A/N – I'd just like to thank everyone for the reviews! they're making me very happy. I've been home sick the past couple days and all I've been doing is laying around watching Stargate and working on this story. If you haven't picked up on this by now, all the chapter names start with an element that somehow relates to the plot. And I mean elements from all sorts of things, everywhere from Chinese mythology to modern elements including plasma and informatics. ;) Oh, and some of the monsters and places that'll start showing up later in the story are borrowed from the "Necronomicon" (look it up on wikipedia or something if you don't know what it is…)
Chapter 4: Wood; Wells and Dusted Wagons
The group was preparing to leave the next day. Thea came over with some of the light clothing that everyone was wearing and handed them to Sam and Jack, then took Sam by the arm.
"Come, I'll have to show you how to put it on properly."
Standing out of view in the shadow of the wagon, Thea showed Sam how to wrap the long robe like dress around herself, then wrap a long piece of string around her waist and crossed over her chest to hold the garment in place. It was surprisingly comfortable once Thea was finished.
"Thanks."
Thea smiled. "So. Our next task is to find you a Balance."
"Excuse me?" Sam blinked, confused.
"Come." Thea beckoned. "Jack should hear this as well."
Jack was already wearing the same light brown pants and white tunic that the other men wore, and was sitting in the front seat of the wagon, holding Homer's reigns and looking impatient. None of the other wagons seemed quite ready to leave, however.
"What's up?" Jack asked, holding out a hand to help Sam up into the seat, but she beckoned him down.
"I explained to you yesterday how our people live under the principles of balance and unity." Thea said, clasping her hands together as though preparing to launch into a lesson. "The caravan itself, this tribe, is a Unity. To survive in the desert you must be part of a Balance. Until a person matures their Balance is their family. That is, whatever adults are taking care of them."
"And once they grow up…?" Jack folded his arms over his chest, looking half skeptical.
"Once they are grown up they will be in one of two types of Balances. Either a sibling balance, where they live with their brother or sister – and they do not have to be related by blood, only emotion, or," Thea paused, putting her hands on her chest. "They can be in a marriage Balance, where they live with the one they love. The other person who compliments them perfectly."
"Right…so I take it we have to be in Balance then…" Jack shifted nervously, shooting a look at Sam.
"If you are comfortable with it. And you need not say which type of Balance you are in." Thea turned, glancing towards the front of the caravan. "Now, I must hurry back to Alal, it would seem we are ready to go." She turned and hurried off.
Jack shook his head and hopped back up into his seat on the wagon, holding out his hand for Sam. "Come, oh balance of mine."
Sam deliberately didn't take his hand, smirking at him as she pulled herself up into the seat. Homer made a mooing sound and turned his large head to blink at them with wide brown eyes, as though making sure everything was ok. Ahead of them the other wagons were beginning to move, their wide flat wheels leaving deep treads in the sand. Jack reached behind himself into the wagon, pulling out a couple wide brimmed hats.
"We'll probably need these, won't do us any good to get sunburned." He stuck one on top of Sam's heads, then flicked the reigns. Homer started moving forward.
It took Sam a while to get used to the sort of swaying rolling motion of the wagon. She sat up front with Jack for a while, and they tried their best to talk about anything except Earth. It didn't work out too well, and Sam found herself thinking that Jack sounded a bit like a broken record, constantly repeating that they'd get back eventually.
After a couple hours Sam crawled into the back of the wagon to look around a little and see what sort of things Thea had given them. The wagon was large, with two beds along one side and an area for supplies on the other. Cooking utensils, food, clothing, and other household items were strapped in place. Jack had tucked their packs and vests into a storage container at the back. She crawled over to them and took out some of her equipment. She didn't think it would work but at least it would give her something to work on during the journey.
She came out to sit by Jack again as the heat was reaching a peak intensity. She'd barely settled back into place when Thea rode up on the back of one of the Thul.
"Greetings, enjoying the journey so far?" She called as her Thul fell into step with the wagon.
"Oh yeah," Jack leaned around Sam to speak to Thea. "Loving it. All this sand and….sand."
Thea chuckled. "It is a dull ride, I know. But appreciate the beauty of the desert, Jack."
"How far away is Irem?" Sam asked.
"Many weeks journey at this pace," Thea said. "We make stops along the way, however, first of which is at the Yemen Oasis."
The name rung a bell with Sam and she turned to Jack. "Isn't that a place on Earth, sir? Yemen?"
"Yeah. Middle East. Along the Red Sea."
Sam raised her eyebrows.
"The Yemen Oasis is a marvelous place," Thea assured them. "It will be well worth the journey." With a last smile to them she turned and rode off to speak with the people in the other wagons.
"I could maybe get used to this," Jack said later as they stopped for the night. "I mean, traveling isn't the most ideal way to relax, but the lack of bad guys is nice.
Sam was carrying some of their food with her to the large communal bonfire in the middle of the camp. It seemed that when they could, the people would share food to make sure no one went hungry. "I don't know about that, sir…" She looked towards the edge of the camp, where several young men with slingshots and staffs were patrolling. "it looks like there's something to guard against."
"C'thiu, mostly. And some Chaklah'I too, but they don't come near unless they smell dead meat."
Sam and Jack turned to see a young couple walking next to them, obviously brother and sister by their similar appearances. The young woman had spoke, and her brother nodded in agreement. "We don't usually have problems with the C'thiu either, but if they are hungry they will stalk around the edge of camp, looking for stragglers."
"And what are the…kachoo…exactly?" Jack asked, wrinkling his nose.
The young woman laughed. "C'thiu. They are desert hunters that come out during the months after the Shifting. They are like huge dogs with thin but strong legs and claws and teeth like daggers."
"Sounds pleasant." Jack grimaced and took the container of food from Sam.
" I am Arima, and my brother-balance is Carinth. You two must be Sam and Jack." The young woman said.
"Yeah. So you've heard of us?" Sam said. They'd reached the large fire, and Jack handed their food to the cooks and he and Sam sat with Arima and Carinth beside the flames.
"Uhuh. Thea and Alal made sure everyone knows of you and makes you welcome." Carinth nodded.
"Sweet." Jack leaned back on his hands, turning to Sam. "You know, Carter, this is way too good to be true. What's wrong with this planet? There's got to be something wrong with it."
Sam shrugged. "I don't know, sir."
"Why do you call him sir?" Arima asked, frowning slightly.
Sam blinked. It had become such an involuntary name for Jack now that she didn't even realize she'd called him that. "What? Oh…we're in the military. He's my commanding officer so as a sign of…command, I guess, I have to call him that."
"So you treat him like he's above you?" Arima sounded confused.
Jack chuckled. "I don't know if I'd say that…"
"Thea told us you are a Balance," Carinth said. "As a Balance you are equal. You should call each other by your names."
Sam turned to smirk at Jack, who just looked pissed.
"Look, kid, just let us do things our way, ok?"
Carinth puffed up. "I am twenty years old, I am no longer a child."
"To Jack you are," Arima said placating to her brother. She shook her head and turned to Sam. "Come on, Samantha, if our Balances are going to be foolish we can at least go get some dinner."
Sam stood up with Arima, laughing as Jack and Carinth scrambled to their feet, still bantering away amicably.
The next day was hotter than the first, and Sam felt worried when she realized they were running low on water. When Alal came riding by at mid morning he told them there would be a well coming up, and that they would be able to break away for a few minutes to get water.
Sam took the empty water containers from the back of the wagon, hopping down when the wagon was a hundred feet from the well. She ran over and began to hoist up the bucket to fill the water.
A noise made her look up, the faint scuffle of feet in the sand, the shink noise of metal. Sam barely had time to register the black clad figure before her when it struck her across the face.
"Away, woman!"
Sam stumbled, looking up. "What?!"
"I said away from my well." The voice was masculine, his face covered by a dark cloth. He clutched a long scimitar in one hand, its blade glinting in the sun.
"I need water." Sam said angrily. She was hot and thirsty and wasn't in the mood for arguing. "If you haven't noticed we're in the middle of the -"
"I will not stand for your insolence, khari woman!" The man lashed out with the blade, slicing it along Sam's side.
At her cry, Jack came running, P90 in hand, a string of curses on his lips. Alal must have been near, for he came running as well, still on his Thul.
"Jack, lower your weapon!" Alal said, dismounting and going to stand near Sam.
"Not until he drops his!" Jack snarls. "And apologizes, that was entirely uncalled for!"
Alal sighed at Jack as though he was being ignorant, then knelt next to Sam, touching her arm lightly. "Samantha, how badly are you injured?"
Sam lifted her hand to stare at the red stain on her robes, wincing slightly. The cut wasn't deep, but it stung like all get out.
"Take your woman away, khari!" the man in black spat.
Alal straightened up. "And you, w'jadi, do not own the water! You would strike down an innocent woman because she is thirsty? A woman who has come to us as a guest from another planet? A woman who is helping to fight the old gods?"
The man shook his head in disgust, then scowled at Jack. Simultaneously they lowered their weapons, still staring at each other.
"Take your woman." The man said. "Take your woman and the water then get out of my sight, khari." He turned and with a flap of his dark robes was gone.
"Who the hell was that son of a bitch?" Jack demanded as he knelt by Sam's side.
"One of the w'jadi scouts. They are a vicious people who roam the desert like us, but they believe in none of the same rules." Alal took a small cup and filled it with water from the well, bringing it over to wash off the wound. "This is not too bad. Take her back to the wagon, Jack and dress the wound. I will bring the water to you, and then we should keep moving. The w'jadi will not be pleased if we tarry."
"And who are the khari?"
"They are us. That is what our people are known as. The khari. Peaceful wanderers. Now move!"
"Right," Jack was helping Sam to her feet. "Think you can walk?"
Sam nodded, hanging onto his arm. They managed to get back to the wagon, and with the med kit in the back, apply a bandage to Sam's wound before rejoining the rest of the caravan.
"Well, looks like this planet has the same problems as most of the other planets," Sam said after they had stopped for the night. She fingered the bandage on her side thoughtfully. "Fighting between different people."
"Thea didn't sound too happy when we told her. Sounds like they usually are on pretty good terms with the w'jadi."
"Did she say how long it was till we reach the oasis?"
Jack shook his head, handing Sam a bowl of some corn mush type food that smelled like curry. "No. A while though, from what people have been saying. And God knows how long it is until we reach the city…" he shot her a concerned look. "How's the side?"
"Stings. But I'll be ok." She smirked. "I've had worse."
"Yeah. Suppose a little scratch is better than having your consciousness transferred to a computer…"
"Ohhh..." Sam groaned good naturedly. "Computers. I miss 'em already."
Jack playfully punched her in the arm. "It's been a week, Car…Sam. You'll survive. And don't start thinking of 'em now because something tells me no matter how pretty this Irem place is, they probably won't have much by the way of technology."
"Too bad Daniel isn't here," Sam said, scraping the bowl with her spoon. "I'm sure he'd love all this."
It had taken a while to get used to sleeping in a wagon. The camp was always filled with noises and Sam found herself waking up at the sound of footsteps, heart pounding, until she realized it was just one of the Thul or a someone getting up to answer nature's call.
One time she heard a strange growling and a shouting of the young men and women on guard duty, but by the time she stuck her head out of the wagon all she saw was the shadow of something darting off into the distance.
The two beds in the wagon were really nothing more than thick mattresses on the floor, comfortable enough for all their lumpy looks. Sam and Jack had them laying end to end, so they could sleep with their heads near each other.
"I think I'm going to sleep outside the wagon one of these days. Nights. Whatever." Jack whispered to her through the darkness one night.
"Why?" Sam rolled over, trying not to put pressure on her injured side.
"So I can lay under the stars. I always liked that."
Sam chuckled. "Good night, sir."
"Goodnight,Samantha."
"Jonathan."
He sat bolt up right. "What the…"
Sam let out a wicked giggle. "I've seen your personnel file before."
"Yeah, well, you call me that ever again and I swear I'll…"
"You'll what?" She rolled onto her stomach, folding her arms under her chin. "Court martiall me? Good luck with that."
"Sam, go to sleep! That's an order."
"Nynn." She stuck her tongue out at him, and was answered by a loud snore. "Good night."
"Uhuh."
Sam closed her eyes, pulling her blanket up to her chin, content in the thought that maybe she could get used to this after all.