that we have questioned you and determined you are Possessed. By the time he comes searching, we'll be to the meadow. And none too soon, I think for your friend," she said, as Colonel O'Neill spoke out in his sleep and moved restlessly.
While Sam and Teal'c waited, Mairken and Byrne brought their packs and a stretcher for the Colonel. This was the part Sam was dreading, but Byrne efficiently roped the Colonel to the stretcher and with help from Teal'c, gently lowered him down to where Mairken and Sam stood waiting. A ginger haired man with a wide grin saluted them from the platform, and waited to see them well on their way before turning, Sam supposed, to report to Krane.
Byrne and Teal'c handled the stretcher with the semiconscious but now nearly silent Colonel and Mairken and Sam flanked either side, watching for any signs of trouble. It was the dark pearl grey just before dawn comes, and mist hung heavily over the trees. It felt so good to have her pack and equipment back and to know they were on their way back; that Jack would be soon in Janet's capable hands being clucked and tsked over for his carelessness in getting injured.
But a small but very vocal part of Sam was starting to wonder why none of the other SG teams had shown up yet. It hadn't even been a mile back to the gate from where they left Daniel. Even with a sprained ankle it shouldn't have taken him too long to get back, but then again, there was no reason for the General to have not sent back up. Sam filed it under her, Can't Do Anything About It Right Now' file and focused on keeping a sharp eye out for hostiles. It was entirely possible that Mairken and Byrne were double-crossing them, or that Krane was smarter than Mairken seemed to think and had outmaneuvered them.
But it was a fairly uneventful journey back to the Stargate. Uneventful, that is, until they reached the meadow, and saw Daniel being attacked by what looked like a centaur crossed with a zombie. Instinctively she let off a burst of gunfire over its head, and Teal'c and Byrne sat the stretcher down, grabbing at their weapons. Mairken began firing arrows and Sam grasped her arm.
"You could hit Daniel," she shouted at Mairken who glared back coolly.
"Better one should die than we all do," she snapped back, but she stopped shooting arrows. Teal'c headed for Daniel and the being at a dead run, charging his staff weapon as he moved. Daniel whipped around, ducking, and then, impossibly, threw his arms up in front of the centaur being which was apparently NOT harming Daniel.
Not surprisingly, Daniel looked like he'd had a terrible night. His glasses were gone, mud besmirched his forehead, cheek and most of his clothes. Where there was no mud on his face, he had multiple grazes and abrasions. His camo jacket was ripped and bloody, and as he threw himself in front of the being, his injured ankle gave out, tumbling him to the ground.
Teal'c was stopped about forty feet away, looking almost as confused as Sam felt..
"Are you all right, DanielJackson?" he asked.
Daniel's mouth quirked in that self-deprecating grin he had.
"I've been better, Teal'c," he said, ducking his head and struggling to his feet. The being thrust itself under Daniel's arm, supporting his rise to his feet.
"Is there a reason you do not wish us to kill the creature that is threatening you?" Teal'c continued calmly. Daniel just barely managed to control the hysterical little giggle that rose into his throat at Teal'c's question.
"It's an intelligent, sentient being, Teal'c. He's just reacting because he thinks YOU are threatening ME," Daniel explained. "If you could just back off, maybe turn off the weapon, I think he'd calm down."
Teal'c nodded slowly and began to move backward, lowering the staff weapon and engaging the safety mechanism. Sam began following Teal'c's example but Mairken and Byrne looked at her like she'd gone crazy.
"It will kill us all or worse if we do not kill it first!" Mairken said emphatically, once again putting arrow to bow and aiming.
"Give him a chance! Daniel can communicate with almost anything, I've seen him. Believe me, Teal'c's and my weapon can destroy it much more efficiently and quickly if it comes to that," said Sam persuasively. Mairken looked dubious, and lowered the bow, but still kept the arrow in hand.
Daniel turned back to Gnaeus. The suddenness of the attack had given Daniel a rush of adrenaline that was now starting to ebb.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" Daniel asked Gnaeus. Again the picture of the wormhole formed in his mind and he saw the alien leaping into the vortex. He bowed his head and turned back to the DHD. The hair on the back of his neck stood up again and out of the corner of his eye, he saw shapes coming up onto the plateau and waiting at the edge. Other beings, of the Tsoh'eht, coming to bid Gnaeus farewell. There were hundreds of them all around the meadow.
Daniel stared in disbelief, and then blinked moisture back.
The silent homage somehow reminded him of that day on Abydos when he had lost Sha're, when his people had gathered around him for that last farewell. Grimly he began punching symbols on the DHD. He dialed the Earth address, since it didn't matter. Nothing would be going through and he could explain once they got back what had happened.
He kept his hand on Gnaeus' back and as the wormhole formed, he felt the muscles bunch and stretch for that last powerful leap, felt too the joy and pride Gnaeus felt in performing this last act for his people. Daniel watched, eyes burning. The others watched too, and once the wormhole was stable, a great keen went up from among them, then they just seemed to melt away as the sun cleared the top of the Stargate.
Daniel let himself slump to the ground. He had seen the stretcher. They had Jack. He could only hope he wasn't too badly hurt. So much for sending the cavalry he thought bitterly. He watched them approach and within moments Teal'c and Sam were at his side. He dragged himself over to the pallet Jack lay on.
"Jack," he said softly. "Don't tell me you're going to let a little knock on the head slow you down."
Jack's eyes opened, roamed unseeing for a moment, and then seemed to almost snag on Daniel's face. His lips moved but no sound came out but Daniel could read his lips. Pony Boy, and Daniel had to laugh.
A few days later at the debriefing, Jack stared at Daniel in complete and total disbelief.
"Are you completely off your rocker?" he roared at the unassuming archaeologist. Daniel looked discomfited but didn't back down.
"We need to let Mairken's people know the Tsoh'eht is intelligent, that they can be communicated with. Their whole culture is based on a war with what they think is a hostile predator. Did you understand the part of my report that said that Gnaeus was telepathically communicating with me? Who knows how this would change their interaction?"
"Do you understand we both nearly DIED there?" Jack retorted acerbically.
Daniel looked down. "Well, yes, Jack, I was there for it," he replied dryly. "But do you know what an enormous impact this could have on their culture? Both cultures? Ours too! Finding out how the Tsoh'eht communicates could prove or disprove human telepathy!"
Jack sighed dramatically. "Okay, Daniel, whatever, but I'm not going back there."
"Actually, Dr. Jackson, Colonel O'Neill," interrupted General Hammond, his face only slightly pink, "neither one of you is going back there. At least not any time soon." Both men wheeled in their seats to face him.
"Why not?" blurted Daniel.
"We aren't?" asked Jack, eyebrows shooting up.
The General sighed.
"There's very little reason too," he began, holding up a hand to forestall Daniel's inevitable argument. "The Colonel is right this time, Dr. Jackson. I almost lost two very valuable team members on a world with nothing technological and very little resource wise to recommend it. That's a chance I'm not willing to take again. We will revisit this topic again, I assure you, Dr. Jackson, but not any time soon and that is final."
Daniel was ready to argue, but at the General's last words, he closed his mouth, looking mutinous.
"Dr. Jackson," the General continued more gently, "you are too valuable to this program to risk. We will re-evaluate this world in six months, all right?"
Daniel looked a little more pacified and shrugged.
The General glanced around the table. "If there's nothing else, you are dismissed."
Hammond stood up and headed for his office while Teal'c and Sam went downstairs towards the Gate room. Daniel stayed, shuffling papers, with Jack watching him.
"What happened with you and that, whatever it was, alien horse thing," he asked after a moment of quiet. Daniel glanced up.
"It was in my report, ...right," he replied, furrowing his brow. "He was inside my head, Jack. The only reason he didn't kill me was because he knew I could open the gate for him. They're as desperate to survive as Mairken's people. They don't really understand why humans attack them. They only began influencing the tribes after they'd been driven out of their homelands when the Goa'uld first brought humans to their world. Gnaeus and his people believed that by sacrificing to the chapa'ai, it would change the balance of power.." Daniel swallowed and looked down at his hands. "His people are dying, Jack, and Gnaeus has been watching it happen. He was very, very old and he'd been the dominant male of his line for a very long time. That was ending. He'd been challenged and he'd been beaten. He was a cast out. He didn't want to linger on the fringes. I don't know how to explain this, but, it was a good omen for his line, for the Tsoh'eht, that he would sacrifice himself this way for them. It gave honor to his family."
"That why they did that group howl?" asked Jack a little skeptically, one eyebrow lifted.
Daniel nodded a little jerkily. "They were paying tribute to what he'd done."
"And he found you in the woods?" Jack asked, incredulously. If Daniel would have been paying attention, he would have noticed the smirk creeping over Jack's mouth.
"Yeah," said Daniel, remembering, "I, uh, I had umm, fallen and knocked myself out." He said this last in a rush, waiting for the razzing.
"Well, you know what that means," Jack said, obviously savoring the moment as he sauntered towards the door, hands jammed deep into his pockets. Daniel looked bemused and shook his head.
"You're all set up for Halloween this year," Jack said with relish over his shoulder and winked as he slipped out the door, ...you can dress up as Woody from Toy Story."
Daniel stared blankly at the empty doorway, and then sighing, he grinned.