touched4

The Touched

Part 3



Notes: To Denise for her reviews and for proving that someone has a dirtier mind than me!!! Thanx for all the kind words people!!! I'll try not to keep you in suspense for too much longer! :o)

There was a problem the first time I uploaded this part...hope it's OK now! Enjoy :op



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The village they were approaching was towered over by a large rock formation, very similar to the one Daniel and Teal'c had discovered, and Daniel was considering the theory that perhaps they weren't so natural after all.

After Sam's 'nod of reassurance' the two natives had been inseparable, neither one willing to let the other go and, much to SG1's dismay, they had also been unable to figure out what was going on. After about an hour of unsuccessful communication, they had been pulled through the trees by the young couple and had understood the unsubtle gesture to follow.

Despite her attachment to the male, Kilan, the woman had also been clinging to Sam. She had pointed out things, chattering away quite happily even though she knew that Sam didn't understand, and Sam had been just as happy to add in her own thoughts on their surroundings. As they walked, Sam found herself liking the young woman. After their initial meeting with Kilan and Sam's mysterious agreement with her, the woman had become a completely different person and Sam found her manner honest and refreshing.

Walking closer, they could make out a few dotted figures working the land and as they approached, it seemed that the entire population was congregating to meet them. SG1 exchanged nervous glances as they entered the small opened out area that the housed the village. The woman squeezed Sam's arm and smiled before she and Kilan approached the people and began to speak animatedly. The young woman called upon an elderly man and pointed towards them. He walked forward and extended a hand to Daniel.

"Greeting. I am Sha'anu Hai. You may name me Hai. Nilke tell me you speak language of Ancients."

"Greetings. My name is Daniel Jackson. This is Teal'c, Colonel Jack O'Neill and Major Samantha Carter. We came through the Stargate to learn more about your world, your people."

"Ah. Exploring." the man nodded and smiled. Turning to face Sam, his expression changed to concern, "You not know our ways Major Samanta Calter."

"No, no I don't." She said, looking nervously at the young women of the village, all of whom were gazing intently at her.

"You have agreed to be Touched but I fear you not know what you agree to."

"The young woman, Nilke?" the man nodded and she continued, "She was upset and I was trying to comfort her..."

"She believes you agreed to help her, as now do the people."

"I hope I can help, but I'm not sure what's wrong, let alone how I can help."

Hai smiled sadly, and looked at them each in turn, "Danler Jackson, Teal, you would visit Ma'ari. She is old lady in red house. Anad Kilan will take you." Daniel looked at Jack, who nodded. With a final glance at Sam, he and Teal'c followed Kilan towards a large cottage surrounded by red flowers.

"Major Samanta Calter..."

"Please, call me Sam."

He smiled, "Sam, you mus undersan." They began to walk towards the fields leading away from the village, along a dirt trail at the edge of the forest, "My people come from long time ago planet. I speak Ancient's disjointely but enough to be undersood, yes?"

"Yes." Sam smiled.

"You're doing great." Jack said, trying to remind them that he was also there, just incase the old man had simply forgotten to send him away, "What did Carter promise Nilke?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"Listen, I will speak. My people sent here by Ancients, their planet dying from fullness. Too many people, too little to live by. We are protected by Elders who live in Great Rocks. They provide for us, they make rules up and we live in full life. We live simple life, without machines, only simple things. The Elders will not make mistakes again." Stopping, Hai sat on a tree stub and looked up at them, "Elders are afraid this planet become full too, afraid that people die in wrong way, that we have nothing to live by. When married, there are rules. Rules Anad Nilke and Kilan have broken."

"What rules did they break?" Sam asked sitting next to him. She exchanged a glance with Jack before turning her attention back to Hai.

"Rules of marrid are strick. They must be follow."

"Rules of marrid?" Jack asked, frowning.

"I think he means marriage, Sir."

"Oh. Right." Jack turned again to Hai, "What rule'd they break, Hai? And what has it got to do with our Sam?" Sam smiled a little at the reference and Jack smiled and shrugged.

"They were to..."

"NARRAD! NARRAD!"

Their attention was quickly averted to the village which was currently in an uproar. From where they were, they could see smoke arising from one of the houses. People were running into the Forrest, yelling. Sam, Jack and Hai ran into the village, avoiding collisions with the fleeing villagers.

"Daniel! Teal'c!"

"Over here." Jack turned to his left and saw Daniel and Teal'c coming towards them, helping an elderly woman he presumed to be Ma'ari and he went to them.

"What's going on?"

"Ma'ari says the Elders of the Great Rock are angry. The rules have been broken and they are unhappy at our presence. She says that Sam's agreement must be fulfilled and then we must leave. She says that Kilan and Nilke will pay severly for their crime unless Sam helps filfils her promise."

"Well if we knew what that was we might be in a better position to help!" Jack grunted in frustration and turned to look behind him, "Carter, we...where's Carter?"



~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"The elders have spoken."

"I don't understand." Sam looked at Hai pleadingly.

"Come." Hai led her behind a row of houses, past the burning one. The smell of burning wood drifted aimlessly through the air as the Great Rock loomed over them. Pulling her forward, Hai pointed to the road in front of them.

"My God." Running, she approached the figure sprawled on the ground, "Nilke." Pulling the woman's head onto her lap, Sam cradled her. She brushed Nilke's hair from her eyes and looked at the barely breathing woman.

"Kly nya...ha'ra Man...at'maha?"

Sam looked into the woman's pleading eyes and her heart reached out to Nilke. The woman was in pain, in need of her help, help that Sam had unknowingly promised her.

"Kly nyaha'ra...Manat'maha?"

Nilke was dying. Sam could tell, and there was nothing she could do to stop it, "What's she saying?" she whispered, loud enough that Hai could hear her. She had heard the others approach as well but her focus remained on Nilke. The woman was alone, dying in a strangers eyes and Kilan, her husband, was nowhere to be seen.

"She ask you 'You become Touched'"

"Carter..."

"Sir, she's dying." Sam said nothing more and no one questioned further. "Yes." She said nodding, her eyes tearing, "Yes, Nilke, I'll be Touched."



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

END OF PART 3

Just what has Sam promised Nilke? Tune in next time to find out...well maybe not next time... :o) Don't you just love me!!! *big cheesy grin*