Jack awoke and lay in the web quietly trying to work out why. It had been a distant sound, maybe a wolf or similar creature he thought. He looked up at the moons and wondered. 'What are the seas like on this planet being pulled two ways? Then again does this planet have any seas?' His musing was interrupted by another sound that came at him through the crystal clear air. It was an undulating, almost joyful howl from a long way away. 'What kind of creature makes that noise?' He rocked himself over to lean a little towards Zzzig's cocoon. She had sealed it firmly to the tree were it now glistened white in the moonlight. He leaned back and relaxed in his temporary bed and a smile appeared on his face. "Who would've thought that one day I would be lying in a sticky spider's web and be happy about it." Then he chuckled, closed his eyes and went back to sleep. He doubted if there were any dangers to Zzzig and himself so high up in the trees. He was also still too tired and hurt to care that much either way.
At the village supper was being passed out around a large bonfire in the guest's honour. Granta suddenly stood up and stared out into the darkness and Sam and the Colonel stared at him puzzled.
Then other Salvaje stood and the village went silent and the Colonel's look turned to one of surprise. "What the hell is that?" he asked rising himself.
Then Sam heard a faint howl way off in the distance. They both looked at Granta, and Sam grabbed the stone to concentrate on asking a question. Then all the Salvaje began to howl in reply. The village rang with the sound of joyful howling, barking and general celebration.
'What is it?' Sam asked Granta and he turned a huge grin toward her.
'My son has made his first kill! He now has a voice.' Granta thought at her proudly.
'Has a voice?' Sam queried.
'His opinion will be heard in Council with all adult Salvaje,' he explained and let off another howl of pure joy and Sam grinned despite her concern as to why the youngster had found it necessary to kill something.
'So your mate was right to let him go?' Sam asked with just a touch of mischief and Granta barked at his mate and she howled in response beaming at Sam. 'Do you know what he has killed?'
'A special howl for an enemy defeated. He has probably killed a Hiugar.'
Sam turned back to explain what was happening to her companions but finished with her main worry. "I just hope Daniel is OK."
"I am sure that Daniel Jackson can look after himself after everything he's been through working with the SGC." The Colonel replied and shook his head. "You worry too much about what you can't influence. Tomorrow we will look for all of them. That sound was in the direction of the Stargate and that is the way we will go."
Sam nodded in agreement but it didn't stop her worrying. She was going to kill Daniel when she got hold of him. Then she was going to kill Zzzig for causing all this trouble. Then if Jack turned out to be OK she was going to kill him too!
The moons were chasing one another down to the horizon and a deep darkness was descending on the woodland. Daniel could no longer safely travel and looked for somewhere to rest for the few hours before dawn. He found a small stream and an area that gave them rocky protection for their backs and a clearing to their front. 'No more nasty surprises,' Daniel thought. 'There could be more of those things around.'
The youngster looked around where Daniel was settled and grunted his approval. He pulled a lump of food from his small sack and tore it in half, offering Daniel a share. Daniel delved into his and found a chocolate bar, broke it in half and returned the offer. They both looked suspiciously at their gifts and took tentative bites. Daniel's found his was a cured meat of some description and didn't taste bad at all. He nodded and smiled in the darkness and bit into it with more enthusiasm. The Salvaje watched for a moment then nibbled on the chocolate. Daniel watched the gleam increase in his eyes as they widened and a strange whistling sound emerged from him. Daniel grinned as he remembered his encounter with the young Unas Chaka and noted the similarities within the character of the races, if not their looks.
He leaned back and half closed his eyes, relaxing but still watching his new companion. After a few seconds he copied Daniel and relaxed but his eyes never shut. For the next three hours they rested there until the first traces of sunlight began to streak the sky. Then they moved on toward the Stargate with Daniel leading the way and his new friend watching for danger.
Sunlight struck Jack's face and he prised one eye open. To his surprise he found what looked like a large bird of prey sat at one end of his web hammock staring down at him. He looked at the animal and asked. "What is it with me that wildlife find so interesting?" The bird tilted its head to one side and then tried to lift its taloned foot. The talons were stuck fast on the web. "Well that will teach you to try and creep up on a fella," Jack told it as he considered his dilemma. If he could lever himself off of the web he could maybe help the trapped bird. Then again if he tried it would probably try to peck him to death and that was one mean looking beak.
A quiet voice from below told him that Zzzig was awake. "It is dangerous, yesss. I kill?" It was a question and to Jack's relief she sounded like her old self again.
"I would rather you didn't kill it if possible. It is a magnificent creature and it isn't her fault that I am nesting in her territory." Jack responded in a quiet lazy drawl. He was still feeling sleepy and wondered if that would ever go away and would he care if it didn't. "She is stuck Zzzig and my chest hurts too much to want to move yet," he admitted. A comment his team now or ones of old would have viewed with a great deal of surprise and worry. He didn't admit things like that.
"I will free her. I am not hungry now," Zzzig explained brightly and began to climb toward it. The bird took one look and began to panic, flapping its wings and getting them caught on the web. It began to lose feathers and get mired. "The stupid isss making worsssse."
"I can see that," Jack answered calmly. "Release me first, maybe it will realise we are not going to harm it." Zzzig turned away from it and went to work releasing Jack from his self imposed imprisonment. When her eyes were no longer on the bird it settled down again. "Quite intelligent aren't we?" Jack commented.
"Thisss you know I am," Zzzig commented in a puzzled voice.
"Not you. Are new friend over there."
"Ohh, but if I cannot look at it, I cannot free it without harm," Zzzig said a little sadly because it seemed Jack liked the creature.
"Well we will have to cut it free. With luck it will get the stuff off its feathers by itself." Jack grabbed hold of Zzzig's extended leg with his good arm and allowed her to lower him to the branch below. A pain shot through his chest and he ground his teeth. He had obviously not been cocooned very long. His chest felt wet and a quick look showed he was bleeding, not badly but he suspected he did not have the blood to lose. "Zzzig, I may pass out, be quick."
Zzzig looked down and saw the blood and jumped at the bird folding her legs around it and pinning it still. With her free back legs she slashed at the web and turned it to shreds, and then she let it go and swung down beside Jack on a single thread. She lifted him carefully and looked at the wound through his shirt. "Thisss cloth isss no good. You take off, I take off, which?" He could tell Zzzig was becoming excited as her language was deteriorating. Jack unbuttoned his mangled jacket and tried to shrug it off but could not. Zzzig tried to let him go and help but Jack overbalanced and began to slide off the branch. She grabbed him a little roughly and a moan escaped from Jack. Her desperation began to rise. Lifting this time she tried to move him but could not carry him down the branch, let alone the tree. Finally she wrapped a thick silken thread around his chest and lowered him back toward the ground. Behind her wings flapped as the bird finally rose from the shredded remains of the web and took off. Jack vaguely heard the bird's bid for freedom. "Oh good," he murmured as his mind slipped back down the black well, "one of us is free."
When he woke again he could see but could not move. Zzzig had rewrapped his chest and arms but not his head. The Mother Stone that the spider had taken from the dead Goa'uld was lying nestled against the flesh of his wounded chest and it was glowing. Zzzig sat beside him hissing quietly to herself as she concentrated on the stone. Jack led still not wanting to distract her from what she was attempting to do. After a while she stopped hissing and Jack suspected she had fallen asleep, although that was difficult to tell as her multifaceted eyes had no lids to close. He tried to move and that elicited no response from her. "Definitely asleep on the job," he commented but he didn't mind as she had managed to eradicate the pain.
Lying still and waiting for her to wake was not in his nature so he attempted to roll onto his side and found he could. This brought about the discovery that his legs were also free so he carefully swung himself up into a seated position. Finally he made it to his feet and stood looking at her with his arms clamped to his side. A low growl from behind warned him that they were not alone. He turned to face the latest threat and was faced by three Hiugar, not that he knew what they were called.
"Huhh, Zzzig, wake up we have visitors. Zzzig!" Jack's voice took on urgency as they all moved forward aware that he could put up little resistance to them. "Zzzig!" He shouted again as he kicked out and caught the closest where he hoped it would hurt most, sending it flying into the undergrowth. Zzzig snapped awake and leapt over Jack to stand between him and the remaining two. "Could do with my hands free," Jack called as he struggled to release his arms.
"Not now," Zzzig responded. "I am busssyyy," and she jumped at the remaining two creatures who tried to mount her. One she caught in her jaws and tore apart but the other was on her back. Jack could not get near to help and the last one reappeared from the undergrowth screaming and rushing at him. Two high pitched screeches deafened him as a pair of large birds descended talons outstretched. One dug the bright sharp instruments into the back of Jack's opponent. The other grabbed the Hiugar off Zzzig's back and lifted it high into the air, then let go. The creature tumbled back to earth head first and did not get up again. Zzzig spun round and speared the other one with a leg and it went limp in the bird's talons.
Both birds then settled on the ground and waddled toward Jack. One still had spiders web clinging determinedly to one wing. When he told Zzzig that it was intelligent he had not meant quite that intelligent.
"Thank you my friend," Jack responded lifting the hands that stuck out the bottom of his silken wrap.
"Yesss, thank you," Zzzig hissed and the second bird hopped away wings spread in alarm. The one still showing signs of the web just tilted its head to one side and blinked at her.
"I think you've made a friend Zzzig.
"That would be my guess," a voice Jack recognised commented from behind and turned to find Daniel and a young Salvaje watching them. The moment was over and the two birds took off to the relative safety of the higher branches.
"How'd you find me?" Jack asked.
"Deductive reasoning and his nose," Daniel responded with a grin. "You haven't had a bath in days."
"Neither have you," Jack responded.
"Why are you bound up like a Christmas turkey?"
Jack chose to ignore the comment and asked. "Why are you alone?"
"I'm not," Daniel retorted.
"That is not what I mean and you know it. Where are Teal'c and Sam?"
"Teal'c is on the way back to Earth with your prize possession. Now salvaged by the American Government. Sam… Well the truth is… I left her at the village to come look for you."
Final bit of the story next and maybe an epilogue, not sure if it will need one. Reviews please :)