Vala stepped through the gate and looked at the people who greeted them with open hearts and friendly smiles. She couldn't swallow the bitter pill that flooded her with anger that these people could know more than they were willing to tell. By now Cam could be anywhere and she felt a slight movement, like butterflies in her stomach as she followed Carter to the leader of the group.
"Welcome back to Cher'tof, Colonel Carter."
"Thank you, Mar'tof."
"Would you do us the honor of joining us for morning tea?" the elderly man asked.
"We don't have time for tea…did you find Colonel Mitchell?"
"No, I am sorry, but no one knows what happened to him. I have sent my people to several villages near the mountain ass, but they returned this morning…Colonel Mitchell was not seen by anyone near the pass."
"Would you allow your guides to take us through the mountain pass?" Jackson asked.
"I have spoken with Kar'tof and Yu'tof. They are our best trackers and will take you into the mountains. It is a long trek and there are many dangers."
"It doesn't matter," Vala said and felt the others watching her.
"Vala, maybe you should…"
"I'm going," Vala interrupted Daniel before he could finish his sentence.
"Vala, think about Cam…would he want you putting the baby in danger," Carter tried.
"I won't put our baby in danger, but I will not turn my back on Cam. I am going, Sam…with or without you," Vala said.
"We will keep her safe," Teal'c vowed.
"Thank you, Big Fella." Vala had purposefully used Cam's nickname and knew Teal'c understood how much his words meant to her. She turned to Mar'tof and asked. "When can we leave?"
"Kar'tof and Yu'tof are making preparations. You will leave here on the Larkas and travel to the village nearest the mountain pass. From there you will continue on foot because the trails are narrow and treacherous. While they are busy we should break bread and bless your journey so that you will find Colonel Mitchell and return safely."
"We will be honored," Teal'c said with a slight tip of his head. The Larkas looked like a cross between Earth's elephant and a camel, the difference was they were far more comfortable and seemed to enjoy having someone riding them. He walked behind Vala and vowed he would do everything in his power to find their missing friend.
SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1
Cameron Mitchell knew from experience that the arid feel in his mouth had to do with some kind of drug. He opened his eyes and glanced around, confused that there was no sign of Carolyn Lam or her medical facilities. He closed his eyes again and tried to make sense of what had happened to land him in this small cabin.
'Rianna,' he thought and sat up, surprised that he wasn't tied down. The Amazon like woman enjoyed putting men in chains and watching them fight, but he wasn't going to do that again. His eyes grew wide as he realized Vala was somewhere on this ship and he knew he would do anything and everything to keep her and their unborn child safe.
Mitchell ran his fingers through his sweat soaked hair and silently cursed Rianna for what she'd done. He wondered how long it would be before the woman came for him and stood up. It didn't matter that he wore nothing, but a loin cloth, because he needed to move, needed to find Vala and get the hell out of Dodge.
Cam moved to the door, and searched for a way to open it, but there were no handles or locking mechanisms that he could see. He used his hand to trace the perfect seam that outlined the door, but there was nothing he could use to open it. He turned and checked the other walls, but the door seemed to be the only way out of his prison. He walked the short distance to the bed and tried to move it, but it seemed to be part of the wall and floor. He sat down and waited for his captor to come to him and wasn't surprised when the door opened and Rianna walked in.
If he was honest with himself, he would have to admit that she looked elegantly beautiful in the long emerald green dress. Her hair was braided and hung over here right shoulder, and her eyes sparkled with gold tones surrounded by blue. The problem was, at least in this case, beauty was skin deep and did nothing to cover the ugliness beneath.
"Well, Little One, you and I have much to discuss," Rianna said and moved to sit beside him. She reached out to touch his cheek and chuckled when he tried to move away. "You might as well relax and enjoy my touch, Little One…"
"Quit it, Rianna…where's Vala?"
"I'm afraid her quarters are not as luxurious as yours…"
"You call this luxurious?"
"No, this is simply a holding cell. You will be moved into my room and my bed as soon as Triassa finishes her examination of you."
"I want to see Vala!"
"What you want doesn't matter. What does matter is what I want and since I have the one thing that will keep you in line you will do as I want."
"I won't…"
"Very well," Rianna said and stood up. "I believe it is time for me to visit Vala…"
"No!"
"No what?"
"Don't hurt her," Mitchell said and felt as if his throat was closing over as he looked at the woman.
"Will you cooperate and do as I say?"
"I'll try," Mitchell told her.
"That will do for now," Rianna said and motioned for him to stand up. "Triassa is waiting for us."
"If I do as you say will you let me see Vala?"
"Not today, but if you do as I say then it might be arranged," Rianna told him as she took his hand. "You will lower your eyes and not speak with anyone unless I give you permission. To do otherwise would not bode well for your former mate. Behave and perhaps I will release her in a few weeks."
"I'll do as you say if you let her go now."
"I don't believe you, Little One," Rianna said and led him to the door. She never touched anything, but the barrier disappeared as if it hadn't been there.
Mitchell knew he would have to earn her trust and keep Vala safe. He kept his eyes down as they stepped out into the corridor and Vala spoke with another woman. He heard her say something about his being a treasure, but his attention was on his surroundings. They passed several doors, and he thought he heard a male voice cry out, but he couldn't be sure.
"I am pleased with your behavior so far, Little One, but I know it is an act to keep Vala Mal Doran safe. Do not think you are deceiving me," Rianna warned as they walked slowly toward Triassa's infirmary.
Mitchell knew he would never allow this woman to hurt Vala. He'd kill her and anyone else who tried to hurt Vala…that was a vow he would keep no matter what it cost him. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't realize they'd entered a brightly lit room with a single bed in the middle. A bright light shone overhead and illuminated the metal framing with a macabre light.
"Rianna, you did not lie when you said he was quite good looking…although he is a little one compared to your other combatants," Triassa said and placed several instruments on a table set up beside the bed.
"This one may not have the stature, but he has more than enough guts to go up against the men we pit him against."
"Men, maybe, but what about the other creatures he must face?"
"I believe he will hold his own against them," Rianna said and motioned for Mitchell to sit on the bed while Triassa continued to set up the instruments she would need.
"He listens well," Triassa observed when the man sat on the bed.
"He does, but not by choice as yet. He knows what I will do with his woman if he doesn't listen."
"I thought he was your male?"
"He is, but he seems to think he has a choice…for now I will allow him to think that way. Eventually he will say goodbye to the woman and embrace all that I have to offer."
"In your dreams," Mitchell whispered.
"Oh, you have been in my dreams, Little One, and I am sure I have been in yours."
"If you were they were nightmares, Rianna!" Mitchell snapped.
"He says your name with such disdain," Triassa observed.
"That will change to reverence once you begin treatment," Rianna said and smiled at the look on her captive's face. "Lie down, Little One…"
"Would you stop with the little one crap!"
"No, for now that is exactly the name I will use for you," Rianna said and pressed him back against the bed.
"Tell me how you want him marked, Rianna," Triassa said and pressed a button that immobilised the human.
"What the hell!" Mitchell cursed, but was unable to move anything below his neck.
"Did I forget to tell you I have discovered several new items to keep my slaves in check?"
"I'm not a slave!"
"Yes, Little One, you are my slave and the faster you learn that the easier things will go on Vala Mal Doran. Be quiet now or Triassa will gag you," Rianna warned. "They removed my mark so that must be done again, but this time I think I want t above his heart to prove that he is mine in body and spirit. Then we'll need the tracker placed inside his right arm. It is a shame that you force me to do this again, Little One. I really do not enjoy causing you pain."
Mitchell couldn't suppress the angry laugh that escaped at her words. Pain was exactly what she enjoyed causing; the fights in the Arena were proof of that. He watched as the familiar branding iron was heated without the aid of flame and couldn't suppress the sharp cry when Rianna touched it to his skin. He knew he bore the mark of the half -moon with a dagger through it again, but vowed it would not stay there long.
"I'm afraid the stasis field does not stop you from feeling pain, Little One, but you brought this on yourself," Rianna said as Triassa used a long metal needle to pierce the skin of his left arm and inject the tracker so that it lay close to the joint. "Triassa will test your blood and your muscle tone to make sure there is nothing that would help your friends find you."
Mitchell closed his eyes and tried to ignore the hands touching his body. Rianna's voice grated on his nerves and he let his mind wander until another woman's face swam before his closed eyes. God, Vala was the most beautiful woman he'd ever met and she was glowing with the news that she carried his child. He wanted to spend his life loving her, but now he'd placed her in danger, for that he could never forgive himself, but he vowed to make it up to her once they escaped…and escape they would or he would die protecting her.
SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1
Vala smiled at the man riding the Larka beside her and knew Daniel was worried about her. There had been a time when she thought he was the one she would spend her life with, but that had changed when she realized it was Cameron Mitchell who made her heart beat faster. She wasn't sure whether Daniel was angry at first or relieved, either way they'd become fast friends and he had wished them both well when they told him about their feelings for each other.
"Are you all right, Vala?" Jackson asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, Daniel, the baby seems to be enjoying the ride more than I am," she said as Kar'tof and Yu'tof took the lead.
"If you need to stop for any reason we will," Jackson vowed.
"Thank you, Daniel, I will let you know," Vala assured him. They'd been on the trail for six hours and had taken two rest breaks. She'd taken the time to walk along the river's edge and did something she hadn't done since she was a small child. She'd taken a rock and skimmed it along the top of the water, making a wish that she would never reveal to anyone. She had vowed to never con people again if the Gods just showed some mercy and helped her find her baby's father.
"Vala, I know you're worried…we all are, but you need to think about the baby too," Jackson reminded her.
"I am, Daniel, and my baby will not grow up without his or her father. I am healthy and so is my baby and we will make this journey together," Vala vowed as Carter rode up on her left side.
"Kar'tof says we will reach the first village in less than an hour. We'll spend the night there and get an early start in the morning," Carter told them.
"But there are several more hours of daylight. We should keep moving until…"
"Vala, Kar'tof says the next part of the journey is far worse than the first part and we should get a full night's sleep before we tackle the pass itself. We don't want to go into this over tired and miss something that could tell us where Cam is," Carter explained and knew she'd said the right thing. "We will find him, Vala."
"Thank you, Sam," the woman said. She knew the others were right, but the idea of taking a break wile Mitchell was missing did not set well with her. She thought about the night they'd made love in Jack O'Neill's cabin, a night that had ended with a dip in the small lake. That was the night, beneath a silvery moon, when the baby had been conceived. A smile formed at the thought of that night and how easily they'd made love as if they were the only people in the world. Tears slipped from her eyes, but she refused to wipe them away. They were not a sign of weakness, but of her renewed strength and vow to find the man she loved.
SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1
"We are finished for now, Little One," Triassa said and released the stasis field. She had been thorough in her examination and had enjoyed exploring his body. Rianna was right about Cameron Mitchell being strong for his size and the tests she'd put him through told her he was a healthy male specimen.
"Come, Little One…"
"What do I have to do to get you to stop calling me that?" Mitchell snarled.
"Grow another ten to twelve inches," Rianna answered simply.
"Ha-ha, very funny."
"I assure you I was not being funny, Little One, but if you behave I will consider calling you, Cam."
"I thought I was behaving."
"You were, but I expect that was because of the stasis field…not because you have accepted your lot in life," Rianna observed and helped him sit up.
"Whoa," Mitchell said as a wave of nausea washed over him.
"Easy, I had forgotten what happens when a human is in stasis for long periods of time," Rianna said and helped him stand.
"I'm fine," Mitchell said and shook off her hands.
"That you are," Triassa observed with a smile as she motioned to his lower body.
"Dammit!" Mitchell cursed when he realized he was totally naked. He reached for a blanket, but Rianna slapped his hand away and held up a white robe.
"Put this on," the woman ordered and helped him into the robe. It was thin, but made of a soft material that would keep him warm and hung to just above his knees. She would have preferred to keep him naked, but she didn't trust the rest of her crew to keep their eyes and hands off her property.
Mitchell detested the robe, but at least it covered him better than the loin cloth. He hoped and prayed Vala was safe as he looked at the two women and vowed they would pay if they hurt her.
"Come, Little One…"
"You said you'd call me Cam."
"I said I would consider it if you behaved."
"I put this damn thing on didn't I?"
"Yes, I suppose you did, but I would have preferred you as you were," Rianna said. "Come, I will give you a tour of my new ship."
"Can I see Vala?"
"No, but we will reach the midway point of our journey in less than twelve hours. If you behave yourself I will release her, but do anything to displease me and I will sell her to the slavers that frequent Cretoria."
"You'll let her go?"
"I will, but it all depends on how well you behave," Rianna told him. There was something about the way he talked about Vala Mal Doran that made her wish she really had the woman. If she did she would simply kill her and make him realize his feelings no longer mattered.
TBC