SGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSG
Daniel struggles to open leaden eyes. He is snuggled against the warm grey wolf. He lifts his head and his vision blurs and splits, doubles and shifts nauseatingly. He straightens painfully and dry heaves to the side and chokes on a cry of pain as his ribs protest the action and his head pounds with sudden blinding pain. Exhausted, he lies still, bracing ribs with his gloved hand. He is too weak and cold to move now and he knows that he is fading … perhaps dying. He doesn't want to die alone in this cold place.
The wolves at the edge of the crevace paw at the ice over and over sending chunks of it into the crevace. Some of it lands in a growing mound and some of it rolls down and strikes Daniel or the grey wolf or it falls into the pool of ice melt below. The grey wolf looks at him with tolerant eyes, and Daniel understands that there is a truce between them. It licks at the ice. Daniel watches and because he is thirsty he sucks on small pieces of the ice chunks that have rolled close to him. Jack would be angry with him for doing it. It's not clean water.
Daniel frowns in confusion. Jack should be here with him shouldn't he? Where was Jack? Daniel shifts a little. He wants to find Jack, but pain burns through his body and he falls back against the grey wolf. It stiffens momentarily beside him and then relaxes again. For a time they are quiet, simply sharing body heat and waiting. A twig caught in the wolf fur scratches against Daniels hand and he absently works it free, stroking the warm fur smooth again. The grey wolf watches him for a moment and then goes back to licking at the ice.
The white wolf shakes its head a little. The grey wolf blinks at the white one. They seem somehow to be communicating. The grey wolf shifts and nuzzles at Daniel's body.
Daniel doesn't have the strength to do anything but moan as he is moved. The grey wolf settles beside him again and Daniel's numbingly cold side is now being warmed. Daniel murmurs an Abydonian word of thanks. He lifts a shaking hand and pets gently at the grey wolf.
He dozes only to be woken when the grey wolf shifts beside him again. He wishes it would go away. He wants to sleep. It turns its head and gazes at him and then nudges his hand. Daniel knows what it wants. He works some more twigs and burs free and strokes the warm pelt smooth. The grey wolf nuzzles closer and closes its eyes. Daniel closes his eyes too. There is nothing else to do. Daniel wonders as he closes his eyes if he will wake again. He doesn't want to die alone. He wonders where Jack is and Sam and Teal'c too, but he is too tired to dwell on the problem for long.
SGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSG
Teal'c took point. He was following Daniel Jackson's trail with intense concentration. He hid his concern but he feared what they would find at the end of the trail. It was a fear shared by his team mates. They were uncharacteristically quiet.
Teal'c paused and scooped up Daniel Jackson's beretta.
"What you got there, "T?" murmured Jack.
Teal'c held out the evidence and peered at the trail ahead as Jack opened up the beretta and checked the firing chamber. "He didn't fire a single shot."
Sam caught up with them and frowned worriedly at the beretta. She scanned the trees ahead hoping to see more evidence that Daniel was nearby.
Teal'c stepped forward a few paces and bent to touch his finger into a red splatter on the ground.
"Frozen blood," he announced and clearly heard Major Carter's gasp. He straightened and spoke quickly to deny their fears. "I do not believe the wolves seek to consume Daniel Jackson. They have forced him to run towards the Gate. Each time Daniel Jackson sought to alter his course they redirected him."
"And yet there's blood," said Jack.
"The wolves are herding Daniel Jackson. They could easily have over taken him yet they simply force him along the path they have chosen. Perhaps the blood is evidence that the wolves reacted to his attempt to defend himself."
Jack keyed his radio again. "Daniel? Where the hell are you? If you can hear me key your radio."
They paused for a long moment waiting for any noise on the radios. Teal'c gave his head a half shake and started following the trail again.
SGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSG
