The fog had burned off, and the midday sun shone down on them by the time John and Ronon crested the last hill and looked down into a wide valley.
"That's … different," John said, looking down at what he could only describe as a small city.
Where the Satedan village huddled under the eaves of the forest, the city below sprawled across most of the open land. Large fields of grain grew near a winding river. Orchards covered more land between the river and the edge of the forest. Herds of grazing animals roamed behind the town. What surprised John the most was the city itself.
Wide streets were laid out in a grid pattern. Buildings, John counted windows and noted that many were five stories high, stood shoulder to shoulder facing the streets, while green spaces at the rear of the buildings allowed for kitchen gardens. Unlike the village, the structures were made from concrete and glass instead of wood or stone. The streets were paved with stone, and John saw a few autonomous vehicles trundling alongside horse-drawn carts and carriages.
"Looks like Capital City on Sateda," Ronon said.
John clenched his jaw and didn't say anything. While he was happy Ronon had found more of his people, he had been on edge since they walked into the Satedan village. Was Ronon going to be his next team member to leave? he couldn't help wondering. Was it going to be a regular occurrence that he would lose one of them every year or so?
Nice, John, he berated himself. Ronon has a chance to finally be happy, and you're only worried about yourself. Apparently, McKay isn't the only selfish one on the team.
John shook off the thought and motioned toward the city. "Come on. Someone down there has to know something about a ZPM."
"Not that they'd tell us," Ronon grunted but fell into step as John led the way out of the hills.
John glanced back at Ronon and slid a few feet down the slope. He caught himself on a boulder and asked, "Problem?"
"Something's off," Ronon replied. "Those people," he waved a hand at the city, "have something to hide."
"Why would you -"
"The Wraith would have destroyed a city that size a long time ago."
John thought of the Olesians segregating their prisoners from the rest of their population and the Genii and their hidden underground city.
"You might have a point," John agreed. "We'll be careful."
They crossed the fields and walked through the outskirts of the city half an hour later. Pedestrians strolled along the wide pavements bordering the street, gossiping, and looking into shop windows. The men wore trousers and plain shirts under suit jackets in various colors ranging from dark blue to cream with matching snap-brimmed hats. While a few women John saw wore trousers and buttoned shirts, most wore ankle-length dresses fringed in beads or lace and wide-brimmed hats trimmed with feathers and ribbons.
John looked down at his black uniform, muddy boots, and P-90, then over at Ronon's leather trousers and duster. "I think we're a bit underdressed," he muttered as the men and women walking nearby stopped to stare.
Ronon's hand hovered near the holster for the particle weapon as he glared at the men and women staring at them.
John shook his head and walked over to two women standing outside a dress shop. "Hello," he said with a smile. "I was wondering -"
The women looked him up and down, and each made a disapproving face before they disappeared into the dress shop.
Undeterred, John tried again. "My name is Colonel John -" he started to say to a man standing outside another shop.
The man ignored him and walked away.
Teyla was right, John thought to himself. Not the most friendly people.
"Pleasant bunch," John remarked. He nodded and smiled to another group of men and women, who glanced at him, then gave him a wide berth as they passed.
"Told you," Ronon replied. "Things to hide."
"There has to be someone we can talk to," John said. "This planet has a 'gate, and Teyla has traded with them before."
"On Hyax," Ronon said.
"Still. It can't be that uncommon to get visitors. What about the people in those settlements McKay picked up on the scanner?" John said. "They have to come here to trade every now and then. Maybe we're just in the wrong part of the city."
They continued down the street, dodging carriages, horses, and people as they walked. John was struck anew by the juxtaposition of the city versus the Satedan village. How had the city survived against the Wraith? he wondered. He didn't see anything that looked like defensive fortifications. None of the people they passed wore any sort of military uniform, either. Were they just lucky, or was it something else?
John grimaced and adjusted his grip on the P-90 as he glanced up at the balconies overhanging the street.
"Problem?" Ronon asked.
John shook his head. "Just thinking you might be right. Maybe these people do have something to hide."
They stopped at the intersection of two streets, and John started to cross the cobbled street when he heard a horn sound behind them.
"Watch it!" the man driving the silent, open-sided vehicle shouted as he drove past them.
John skipped out of the way of the car and watched as the vehicle turned at the corner.
"Huh," he muttered and watched as the car turned up another street.
"What?" Ronon asked, staring at the point where the car disappeared.
"I think that was an electric car," John said. "McKay might be willing to make the hike out here when he hears about that."
"Doubt it."
John smiled at Ronon's reply and was still deciding which part of the city they should try next when two men wearing long black coats lined with brass buttons and black trousers walked up to them.
John noted the shield pinned to the men's chests and the long club each carried and carefully moved his hand away from the P-90.
"Ronon," John murmured and shook his head when he saw Ronon reaching for the particle weapon.
Ronon glared at him but settled for crossing his arms over his chest and glowering at the two police officers.
"Gentlemen," the older of the two uniformed men said. "You appear to be new in town."
"You could say that," John replied with a friendly smile. "My name is Colonel John Sheppard. This is Ronon Dex."
The officer looked John up and down, then gave Ronon the same once over. "You're not from any of the villages around here. State your business in Kiroma."
"Kiroma?" John said with a relieved glance at Ronon. "That's the name of the city?"
"How do you not know that?" the younger man asked.
"You're right. We're not really from around here," John replied.
"So. You're offworlders," the older officer said with a look of distaste.
"Yes," John replied, making an effort to remain cordial. He forced himself to relax and added, "We had some questions about the planet's history, and we were hoping to talk to someone."
"Oh?" the older man asked with a suspicious glare. "What sort of questions?"
John studied the older officer and mentally sighed. Maybe he shouldn't have left Teyla and McKay in the village, after all, he chided himself.
"General stuff," John replied. "When was the planet first settled? Did the Ancestors," John was careful to use the Pegasus galaxy term, "ever visit this world? Things like that."
The officer studied him for a moment longer, then sniffed and waved his arm down the left-hand street. "Officer Rastilion, take them to the city house," he ordered the younger man. "Provost Tiernan can decide what to do with them."
Rastilion glanced at his superior and then at John and Ronon. "Yes, sir," he replied, sketching a salute to the older officer. "This way," he added to John.
"Thanks," John said. He motioned to Ronon, and they followed Rastilion down the new street.
"You have to forgive Haldon," Rastilion said as they walked. "He's like that with everyone." He glanced at John and then Ronon. "So, umm, you're from off-world?"
"Mmm," John replied.
"Must be exciting. Seeing new planets, meeting new people."
John smiled to himself. Kid can't be more than twenty-five, he thought to himself. Still excited and eager for adventure. He's a lot like Ford. John felt a twist in his gut at the reminder of how Ford was before the Wraith enzyme changed him. He took a deep breath, pushed the guilt back into its box, and forced himself to focus on the situation at hand.
"So," John said and glanced at Ronon as they walked. "Kiroma is an impressive city."
Rastilion smiled. "Isn't it? It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen."
"There aren't many like it," John agreed. "It seems older than the villages nearby. How long has it been here?"
Rastilion gave him a quick glance, and John winced. Subtle, Sheppard, he chastised himself.
"It's always been here," Rastilion replied, "in one form or another. Some of our historians claim Kiroma was here when the Ancestors still protected the galaxy."
John felt a thrill in his stomach at the news. "Really? That old?"
Rastilion nodded.
"What about the Wraith?" Ronon asked.
"The Wraith have attacked the planet in the past," Rastilion admitted. "But they have never culled within the city."
"Never?" John asked. He had a flash memory of Olesia, and its prisoner island, then remembered that the 'gate on this world wasn't isolated. "That seems a bit strange." He looked up at one of the tall buildings. "It's kind of hard to miss."
"It has been almost a hundred and fifty years since the last time the Wraith culled this world. According to the historical records of the time, people living in the city heard the Wraith ships. They even saw a few fly over the city, but the Wraith never attacked Kiroma."
"And the city looked like it does now?" John asked.
"Very similar, yes," Rastilion replied. "Some of the buildings are taller now, and there are more of them, but like I said, Kiroma has always endured."
Ronon growled under his breath and shook his head.
John suspected he knew what Ronon was thinking and silently agreed. It made no sense that the Wraith would destroy Sateda yet leave a city as advanced as Kiroma untouched. He was about to ask Rastilion about the city's defences when Rastilion stopped in front of a three-story building fronted with large pane-glass windows and fluted columns.
"This is the city house," Rastilion said and opened the carved wooden door.
John entered the building and gave a low whistle. The windows gave the space a light, airy feel, which countered the cold stone walls and floor. A long counter fashioned from more of the same stone as the walls dominated the room. The benches scattered around the room were empty. A wide stone staircase led to the upper floors, and the only relief from the stone decor was a set of double doors several feet behind the counter made from the same dark wood as the door to the main entrance.
The woman seated behind the counter glanced up when the door opened, and John saw the sour expression on her face as he walked across the room with Ronon and Rastilion.
"Off-world visitors to see Provost Tiernan," Rastilion said to the woman behind the counter. "Colonel John Sheppard and Ronon Dex," he added, pointing to each of them in turn.
John noticed the door behind the counter crack open and saw someone glance at him, then quickly shut the door again. John quirked an eyebrow at Ronon, who shrugged, took a few steps away from the counter, and watched the door.
The woman behind the counter looked down her nose at John and Ronon, then peered at an open book on the counter. "This is highly irregular," she said to Rastilion. "The Provost has a busy schedule." She made a show of studying the book and then shaking her head. "I'm not sure he has time today."
"I understand he's busy," John started to say but stopped when the door behind the counter opened again. A young man with thick, dark, curly hair wearing a pair of yellow trousers and a button-down shirt walked over to the counter, reading a document, seemingly oblivious to the people around him.
"Cerese, I'm not sure this is what we should -" the young man looked up from the paper in his hand. "Oh, hello," he said, smiling at John and Ronon. "My name is Tiernan. I'm the Provost for Kiroma. You are?"
"Colonel John Sheppard," John said. He jerked his chin at Ronon and added, "Ronon Dex."
"Nice to meet you, Colonel Sheppard." Tiernan gave John's hand a quick shake. "And you, Ronon." He tried to shake Ronon's hand as well but stepped back when Dex glowered at him.
Tiernan dropped his hand and turned back to John with an eager expression. "What brings you to the city house?" He glanced at John's uniform. "A trade of some sort? Not a dispute, I hope," he added with a glance at the P-90 clipped to John's vest. "But if there is a problem, we'll do our best to mediate a resolution. Won't we, Cerese?"
John stood, a bit stunned at the whirlwind of questions. "Umm," he said but was interrupted.
"Provost," Cerese said, frowning at John. "I've tried to explain to these men that you don't have time -"
"Nonsense!" Tiernan replied, waving an impatient hand at Cerese. "I always have time to speak to people. It's important to make time to talk to people," he said with a mock frown to Cerese. He turned to John and added, "I can tell from your clothes that you and Ronon aren't from around here. Are you visiting from one of the settlements?" He glanced at Ronon. "There is a Satedan village not far from here."
"We aren't from the village," John said.
"Offworlders?" Tiernan asked with a hopeful expression.
"Umm, yes," John said.
"Excellent!" Tiernan said. He slapped the document in his hand onto Cerese's counter and tugged on John's arm. "Come with me. Perhaps we can discuss some sort of trade after all."
"I'll leave you here," Rastilion said to John. "If you need anything, I can be found at the station." He handed John a card with an address. "Just tell the desk sergeant you're looking for me. He should know where to find me if I'm not there."
"Thanks," John said, pocketing the card.
Rastilion gave him a two-fingered salute, nodded to Tiernan, and left the building.
"Now," Tiernan said as he led John behind the counter. "What planet are you from? What is your world like? What are your people like? Obviously, you're a militaristic race," he added with another glance at John's P-90.
The questions came too fast for John to even try to formulate an answer for any of them. He let the frenetic questions wash over him and followed Tiernan across the room. He has to stop to breathe eventually, John told himself.
Tiernan held open the wooden door behind the counter. "Come in, come in! We have so much to talk about!"
John followed Tiernan into the office and looked around. Afternoon sunlight flooded the room from the floor-to-ceiling windows opposite the door. A large wooden desk sat against one wall with two leather chairs in front of it. A second door stood between the desk and the windows. A long leather sofa and two comfortable-looking leather armchairs sat across the room from the desk, with wooden end tables on either side of the sofa. A long, low table stood between the sofa and the chairs.
Tiernan closed the office door and blew out a breath. "Sorry about that," he said, dropping his over-eager façade. "I haven't had this position for very long, and Cerese still thinks I need a minder."
"I wonder why," Ronon said.
Tiernan smiled. "I deserved that," he replied. "But what you saw out there was necessary." He strolled over to the seating area and stood next to one of the chairs. "Please," he said, motioning John and Ronon toward the sofa. "Would you care for something to drink? Eat? I can have Cerese bring us something."
"No, I think we're fine," John replied. He unclipped the P-90 from his vest and sat in the chair opposite Tiernan while Ronon stood behind him. "So why the act?"
"Do you know how old I am, Colonel Sheppard?"
"Not really," John replied.
"I'm twenty-five," Tiernan said. "I'm also the youngest person ever elected as Provost. What you saw out there?" He motioned toward the closed door. "That was survival. There are quite a few people who feel I'm far too young to be leading our people."
"Then why encourage them?" John asked.
Tiernan sat back in his chair, steepled his fingers under his chin, and studied John for a moment. "There are things I want to do. Unpopular things."
"Such as?" Ronon asked.
Tiernan looked up at him. "I was right, wasn't I? You're Satedan?"
John glanced up at Ronon in time to see Dex glare at Tiernan for a moment before jerking his chin in a quick nod.
"The Satedans arrived on Haven almost eight years ago. My father and his brothers are skilled blacksmiths. When I was younger, I used to hike to the village to trade. I'd spend hours talking to Orlin and some of the others." Tiernan glanced up at Ronon. "They told me all about your world. How your people were great scientists and fairly advanced, almost as advanced as us before …" He paused for a moment. "Before the Wraith destroyed your world."
"What's your point?" Ronon growled.
"That keeping people like the Satedans out there," Tiernan waved his hand toward the window, "instead of inviting them into the city is a mistake. That's one of the things I want to change. Kiroma, for all of its beauty, is too insular."
Tiernan stood and paced between the sofa and his desk. "Refugees have always been welcome on Haven. It's probably how the planet got its name." Tiernan sighed. "They are always welcome on the planet, but not in this city. Here in Kiroma, we are stuck doing everything a certain way. My predecessors have always seen the city as blessed by the Ancestors. As such, they have refused to do anything to jeopardise that perceived goodwill."
"I take it you want to change that," John said.
"Yes." Tiernan grasped the back of his chair. "I think we have to if we are going to survive."
"And some people are afraid of that sort of change?" John said.
Tiernan sat in his chair and ducked his head. "Yes," he replied. "I have some support on the council, but several delegates see me and what I want to do as naïve." Tiernan clasped his hands in his lap. "I've even heard that some of them are pushing to have me ousted for daring to challenge their settled ideals. So, I put on an act of fresh-faced naiveté out there." He waved his hand toward the door. "It keeps my detractors off balance, you see. Meanwhile, I work to change what I can."
"Is it working?" John asked.
"I've been Provost for almost two years now," Tiernan replied with a smile. "I have made some progress, but it's not enough." He looked up at Ronon. "The Satedans are a prime example of the work I still need to do."
Ronon grunted. "What makes you think they would want to help you?"
"It wouldn't just be helping Kiroma or me," Tiernan replied. "If we can forge an alliance, it would benefit both of our peoples." Tiernan sat forward in his chair. "Just think what your people could teach us! With access to our level of technology, what new discoveries could we make together as a result? That's what I want for Kiroma and for everyone living on Haven. The Wraith are culling more people than at any time in our history. We can't afford to cling to the status quo anymore. The survival of everyone on this world requires that we find solutions together."
"Nice words," Ronon replied.
"But true words," Tiernan countered. "Come with me. I want to show you something." Tiernan walked over to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out an electric light attached to a large, bulky battery.
John quirked an eyebrow at the strange flashlight.
"There isn't much light where we're going," Tiernan explained.
He opened the door behind his desk and waited for John and Ronon to join him, then turned on the flashlight and led the way down several flights of stairs. He stopped outside another door and turned to John.
"I found this room during my first week in office," he said, opening the door. "I've asked a few people about the room, but all they can tell me is that it was originally built by the Ancestors."
John felt a jolt in his stomach as soon as Tiernan mentioned the Ancients. Eat your heart out, McKay, John thought with a satisfied smile. Guess I found the ZPM after all.
He followed Tiernan into the room and froze when several sconces along the walls glowed to life, bathing the room in soft light. Two small consoles stood opposite the door. A few of the tiles on one of the consoles were active, but most were dark until John walked past the control panels and several more systems sprang to life.
"Colonel Sheppard?" Tiernan asked with a wide-eyed expression as the console reacted to John's ATA gene and Ancient text crawled up a large screen mounted on the wall between the consoles.
John started to reply but stopped as more lights came on in the room and he spotted the rack of ZPMs lined along one wall.
Or maybe a whole lot more than one, John said to himself.
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
Teyla crossed the foggy central square and followed Tanis' directions down the new street. Several voices drifted out of the fog ahead of her, and a moment later, a long, single-story stone building loomed out of the mist. A small crowd of adults and children stood in the open yard between the school and the road. Teyla stopped on the pavement outside the yard, unwilling to intrude on the gathering until she knew Orlin was there.
A group of ten boys and girls, aged eight to fourteen, stood together on one side of the yard. Each child wore a thick cloak of green or brown and had a cloth pack strapped to his or her back.
A young man with curly brown hair and brown eyes stood next to one of the younger boys with his arm resting on the boy's shoulders. Along with the cloak and backpack, the young man also had a single-barreled rifle slung over one shoulder.
"Settle down, settle down," he said to the children with a smile. "We'll be heading out soon."
A woman entered the yard and walked over to the pair of boys. Teyla recognised her as the woman who had greeted them when they had arrived. She glanced from the younger one to the older one with a worried expression.
"Liam, perhaps you should wait until the weather improves," Marta said.
"The weather is fine, Mama," Liam replied with a gentle smile. "The whole point of these trips is to learn survival skills. The weather isn't always going to be sunny and nice."
Marta nodded. "I suppose you're right. I just worry."
"I've done these trips twice already," Liam said. "Everything will be fine."
Marta sighed and glanced at the younger boy. "You'll take care of your brother?"
"I don't need taking care of," the younger boy said with a scowl. "I can take care of myself."
"Don't worry, Mama, I'll make sure he comes back in one piece," Liam replied with a patient smile and squeezed the arm he had around his brother's shoulders.
Marta nodded and stepped back.
"More or less," Liam added with a grin.
The younger boy pulled out of Liam's hold, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at Liam, and Teyla was reminded of Rodney for some reason.
As Teyla studied the rest of the group, a young girl, one of the youngest children in the group, ran across the yard with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Katia?" another girl asked, running after Katia. "What's wrong?"
Katia shook her head and stopped in front of another of the women in the yard.
"I don't want to go, Mama," Katia whimpered, hugging the woman's legs. "I want to stay with you."
"You're my brave girl, Katia," her mother replied. She hugged the girl, then stepped back and adjusted the dark green cloak Katia wore. A cloak Teyla noticed was just a little too big for her.
"You will learn so much, and your friend Greta will be with you." The woman nodded to the girl who had followed Katia. Teyla guessed she was a year or two older than Katia.
Greta stepped forward and took Katia's hand. "It will be fun, you'll see," Greta said, smiling at Katia. "We get to camp out and eat sugar pears and travel bread. Liam teaches us all about fishing and hunting for rabbits. And he shows us all the cool plants to eat and how some of them are used to make medicines. And at the end of the trip, Liam makes a big bonfire and tells stories."
"There, you see," Katia's mother said. "You're going to have a wonderful time, and I'll be right here when you get back."
"Promise?" Katia asked, and Teyla saw her lower lip quivering.
"I promise," her mother replied.
Katia pulled out of Greta's hold long enough to hug her mother. "Love you, Mama."
"I love you, too, baby."
Katia and Greta hurried over to the rest of the children. Katia's mother stood with one arm wrapped around her middle and her free hand covering her mouth as she held back tears of her own.
"Tressa, are you all right?" Marta asked as she walked over and wrapped an arm around Tressa's shoulders.
Tressa nodded and wiped her eyes. "She's so young," she said with a watery smile. "Jonah was almost ten when he took his first trip." Tressa ducked her head. "And then he, he, was lost a few years later when the Wraith …" She sniffed and wiped her eyes again. "All Katia really remembers about him is that he was taken while on another trip just like this one when the Wraith attacked Sateda. She is afraid the same thing will happen to her."
Marta pulled Tressa into a one-armed hug. "Katia and the others will be fine. Liam knows what he's doing."
"Your Liam is a good boy, Marta, but he isn't much older than the others." Tressa twisted her hands together.
"Everything will be fine," Marta replied. "Katia will be back before you know it, eager to tell you about her adventures."
Teyla heard the regular thump-clunk of a walking stick tapping cobbled stone, and a moment later, Orlin walked past her and into the schoolyard. He gave Teyla a puzzled glance, then shook his head and focused on the group of children.
"Liam," Orlin said, stopping in front of the two brothers. "You have everything you need?"
Liam looked down the line of younger children and nodded. "I think so, sir," he replied.
"All right then," Orlin stepped back from the group. "We will see you in two weeks. Good luck." He glanced at the younger children. "And have fun," he added with a smile.
Several of the younger children nodded and giggled.
"Let's head out," Liam ordered the children. "We need to reach our campsite by mid-afternoon."
Liam led the way out of the yard with his brother next to him and the rest of the children following behind. The parents in the yard waved and smiled as the children trooped down the street, and it suddenly struck Teyla that most of the adults in the yard were women. There were only a few men, and most of them were older, closer in age to Orlin rather than Ronon or even Sheppard.
The women trickled out of the yard in groups of two or three. A few of them nodded to Teyla as they passed, and she smiled in reply. Once the parents were gone, Teyla walked over to Orlin, standing near the door to the school.
"Orlin, good morning," Teyla said as she stopped next to him.
"Morning," Orlin grunted in reply. "Dex with you?"
Teyla felt the tension rolling off Orlin at the mention of Ronon and mentally sighed.
"No. He and Colonel Sheppard left early this morning. They plan to visit the town on the other side of the hills." Teyla jerked her chin at the lake and the hills climbing behind it.
"To find this ZPM you're looking for?"
"Or more information on where to look, yes."
"Fool's errand if you ask me," Orlin said. "But then, Dex is a fool, so perhaps it's just as well. If the Ancestors left such a crystal on this world, someone would have found it by now."
Teyla grimaced and looked out at the square as the fog slowly dissipated. "You have never heard anyone mention the Ancestors visiting this world?"
Orlin humphed. "Oh, the people in Kiroma think they're somehow more blessed than the rest of us, believing the Ancestors protect their city, but that's nothing but a load of codswallop."
"The town is called Kiroma?" Teyla asked. "I have traded with some of the Kiromans on Hyax."
"Then you know what sort of people they are," Orlin replied. "Pretentious, the lot of them." He paused and shook his head. "No, that's not true. A few, like Tiernan, their new Provost, are trying to change things, but if Sheppard went there looking for help, he will be disappointed."
Teyla noted the omission of Ronon but let it go for the moment. "Doctor McKay found some strange readings coming from the forest," she said after a brief silence. "Are you aware of any old buildings nearby?"
"No," Orlin replied. "I don't go tramping through the woods much these days." He thumped his leg with his fist. "That's one reason why Liam takes the younguns out to learn how to hunt and forage."
Teyla nodded. "My people have a similar tradition."
"You're Athosian, aren't you?"
"Yes," Teyla replied.
"Then we share a common loss. We heard that the Wraith destroyed your world as well."
"They did," Teyla said. "However, most of my people were able to escape to Atlantis, thanks to Colonel Sheppard."
"Until the Wraith destroyed the Ancestor's city," Orlin said with a shrewd glance in Teyla's direction.
Teyla avoided Orlin's gaze and stared at the tall column in the middle of the square. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms and sighed. Was it necessary to maintain the fiction that Atlantis was destroyed now that Michael, and presumably the rest of the Wraith, knew the truth? she wondered.
"Colonel Sheppard's people have done much to help in the fight against the Wraith," Teyla said a moment later. She glanced at Orlin and added, "Ronon is one of the key reasons for our success."
Orlin's bland expression morphed into an angry scowl. "Do not speak to me about Ronon Dex," he growled.
There may not be a better opportunity, Teyla said to herself and took a deep breath. "Ronon is not the man you think he is. He suffered much after the Wraith destroyed Sateda."
"Not enough to make up for the death of my only daughter," Orlin snapped.
Teyla frowned as she studied Orlin's stiff posture and his white-knuckle grip on the walking stick. "Were you aware the Wraith captured him after the fall of the planet and made him a Runner?" she asked. "They have mercilessly hunted him for the last seven years."
Orlin gave her a startled glance. "The Wraith are tracking him?" he exclaimed. "And you didn't bother to tell us? I knew I should have run the lot of you out -"
"No, no," Teyla replied, holding her hands up in surrender. "There is nothing to worry about."
Orlin scowled at her, and Teyla lowered her hands. "Truly, there is nothing to fear. Ronon … captured Colonel Sheppard and me earlier this year. When he heard what the Wraith had done, Colonel Sheppard arranged for the tracker the Wraith implanted in Ronon's back to be removed. There is no danger to you or your people."
Orlin humphed out a breath and stared out at the square.
"He is still very angry for what the Wraith did to him and to your world." Teyla took a deep breath, then added, "For the death of your daughter."
Orlin grasped the walking stick with both hands and refused to look at Teyla.
"I believe that anger is one reason he remained with Colonel Sheppard even after the tracker was removed. He could have gone his own way. He chose to stay and help us in our fight against the Wraith. A part of him seeks to hold the Wraith accountable for their actions on Sateda."
Teyla reached out and felt the tension thrumming through Orlin's forearm muscles as she squeezed his arm. Orlin glanced at her, and Teyla whispered, "He mourns for her just as you do. Perhaps if you were to talk -"
"I have things to do," Orlin said. His tone was gruff as he looked away from her, but Teyla saw him swipe a hand over his cheek. "I don't know about any buildings in the forest. Try asking Marta or one of the other women. Some of them venture into the woods looking for wild fruit and herbs."
Teyla nodded and let Orlin leave. She had planted the seed, she told herself. Now, she had to hope it would take hold and allow Orlin and Ronon to mend their fractured relationship.
Teyla spent the rest of the morning wandering the village and speaking to the people she met. Everyone was kind and willing to help, but none knew anything about a building in the forest. Several people told her the best person to speak to was Marta and directed her out to the fields near the river.
As she left the village, the sun was near its height. Teyla half expected to see Rodney returning from his excursion into the forest, and felt a guilty twinge when he didn't appear.
Maybe they should not have split up, a tiny corner of her mind said as she glanced at the trees.
She remembered Rodney searching for her and Colonel Sheppard on Mendar after they were captured. How Rodney had dosed himself with Wraith enzyme when he thought the rest of the team was in trouble and in need of help. That Rodney and Carson had survived a Wraith attack on Drellim.
Rodney was capable of taking care of himself, Teyla reminded herself with another glance at the trees. She checked her watch and looked up at the sun near its zenith. "Talk to Marta," she told herself and turned toward the fields in the near distance, "then go looking for Rodney. Assuming he has not already found it, you might able to tell him where to find the Ancestors building."
Decision made, Teyla skirted around the edge of the lake and stopped at the edge of the nearest stand of fruit trees. "Hello!" she called to the three women working in the orchard and waved.
"Good day," one of the women replied, and Teyla recognised her as Liam's mother.
"You are Marta, yes?" Teyla asked as the women walked over to her.
"Yes, I'm Marta," the woman replied. She wiped her hands on her apron and nodded to the other women. "These others are Bren and Henny."
"Hello," Teyla said with a nod toward the other women, then turned back to Marta. "Several people in the village thought you would be able to assist me."
"I'll do what I can," Marta replied. She braced her arms on the edge of the split-rail fence surrounding the orchard. "How can I help?"
"My team came here looking for something the Ancestors may have left behind many years ago. An object that we hope will help in our fight against the Wraith."
One of the women hissed in a breath. "What is this object?" she asked. "If it is a weapon -"
"It is not a weapon," Teyla said.
She studied the three women for a moment. How much should she reveal? she asked herself. She did not wish to endanger Atlantis, but the women were not going to tell her what she needed to know without some sort of explanation.
"You have heard of Atlantis?" Teyla asked.
Marta glanced at the other women and nodded. "The shining city of the Ancestors. There are rumors the Wraith destroyed it."
"Yes," Teyla replied and ducked her head. Lying was not a behavior that came easily to her. "However, even though the Ancestors are gone, Colonel Sheppard and his people can access some of the technology they left behind. The object we are looking for is a crystal that would power these devices. We were given information that such a crystal may be here on Haven. If we can find it, Colonel Sheppard and his people can use the Ancestor's technology against the Wraith."
"The Ancestors abandoned us thousands of years ago," Henny said with a sniff of disdain. "What use would their technology be to you? It didn't help them."
So it is not just Ronon who feels this way, Teyla said to herself, remembering a similar conversation with Dex.
She smiled at Henny and said, "Colonel Sheppard's people have surprised me many times during our fight against the Wraith. If you give them the chance, they may surprise you as well."
"How do you know there's still something here to find?" Bren asked. "Whoever told you the crystal was here could have been lying."
"The source was very reliable," Teyla replied. "And Doctor McKay discovered evidence of a strange metal alloy coming from the forest. He believes this material might indicate a structure built by the Ancestors to protect the crystal."
Marta glanced at the other three women. "I don't know of any buildings in the forest," she said.
"There are the shrines," Bren said.
"Shrines?" Teyla asked with a puzzled frown.
"Some people call them shrines," Marta said with a dismissive wave, "but they look much the same as the control pedestal for the Ancestor's ring."
"I will mention this to Doctor McKay. Do you know if -" Teyla gasped and clutched the fence post as a sudden chill washed over her mind.
"Teyla?" a voice called from down a long tunnel, and Teyla felt a hand on her arm. "Are you all right?"
Teyla opened her eyes and blinked a few times.
"Go find one of her friends," Marta ordered Bren and Henny.
"No, I am all right," Teyla said. She glanced up at the sky then at Marta. "We must warn your people. They need to run. Hide."
Marta glanced at the other women and then picked up a basket overflowing with fruit. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"I am sensing Wraith," Teyla replied. "They are not far. We must hurry."