Chapter 2: Strangers (En'esk'ka'ty)
The four strangers also heard the cry, although they didn't seem to understand it.
"FA'RE!" the boy screamed "FA'RE!" He looked in amazement at these strangers. Why were they just standing there? "FA'RE!" he tried again. He saw the pale one with strange eyes look at him with a slight understanding. "Fa're," he said with a hint of despair. ".fa're." the pale man muttered. Then he turned to the one the boy assumed was the leader. "Jack I think that means, go.or it could mean run, or maybe help, see it's a derivative of Egyptian." he was cut of by the boy's ear splitting howl.
'KA'YA! Get help! These people are too stupid, find Che'nea! HURRY!' The four strangers looked at him with equal parts disbelief and fear. They obviously had never heard anyone talk in the language of the wolves before. "Fa're! Sa'na!" He tried once more this time telling them to RUN NOW, before turning to see it was already too late. At least ten huge feline warriors were advancing on the small group of humans. The dark one spoke for the first time.
"O'Neill, I believe we are surrounded by a large number of hostile felines," He said in a voice that sounded as if it was made for the thunder in the mountains.
"What?!" The leader asked. "Where?"
"They appear to have us from all sides." The dark one answered.
The huge cats began to close in on them, blocking any exit they might have had. Then suddenly three of the cats leapt at them. A sudden burst of fire from the dark one's walking stick brought one down, but the other two leapt upon the female stranger and the pale male with odd eyes.
"Net'da'he!" The boy yelled before notching an arrow and firing it into the neck of the cat attacking the male. Crimson blood sprayed into the air as the cat went down with a gurgling scream. He sent a silent prayer to his gods to forgive him for this treacherous act before notching another arrow. Around him cats were falling to the fire stick of the dark stranger and to another strange device wielded by the leader. A cat leapt at him and he put an arrow through its heart, and it dropped inches from his feet. Soon all ten cats lay dead or dieing around them. The boy took a moment to survey the scene. Three cats dead by his arrows, another two by the strange weapon of the pale male, and five, FIVE cats were dead by the fire stick of the dark one. The female did not look too badly injured, but the odd eyed male had multiple gashes covering his body and, his eyes held great pain barely contained below the surface. Another cry from above announced Ka'ya's return, along with Che'nea and Le'nor.
'Little sister, wise ones, two of the strangers are wounded. Are more cats on the way?' the boy asked the three wolves. He then saw the dark one point the fire stick at his pack mates. Remembering all too well the damage it had caused to the cats he lept and shoved it away, just as the warrior fired.
"DA'NE! DAN'NE Ca'nae'shi! Ca'nae'shi, da'ne ala'ka!" he cried No! No! Friends, friends, no cats! The dark one paused, the look of intense anger slowly disappeared, and he turned to the first pale male.
"O'Neill, I believe that these wolves pose us no threat."
"Well that's nice, we don't have to worry about the dogs on this planet, just the crazy cats! Now come on, we ned to get Daniel and Carter back to the SGC." The pale one remarked. As he went to the female she spoke in the strange tongue.
"I'm fine sir, but I'm not too sure about Daniel"
'Little one what are they saying?' Le'nor asked.
'I do not know wise one, but I will try to get them to safety. The injured male seemed to understand me a little, he must not be allowed to enter the spirit world.' The boy answered.
'We will keep watch for more cats' Che'nea told him 'Try to hurry little one'
'Yes wise one' he replied. Turning his attention back to the four strangers, he saw the female watching him.
"Sir, I think the boy can speak with those wolves." She said clearly not believing her own words.
"You didn't hit your head too did you Carter?" The first male said.
"No sir, but look at him, he's clearly saying something to them." She persisted. Before she could continue her debate with the first male, the dark one spoke up from over at the side of the wounded male.
"O'Neill I believe DanielJackson required medical attention."
"Damn it! Daniel, why do you always go and get yourself in trouble." The first male said.
"Sorry, Jack, but it wasn't my fault this time, big cat." The wounded mad replied. The boy could see even this small amount of effort brought great pain to the stranger. Three claw marks spread across his face, deep gashes in his chest and legs showed the power and rage of the creature that had attacked him.
"We'd better get back to the 'gate" the first male spoke.
"I agree O'Neill there may be more predators around," the dark one said.
"Carter can you walk?" The first male asked.
" I think so sir," the female replied. The dark one moved to help her to her feet. As soon as she tried to take a step, a hiss of pain slid from between clenched teeth. The boy could see angry red trenches gouged in her right leg. He walked over to her, looking into her pale eyes, he handed her his bow and lifted her arm over his shoulder, supporting a good part of her weight. She looked at him with gratitude.
"Thanks you" she said. Although the boy did not understand the foreign words, her tone and smile spoke the meaning more then any words could. The dark one and the first male had helped the other injured member of their group up and were supporting, the semi-conscious mad between them. The boy could see the strain even this caused to the wounded man. He knew he must hurry back to the village if this man was to survive. As he started to go towards his village, the female didn't move with him. He gave her a questioning glance. She pointed back towards the sacred place, and made to turn around.
"Da'ne ala'ka!" He made the sounds of the giant felines and pointed towards the sacred place, shook his head, pointed towards his home and nodded.
"Sh'nea L'ni" he said. Home, safe.
"Sir, um, I believe that the boy is trying to tell us that there are more of the large cats back towards the 'gate and since none of us can successfully weild a weapon, I think we had better listen to him and go that way," she pointed off towards the village.
"Ok, Carter, hope you're right, you and the kid lead the way." First male replied, after a moment's hesitation.
Ka'ya loped up beside the boy. 'Big brother, the wise ones said that you should name the strangers, at least until we can know them by their true names.'
'Why me, Wam'bli found them, it's her right.' The boy replied
'Yes, but they are of your kind, go on, give them names.' She urged.
'Ok little sister' He though a moment before speaking. Names were sacred, and were to describe a person. If he gave them bad names, they might take offense and it would be their right to kill him. 'The first male, his hair is the color of the angry sky, so that will be his name. The dark one is a mighty warrior, so he will be known as dark warrior. The injured male seemed to understand me, and my become the voice of his people, so he will be named strange voice, and the female has hair the color of the sun, so she will be sun daughter.' He finally spoke.
'Good names big brother' Ka'ya spoke 'I will tell the others' She ran off to again join her pack mates in the woods. The boy didn't blame them, out here on the path they were exposed. Soon though he saw the entrance back into Te'ne are'mec ches'ka; the land of the wolves. His people's land. As they passed between the two huge statues of cats, he breathed a sigh of relief. Safety at last.
The four strangers also heard the cry, although they didn't seem to understand it.
"FA'RE!" the boy screamed "FA'RE!" He looked in amazement at these strangers. Why were they just standing there? "FA'RE!" he tried again. He saw the pale one with strange eyes look at him with a slight understanding. "Fa're," he said with a hint of despair. ".fa're." the pale man muttered. Then he turned to the one the boy assumed was the leader. "Jack I think that means, go.or it could mean run, or maybe help, see it's a derivative of Egyptian." he was cut of by the boy's ear splitting howl.
'KA'YA! Get help! These people are too stupid, find Che'nea! HURRY!' The four strangers looked at him with equal parts disbelief and fear. They obviously had never heard anyone talk in the language of the wolves before. "Fa're! Sa'na!" He tried once more this time telling them to RUN NOW, before turning to see it was already too late. At least ten huge feline warriors were advancing on the small group of humans. The dark one spoke for the first time.
"O'Neill, I believe we are surrounded by a large number of hostile felines," He said in a voice that sounded as if it was made for the thunder in the mountains.
"What?!" The leader asked. "Where?"
"They appear to have us from all sides." The dark one answered.
The huge cats began to close in on them, blocking any exit they might have had. Then suddenly three of the cats leapt at them. A sudden burst of fire from the dark one's walking stick brought one down, but the other two leapt upon the female stranger and the pale male with odd eyes.
"Net'da'he!" The boy yelled before notching an arrow and firing it into the neck of the cat attacking the male. Crimson blood sprayed into the air as the cat went down with a gurgling scream. He sent a silent prayer to his gods to forgive him for this treacherous act before notching another arrow. Around him cats were falling to the fire stick of the dark stranger and to another strange device wielded by the leader. A cat leapt at him and he put an arrow through its heart, and it dropped inches from his feet. Soon all ten cats lay dead or dieing around them. The boy took a moment to survey the scene. Three cats dead by his arrows, another two by the strange weapon of the pale male, and five, FIVE cats were dead by the fire stick of the dark one. The female did not look too badly injured, but the odd eyed male had multiple gashes covering his body and, his eyes held great pain barely contained below the surface. Another cry from above announced Ka'ya's return, along with Che'nea and Le'nor.
'Little sister, wise ones, two of the strangers are wounded. Are more cats on the way?' the boy asked the three wolves. He then saw the dark one point the fire stick at his pack mates. Remembering all too well the damage it had caused to the cats he lept and shoved it away, just as the warrior fired.
"DA'NE! DAN'NE Ca'nae'shi! Ca'nae'shi, da'ne ala'ka!" he cried No! No! Friends, friends, no cats! The dark one paused, the look of intense anger slowly disappeared, and he turned to the first pale male.
"O'Neill, I believe that these wolves pose us no threat."
"Well that's nice, we don't have to worry about the dogs on this planet, just the crazy cats! Now come on, we ned to get Daniel and Carter back to the SGC." The pale one remarked. As he went to the female she spoke in the strange tongue.
"I'm fine sir, but I'm not too sure about Daniel"
'Little one what are they saying?' Le'nor asked.
'I do not know wise one, but I will try to get them to safety. The injured male seemed to understand me a little, he must not be allowed to enter the spirit world.' The boy answered.
'We will keep watch for more cats' Che'nea told him 'Try to hurry little one'
'Yes wise one' he replied. Turning his attention back to the four strangers, he saw the female watching him.
"Sir, I think the boy can speak with those wolves." She said clearly not believing her own words.
"You didn't hit your head too did you Carter?" The first male said.
"No sir, but look at him, he's clearly saying something to them." She persisted. Before she could continue her debate with the first male, the dark one spoke up from over at the side of the wounded male.
"O'Neill I believe DanielJackson required medical attention."
"Damn it! Daniel, why do you always go and get yourself in trouble." The first male said.
"Sorry, Jack, but it wasn't my fault this time, big cat." The wounded mad replied. The boy could see even this small amount of effort brought great pain to the stranger. Three claw marks spread across his face, deep gashes in his chest and legs showed the power and rage of the creature that had attacked him.
"We'd better get back to the 'gate" the first male spoke.
"I agree O'Neill there may be more predators around," the dark one said.
"Carter can you walk?" The first male asked.
" I think so sir," the female replied. The dark one moved to help her to her feet. As soon as she tried to take a step, a hiss of pain slid from between clenched teeth. The boy could see angry red trenches gouged in her right leg. He walked over to her, looking into her pale eyes, he handed her his bow and lifted her arm over his shoulder, supporting a good part of her weight. She looked at him with gratitude.
"Thanks you" she said. Although the boy did not understand the foreign words, her tone and smile spoke the meaning more then any words could. The dark one and the first male had helped the other injured member of their group up and were supporting, the semi-conscious mad between them. The boy could see the strain even this caused to the wounded man. He knew he must hurry back to the village if this man was to survive. As he started to go towards his village, the female didn't move with him. He gave her a questioning glance. She pointed back towards the sacred place, and made to turn around.
"Da'ne ala'ka!" He made the sounds of the giant felines and pointed towards the sacred place, shook his head, pointed towards his home and nodded.
"Sh'nea L'ni" he said. Home, safe.
"Sir, um, I believe that the boy is trying to tell us that there are more of the large cats back towards the 'gate and since none of us can successfully weild a weapon, I think we had better listen to him and go that way," she pointed off towards the village.
"Ok, Carter, hope you're right, you and the kid lead the way." First male replied, after a moment's hesitation.
Ka'ya loped up beside the boy. 'Big brother, the wise ones said that you should name the strangers, at least until we can know them by their true names.'
'Why me, Wam'bli found them, it's her right.' The boy replied
'Yes, but they are of your kind, go on, give them names.' She urged.
'Ok little sister' He though a moment before speaking. Names were sacred, and were to describe a person. If he gave them bad names, they might take offense and it would be their right to kill him. 'The first male, his hair is the color of the angry sky, so that will be his name. The dark one is a mighty warrior, so he will be known as dark warrior. The injured male seemed to understand me, and my become the voice of his people, so he will be named strange voice, and the female has hair the color of the sun, so she will be sun daughter.' He finally spoke.
'Good names big brother' Ka'ya spoke 'I will tell the others' She ran off to again join her pack mates in the woods. The boy didn't blame them, out here on the path they were exposed. Soon though he saw the entrance back into Te'ne are'mec ches'ka; the land of the wolves. His people's land. As they passed between the two huge statues of cats, he breathed a sigh of relief. Safety at last.
