It was a testament to his experiences over the last three years that the first thing Daniel Jackson did when he woke up was not panic. It was, in fact, to look for his glasses.
He found them on top of his neatly folded jacket, right next to his TAC vest and backpack. When he put them on, his surroundings transformed from indistinguishable blobs to recognizable images.
He was in a cave. A very comfortable cave. The ground was covered in what appeared to be the hides of animals, and there was a line of woven baskets against one wall. A fire crackled cheerfully near the cave entrance. Beyond that, he could see the waxing moon floating in the night sky.
Daniel pushed away the blanket that was covering him and got to his feet. The pallet he had been lying on was made up of soft, clean furs. He smoothed his short hair down as he took a second look around. He seemed to be alone.
The air in the cave was chill and damp. He pulled on his jacket and walked over to the fire. As he sat down next to it, a flash of white on the cave wall caught his attention. The words were scrawled and hurried, but legible.
Do not leave the cave.
Daniel stared at them, wondering if they were meant for him. He looked around again, suddenly missing his friends. He retrieved his TAC vest and grabbed his radio. He didn't even get static. With a frustrated growl, he examined it carefully. Great. He had a broken radio. Now what? He tossed the TAC vest back into the corner.
Do not leave the cave.
Who had written it? Friend or foe? Why couldn't he leave the cave? Where were his friends? What had happened? Try as he might, he had no memory of how he got to this cave.
A rustle in the underbrush outside sent him to his feet, scrabbling for the pistol that, predictably, wasn't there.
"You are in no danger," a deep, velvety voice purred.
"How am I supposed to know that?" Daniel called back, searching vainly for the source of the voice.
"You have not been harmed," the voice pointed out.
"Where are my friends?"
"Not here."
"Yes, I can see that," Daniel snapped. He was having vivid flashbacks to Oannes. "What have you done with them?"
"I have done nothing." The emphasis was a little unsettling.
"What happened to them?" Having to draw the answers out this way was quickly becoming tiresome.
"They were attacked."
A thrill of fear shot through him. "By what? Are they all right?"
"It was the Daemos. I believe they all live."
Daniel gnawed his lip in frustration. He was going to have to settle for that. "Where is this and why am I here?"
"This is my home. One of them, at least. I brought you here."
"Why?" he repeated.
"To protect you."
"I still have no idea what is going on!" he exclaimed finally. "Who are you?"
A shadow materialized just outside the circle of firelight. Daniel took an instinctive step backwards. The shadow glided into the light. Daniel knew without a doubt the person standing in front of him was not human.
She was tall and slender, dressed in black leather. Her skin was pure white and utterly without color. Pale silver hair flowed like liquid silk over her shoulders. Her eyes were so dark he couldn't distinguish between pupil and iris.
"I am Greer," she said in her black velvet voice. "Who are you?"
"I'm Daniel," he stammered, unable to tear his eyes from her. He felt as if he was staring at some wild animal: coldly beautiful yet feral and untamed.
"Daniel," she repeated. "Are you hungry?" She indicated the baskets. "I believe you will find something appropriate for your kind."
"I'm good, actually," he said, watching her warily. "You haven't answered my question."
"Which one?" she asked, arching a delicate eyebrow. There was a glint in her black eyes, but he couldn't tell if it was humor or malice.
"The last one. Why am I here?"
"Because this is one of the few places Shale dares not come," Greer replied matter-of-factly.
"Who is Shale?" Daniel asked. Neither he nor Greer had moved, both seemingly reluctant to come any closer to each other.
"She is the strigoi of the Daemos. She led the attack on your friends." Greer edged a bit closer, prompting Daniel to take a long step back. Something deep in his mind screamed at him to keep his distance.
Greer crouched by the fire, holding long, elegant hands towards the flames. "I was able to deflect most of the attack, but you were captured. I had to leave your friends to rescue you. Once I stole you from Shale, I brought you here to protect you. And now I have answered your questions."
"Well, I have just one more," Daniel said warily. "What are you going to do with me now?"
She blinked at him, the first time she had done so. "Help you, of course. It is my oath."
"Oath?" Daniel echoed. She smiled faintly.
"You said you had only one more." She pointed to the baskets again. "Eat, and I will tell you what I can."
Peering into the baskets, Daniel found dried fruit and meat, coarse bread, and skins of water. He sat down across the fire from her. "I'm listening," he said.
Greer tilted her head forward, her hair and skin gaining ruddy color from the flames. "The Daemos have ruled the forest for as long as anyone can remember. The humans dare not enter the forest, and at night they do not leave their homes. A Daemos will kill any human they can, to feed on their blood."
Daniel recoiled in horror. "So the stories were true," he said. Greer gave him an unreadable look.
"You doubted them? Of course you did, or you would not have come here. You are not from this world, are you?"
"No. No, I'm not. But go on, I'm listening."
"There are another people who inhabit the forest who call themselves the Aelfir. They have sworn to fight the Daemos and have long protected the Icenii."
"You're an Aelfir," Daniel guessed. Greer nodded, lifting one hand to push her hair back.
"I am. I have followed you since you entered the forest. The Daemos attack caught me off-guard, or I would have prevented it from happening."
Daniel frowned. "How come there aren't any stories about you?"
She chuckled, a rich, throaty sound. "The Icenii do not know of us. We have kept our existence from them."
"Why? I mean, if you're really their allies, you could join forces against the Daemos."
She shook her head, and then pushed her hair back again. "That is not possible."
"Why?" Daniel demanded again. A faint growl issued from her sensual lips.
"I have told you what I can. You must ask nothing more from me."
Daniel finished his frugal meal in silence, occasionally sneaking looks at Greer. She turned to retrieve another log for the fire, and Daniel saw a tattoo on the side of her neck. It was an intricate symbol that looked vaguely Celtic, but otherwise he didn't recognize it.
"We will receive visitors soon," she said abruptly. "Krayn, the leader of the Aelfir, has expressed a desire to meet you."
"He's coming here?" Daniel asked. A faint smile flitted across her face.
"Yes, she will come here. Most likely with an escort." She rose gracefully to her feet and circled around the fire. Daniel flinched involuntarily away from her when she passed him. Chagrined, he quickly recovered his composure, but Greer hadn't noticed. He couldn't help himself; there just seemed to be something unspeakably dangerous about her.
He turned so he could watch her move about the cave. The dim light provided by the fire didn't seem to hinder her. She returned a moment later with a leather coat. "Here," she said, handing it to him. "Put this on. The night will get colder."
Daniel took it hesitantly. As he did, his hand brushed Greer's. Her skin was unnaturally cool, and he snatched the coat with more force than he had intended. Again, she either didn't notice or didn't react. She merely lowered her hand to her side. He glanced down at that hand and abruptly realized what had been bothering him.
Greer had claws.
They appeared to grow from her fingernails and were retractable like a cat's. As she moved her fingers, they slid partially in and out, catching the firelight on their razor-sharp tips. He looked away with a shudder and pulled the coat on. If he had any questions as to Greer's humanity, he had none now. She wasn't human.
She was a predator.