A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading.

Chapter Four should be up within a few days too.

Any mistakes are my own.

Chapter Three

They had been walking for hours without any sign that they were actually closing upon the Bola Kai camp. Ordering his men to take a break, Sheppard wandered off to speak with Halaf, hoping to find out exactly how much further it was to the captured Athosians. He found the boy perched next to a small stream, cupping his hands and washing the clear water over his bright red face. Offering a small energy bar to the boy, he was relieved to see Halaf take it and consume it without a matter of seconds.

"So Halaf, how much further till we get to the settlement?" asked Sheppard plainly but politely.

The boy shifted nervously at the utterance of the question, perhaps disturbed at the thought of returning to such a dreadful place. Halaf stood up and without a word trudged off back in the direction of the rest of the team, as if Sheppard's words had been an insult to his guidance. But then he turned to face Sheppard and muttered weakly.

"Not much further now."

- - SGA - -

Dusk was fast approaching back at the Athosian village and the inhabitants had begun to slowly disperse to their respective homes, leaving Carson and McKay alone at the campfire. Both had been offered a place to stay but each had refused, not wishing to burden their hosts. It had been several hours since Sheppard, Ronon and the rest had headed out in search of the Bola Kai and there had been no word. This was not that surprising given that Sheppard had intimated that radio silence would be in operation unless absolute necessity demanded it.

"Well, I'm going to head back to the jumper and settle in for the night" declared Rodney,

"Aye, I'll be along shortly laddie. I'm just gonna check on Teyla and the wee lad" replied Carson.

The two men exchanged courteous nods before heading off in separate directions. Carson had been informed that Teyla was staying at Halling's home and so made his way there, hoping to offer whatever help was needed. She and Halling had wandered away from the festivities some time before everyone else and Carson was more than a little concerned. He called out before he entered, hearing Halling's voice inviting him to enter. Inside, he found Halling cradling Torren in his arms, the boy fast asleep with a smile on his face.

"Sorry to bother you, I was looking for Teyla?" said Carson warmly.

"Teyla left some time ago. From my understanding, she was returning to your vessel as she had forgotten something" said Halling.

"Returning, you mean to Atlantis?"

"Your small vessel."

"Ah, I see." said Carson, understanding that Halling had meant the jumper.

Making his apologies, Carson headed out of Halling's home and onward towards the jumper, expecting to find Teyla and McKay there. It was only a short journey from the village and within a few minutes, he could hear the frustrated utterances of Rodney, which made him smile briefly. He soon reached the actual jumper, finding it open and Doctor McKay continuing his irritated monologue.

"Rodney? Are you okay?" said Carson with mocking concern.

"Oh yes, I'm just great. Apart from the fact that I've lost my tablet!"

"You've lost it? How? When?"

"If I knew that, it wouldn't be lost now would it?" replied Rodney childishly.

"I'll help you look for it in a while. But first, have you seen Teyla here?"

"Teyla? No, why don't you try the village?"

"I did. Halling said she came here for something."

"Hmm strange, there's no signs of anyone having been here." said Rodney, switching his full attention to Carson now.

Picking up his radio, he tried calling Teyla but without success. The duo decide to return to the village and asked around, hoping that Teyla had been seen returning to Halling's home. They had only just began the return journey when Carson spotted something in the mud just ahead of them. Approaching is cautiously, they discovered it to be the pacifier that Sheppard had bought for Torren back on Earth.

Realising that this is likely what Teyla had returned to the Jumper to find, fear and panic began to set in when it dawned on them that they had found this on the floor, in the mud. Why would Teyla return to the Jumper only to drop the item she had came for. The scenario's playing out in both Carson and Rodney's heads were not pleasant so they searched for some answers, something that would tell them Teyla was safe. Alas the only other item that had turned up seemed to confirm their worst fears; a small, crudely formed knife.

"You know what this means don't you?" said Rodney hurriedly, with panic tainting his voice.

"It means we need to call Sheppard" replied Carson sombrely.

- - SGA - -

After several more hours trekking through the dense woodland, Sheppard and his team still seemed no closer to the Bola Kai camp. Frustration was beginning to set in amongst his men but Sheppard was feeling a far different emotion; suspicion. As he considered his options, his radio soon crackled into life and a familiar voice began speaking frantically.

"Sheppard...Sheppard this is McKay. Come in, please come in,"

"Rodney, this is Sheppard. Calm down and relax, then tell me why you called." said Sheppard.

"Sheppard, this is Doctor Beckett" came the unmistakable voice of Carson, having seemingly wrestled control of the radio from a frantic McKay.

"Whats up Doc?"

"Well Colonel, it appears that Teyla has been taken."

"Taken? Taken by who?" said Sheppard, anger suddenly building up inside of him.

"Well we don't know for sure, but we've found a knife. Crudely made."

"The Bola Kai" said Sheppard, correctly surmising Beckett's fears.

"Aye" replied Carson solemnly.

"Thanks for the heads up Doc, we'll find her".

Sheppard now knew he was being played and strode towards the young Athosian who had been serving as their guide. Sheppard knew that if they had gone in blindly, then sure, they could have been wandering aimlessly for hours. But having a guide should have led them to the Bola Kai village by now, and Sheppard understood that Halaf wasn't leading them anywhere near the village.

"Halaf?" said Sheppard, approaching the blonde-haired boy.

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

"To the Bola Kai village..."

"No, that's where we want to go. Its not where you are taking us" said Sheppard knowingly.

Halaf looked down at his own feet, as if ashamed of his own actions. Sheppard had plenty of sympathy for what the boy had gone through, but now he was stopping him achieving his mission objective, not to mention saving his friend. The boy looked back up at Sheppard, tears now welling in his eyes.

"I am sorry. They said...they said.."

"What did they say Halaf?" said Sheppard.

"They said that if I led you away from the village, that I would be spared. And my mother would be spared." said Halaf, finally admitting to what Sheppard had suspected.

"Halaf. The Bola Kai have taken Teyla. She is my friend. And they have taken more and more of your people."

"But they will only come back once you are gone...and take us again."

"Not if we stop them Halaf. That's why we are here, to stop them. But to do that, we need to find them first. Can you take us to them Halaf?"

Halaf turned away and began inwardly deliberating whether helping them was worth the risk. He had already been their prisoner once, he could not bear to be so again. But Sheppard and Ronon had helped him and they deserved his help in return. Turning to face Sheppard, he nodded meekly at the Colonel, who offered a warm smile in return. Offering his hand to Halaf, he hauled the youngster to his feet and the two walked stride-for-stride, deeper into the forest.

- - SGA - -

After little more than an hour, the team had found the settlement and were making preparations to storm it. Halaf had provided a basic layout of the village, including where the Athosian prisoners were being kept. The plan was straightforward; split into two teams, one to occupy the Bola Kai, the other to free the prisoners. As Sheppard directed his men into their positions, he then turned his attention to Halaf, who was sitting next to him, his eyes transfixed on the village.

"Halaf. You've brought us here, your work is done. Go home to the village and tell them to prepare for us." said Sheppard, knowing what this must be doing to the boy.

"Thank you, Shep-pard" he offered weakly but with an endearing smile.

Sheppard nodded as Halaf sped off in the direction for where they had come from. Sheppard knew that this must have been hard for the kid, he didn't want to make it any worse by making him watch or take part in this. Re-focusing on the task at hand, Sheppard was ready to issue the "go" order to his teams when he finally spotted her, both her hands and feet tied together and hanging from a post near the main hut. Sheppard immediately called out the kill command, which aborted the mission.

"What are you doing Sheppard?" asked Ronon, approaching Sheppard's position.

"Take a look, near the main hut." said Sheppard, handing Ronon his oculars.

"We need a new plan then" said Ronon, accepting the reason why Sheppard had aborted the attack.

"I've got one, but you're not going to like it" said Sheppard worriedly, glancing back in the direction of a motionless Teyla.